Birders from a wide area gathered in beautiful Burke's Garden of Tazwell County, Virginia Saturday (2/25) and did we have fun or did we have good birding and fun ? Four Golden Eagles kept up on our toes. A Rough-legged Hawk put in an appearance. It was windy and cold but never mind. We all had a blast together. Michelle Talbott even held benediction serving her home-made chocolate chip cookes in the abandoned school yard before we bid farewell for another great birding day in the Allegheney Mountains. What a day ? This is our 16th consecutive year to hold these "Golden Eagle" field trips. A Loggerhead Shirike in this high-mountain valley above 3,000 feet elevation was a real surprise. Even a Brown Thrasher added to the fun. A flock of 15 Wood Duck was an eye-opener. Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, 9 Red-tailed Hawks, and American Kestrel rounded out the raptors. Red-headed Woodpecker (1) was hard to find. Among the birders were: Dave Worley, Don Holt, Rick Phillips, Diane Draper, Janice Martin, Fred Martin, Don Carrier, Tom Hunter, Wallace Coffey, Stephanie Winterrowd, Bill Grigsby, Mike Winterrowd, John Hay, Phil Shelton, Ed Talbott, Michelle Talbott, Jerry Thronhill, Jane Thornhill and six or seven college students from the University of Virginia Wise. Photo by Ed Talbott Diane Draper skunked us all with the first great roadside pickup on a Wilson's Snipe. It was right at a stream bank and the kind of bird you could miss in a heartbeat. As one birder described that observation, "she must have seen it out of the corner of her eye." It was an impressive spot to say the least. And so was a neat photo captured by Rick Phillips. At one point there were as many as six snipes along the creek near the two big corn cribs and lovely white farm house. Photo by Rick Phillips As expected, the several Golden Eagles were mostly well up over ridges but Ed Talbott got some amazing close up pictures of one Golden Eagle soaring just above his camera: Photos by Ed Talbott The following species made up the trip list and thanks goes to Don Holt, Bill Grigsby and Ed Talbott for keeping lists all day and getting the final tally up to snuff. Wood Duck 15 Mallard 20 Green-winged Teal 12 Ring-necked Duck 12 Black Vulture 2 Turkey Vulture 9 Northern Harrier 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 9 Rough-legged Hawk 1 Golden Eagle 4 American Kestrel 3 Killdeer 25 Wilson's Snipe 7 Rock Dove 17 Mourning Dove 3 Red-headed Woodpecker 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Loggerhead Shrike 1 Blue Jay 4 American Crow 36 Common Raven 3 European Starling 60 Horned Lark 2 Carolina Chickadee 1 Tufted Titmouse 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Eastern Bluebird 2 American Robin 20 Brown Thrasher 1 Song Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 77 Eastern Meadowlark 11 House Finch 1 American Goldfinch 40 House Sparrow 12 We're already looking forward to next year. Dave Worley and I couldn't wait so this was our second birding trip there this winter as it was for Don Carrier. Let's go birding..... Wallace Coffey Bristol, TN