Snowbirds back for the winter | pnj.com | Pensacola News Journal

Snowbirds back for the winter | pnj.com | Pensacola News Journal: "They're baaaack . . . welcome snowbirds!

The first week of January means one thing in Perdido Key and Pleasure Island — the official arrival of the snowbirds.

No, this not some exotic bird of paradise taking refuge along the warmer Gulf Coast from Canada before winging it to tropical Honduras.

Rather, this the annual migration of those Northern species who migrate south to Pleasure Island for the winter. They arrive in a procession in luxurious behemoth recreational vehicles called Cougar, Nomad and Intruder.

When he's visiting here for the winter, Warn Dowling likes to kayak, fish, bicycle, golf and enjoy the warmer temperatures along the Gulf Coast.

Dowling and his wife, Joann, migrate from Pittsburgh in their 35-foot Winnebago each December. Like many snowbirds, the pair stay at Gulf State Park RV Campground in Gulf Shores, a sort of ground zero for Pleasure Island's winter guests."