Birding Walk at Mason Mill Park guided by DeKalb ranger-naturalist Jonah McDonald

I hope a few of you birdwatching enthusiasts can join me for this fun free "Bird Stroll" hosted by our ranger-naturalist friend Jonah McDonald at DeKalb County's Mason Mill Park.   I've made confirmed reservations for myself and 5 other AOC members and regardless of your skill level you're welcome to register below to participate.  We'll gather a few minutes before 8:00 AM just inside the Park entrance (by the kids' playground and stone restroom building - see detailed Directions, GPS info & Parking instructions below).  Clear weather is expected during the outing but cooler than average, so wear warm clothing!  As on all birding field trips we'll take an easy pace and pause often along the way to observe and identify the many species of birds that are spotted or heard.  Several wild bird experts from the Audubon Society are likely to be present to assist.  We'll also take time to discuss some of the fascinating wildflowers, trees, and other wild critters, etc. that we encounter along the way.  We expect to be back at the cars by 11:00 AM.  If you need to "split" early from the group that's OK, but be sure to let us know if and when you do so and it should be easy to direct you back to the parking lot.

Event Details from Jonah's online invitation: "Join Ranger Jonah for a two-mile walk on the trails of Mason Mill Park to see what birds are active.  All levels of birders are welcome. Binoculars and comfortable footwear are recommended. The Bird Stroll will not happen in inclement weather. This walk does not start in the usual location near the trailhead.  Instead, please meet near the Mason Mill playground. This program is not appropriate for dogs, so please leave your pup at home."

More about our ranger host: Since Jan 2019 Jonah McDonald has served as chief ranger/naturalist for DeKalb County's parks.   An avid birder, conservationist and author, he has done an amazing job interacting with the public and overseeing protection and improvement of DeKalb's forest ecosystems and trails.  His wide variety of free outdoor events include guided hikes, birdwatching outings,  volunteer work projects and even festive campfire gatherings complete with nature stories and s'mores!   His popular book, "Hiking Atlanta's Hidden Forests," has become an "AOC favorite" as an excellent guide to the dozens of wonderful parks, wild habitats and trails in and around the city. 

FOR a COLOR MAP of the SOUTH PEACHTREE CREEK "PATH" TRAIL and how it interconnects Mason Mill & Medlock Park with Emory's Lullwater Park, Ira Melton Park and other DeKalb County green space, click this link: https://www.pathfoundation.org/south-peachtree-creek-trail

DIRECTIONS to our GATHERING SPOT in the MASON MILL PARKING LOT, just inside the PARK ENTRANCE beside the Playground & Stone Restroom Bldg:

GPS and Google.com/Maps Users:  The street address of the tan Park office building on the hillside adjoining our gathering spot is 1340 McConnell Drive, Decatur, GA.  (For a zoomable color MAP and satellite view of the gathering spot click the square blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.)

STEP-by-STEP Directions from nearby I-85:
1. From the I-85 "Clairmont" Exit (#91) in NE Atlanta take Clairmont Rd southward (toward Decatur) about 2.3 miles to the traffic light at McConnell Drive.  (This is the next light south of the much busier Clairmont/ North Druid Hills street junction.  If you reach the huge VA Hospital you've taken Clairmont a few blocks too far!)
2. Turn Left onto McConnell Drive, go just 0.1 mile, and turn Right at the stop sign to stay on McConnell. (Note the small "Mason Mill" directional sign.)
3. Then turn Left almost immediately at the big "Mason Mill Park" entrance sign and park just inside the entrance in the large free lot.  We'll gather by the colorful children's playground and its adjoining stone restroom building.  (In the unlikely event that those spaces are filled, there's a free public Library parking lot adjoining the Right turn in "Step 2" above, with just a ~3-minute walk back to our gathering spot.)

MORE ABOUT MASON MILL and its adjoining PARKS & TRAILS:  DeKalb County's Mason Mill Park conveniently interconnects with nearby Medlock Park (and now also with Ira Melton Park and Emory's Lullwater Park) via a network of shady trails and multi-million-dollar forest canopy boardwalks.  The South Peachtree Creek "PATH" Trail is the main artery through this 100+ -acre multi-park corridor, and like NW Atlanta's Silver Comet Trail conforms to the high standards of Atlanta's nonprofit PATH Foundation.  Branching from it are several miles of ruggedly scenic narrower paths and trails, many which adjoin the banks of "South Fork Peachtree Creek" and its sinuous tributaries - notably Burnt Fork Creek and Glen Creek.  An impressive section of the main PATH trail traverses the railroad track via a 3-story wooden deck & walkway.  Here hikers and bikers are treated to aerial views of the restored ruins of the historic early-20th-Century Decatur Waterworks.  The highest portion of the deck has proven to be dark enough for urban "skygazing"  events - i.e, viewing the stars & planets, sunsets, moonrises, eclipses, meteor showers, etc.  From the creek bank beside this high deck it's easy (at normal water levels) to access Ira Melton Park and its white-blazed loop trail, etc. by walking across the creek on huge stepping stones.  In 2017 a beautiful new forest-canopy boardwalk extension of the PATH Trail opened between the DeKalb Tennis Center at Mason Mill and North Druid Hills Road, and became an instant AOC favorite. Then in 2018 a similar "double-wide" PATH spur trail & boardwalk was completed that makes it easy to hike safely from Mason Mill to the Lullwater Park trail system at Emory (via a "hiker-biker underpass" under Clairmont Rd near the VA Hospital).   The 28-acre Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve is a fourth pretty DeKalb County park whose trail network and wooded wetlands are easy to reach on foot from Medlock Park (by walking ~15 minutes eastward via Gaylemont Circle & Wood Trail Lane).

Free Event with Free Parking!