Gulf Shore Getaway

Gulf Coast birding is in full swing. Mississippi birders are among the leaders nationwide in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which recently wrapped up.

Among Gulf Coast birders, a quick check of results shows Texas and Florida in the top ten for participation. Florida made the top ten for numbers of birds sighted - a total of 350.606 birds. And this year the locality ranking the highest for participation goes to Fultondale Alabama.

Gautier, Ocean Springs lead Mississippi in bird sightings

Gautier currently is the top city in Mississippi in the number of participants who have reported bird sightings from the 2006 Great Backyard Bird Count.

However, the city has failed to make the top 10 list in the nation for a third consecutive year. Gautier placed first in 2005 and second in 2004 for the highest number of checklists returned for the count.

As of Friday morning, residents from Gautier had returned 158 checklists to the National Audubon Society and the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University.

Ocean Springs is second in Mississippi, reporting 100 checklists. Gulfport is third with 76; Biloxi fourth with 71; and Pascagoula is seventh with 49 checklists.
Read more

Related story