Gulf Shore Getaway

Summer birding in Alabama

Only the most intrepid Gulf Shores area birders are out in these the hottest months of the year. Those who do venture out get to see the year's hatch fledging and taking first flight.

Paul H. Franklin is a naturalist, photographer and director of Samford University's Samford After Sundown programs. He has written a story for today's Birmingham news about Alabama birding opportunities at this time of year:

Great egrets provide great opportunities for birding

As we pass the Fourth of July, we notice that we have reached a birdlife crossroads of a sort in north-central Alabama. Most of our breeding species have completed their nesting cycle.

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Alabama Beaches among the cleanest in the US

The headline pretty much says it all. What's left to say is about how long Alabama's Gulf Coast beaches have been so, well, so beautiful.

The truth is that nobody really knows. Since 1999 when testing first began, Alabama's Gulf Coast beaches have never been closed for pollution.

State's beaches pass pollution tests, among the nation's cleanest

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — There have been no days this summer when swimmers were advised against entering the waters of Alabama's Gulf beaches, which officials say are among the nation's cleanest.

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Gulf Shores beaches popular for the July 4th weekend

As previously predicted, Alabama's Gulf Coast, including Gulf Shores, is completely jam packed busy for this July 4th weekend. Hotels, condos and other vacation rentals are sold out as families flock to the coast for a long weekend of family oriented fun in the sun.

This long Independence Day weekend's weather is being fully cooperative. There is plenty of warm sunshine and cool gulf breeze on tap for beach goers. It's a time tested combination which never fails to fill the beaches are with visitors and vacationers enjoying their long Independence Day weekend.

Gulf Coast population may affect fisheries

An AP article investigates increases in population along the Gulf Coast - in terms of both vacation usage and in permanent residency. The increase in population over the recent past has caused much greater pressure on fragile ecosystems all along the Gulf Shore.

Of particular concern among environmental groups is the possible effect that increased population along the Alabama Gulf Coast might have on Gulf of Mexico fisheries.

In areas where conservation efforts started in the last century, signs of recovery are apparent, according to the study, partly supported by the Lenfest Oceans Program at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

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Alabama Gulf Coast beaches expect heavy traffic this July 4th weekend

The telephones in real estate offices and hotels have been ringing off the hook as prospective beach vacationers hunt for any open accommodations this Fourth of July weekend.

This year's Independence Day holiday falls on a Tuesday, giving vacationers an extra day, or making it that much easier to extend the weekend into an entire week. With what looks to be very cooperative weather condos, vacation rental houses and hotels in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach report availability is extremely limited.

The whole of Alabama's Gulf Coast is in similar situation, as record numbers of vacationers descend to the the Gulf Coast for a long weekend of sand, surf and July 4th festivities.

ConocoPhillips withdraws LNG proposal

Big news for Dauphin Island, Alabama fans today.

ConocoPhillips had been proposing a Liquefied Natural Gas regassification facility based on environmentally questionable technology to be built at Compass Point, 12 miles south of Dauphin Island. The company's proposal to build the terminal had come with an attractive package of economic incentives for the State of Alabama. Environmental groups were opposed to the facility as proposed because they felt the open-loop technology would be harmful to the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Open loop regassification technology uses seawater to melt natural gas frozen for transportation.