Marion County Lake, AL

The diverse habitat around this lake makes for a wide assortment of birdlife, from waders to sparrows and warblers. In breeding season, the woods around the lake host pileated, downy, and red-bellied woodpeckers; chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches; pewees, kingbirds, and great crested flycatchers; all the Southern thrushes and mimics including catbirds; the three common vireos, pine warbler, common yellowthroat, and other warblers. Summer tanager and orchard oriole are regular breeders here, and scarlet tanagers have been found here in breeding season. The lake is unfortunately closed in December and January, but is known to host myrtle warblers; juncos; chipping, song, and swamp sparrows; hermit thrush, and brown creeper in addition to the year-round residents. This is an easy and relaxing place to bird, with paved roads down either side of the lake, low traffic, and plenty of turnouts and wide shoulders. Be sure to check the boat ramp area on the south side for orioles and tanagers.

Location:

Halfway between Guin and Hamilton just west of U.S. 78 (DeLorme p. 22, F4)

Here's a species list for Marion County Lake as compiled by Jud Johnston in Winfield. Descriptions and directions are also from Jud; thanks!

1 PIED-BILLED GREBE
2 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
3 GREAT BLUE HERON
4 GREAT EGRET
5 LITTLE BLUE HERON
6 GREEN HERON
7 WOOD DUCK
8 BLACK VULTURE
9 TURKEY VULTURE
10 OSPREY
11 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
12 BROAD-WINGED HAWK
13 RED-TAILED HAWK
14 COOPER'S HAWK
15 WILD TURKEY
16 KILLDEER
17 SPOTTED SANDPIPER
18 SOLITARY SANDPIPER
19 MOURNING DOVE
20 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO
21 BELTED KINGFISHER
22 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKR
23 RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
24 DOWNY WOODPECKR
25 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
26 NORTHERN FLICKER
27 PILEATED WOODPECKER
28 EASTERN PEWEE
29 EASTERN PHOEBE
30 GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER
31 EASTERN KINGBIRD
32 BLUE-HEADED VIREO
33 WHITE-EYED VIREO
34 RED-EYED VIREO
35 YELLOW-THROATED VIREO
36 CEDAR WAXWING
37 BLUE JAY
38 AMERICAN CROW
39 PURPLE MARTIN
40 TREE SWALLOW
41 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW
42 BARN SWALLOW
43 CAROLINA CHICKADEE
44 TUFTED TITMOUSE
45 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
46 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
47 BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH
48 BROWN CREEPER
49 CAROLINA WREN
50 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
51 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
52 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
53 EASTERN BLUEBIRD
54 HERMIT THRUSH
55 SWAINSON'S THRUSH
56 GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH
57 WOOD THRUSH
58 AMERICAN ROBIN
59 BROWN THRASHER
60 GRAY CATBIRD
61 TENNESSEE WARBLER
62 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
63 CANADA WARBLER
64 MAGNOLIA WARBLER
65 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
66 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
67 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER
68 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER
69 PALM WARBLER
70 NORTHERN PARULA
71 PINE WARBLER
72 BAY-BREASTED WARBLER
73 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER
74 BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER
75 AMERICAN REDSTART
76 WORM-EATING WARBLER
77 SWAINSON'S WARBLER
78 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH
79 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
80 WILSON'S WARBLER
81 KENTUCKY WARBLER
82 HOODED WARBLER
83 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
84 SCARLET TANAGER
85 SUMMER TANAGER
86 INDIGO BUNTING
87 BLUE GROSBEAK
88 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
89 NORTHERN CARDINAL
90 EASTERN TOWHEE
91 CHIPPING SPARROW
92 SONG SPARROW
93 SWAMP SPARROW
94 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
95 FOX SPARROW
96 DARK-EYED JUNCO
97 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
98 ORCHARD ORIOLE
99 BALTIMORE ORIOLE
100 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH