Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, 5/05/2017

After prepping our motor coach for travel the next day, we headed out to Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (45 minutes from Cuthbert, GA) for some more outdoor fun before leaving this remote area of Georgia. 

The ranger at the Visitor Center provided lots of info about the 11,000+ acre refuge. Here are some of the exhibits there.

The 13-mile Wingspread Wildlife Drive provides a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this wildlife refuge. This refuge is one of 550 in the National Wildlife System. All of them preserve habitats for migrating birds on the North American Flyways. Over 300 species of birds have been seen at Eufaula, 40 mammal species, and many amphibians, reptiles and fishes.  

Our first stop along Wildlife Drive was the Upland Waterfowl Viewing Platform. Even though it was an overcast day, I found the cloudy conditions quite beautiful. The best time to visit this upland area for wildlife viewing is in the late fall and winter. 

Because I forgot the battery to my camera (it was being re-charged at the motor coach), so my photos here were all taken with my iPhone. 

Our sweet doggie, Sadie, enjoyed the views from the platform, too!

Almost 3,000 acres of marsh can be found at the refuge. Although we saw a lot of birds, most were too far away to get a good photo (without the zoom lens on my camera).

Our next stop along the Wildlife Drive was the Houston Observation Tower. This dead tree on the trail provides a home for many birds. I loved the clouds in this panoramic view from the tower.

This portion of the drive has canals on both sides. I loved the bright colors of the flowers and mimosa tree that we saw along the way. A deer bounded across the road, but I was unable to capture a photo of it before it disappeared in to the hardwood forest. There are also feral hogs in the refuge, but we did not see any. 

Our final stop on the Wildlife Drive was along the Chattahoochee River. More than 4,000 acres of the refuge is open water (including rivers, creeks, and impoundments). There were lots of fishermen in boats on the river. Some of the many birdhouses in the refuge are designed to keep squirrels, etc., out!

Despite the cloudy conditions, we enjoyed spending some time outdoors (and so did Sadie!) We always visit Wildlife Refuges that are anywhere near the RV park where we are staying. And it is always worth it. For additional information about Eufaula NWR, click on this link: www.eufaula.fws.gov.