The New River Birding and Nature Festival--My Introduction

Below you see a quick sketch of West Virginia's New River Gorge bridge.  Crossing this bridge marked the beginning of what turned out to be one of the most challenging, unique and fun-filled nature vacations I've ever experienced.    

I wasn't introduced to this festival through ordinary research nor did I make the decision to go through careful deliberation.  I first became aware of it because some of my favorite bloggers, also known as the "flock", attended last year.  Several months ago these same nature bloggers exchanged Facebook comments while planning to go again, sparking laughter and my curiosity.  In an instant, I decided to join them.  Besides, the event sounded an awful lot like the summer camp I had always wanted to experience as a child, but never did.  

And it was like camp, complete with head-bumping bunk beds, instant new friends, awaiting your turn in the shower, and the kind of heady fatigue that ensures you sleep through any and all thumps in the night.  All of this peppered with laughter, often laugh-'til-you-cry kind of laughter, about anything and everything, especially yourself and your quirky new friends.  

We were up at five, breakfast at six, boarding buses by seven and off for a day of  non-stop birding.  Dinner at six, to bed when you can, and up the next morning to start all over again.   Six full days of it.

There were moments early on when I wondered if I would make it through the week.  But then, that's the beauty of group energy and peer enticement--the kind of enticement that is centered on curiosity, discovery and nature's wonders.  When you're feeling faint of heart, you just look around.  Your inside dialog will go something like this: "If she can do it, you can too" or "Do you want to miss any of this?"  Soon it shortens to, "Buck up, kiddo!"  And off you go, without missing a beat, one foot in front of the other, forgetting that you ever had a moment's hesitation.

And did I mention the cushy parts of this experience?  Gourmet dinners served with choice of beverage and amazing desserts, inspiring presentations by accomplished naturalists, congenial and tireless hosts that kept everything going smoothly.  Add to this, expert guides leading every field experience and the fun of seeing and learning about new birds and the world that surrounds them.  Now you have an idea of what this festival is all about.

As a relatively new birder, I came home excited about wood warblers. If you've ever experienced "warbler-neck" without finding the bird, or felt the disappointment of only seeing a flitting gray speck at tree-top level,  or had your feelings hurt while everyone else called out a bird and you saw and heard nothing, you know that my warbler excitement is no small testament to the success of this birding adventure.

So I'll be reporting on all the fun and birds we shared in the next several posts and while I'm at it, enjoying it all again through photographs and sketches.

Below:  Black-and-White Warbler

Above Photos:  #2:  the gorge beneath the bridge; # 3:  the Farmhouse accommodations at Opossum Creek resort; # 4: the Farmhouse welcomes the Flock; # 5 and 6:  Fellow bloggers Susan Kailholz-Williams and Debbie Barnes at Pies and Pints in Fayetteville, WV.

Electronics go well with food, right?

Related links:

WV's New River Birding and Nature Festival

National Park Service, New River Gorge Website

Susan Kailholz-Williams--Susan Gets Native.

Debbie Barnes-DJB Photo Adventures
For more about this sketch visit:  The Hardest Thing About Sketching is Time at Vickie's Sketchbook.
And to see all of my New River Festival Posts click here.