Birding

Eagle Nest, Taos & Red River, New Mexico: Wildlife on the Enchanted Circle

May 2, 2020 by Michael Huntley

Last Updated: July 12, 2026

From Amarillo, Texas, we headed west and then north into the mountains of northern New Mexico — a five-hour drive that climbed steadily from the flat Texas Panhandle to the high alpine country around Eagle Nest at 8,300 feet. The drive itself provided an early complication: somewhere along the route, either diesel fuel contamination with water or the rapid change in altitude was causing the engine to run rough under load. Purging the fuel filter helped, but a visit to the Freightliner dealer in Albuquerque was clearly going to be necessary. We filed it away and pressed on. What was waiting at the end of the drive was worth every mile of it.

A young bighorn sheep ram perched confidently on a rocky cliff face near Questa, New Mexico along the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway

Orange Beach & Gulf Shores Alabama

March 27, 2020 by Michael Huntley

Last Updated: July 6, 2026

Orange Beach sits at the eastern end of Alabama’s Gulf Coast, sharing the same brilliant white quartz sand that runs west from Pensacola Beach and Destin — all of it originating from the ancient Appalachian Mountains, ground fine over millions of years and carried to the Gulf by river systems. We arrived just at the beginning of spring break, which would normally mean dense crowds of college students on the beach. The coronavirus outbreak had already begun to suppress travel, however, and the beaches and restaurants were noticeably quieter than they would otherwise have been at that time of year. A strange and unsettling historical context for what was still a beautiful visit.

Sandy Huntley and Jake the dog exploring the massive brick arched casemates inside Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, Alabama

Pensacola Beach & Destin, Florida

March 22, 2020 by Michael Huntley

Last Updated: July 6, 2026

Pensacola Beach sits on Santa Rosa Island, a long barrier island that forms part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore — one of the most striking stretches of protected coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. The sand here is composed of sparkling white quartz, ground fine by millennia of wave action, and it looks almost like snow from a distance. We had camped at the National Park campground at Gulf Islands a few years earlier and loved the quiet, unspoiled character of the area. This return visit was a chance to explore further — Fort Pickens, the local restaurants, and the very different atmosphere of Destin just down the coast. A note on timing: our posts tend to run about a month behind due to editing, travel, and spotty internet. When we were here, the coronavirus pandemic had not yet begun affecting daily life.

The long fishing pier stretching into the Gulf of Mexico under dramatic dark skies at Pensacola Beach, Florida

Apalachicola Oysters & Carabelle Gulf Views

March 14, 2020 by Michael Huntley

Last Updated: July 6, 2026

Apalachicola is one of those Florida towns that operates on an entirely different frequency from the rest of the state. Located in the panhandle east of Destin, it sits where the Apalachicola Bay meets the Apalachicola River — a quiet, historic port community where life revolves around the water, the tides, and the extraordinary oysters that have made this bay famous across the country. There are fewer crowds here than on the sugar-white beaches to the west, fewer chain restaurants, and far more of the real Florida that drew people here in the first place. We had been to this area before and couldn’t wait to return.

Jake the dog exploring a foggy morning low tide on the calm shores of St. George Sound, Carabelle, Florida

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

March 6, 2020 by Michael Huntley

Last Updated: July 6, 2026

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931 to protect the wintering grounds for migratory birds — making it one of the oldest national wildlife refuges in the United States. Encompassing over 68,000 acres of coastal marshes, tidal flats, pine flatwoods, and open Gulf waters along the Apalachee Bay, St. Marks is one of the finest wildlife destinations in the entire southeastern United States. From Manatee Springs, it was an easy three-hour drive north to Crawfordville, Florida — and worth every mile.

Historic St. Marks Lighthouse at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Apalachee Bay, Florida, built in 1842

Chiefland, Florida Manatee Springs & Cedar Key

February 29, 2020 by Michael Huntley

Last Updated: July 6, 2026

Chiefland sits on Florida’s Nature Coast in Levy County, north of Tarpon Springs and well off the typical tourist path. The local economy runs on agriculture — peanuts, watermelons, cattle ranching, and timber — and the surrounding landscape reflects that: open fields, longleaf pine flatwoods, and the wide, slow-moving Suwannee River winding through it all. We came specifically to visit Manatee Springs State Park and to revisit Cedar Key, a tiny island community we had loved on a previous trip. Both exceeded expectations in very different ways.

White-tailed deer browsing near the campground at Manatee Springs State Park, Chiefland, Florida