[Bristol-Birds] Alternate Hawk Watching Site
- From: RonEHarrin@xxxxxxx
- To: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 14:54:44 EDT
If you have an aversion to climbing up to the Mendota Fire Tower from
Pinnacle Road, do not despair. There is another place you can go: Brumley
Mountain,
located in Washington County, VA, near Hidden Valley Lake. As a result of 9-11,
the area around the FAA Communications Tower at about the 4,000 elevation,
which you can see from the Mendota Fire Tower, was cleared off, greatly
improving the vista and ability to see.
The road to Brumley is the same one you take to get to Hidden Valley Lake:
Hidden Valley Drive, or RTE 690. This is about 10 miles from Abingdon. If going
north, turn right on this road. If coming from the Russell County side of
Clinch, turn left. The road to the top is paved, but very steep in places, so
make
sure your cooling system and brakes are in good working order. When you reach
the top (about 2.3 miles), the paved road ends. Turn right at the Virginia
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries sign, and follow the gravel road for
about 1.4 miles. You will come to a large fenced-in area, with the FAA white
dome
inside. Stay on the road around this fenced area until you get to the other
side. You can park on the short, gravel road leading to the back entrance. Most
of the hawks I see here are usually on the eastern side in the mornings. The
Mendota Tower can be seen to the West along the crest of Clinch Mountain,
about 12 miles away. So wave if you can see the rest of us!
Pack your cooler, take along a chaise lounge, and all the other comforts of
home, and enjoy without working up a sweat or breathing hard. Hawks are
starting to come by in small numbers, but during the next two weeks things
should
really pick up. Today, I was at this spot for an hour and saw six Broad-winged
Hawks.
If you go, send me a brief report. I will continue to keep the count at the
Mendota Tower, but if my legs give out, I'll head for Brumley.
Ron Harrington
Bristol, VA
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