Fort Morgan

If you drive west on Ft. Morgan Road in Gulf Shores, in about 20 miles you will arrive at Ft. Morgan, which has protected Mobile Bay since the War of 1812. It is built of bricks and dirt as a fortification for cannons of varying sizes through the years. During the Civil War, it was the site of a major naval battle between the Union and Confederates, in which Admiral Farragut (of "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" fame) took part. Some of the ships where "ironclads" while others were wooden sailing ships. The mouth of the bay is filled with small islands and sand bars, making navigation difficult at best. The Confederate troops laid torpedoes which were more like underwater mines to add to the confusion. After each war, it would be decommissioned, then opened again for the next war, including the Spanish American War, WW I and WW II. Imagine being stationed on this spit of sand, subject to storms, swarming insects and absolute isolation from everything else you might want to do. The cannons could fire a mile or more across the bay at attacking ships.

An ongoing problem was dealing with the water. The slaves who constructed the fort used calcium lime in the brick mortar, using lime and seashells excavated on Dauphin Island across the bay. Rainwater, which is slightly acidic, seeps through, dissolving the mortar into little stalactites. The military engineers tried many options, but it still leaks.

Many flags have flown over the area including Spanish, French, English, Confederate, United States and the Montgomery Rifles, an Alabama militia unit stationed there in 1861. Since Alabama had no state flag at the time, the militia made one of their own.

Greater Yellowlegs

Ft. Morgan has 5 stops on the Alabama Birding Trail. When the weather is bad during migration, birds will literally "fall out" of the sky, since this is the first land they have seen for many days. The weather was wonderful today though, so while we did not see large numbers of birds, we were pleased with those we saw. I always have trouble with pipers and plovers, but recognized the yellow legs on this bird standing on a brick wall. In the winter they range from the coastal areas of the US through South America, so this guy might be resting after a long flight home.

Pine Warbler

The coastal areas are covered in long needled pines (when not covered in vacation homes!), so a fast trill lead us to look for Pine Warblers in the trees. Finally, I got out the birding app on my phone and played a few songs. The first one must have had the wrong accent, because he didn't care at all, but the next one brought him right overhead to see who was singing in his territory!

Savannah Sparrow

Sparrows are confusing birds too. The are mostly brown, and they don't sit still long enough for me to get a really good look usually. This stripy sparrow bears a strong resemblance to the Song Sparrow - even the field guide says so, not just me. He didn't sing, which would have been a big clue, so I looked for a small yellow patch above his eyes. A slightly forked tail would have helped in the ID - if his tail were visible at all!

 The waves splashed up in front of this Great Blue Heron and he didn't blink an eye. In fact, look at the blue lores around his eyes. He's ready for breeding season, along with his long fancy feathers that blow in the wind.

The marshes and edge of the dunes make a great hunting area for this female Kestrel. Having a telephone line to perch on helps too.

Osprey

Ospreys took advantage of a large tower at the Fort to build their nest. Probably a bit early for eggs, but she stayed at the nest and called him the whole time we visited.

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelicans have blond heads when it's breeding season. The lighter brown birds are juveniles.

Several pairs of Bluebirds flashed their bright blue wings. The male has a darker breast while the female's is paler than his.

As far as the eye can see in Mobile Bay and the Gulf just outside it are oil rigs. I looked online to find a total number for them, but mostly found only old information. Apparently most of them are natural gas rigs rather than crude oil. In 2011, one news station said, "There are about 50 gas and oil rigs operating in Alabama waters. Some were erected as many as 40 years ago, but most came on line during the late 80s."