In lieu of our annual Wings of Winter festival, come join us on Saturday, Jan
23rd for a tripto the Big Sandy unit of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge
as we explorethe many bays and inlets for wintering ducks, geese, loons, and
gulls as wellas the surrounding uplands for raptors and songbirds. An
impressive number of rarities haveoccurred at this location and it can hold
staggering numbers of waterfowl andsparrows in the winter. All sevenwoodpecker
species can be found with regularity, and the agricultural fields nearBritton
Ford can be good for larks, longspurs, and pipits. This area is also fairly
reliable forwintering Golden Eagle and LeConte’s Sparrow. Our trip will be led
by local expert and top birder, Mike Todd. We will meet at 8:00 am at the
Sunoco GasStation at the corner of Hwy 69A and Main St. in the town of Big
Sandy. For those wishing to carpool from Nashville,meet at the Bellevue
Park-and-Ride and leave no later than 6:15 am. The outing should last through
mid-afternoonwith a lunch stop back in Big Sandy as we travel from Pace Point
over toBritton Ford.
Mike Smith
Hendersonville, TN
