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9th Annual Burke's Garden (VA) Golden Eagle Field Trip



        The Ninth Annual Burke's Garden Golden Eagle
Field Trip to Tazewell County, VA is set for Saturday,
Feb. 5, by the Bristol Bird Club.=20
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        Ken Hale, former president of the BBC, will lead=20
the trip for his eighth year, having only missed in 1999.

        This is going to be another exciting year to
see the eagles.  A record 33 birders showed up for
the 1999 trip and saw a Golden Eagle, five Rough-legged
Hawks and a Red-headed Woodpecker.

        The BBC will be joined by birders from Virginia,
Tennessee, North Carolina and West Virginia for the
big trip which will leave from the parking lot of the
Bristol Herald Courier on Morrison Blvd. in Bristol, VA=20
at 8 a.m. sharp.

        The group will meet birders who are in or
around Abingdon VA at the Chevron gas station at the
Virginia Highlands Community College Exit of I-81
at 8:20 a.m.  At 8:45 a.m. we plan to be at Food City
in Lebanon, VA to meet members of the Russell=20
County Bird Club.

        Then on to Tazewell, VA where the Bibee
Club of West Virginia meets us at 9:45 a.m. at
Hardees.  A quick bite to eat and we're on to Burke's
Garden.

        Every year Golden Eagles have been spotted
and the Rough-legged Hawk has been seen all but one
of the previous eight years.

        Also possible are Horned Larks and Common
Snipe.  There was a dead Long-eared Owl found one
year.  Also you will be able to enjoy the beautiful
winter farm scenes in this gorgeous garden spot
which is at more than 3,000 feet elevation.

        Be sure and bring plenty of warm clothes,
gloves and caps.
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       Burke's Garden is a fairly flat, elliptical high
mountain valley about eight miles long and four miles=20
wide. It's walled in on all sides by mountain ridges and=20
with a single narrow drainage. The anticline valley has=20
a floor elevation which varies from 3050 to 3200 feet. =20
=20
Mountain elevations around the valley include 3800 to=20
3950 feet on the north at Garden and Round mountains,=20
4000 feet on the east, and south at Garden Mountain=20
and 4400 to 4700 feet on the west at Chestnut Ridge
and Beartown Mountain.

        The valley was discovered by James Burke in=20
the 1740s and he settled the area in 1754 only to be=20
driven out a few year later by threats of the Shawnees.
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Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs along Garden=20
Mountain on the southeast side of the valley.
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As a natural refrigerator, it provides excellent habitat
for northern species, both during the breeding season=20
and in winter.  Most of the valley floor is farm land.=20
Mature stands of white oaks with little to no understory=20
create great hunting perches for raptors and habitat
for Red-headed Woodpeckers which regularly winter
in the valley.
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The many streams, mill pond and beaver ponds provide=20
habitat for waterfowl, including a few wintering species.
=20
       This is one of Virginia's most dependable areas to=20
see wintering Golden Eagles and Rough-legged Hawks
during January until mid-February. The Bald Eagle has=20
also been found here in winter.=20
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    A country store is open daily and provides a warm=20
stove, some prepared food, and a clean rest room.
=20
    Come and join the Bristol Bird Club.
=20
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN