[Bristol-Birds] Soup 'n Sparrow Saturday adventur + boating trip
- From: "BBC Net" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'bristol-birds'" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 20:07:38 -0500
Soup 'n Sparrow +
BBC soup and sparrow dinner ruritan 28 Jan 2012.JPG
Members of the Bristol Bird Club will, for
the first time, offer birders of the region
simultaneous bird walks at the South
Holston weir dam and Osceola Island.
Everyone is invited to either or both.
John Moyle and Rick Knight will each lead
Saturday morning field trips this weekend
(31 January 2015). Similar to a naturalist
rally or bird festival events, each will
provide birders a choice of great leaders,
great places, great food and unique target
species.
Moyle will meet his group at 8:30 a.m. at the
Weir Dam parking lot near the South Holston Dam. The
trip offers a carpooling or follow leader trip at 7:15 a.m.
at Ingles' near Exit 59 on I 81.
Knight will meet a group at 8:30 a.m at the Emmett
Bridge parking area and that very small weir dam where
the TVA South Holston Dam reservation sign is located.
TVA lower small weir dam parking lot 2015.jpg
Emmett Bridge Parking area on far side as you enter SHL Dam area.
Both meeting sites are within a few hundred yards
of one another and the Knight meeting area is
downstream of the Moyle meeting parking lot.
TVA Riverwal Trail 2015.jpg
Knight will then lead his group over the TVA Riverwalk Trail which will
be a new birding experience for some. After a hundred yards are so
of good birding on this wide and birdy trail, the group will then cross
the Osceola Island bridge and check out the waterfowl and other good birds.
At the fast approaching hour of 11 a.m. Knight's group will leave the field
to take part at the South Holston Ruritan Club where area birders
have been regular participants for many years. Each year the Ruritans
calls to make sure we are reminded of the delicious "all-you-can-eat."
Charlie Owens called earlier this year to once again remind us that it
is set as always on the last Saturday in January. He has called for
nearly a decade.
South Holston Rujritan pots storage 2010.jpgYou can't eat any better food or
as
much or as worthwhile lunch than to
join with the Ruritans. Every penny
of the $7.00 door charge goes to their
Sullivan East High School college
scholarship fund which keeps many
youth in school each years. There is
no tax and no other costs. Included
is your drink (very large choice) and
every kind of dessert you can imagine.
Following the meal, those who participate in the fundraise lunch,
may go with Knight when he leads an exciting field trip by float boat
to areas of South Holston Lake in the vicinity of Musick's Campground.
This is the PLUS in Soup 'n Sparrow +
This free early afternoon boating/birding trip will enjoy a great day
which is expected to be partly cloudy and about 40 degrees.
In addition to exciting waterbirds, this trip will enjoy the skills,
talent and leadership of not only the best waterfowl birder anywhere
around but also the birder who found the area's first Brown-headed
Nuthatch. He will lead us by boat to such pine areas of Strawberry
Ridge, Big Jacob's Creek, Jones Ridge, Taylor Knob and Stout
Branch. We will make a close shoreline inspection from the boat
and an exciting search for the rare Brown-headed Nuthatch. This
Is not to simply see this species but to find them in additional habitats
where we believe they may be wintering.
These areas are in roadless country where you cannot drive by
vehicles. .
Strawberry Ridge has, for several years, been suspected as a nesting
vicinity for the Bald Eagle. It has not been carefully searched. Who
knows but what you may find the first nest on South Holston Lake in
Sullivan Co. How exciting would that be ? We will have good eyes
and experienced eagle nest searchers on board.
BBC Party Hut Tracker 2015.jpg
Above is the spacious Party Hut Tracker which we birded from during
our fall field trip in November of last year. It will haul birders in
comfort.
We will be able to make more than one trip over the lake to
accommodate as many birders as possible. The first trip will be the
exploration and search adventure. Any additional trips will be closer
to the Painter Creek Marina and Musick's where we will stage our trips.
We will have all safety equipment and clean and nice bathrooms and
everything you want. Knight will lead all trips. Nancy McPeak
will host birders and help provide for their security and comfort. She
is experienced at this.
You do not have to participate in either morning bird walks at the
weir dams in order to go on the boat. But you must purchase a
lunch and join in the fellowship with us at the Ruritan Club as they
raise money for their scholarships. You will be given the starting
time for the boat during lunch.
The Ruritan Club is on Meadow Creek Rd. just around the corner
from the weir dam as you head towards Rooty Branch Wetlands
and Pemberton Rd.
A MORE TRADITIONAL TRIP TO SUIT YOU
Seeking out new birding areas and birding in unfamiliar areas is
not for everyone. Neither is birding by boat. After scouring the
South Holston Lake area, Moyle's group will eat lunch at a not
too distant pizzeria or you can eat there with a lunch you bring.
Following that, he will lead his party to Middlebrook Lake and not
head home until they have scanned it well! If you would like a
ride or wish to follow Moyle, join in! He will meet birders at 7:15 a.m.
at Ingles' near Exit 59 on I 81 at Kingsport.
This should be a great winter day afield for everyone who can be
on one or more of these trips this Saturday.
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- » [Bristol-Birds] Soup 'n Sparrow Saturday adventur + boating trip - BBC Net
