Area Birders, This Saturday, May 14, the first Clinch Mountain Trails Migratory Birding Festival will take place on the Clinch Mountain Loop of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. For this first time the festival is free to all. Two hour guided bird walks will be held at four sections of the Clinch Mountain Loop. Those wishing to, may participate in one or all four of the free guided walks. Following is the schedule for the four guided walks with a more detailed description following that. 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. Guided walk at Hungry Mother State Park 10:30 - 12:30 Guided walk at Saltville Well Fields Lunch (at own expense) at Saltville 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Guided walk at Laurel Bed/Tumbling Creek 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Guided walk on Clinch Mountain/Raven Ridge The (still under construction) Clinch Mountain Trails website can be found at http://www.clinchmountaintrails.com/ The first walk will take place at Hungry Mother State Park, just off Interstate I-81 on State Route 16 near Marion VA. This 8:00 a.m. walk will be on the 0.9 mile Raider's Run Trail, the first trail on the left after entering the park. It will be led by Ed Talbott III, a member of the Buchanan County and Russell County Bird Clubs. After two hours of birding the group will then drive to Saltville, accompainied by Ed Talbott, along state routes 16, 42 and 91, where Dave Worley, a member of the Buchanan, Bristol and Russell County Bird Clubs, will meet the group at 10:30 a.m. at the Food Country Parking Lot (next to the small lake) and conduct the second bird walk at the Saltville Well Fields. Saltville has a unique inland saline watershed that draws in waterfowl and shorebirds. After the walk birders will be given time to purchase and eat their lunch in Saltville. (Dave is also conducting an 8:00 a.m. walk in the same area for those who wish to participate.) After lunch the group will then drive from Saltville to the Laurel Bed Lake/Tumbling Creek area of the Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area to an elevation of 3000+ feet. After entering the lower section of the area the group will meet with their next guide, Tom Hunter of the Russell County Bird Club for the 2:00 p.m guided bird drive/walk. Tom will meet the group at the lower ranger station in the Wildlife Management Area. At the top the birders will get to see some high elevation breeding species. Following state routes, 613 and 80 from the Wildlife management area, the group will arrive at Hayter's Gap and Raven Ridge Bed and Breakfast and Campground at an elevation of 3700+ feet, where birders will experience the great hospitality of the owners, Charles and Alona Kennedy. There at 4:30 p.m. the birders will meet Roger Mayhorn, a member of the Buchanan and Russell County Bird Clubs, who will lead them on the last two hours of the guided walks. This trail is moderate to difficult as some areas are a bit steep. High elevation species like Canada Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Ravens can be expected in this area. Come and enjoy the birds, Roger Mayhorn Compton Mt Buchanan County VA ************************************************* BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST Bristol Birds Net Photo Gallery located at: http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jwcoffeyy/album?.dir=/efd5 This is a regional birding list sponsored by the Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. -------------------------------------------------- You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds. To post to this mailing list, simply send an email to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. -------------------------------------------------- Wallace Coffey, Moderator wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (423)764-****