FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Birdwalk, BBC booth, Highlands Festival !!!

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

An enthusiastic group of 30 birders turned out this morning under 
rain-threatening skies for the annual Virginia Highlands Festival Birdwalk, the 
traditional first event of the three-weekend-long festival. It was another 
successful day for birders. Excitement was high as participants took delight in 
getting up at dawn to kickoff the great weeks ahead. 

The two-hour birding trip began at the Virginia Creeper Trailhead in the 
Abingdon historic district to walk and bird the Creeper Trail east of Green 
Springs Road. 

The walk is the first of 34 "Great Outdoors" events presented this year under 
the theme "From Mountain Streams to Rivers & Lakes: The Waters of Appalachia." 

Wallace Coffey was the trip leader for the 13th year and enjoyed the support of 
experienced birders Tom Hunter, LaVern Hunter, Ron Harrington and Bill Grigsby. 

The Bristol Bird Club opened its first-ever Highlands Festival booth on the 
lawn between the Barter Green and historic Martha Washington Inn, built in 1832 
and one of the show-places of the South. 

BBC President Bill Grigsby, Ron Harrington and Coffey worked the booth, 
greeting festival goers and birders of all ages throughout the day. The trio 
handed out detailed literature on birds, birding in the region, and the new BBC 
membership and activity flyer.

Birders sought recommendations for purchasing binocular.  They had questions 
regarding the latest field guides. During the day the BBC group evaluated 
birding binoculars for birders and even had word games for children. Our 
members shared a photo presentation of bird club activities. Questions were 
fielded concerning the new Virginia Birding Trail and publications. 

The 57-year old festival is held annually the first two weeks of August in 
Abingdon's 20-block Historic District filled with outstanding examples of 
Federal and Victorian architecture. The town was chartered in 1778. 

The festival draws over 200,000 visitors.  National Geographic Traveler last 
year labeled it as one of the Top 20 "must see" events of America. The festival 
is nestled among shaded, brick sidewalks and in the ambiance of the oldest town 
west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is recognized as one of the Top 100 Events 
in North America by the American Bus Association and one of the Top 20 Events 
in the Southeast. 

The Bristol Bird Club Booth will be open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mary 
Jane Erwin and helpers will take over duties. If you want to help the BBC learn 
how to operate a booth and as we learn the ropes for this new and exciting 
endeavor, just show up and make the best of it. This is not perfect but it has 
been a wonderful first start on our first trip out.   We'll soon learn the ins 
and outs, how to best present ourselves and how to spread our club word and 
birding among thousands in the years to come.

The booth is located on the Barter Green with the youth tent. It is to the 
right of the music tent, which is huge, and can be accessed by going up the 
alleyway between the Barter Green and the Martha Washington Inn. Watch for the 
signs along the road where the Abingdon High School sports boosters have their 
concessions. We are the next booth over, just down from the driveway level.  

We are going to learn to be good at this.  It holds too much promise.

Thanks to Ron Harrington who has put together our first display and has been 
carrying us from event to event for the past three years. It all began with our 
sponsorship of the Hawk Migration Festival at Mendota, Virginia. It spread to 
the annual Earth Day and Arbor Day at Abingdon. Ron has great ideas for 
improving our signage and other aspects of the display. His chairmanship of 
this effort has been excellent. 

Let's go birding...... 

Wallace Coffey 
Bristol, TN