In spite of this, the gardens were still attractive and well worth the time spent there. The conservatory with its array of orchids was absolutely beautiful. There was a great variety of these plants blooming in a jungle-like environment.

Bellingrath Gardens are listed as a stop along the Dauphin Island loop of the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service guide to the trail reports, “The gardens have not been birded heavily in recent years but offered good birding in earlier years.” Bellingrath Gardens literature lists 130 bird species as frequenting the site.

The trail guide continues, “The entire 900-acre complex is a bird sanctuary with an observation tower over looking the Fowl River and salt marsh.” The tower and adjacent board walk extend along and into a typical southern bayou.

Wikipedia defines a bayou as “a small, slow-moving stream or creek. The word was first used by the French in Louisiana and is thought to originate from the Choctaw word bayuk which means “small stream.”

 Bayous are usually located in relatively flat, low-lying areas, for example in the Mississippi River delta region of the southern United States. Many bayous are the home of crawfish, certain species of shrimp, other shellfish and catfish.”

The bayou at Bellingrath is very small. From the board walk and observation tower one can see the Fowl River at one end while the water disappears at the opposite end into the surrounding forest. The river is bordered by marsh, visible across the the water. Some marsh extends into the mouth of the bayou.

The garden’s brochure indicates that birds, fish, turtles, deer, and even an occasional alligator may be seen along this nature walk. I was not so lucky! But then our visit came in late morning when most of the wildlife was taking a siesta. I didn’t spend a lot of time for lunch was calling me.

The Bellingrath family initially used this area as a humble fishing camp. Here Walter Bellingrath entertained his friends and business associates for fishing and relaxation. The family fortune came from Coco-Cola. They soon built a pastoral country home dressed with exquiste furnishings, mostly collected from various European sources.

The mansion is open to the public as are the gardens. We elected to pass up the opportunity to tour the home. The gardens seemed challenging enough.

Birding Trail Guides are available for many states. They are easy to follow drives with regularly suggested stops and descriptions of the area. The birds that might be expected at each stop are highlighted. Anyone interested in looking for birds, either casually or to expand a life list, should check the availability of such guides.

Keep your chin to the wind!

(Aharrah, a retired biology professor at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, appears twice a month in the Clarion News.)