Birdwatching Walk at Briarlake Forest with the Audubon Society

IN A NUTSHELL:   Hope you can join us for this fascinating birdwatching and wildlife walk hosted by our friends in the Atlanta Audubon Society.  It will be in "Briarlake Forest," a lovely new heavily wooded DeKalb County park in NE Metro Atlanta. (See GPS Address and easy Directions below.)  The weather is expected to be gorgeous - in the 60s with partly sunny skies.  Bring binoculars if you have a pair - if not, we'll have a few spares available for you to share.
   On this Audubon Society "field trip" guided by master birders Ralph Smith and Stan Chapman, we'll explore the park's wooded trails and the meadow adjoining the 100+ year-old farmhouse.  Featuring many giant "old-growth" hardwood trees, the park is the year-round home to numerous songbirds and raptors.  We're likely to see our GA "State Bird," the Brown Thrasher - also Robins, Cardinals, Red-headed & Pileated Woodpeckers and even perhaps a Great Horned Owl.  Each spring and fall it also attracts many colorful warblers and other migrant species including the Scarlet Tanager pictured above.  There are also lots of other wild critters such as squirrels,turtles & butterflies - also of course hundreds of species of beautiful native trees, plants and wildflowers.

EVENT PURPOSE, PLAN & PACE:  This birding walk will sharpen our ability to observe birds and identify them from their body & wing markings, flight patterns, perching & feeding habits, and calls.  If you're chiefly an "exercise hiker," be advised that this will be an experiential and learning walk, with frequent stops for naked-eye and binocular birdwatching and for intent listening to birds that may or may not be in full view. The walk is expected to be only about 2 miles in total distance, with no more than about 200 feet of total elevation gain or fall along the way.
  At the end of this and other Audubon field trips the group usually gathers briefly near the original meetup spot to discuss and tally the species that have been identified either by sight or by song - also any other interesting wildlife, flora, etc. that were observed.  You'll likely enjoy sticking around for this, but feel free to split from the group at any time if you like, provided you let the leaders know when you're departing.

ATLANTA AUDUBON WEBSITE:  http://www.atlantaaudubon.org/  Click on "Field Trips" on this home page for details about this and other free upcoming birding walks.  Anyone with an interest in birds is welcome to attend these events even if you're not an Audubon Society member.

ONLINE FREE BIRDING GUIDE:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/  is the link to Cornell University's excellent birding website.  Use it to brush up on your birding knowledge and skills in the comfort of your own home or on your Smart Phone, etc.  Among other things, for each native species it provides song recordings, color photos, range maps, etc.

FOR BRIARLAKE FOREST Photos and Information, click: http://briarlakefop.weebly.com/  and  http://briarlakecommunityforest.org/

OUR "MEETUP SPOT" for this event is the park's gravel entryway by the old farmhouse at 3330 Briarlake Road.  The new park is still under development and there is no street number posted, so lease carefully follow my written Directions below.
  For a zoomable map & satellite view of this meetup spot click on the Blue & Green "LOCATION" icon near the top of this article.  If you use GPS or Maps.Google.com you can augment my verbal instructions below by entering the following Lat/Lon coordinates of that spot as your "Destination Address":  33.8438,-84.2713

EASY DIRECTIONS from I-85 EXIT #93, "SHALLOWFORD RD" (This I-85 exit is inside I-285, about 2 miles toward downtown from the huge I-85/ 285 "Spaghetti Jcn" interchange in NE metro Atlanta)

1.  From I-85 Exit #93 take Shallowford Rd eastward about 1 mile to its end at the Briarcliff Road traffic light.
2.  Turn Right onto Briarcliff Rd and go 0.4 mile to the first traffic light at Briarlake Rd.
3.  Turn Left onto Briarlake Rd, go 0.8 mile, 

ALTERNATE SHORT ROUTE for "East-Siders" from the I-285 LAVISTA RD EXIT:
If you live east or SE of metro Atlanta I suggest this shorter alternate route:
1. From the I-285 LaVista exit (near Northlake Mall) take LaVista Road westward (toward Atlanta) about 1.5 mile to the traffic light at Briarlake Road.  (Note the elementary school on the far side of this corner.)
2. Turn Right onto Briarlake Road, go just 0.4 mile and turn Left into the forest's unmarked gravel entryway, about 200 yards past the Briarlake Rd/ Blackwood Drive junction. Park beside the gravel driveway near the old farmhouse, taking care not to block other vehicles from entering or exiting.

Free Event with free park entrance and free parking, provided that streetside spaces along 11th Street, etc. are available.