Latest / In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson / Alabama Ornithological Society - TPR's In Focus - May 14, 2026

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Alabama Ornithological Society - TPR's In Focus - May 14, 2026 · In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson

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  Support comes from Troy University's Trojan Cafe,
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  offering handcrafted Starbucks beverages and a wide assortment of meal and snack options,
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  located on Troy University's Montgomery campus, across from the Rosa Parks Library and Museum.
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  From Troy Public Radio, this is In Focus, and I'm Carolyn Hutcheson. Dr. Shirley Farrell,
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  besides being an Associate Professor and Gifted Education Program Coordinator
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  at Troy University, is President of the Alabama Ornithological Society.
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  As a lifelong bird enthusiast, she joins us today to share the work of the society
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  and its priorities in bird conservation. Dr. Farrell joins us for our Paws for Animals series.
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  Dr. Shirley Farrell, it is an honor to welcome you back to Troy Public Radio.
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  Well, thank you. This is one of my favorite places to be.
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  When did you fall in love with birds?
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  I was a child, and my grandparents would have birdhouses and bird feeders.
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  They watched the birds, always paying attention to the large raptors, the different hawks,
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  the vultures. Our family vacations were always camping, so we were immersed in nature.
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  We would go fishing any time of the year, so it's being in the outdoors.
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  Was there any certain bird during one of those camping experiences that really made your day?
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  I think I always loved seeing the red-tailed hawks. They have always been my favorite,
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  maybe even like a spirit animal for me. Although I have to say, my husband and I went to one of
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  my old camping stomping grounds. We went out spending the day in Missouri, not Alabama.
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  We watched a broad-winged hawk being annoyed by a mockingbird, and it was flying over the river.
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  The mockingbird actually landed on its back as the broad-winged hawk was flying, and I did not
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  have a cell phone at that time, and would have loved to have captured that image of this fearless,
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  small songbird riding on the back of this larger raptor, who I don't think it would try to eat it,
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  but he could do damage. Well, that picture will always stay with you in your memory.
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  Yes, yes. Shirley, can you give us an overview of the Alabama Ornithological Society and its mission?
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  So, we support conservation of lands and support the research behind birds, bird habitats. We support
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  other groups with their bird activities as well. We are mostly bird watchers. You know, while we
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  have some scientists in our group, we're mostly your average citizen who loves birding, who has
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  bird feeders out. We meet three times a year. Does the society have any current concerns about birds
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  in the environment? So, we have a conservation committee, and this group will keep up with what
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  local, state, federal government's doing, and whenever there is public opinion, we will submit a
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  letter on behalf of the organization stating our views. You know, we're always looking to protect
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  the habitat and the birds. You know, everything's here for a reason, and we don't want to end up
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  doing something that means we've lost a species, and that ended up being a keystone species, or maybe
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  something about that bird had a cure for us as well, or the science behind it will help us with
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  something else. We're always supporting other groups. Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary, or DIBS,
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  down on Dauphin Island, will buy up property because that is very important migration time
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  habitat for the birds. We want to make sure that they do have a place when they come in for the
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  spring for them to land and feed, and then to gorge themselves on food before they have to
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  take the big flight over the Gulf as well, and along the coast. So, not just helping Dauphin
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  Island, but supporting other groups that would be looking at the conservation of habitat and birds.
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  How do you see their role in protecting human health, for instance, against mosquitoes that
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  carry disease? I agree fully that even our songbirds, they're eating insects that can damage
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  our plants. You know, that includes the vegetable plants, where we're growing our own food, or just
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  even the ornamental plants, where we enjoy the smells and the sights of the flowers, but they
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  are very important in that balance in the environment. I enjoy having the swallows and
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  chimney swifts flying around my place because I know they're getting those mosquitoes,
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  and I don't like mosquito bites. One of the important things that you're doing is offering
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  people field trips. Can you fill us in on what's happening with this outreach program? Yes, Dr.
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  Greg Jackson out of Birmingham has been leading the charge on our outreach. He has recruited 44
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  different people to lead field trips around the state. We have them posted on a Google calendar
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  on our website so that you can check and see what field trips may be in your area, or maybe you want
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  to travel to a different area in Alabama and do a field trip. They are year-round, and we are very
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  excited about them. We have people who are actually traveling to different field trips.
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  I led one at Old Cahaba in March. One of the attendees said that she had been to a couple
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  others, and she kind of laughed and said, I don't know if I'm a follower or a stalker at this point,
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  and that was just wonderful. That was the best testimonial ever, but we're very excited about
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  being able to continue to do these year-round for years to come. Well, you have a project with
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  local parks, and that is erecting benches where people can watch the birds. And Dr. Greg Jackson's
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  coordinating all this. He has done a couple in Birmingham. We have seven benches on Dauphin
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  Island, and at some point, we may have a trail of our benches so you can travel to the different
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  locations for them. Turtle Point Science Center in Escambia County, Alabama has a couple benches.
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  We're looking for other places so they can contact us through our website to
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  make suggestions. We just ask that the benches are placed where you can actually watch birds
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  and that they can be secured down. We have them shipped to the location. You would be responsible
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  for putting the bench together, and then we have a plaque that just sticks on, and it just has our
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  name, our logo, and a QR code to our website. So, you can check out what else we're doing,
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  when we're having our meetings throughout the year, and become a member if you choose.
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  So, what is the website, and is there membership information on that site?
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  Yes, the website is AOSBirds.org, and you can go to Join Renew along the top,
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  and it will give you the information about becoming a member.
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  Shirley, as a bird lover since childhood, do you now have any particular concerns about their future?
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  The number of birds have decreased with how our weather has been changing. We are seeing birds
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  migrating earlier, coming in maybe even before the plants are ready for them. The first thing I think
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  of is hummingbirds, and then we're seeing some of our birds that maybe stay here in the south are
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  actually starting to move further north to live as well, but we see a decrease of our ground nesting
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  birds and sparrows, and these birds that feed off the ground due to cats being outside, lots of
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  feral cats, and, you know, just loss of habitat. Well, Shirley, time is short, but I want to thank you for
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  your visit today. Thank you so much for having me. It's always a pleasure to speak with you and
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  be a part of Troy Public Radio. That was Dr. Shirley Farrell, President of the Alabama Ornithological
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  Society. More information is at AOSBirds.org. Thanks for joining us for In Focus, which is a
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  podcast wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Carolyn Hutcheson, and this is listener-supported
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  Troy Public Radio.