FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Historical Snippet - June 15, 2002

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

 BBC Snippet  




 


Bristol Bird Club members enjoyed the best weather you could imagine 
and a fabulous canoe/birding trip on the Clinch River in Russell County, 
Saturday, June 15, 2002.  It was the highlight of a weekend that began
on Friday and ended on Sunday.

Excitement was in the air when birders began arriving at The Nature 
Conservancy's famous Rikemo Lodge in Scott County.  It is a beautiful
hunting lodge built in 1969 by the former Clinchfield Railroad which used
it to entertain their clients.

Luggage and packs and were carried in, boxes of food loaded to the 
kitchen, nine canoes ready on a trailer and a truck.

The rustic facility, is perched atop Copper Ridge amidst trees and peaceful 
views, 600 feet above the river. It provided an excellent base for exploring 
Southwestern Virginia's natural treasures. 

It was located near Dungannon, as part of Gray's Island Preserve, which 
protects one of the most significant habitats for globally rare freshwater 
mussels.
 
Janice Martin had a new and excellent handout of the 2002 BBC Membership 
List, hot off the press.

Birders pulled up chairs around the long dinning tables
and spent a leisurely evening chatting and having dinner 
together.  Others lingered late into the evening in the 
comfortable chairs and on the couches around the 
20-foot-long giant, stone fireplace.

Saturday morning found members in the kitchen getting 
their breakfasts ready and dressed for the much-anticipated 
down river birding.  Don Holt had butterflies in his stomach.

Sprits were high and expectations created considerable excitement. The gang
was soon car pooled to Cleveland where the canoes were launched.

Ron Lapp, and his niece who flew in from Ohio for the trip, pushed off in his 
personal canoe. The group was headed up by Braven Beaty of The Nature 
Conservancy and Janice Martin. Wallace Coffey and Carolyn Coffey followed 
the lead with Ed Talbott and Michelle Talbott in the next boat and Dave Worley 
and Diana Worley in that order. Larry McDaniel and Don Holt made up still 
another team and their boat followed by Mary Erwin and John Hay. Judy Musick 
road on board with Mary Evans and Mike Evans while Tom Horsch and Jil 
Riendeau paddled last to sweep along for boats that may needed assistance.

The nearly seven-mile trip 
took about half the day as 
the BBC journeyed into 
one of North America's 
most sensitive and valued 
biodiversity hotspots as 
recognized by The Nature 
Conservancy.

The spirited group of BBC river runners and their 
guests ate bagged lunches on the river bank before 
finally pulling in at Carterton where the boats were 
taken out, racked on a truck and trailer and 
hauled back to Rikemo.

Back at the cozy, rustic, surroundings of the former hunting lodge of hand-hewn 
logs with beautiful pegged floors, returning parties found Bob Quillen, Rose 
Lapp and June Fulbright enjoying birding in the 100-acre preserve.

The lodging, boats and weekend were free to BBC if the club would make a 
trip list of birds seen and heard available to The Nature Conservancy. 

Later, many gathered on the big porch with 
rockers while others took turns catching an 
afternoon nap and warm showers in their
private rooms.

The lazy afternoon awoke to chips and fruits 
and all kinds of dips and spreads and great 
appetizers provided by Jil Riendeau.
In early evening, dinner was on big time as 
birders again gathered in the great
hall for Jil's catered dinner and dessert.  No one wanted to leave the tables.
Everyone just visited and lingered and soaked it all in. We even learned a lot
about family histories and Confederate history.

They were still raving over the dinner when several birders got tangled up 
calling 
in Screech-Owls to the back porch. Even though there was an owl flying all 
around the building, a small group in the front yard was whistling the owl call 
while there were others birders calling from the back porch.  
The owl was not only interested but somewhat confused.
Neither group knew the others were out calling and each
thought the other was the owl.  So they called back and
forth to each other and took pride in their owl calling
success.  The real owl did not call but flew from front to
back several times :-)

Some went on a successful after-dark birding exploration to find the 
Chuck-wills-widow and Don Holt surprised a woodcock.  Others stayed up 
late talking about plans for future trips which the club could take and others 
turned in early for  a good night in the big handmade four- poster beds.

There were so many extra birders joining the trip that BBC extended the limits 
and
allowed some to bring their sleeping bags and sleep by the big fireplace in the
lodge hall.

Most had early breakfast on Sunday and a few slept in for an extra hour or two.

Everyone thought it was a tremendous weekend and had dreams of more -- even
Janice Martin who was drying out her underwear from getting a big spill in the
river at the first rapids. :-0  Never grab limbs from a canoe, Janice :-(  You 
were
told that before you picked up a paddle :-)
 
from the archives of the Bristol Bird Club