Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge For the official source of information about Bon Secour NWR go to: www.fws.gov/refuge/Bon_Secour/ CST. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Our small visitor contact station is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Our trails and beach access locations are open from sunrise until sunset 7 days a week. All trails remain open, however, the Centennial boardwalks have been closed due to safety concerns. We will post updates when our boardwalks have been re-opened. Located 50 miles due west of Pensacola, Florida, and 50 mil

es southeast of Mobile Alabama. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is one of 540 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U.S.

Welcome to Flora Friday where will be discussing native plants of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge every Friday! Sand...
06/12/2026

Welcome to Flora Friday where will be discussing native plants of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge every Friday! Sandhill or pinewoods milkweed is a perennial plant that occurs in southeastern United States in sandhills, scrub, dunes, and dry habitats. It blooms in spring and summer, attracting many species of pollinators like butterflies, bees, and wasps. It is the larval host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars like many other milkweed species. Sandhill milkweed contains a milky latex that is toxic to most animals, but monarch caterpillars are adapted to toxins. Monarchs use these toxins, called cardenolides, as a chemical defense against predators just like the milkweed plant. Monarchs will migrate each year and fly more than 2,000 miles! Monarchs will fly from as far as Canada and across the United States to congregate at a few forested overwintering sites in the mountains of central Mexico and coastal California. Thousands of monarchs will cluster onto trees in California and millions across forests in Mexico! Monarchs have been in decline over the past two decades, but USFWS and others have been identifying threats and conserving monarchs throughout their range.

Source
https://www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-asclepias-humistrata/
https://www.fws.gov/species/monarch-danaus-plexippus
https://www.fws.gov/initiative/pollinators/save-monarch

Photo Description
Photo 1: sandhill milkweed flower in sandy habitat (Gabby Dunham)
Photo 2: entire sandhill milkweed in sandy habitat (Gabby Dunham)
Photo 3: monarch caterpillar feeding on sandhill milkweed (Gabby Dunham)
Photo 4: multiple monarch caterpillars feeding on sandhill milkweed (Gabby Dunham)

Come celebrate World Sea Turtle Day with us! Join us on Tuesday, June 16th to learn about the sea turtles that nest on A...
06/11/2026

Come celebrate World Sea Turtle Day with us!

Join us on Tuesday, June 16th to learn about the sea turtles that nest on Alabama beaches! This will be a drop-in program from 10 am to 12 pm. Walk down the Mobile street parking lot and look for the UTV on the beach! Come learn about the nesting process and how our volunteers work up a sea turtle crawl!

*** Parking is limited at Mobile street parking lot. Limited to no natural shade is available at Mobile street beach access please be prepared to be outside in a sunny humid environment. Biting insects may be present. In case of inclement weather event will be canceled, please check our page the morning of the event for updates***

*Note: All sea turtle footage was obtained with approval from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under conditions not harmful to these or other sea turtles*

Photo description: Kemp's Ridley sea turtle on the beach (USFWS)

This week for wildlife Wednesday we are looking at a common sight on refuge beaches, the Great Blue Heron! The Great Blu...
06/10/2026

This week for wildlife Wednesday we are looking at a common sight on refuge beaches, the Great Blue Heron!

The Great Blue Heron is North America’s largest heron, with adults reaching 3 to 4.5 ft tall and a wingspan of 5 to 6.5ft! Adults are characterized by their mostly gray and dark blue bodies, yellow bill, and white head with a black crown stripe. Juveniles are similar in coloring, but their head is mostly gray missing the distinctive white and black head.

Common across North America you often find Great Blue Herons near a water source. They prefer to forage in calm waters like slow moving rivers and shallow coastal bays. When foraging Great Blue Herons will stand incredibly still, occasionally walking slowly in the shallows to track their prey. Once their prey is close, they will quickly strike, capturing it and swallowing it whole. Great Blue Herons mainly eat fish but will also snack on amphibians, reptiles, rodents and other birds.

Source:
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-blue-heron

Photo Description:
Photo 1: Juvenile Great Blue Heron walking in calm waters (Gabby Dunham)
Photo 2: Great Blue Heron eating a large fish on the shoreline (Daley Koenig)
Photo 3: Adult Great Blue Heron standing on the shoreline (USFWS/Daley Koenig)

For wildlife Wednesday this week we are looking at a common sight on the refuge beaches, the Atlantic ghost crab! The At...
06/03/2026

For wildlife Wednesday this week we are looking at a common sight on the refuge beaches, the Atlantic ghost crab!

The Atlantic ghost crab’s range extends over most of the east coast of North and South America, consistently found on beaches from Rhode Island to Brazil. Ghost crabs are typically seen between the tide line and dunes running in and out of their burrows. The crabs have roughly square bodies that are yellowish to grayish-white and a body length of around 2 inches once mature.

Ghost crabs are both predators and scavengers eating almost anything they can get their claws on from dead fish to mole crabs, even the eggs and young of our nesting sea turtles and shorebirds. Ghost crabs are also remarkably fast being able to reach speeds of 10 mph, making their predators like shorebirds and racoons work for their meal.

Source
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ocypode_quadrata/
https://www.nps.gov/pais/learn/nature/ghost_crab.htm

Photo description
Photo 1: a ghost crab on the beach with sargassum in the background (USFWS/Gabby Dunham)
Photo 2: a ghost crab eating a bug (Daley Koenig)
Photo 3: 2 ghost crabs feeding on a fish carcass (USFWS/Daley Koenig)

We have completed our first month of Turtle patrol, and it is time for an update!Bon Secour has been lucky to get 3 nest...
06/02/2026

We have completed our first month of Turtle patrol, and it is time for an update!

Bon Secour has been lucky to get 3 nests during the month of May! All the nests are suspected loggerhead nests. When volunteers are out on patrol in the morning, they are looking for turtle tracks like the first photo below. Volunteers will then work up the nest; drawing the crawl, measuring the track width, and placing a predator screen over the area to protect it. Once the nest is protected, we check the nest each day for any evidence of predation from animals like ghost crabs, coyotes, foxes and raccoons.

As Sea turtle season continues here are some tips to make our beaches safe for nesting turtles!
• Fill in all holes dug in the sand: not only is it dangerous for People and first responders but a hole can trap turtles coming ashore to nest.
• No white light: while the refuge is closed at night to prevent any disturbance to sea turtles and other sensitive species, if you are visiting Gulf Shores or Orange Beach beaches at night or staying beach front, please use red lights and turn off non turtle friendly balcony or outside lights. White light can disorient nesting turtles and deter them from nesting on beaches with a lot of light pollution
• Leave only footprints: make sure to gather all your trash and beach gear when you leave! Chairs, tent, and other beach gear can create an obstacle for turtles making them leave the beach without nesting or even trapping them on the beach!
• Keep your distance: While most sea turtles nest at night while the refuge is closed, do not disturb or approach a nesting turtle. If you see a nesting, injured, or distressed sea turtle or an unmarked nest, please call (866) SEA-TURT (866-732-8878).

Sea Turtle eggs will incubate for 55 to 75 days depending on nest temperature so check back in July and August for hatchling updates! Stay tuned for our next nest update at the end of June!

Photo description
Photo 1: Turtle flipper marks on the sand with a wooden post on both sides (USFWS/Olivia Redman)
Photo 2: Share the Beach Volunteers at R1 (Share the Beach)
Photo 3: Turtle crawl and nest (Share the Beach)

For this week’s wildlife Wednesday, we are checking out the American Alligator! Found across the southeast, they are 1 o...
05/27/2026

For this week’s wildlife Wednesday, we are checking out the American Alligator! Found across the southeast, they are 1 of 2 native crocodilian species in the US.

In the wild Alligators live for around 35 to 50 years starting off around 6 inches long as hatchlings to 8 to 12 feet as full-grown adults! Alligators have a long-rounded snout, a key difference from Crocodiles that have a narrow v shaped snout, and upward facing nostrils that allow it to breathe while the rest of its body is underwater. Adults will be a dark brownish gray on their backs with a lighter stomach while juveniles, typically between 1-4 feet, will have black and yellow stripes. Alligators are typically found in freshwater habitats like lakes, slow moving rivers and swamps but they do occasionally pop into brackish or saltwater environments while traveling between habitats and searching for food. Alligators do not have salt glands Crocodiles do to support living full time in a saltwater environment.

Being opportunistic carnivores, alligators will eat almost anything they can get their mouth on from fish to birds even using their incredible powerful jaws to crack open turtle shells. Alligators are also one of the few reptiles that care for their young with alligators staying with their mom for 2 to 3 years before going out on their own. Around 80% of young alligators will be predated on by animals like birds, raccoons, bobcats and even other alligators; by staying with mom until they reach around 3 to 4 feet, they are too big to be easily picked off by predators.

While seeing wildlife is never guaranteed, stop by the wetlands on the refuge to see if you can spot this elusive reptile! Be sure to always observe wildlife from a distance and do not feed wildlife.

Photo Descriptions
Photo 1: Trail camera photo of a large alligator tail walking through tall grass (USFWS)
Photo 2: Alligator resting on a grassy bank (USFWS/Daley Koenig)
Photo 3: Alligator half submerged in a wetland (USFWS/Daley Koenig)

Information Source
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator?tab=1

Calling all photographers! Do you have photos of wildlife or landscapes around Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge? We a...
05/21/2026

Calling all photographers! Do you have photos of wildlife or landscapes around Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge?

We are redoing our brochure map and would love to have photos from the people that are out enjoying the refuge featured! If you are interested please email us at [email protected] .

**Credit will be given to you if your photo is used and a release form is required.**

Photo Description: Sunrise at Chan West Pine Beach Trail (USFWS/Olivia Redman)

05/20/2026

For wildlife Wednesday this week we are looking at the genus Sylvilagus, commonly known as Cottontail Rabbits. 3 species inhabit Southern Alabama: Eastern cottontail, Marsh rabbit and Swamp rabbit

Eastern cottontails are the most commonly seen rabbit in the state and found across the eastern US. Named after there fluffy white tail, adult Eastern cottontails are around 12 to 19 inches long and weight between 2 to 4 pounds. Their body is usually reddish brown with white stomachs and long ears compared to their head size. They can be found in a variety of habitats but being vegetarians, they are often associated with early growth habitats like fields.

Marsh Rabbits are found in the coastal plains across the southeastern US. This species is relatively similar in size to Eastern cottontails with adult measuring about 16 inches long and weighting between 2 to 5 pounds. They are dark in color with dark brown to reddish brown with short, rounded ears. Marsh rabbits are typically found in wetland environments such as marshes and are excellent swimmers often escaping from predators by diving into the water.

Swamp rabbits are found in the south-central US and are the largest member of the Cottontail genus. Adult Swamp rabbits’ range in length from 17 to 21 inches and weight between 3.5 to 6 pounds with the male being larger than the female. The upper part of their body is dark in color, typically a mix of dark brown, rusty brown or black, while their stomach is white. Swamp rabbits are typically found in aquatic environments like swamps, floodplains and tributaries.

Video Description: a rabbit eating beach morning glory on the sandy edge of a wetland. (USFWS/Olivia Redman)

Sources:
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sylvilagus_floridanus/
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sylvilagus_palustris/
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sylvilagus_aquaticus/

It has been a rainy couple of days here at the refuge which seems to make our amphibian population a little more active!...
05/13/2026

It has been a rainy couple of days here at the refuge which seems to make our amphibian population a little more active! This week I have heard a lot of Squirrel Treefrogs calling before, during and after the rainstorms.

Squirrel Treefrogs are small smooth-skinned frogs, typically about 1 to 1.5 inches big. They can change color from green to brown with a slight yellow strip on each side of its body. Found all over the southeast they typically are found in the coastal plains and like a variety of habitats from pine savannas to urban backyards. They are primarily nocturnal, spending their time when the sun is out hiding under leaves, barks and logs.

If you happen to be out after a rainstorm keep your ears open for frog calls!

Source: https://herpsofnc.org/squirrel-treefrog/
Photo: Squirrel Treefrog hanging out on a table (USFWS/Olivia Redman)

05/09/2026

Happy World Migratory Bird Day! Did you know that Bon Secour sits within one of the most popular flyways for migrating birds in North America?

The Mississippi flyway is one of 4 migratory routes in North America extending from Canada to Central and South America. The route is used by around 325 bird species including roughly 40% of North American waterfowl and shorebirds! One of the reasons this flyway is so popular is it follows the Mississippi river, giving migrating birds areas with plenty of food and water along the way! It also lacks mountains and ridges the other North American routes have, making navigation much easier on the birds.

This video is at Jeff Friend Trail this year during our spring migration! Migrants are still passing through on their way to their summer homes, so get out on the trails to see what you can find!

Video Description: Jeff Friend Boardwalk with numerous birds singing in the background (Olivia Redman/USFWS)
Source: https://www.threeriversparks.org/blog/mississippi-flyway-bird-highway-through-twin-cities

Address

12295 State Highway 180
Gulf Shores, AL
36542

Telephone

+12515407720

Website

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