Meeting the Flock

Lynne of Hasty Brook and Nina from Nature Remains 4-26-09

It is a sunny day as Nina and I set out for the New River Birding and Nature Festival. We follow the back roads of Ohio until we reach the highway and head southeast to West Virginia. The rolling hills of southeast Ohio speed past us outside the car window. Soon the wrinkles of the earth deepen to steeper slopes and rocky ravines. We cross into West Virginia at Point Pleasant via a bridge that crosses the Ohio River, which marks the boundry between these two states. When I see the name of the town I realize that this is THE Point Pleasant of the movie Mothman and the book The Mothman Prophecies. Both the movie and the book recount the historic bridge collapse in 1967. On December 15 at 5:00 p.m. the cables snapped and the Silver Bridge fell into the Ohio River below killing 46 people and injuring 9. I couldn’t help but think about it as we crossed the new bridge.

We arrived at the Opossum Creek Farmhouse late in the afternoon. A huge banner hung from the front porch welcoming “The Flock” of 2009. I don’t know who first came up with that name for this group of Birding bloggers, but it certainly fit. Nina and I tumbled wearily but excitedly out of the car. We gathered our gear and headed into the house to meet and greet everyone else. After picking out our beds and stowing our gear we gathered in the kitchen for introductions.

Mary of Mary's View 4-26-09

TR, From the Faraway, Nearby 4-26-09
(No, he didn't stay with us,he was just visiting!)



Wren, from Wrenaissance Reflections reflecting 4-26-09

Susan Gets Native 4-26-09

The always prepared, KatDoc!

Then, like any good bird blogger, we headed outside to watch birds!

I saw my first Blue-winged warbler at the Farm House with the help of KatDoc. Lifer! Here is the list of the other birds seen that very first day at the Farm House:

1. Turkey Vulture
2. Mourning Dove
3. Blue jay
4. Crow
5. Carolina chickadee
6. Tufted Titmouse
7. Wood thrush*
8. Robin
9. Gray Catbird
10. Cedar Waxwing
11. Blue-winged warbler*
12. Eastern Towhee
13. Song sparrow
14. Northern Cardinal

*Lifer! (First time seeing this species of bird.)