TUSCUMBIA-Coming back from the 177th birthday celebration of Joe Wheeler at his home 
Pond Springs, I decided to take old highway 20 through Leighton. Just a short piece off of the new highway I spied one of the Alabama Birding Sites markers at Fennel Road and decided to checked it out. The signs has one of those little kingfisher birds on it that looks like it stuck its beak in a light socket. When the state was trying to decide what bird to put on the sign for the North loop, it allowed the Audubon groups to vote for their favorite bird. I voted for a hummingbird. I don’t have a fondness for kingfishers like I do hummingbirds. I guess my dislike of them goes back to the time when I was walking along the dry creek on our farm to round up the cows for milking and one dropped a fish head down on me minus the body. After fifty years I still hold a grudge.
About half way down the road, I spied a couple of Great Blue Herons in a flooded area in a low area in a cornfield. As I slowed down, they flew off further than my every day lens could reach. On down close to the intersection with 6th Street I found North Alabama Birding site #5. The side designated as the birding site was so overgrown you couldn’t see the pond. The other side of the road had a few Great egrets and lots and lots of dragonflies, so I did some chasing up and down the bank with my old camera and telephoto lens. I finally lucked out and got a few of the dragonflies. After I got home, Mom called saying that I needed to tell her where I’m going. What if something happened to me, how would I get a hold of you? I have a cell phone I told her. Somehow she wasn’t satisfied with the answer.
The next day was Sunday, Mother’s Day. Mom and I go out to eat and get groceries. Mom isn’t satisfied with one 
grocery store; we stop at two or three. After we got through with all the stops, I asked 
if she was in a hurry to get home, so we headed east on sixth St. As we got to Gnat Pond scene of the infamous turtle killings, I spied some birds and pulled off the side of the road. The drop off by the pond was on Mom’s side. She kept looking out the window complaining that my truck was going to fall into the pond, even though it was a good two feet from the edge. After only getting a couple of pictures, I got back in and we headed to Fennel Road to North Alabama Birding Site 5. As I pulled off the west side of the road, it was “You’re going to get a flat!” from Mom. I chased dragonflies around for a little bit and pulled over to the other side, which still was overgrown. As I got out, it was “You’re going to get snake bit!”
A couple of days later, I got of work close to sunset and decided to head back to the birding site. The overgrown area of the pond by the road was bush hogged. I love getting water pictures early AM or just before sundown. Things really reflect off the water better than they do at lunchtime. As I got to the ponds, there were a couple hundred of Great Egrets at the site. Apparently someone has been shooting at them, as they were okay with traffic driving through, but as soon as I stopped and opened the door, they flew to the back of the ponds. I sat on the side of the road at a good spot with the window rolled down. Eventually the birds migrated back, and as the sun was going down, I got several pictures and came home. When I got home, Mom called asking if I had gotten off work late. Again I got the if something happens to me, how will I find you question. I have a cell phone Mom.
The next Saturday I decided to get some early AM pictures and headed out with my camera. When I got there and 
stopped, the same reaction, the birds flew to the back of the ponds. I sat in my truck with the window down and they migrated back. Before heading back home I got out to get pictures of the birds on the other side of the road. A man stopped and told me about the pelicans near Double Head and how to get there. It was then what Mom was really meaning. It wasn’t how she could find me if she needed me, it was where to tell a search party where to look for me in case something happened to me.
To get to the pelicans is a short trip from birding site #4, you just continue east on 6th Street turn at the second road to the left and follow the road all the way to the river. The spot turned out to be North Alabama Birding Site number 4. I took several pictures and by this time yard work was calling big time. 
As I headed home I noticed a speed limit sign and realized I was in a little too much of a hurry and took my foot off of the gas. I was in an area where the road had a long flat stretch. I noticed a car coming off in the distance from the other way and blue lights came on in the car’s grill. I could hear Mom’s voice saying I told you so. I admitted to the officer that I didn’t realize what speed I was going until I saw the sign and started to slow down. He said that in this flat area the radar reaches a long way. Then he asked if I had ever gotten a ticket. I told him it had been a long time. Long time as in college. I showed him some of the pictures and my concern about someone have been shooting at the birds. The birding area is in county jurisdiction he said and let me go with a warning.
When I got home, Mom called asking if I had gotten off work late. Again I got the “if something happens to me, how will I find you question”. Again my answer was I have a cell phone. We won’t tell about being pulled over will we?
