Noxubee Wildlife Refuge

It had been twelve years since I last visited Noxubee Wildlife Refuge. I spent a considerable amount of time there while I was at Mississippi State University. Twelve years later, I remember my way around the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge better than I did my way around Mississippi State University.  I guess that should be expected since the refuge served as my study hall many times. The way I figured it, why sit in your apartment and do homework or sit in a library when you can sit on the banks at Bluff lake or study at one of several overlooks.

Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge is located in east-central Mississippi about 20 minutes South of Starkville, Mississippi. It contains 48,000 acres, of which about 42,500 acres consist of hardwood bottomlands and upland woodlands offering prime habitat for deer, turkey, quail, woodpeckers, waterfowl, etc. Several endangered species are found within Noxubee Wildlife Refuge including the bald eagle and red-cockaded oodpecker. The red-cockaded woodpecker is a resident bird to Noxubee Wildlife Refuge and receives a considerable amount of attention from the park staff. The Refuge goes to great lengths to manage the habitat to ensure the bird continues to thrive. Management includes control burns, removing hardwoods in pine forests, and installing manmade cavities in select trees that birds to for nesting. (A red-bellied woodpecker is pictured)

Noxubee Wildlife Refuge consists of two lakes, several ponds, and several creeks and rivers and areas flooded for waterfowl management. The main lake within the Refuge is Bluff Lake, which is a great spot for viewing waterfowl. The Refuge has an overlook at the lake where you will more than likely see deer or turkey in addition to waterfowl. It is not uncommon to see alligators along the banks.

While visiting the Noxubee Refugee I was able to photograph two bald eagles with two babies. These eagles have been visiting the wildlife refuge for the last couple of years and hopefully will continue to return to the Refugee. If you are visiting, please keep your distance and do not disturb the eagles.