Walk on the Wild Side with Ranger Phil! - an Audubon Society Field Trip

IN a NUTSHELL:  Ranger Phil Delestrez of the GA State Parks system has invited us to join him for an exciting "St. Pat's morning" birdwatching field trip this Sunday at 8:00 AM at beautiful Hard Labor Creek State Park, about 50 miles east of Atlanta.  (See detailed directions below both for driving directly to the Park and for our optional 7:00 AM carpooling meetup spot in NE Atlanta.)  Although the birding may last until 12:00 noon, no problem if you need to depart early since it's easy to follow the trails back to the "Trading Post" parking area.
  Anyone with an interest in nature will be sure to enjoy the event regardless of your previous birding experience. An expert birder and well known wildlife artist and naturalist, Phil is the park superintendent at Hard Labor Ck and has held similar posts at Sweetwater Ck and Panola Mtn State Parks.  This field trip is officially sponsored by the Atlanta Audubon Society, and other expert Audubon birders will likely be there with Phil.  
  Mid-March is a great time at the Park for observing a variety of waterfowl on and around the Park's lovely lakes and streams.  Boasting a variety of habitats, this 2nd-largest State Park in GA also has a reputation for sightings of relatively rare birds including Loggerhead Shrikes, Ameriscan Kestrels, other large raptors including Owls & Hawks, and a wide variety of Woodpeckers.

EVENT PURPOSE, PLAN & PACE: This "walk-and-pause birding tutorial" will sharpen our ability to spot and 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 a leisurely experiential and learning hike, with frequent stops along the way for naked-eye and binocular birdwatching and for intent listening to birds that may or may not be in view.
 The hike will probably be no more than 4 miles in total distance, with negligible ascents and descents along the lakes and streams of the State Park. 
 Bring your binoculars if you have a pair—otherwise you're welcome to share a spare pair or two that your AOC hike leader will provide—also bring your birding field guide if you have one.

ATLANTA AUDUBON WEBSITE:  Click on "Field Trips" in the upper left corner of the home page for info on upcoming free birding walks.  Anyone with an interest in birds is always welcome to attend these regardless of whether you're an Audubon Society member. http://www.atlantaaudubon.org/

ONLINE FREE BIRDING GUIDE:  For brushing up on your birding knowledge and skills in the comfort of your own home, here's a great web link that has nice color photos, song recordings and range maps for each species:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/

DIRECTIONS from ATLANTA'S EAST-SIDE I-20/ I-285 INTERCHANGE to HARD LABOR STATE PARK "TRADING POST" (For a zoomable map and satellite view of the Park Visitor Center and its surrounding area where we'll park and meet click on the RED "LOCATION ICON" near the top of this article.)

1.  From the East-side I-20/I-85 Interchange (which is about 10 mi E of Downtown Atlanta) take I-20 East (toward Augusta) about 33 miles and get off at Exit #101, “US-278.

2.  Turn Left onto US-278 and go 4.0 miles to Old Mill Rd.
3.  Turn Left onto Old Mill Rd and go 3.1 miles to its end at at Fairplay Rd. (Note the big "State Park" sign here.)
4.  Turn Left onto Fairplay Rd and go just 0.5 mile to the first Left at Knox Chapel Rd.
5.  Turn Left again onto Knox Chapel Rd and go just 0.4 mile to the wood-gated "Office" entrance on your right.
6.  Turn Right thru the wooden gate and go just 0.1 mile to the "Trading Post" (& Visitor Center) on your right, where we’ll park and meet for the birding walk.  If you don’t display an annual GA-DNR parking pass, you’ll need to pay $5 cash for the daily State Parks parking fee in one of the self-service envelopes.

GPS and GOOGLE.com/MAPS USERS:  You can enter the following Lat/Lon coordinates of the Trading Post as your "destination":  33.6640,-83.6061

Free event except for $5 parking fee (or display annual State Parks parking pass).