A day of exploring beautiful Burke’s Garden while on the lookout for specialities like Golden Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk. The terrain is easy and flat, but wear comfortable shoes. It tends to be rather frigid in the Garden, so bring warm layers!

Burke’s Garden is filled with natural and historic value. The Burke’s Garden community is situated in a bowl-shaped valley, leading to its nickname “God’s Thumbprint.” The Garden receives harsh winds and cool temperatures - not surprising considering that, at over 3,000 ft, this is Virginia’s highest elevation valley.

After meeting at Food Lion, we will drive into Burke’s Garden. The main road forms a large loop, so the trip will consist of driving the loop and hitting the major hotspots and interesting points along the way. Our first stop will be at Gose Mill Pond where we could find Gadwall, American Wigeon, and Green-winged Teal. Tundra Swans have been seen here in the past. We will then go to Oak Grove Pond where we might find more waterfowl, Wilson’s Snipe, and Northern Harrier. A couple more ponds and streams will dot our route as we make our way through agricultural lands. We should expect to see many raptors including Red-tailed Hawk, Red-Shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, and Bald Eagle. We will take a lunch break at Mattie’s Place, a general store that offers Amish-made lunch options, snacks, and a place to defrost.

There are several notable birds that we might expect to see throughout Burke’s Garden. Common Raven, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Great-horned Owl can appear at any of our stops. Perhaps most interesting is the possibility of seeing Golden Eagle or Rough-legged Hawk. These two species show up in the winter, especially when a cold weather front pushes them south. We will be on the lookout for these two species throughout the day.