Dauphin Island in October, the Season That Belongs to Birds
By late October the stilted houses along the west end of Dauphin Island stand mostly dark, their stairs swept, their porch chairs folded and stacked. The summer people, the June through August crowd, have gone back over the bridge. What arrives instead is smaller and more restless: migrating songbirds, blown in off the Gulf, dropping into the live oaks on the island's east end to rest before the long crossing south.
The water is still warm enough to wade, and the worst of the humidity has finally lifted. Hurricane season has not quite ended, so watch the forecast and read the cancellation terms. Some places keep shorter hours now. You will not mind.
After you drop your bags, walk to the Audubon Bird Sanctuary, sit on a bench by the lake, and wait. Later, watch the light go orange on the old brick walls of Fort Gaines. Then see the full guide and plan the rest of the week slowly.
