More Hiking in Our Future.
We stopped in Vancleave on the way to Ward Bayou for breakfast at Lucky’s Diner — one of the few places that welcomes the dogs. The bacon was excellent and our waitress was absolutely charming, all smiles. The coffee and water came in Styrofoam cups, and all the condiments — Patty’s milk for her coffee, butter for my pancakes — arrived in little takeaway containers. I’ll just say it: I don’t do Styrofoam cups, and I don’t love eating like I’m at a picnic when I’m sitting at a restaurant. But the bacon and the company made up for it.
From there we headed out to Ward Bayou — chilly, crisp, and clear, and very dry. No wading birds to speak of at this point; we were looking for forest birds, warblers, and any late migrants still moving through. As usual, Patty heard many more birds than I could get my camera on. Being the chauffeur limits my ability to shoot.
We drove the side roads to the end, got out, and just kept walking. That walk led to a conclusion we’ve been working our way toward for a while: we need to be hiking out here, not just driving. The roads we travel cover maybe one percent of Ward Bayou. It’s a huge area, and most of it you can only reach on foot — cutting through the woods to the waterways — or by boat from the Pascagoula River, which runs the length of the refuge all the way down to the Pascagoula Wildlife Management Area. I’ve included a map with the roads we drive highlighted in purple so you can get a sense of the scale.
On the way back out, Patty rode in her Birding Queen’s Chair — as is right and proper.
We stopped and visited with Todd, the Fish and Wildlife employee who’s been out there since 2017. A genuinely nice guy, headed out to do some planting and fertilizing to help the deer and wildlife get through the winter months.
We didn’t see a huge number of birds, but it was a wonderful morning. And the best thing that came out of it wasn’t a bird at all — it was the decision to start exploring Ward Bayou the way it deserves to be explored.
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“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”
Vincent van Gogh