Alabama Audubon will be holding its 4th annual Black Belt Birding Festival beginning Friday, August 2 and concluding Sunday, August 4. Featured attractions will be locations such as the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Old Live Oak Cemetery, and Old Cahawba Archaeological Park.
Greensboro will be the focal point where birders will convene on Friday for a free reception featuring live music in the Ballroom of Project Horseshoe Farms on 1202 Main Street, beginning at 5 PM and concluding at 8 PM. Music will be provided by founders of the Alabama Blues Project, Debbie Bond and Radiator Rick, in the courtyard of the venue. Vendors will be featured throughout the reception. Executive Director of Alabama Audubon, Scot Duncan, will give a speech at 6:15 PM. Afterwards, patrons are encouraged to socialize and avail themselves of Greensboro’s many dining experiences.
Throughout the weekend, birders will be able to explore an array of ticketed events throughout the Black Belt. Among the nine morning events scheduled for Saturday, August 3, no more than 30 participants will explore Perry Lakes Park, beginning at 6:30 AM. A guided hike will allow visitors to view Bald Eagles, Wood Ducks, Yellow- billed Cuckoos, Little Blue Herons, Northern Parulas, Barred Owls, Red- Eyed Vireo and Summer Tanager, among other birds.
A popular site during the festival is the Old State Cattle Ranch, which will have a group of no more than 25 meeting at 6:30 AM to view a mix of early migrant shorebirds, ducks, and terns. The mix of wetlands, grasslands, and forest offer a diverse look into the species occupying each ecosystem. Egrets and herons, Indigo Buntings, Loggerhead Shrikes, American Kestrels, and Yellow Warblers are just a fraction of the birds represented on the property.
In conjunction with the festival, artist Aaron Head will be hosting a soft opening of his Sumac Cottage on 1107 South Street in Greensboro. The opening will feature an artist market, alongside live music provided by C.A. Jones and Tim Higgins. Head will also be providing dye vats of indigo with commemorative handkerchiefs, encouraging patrons to join in the dyeing process. The artist market will be open from 10 AM through 3 PM with the following artists offering their works for purchase: Abi Brewer; Here a Chick, There a Chick; Merrilee Challiss; Loretta Lynn; Crossroads Arts Alliance; Steven Meredith; Darianna Dervis; Casey Roberts; Aaron Sanders Head; Simply Making It; and Sunheart Metal Works. Learn more information on the event at Sumac Cottage’s website, www.sumaccottage.com/audobon.
Over 16 events will encompass the weekend-long festival, including a keynote address from Dr. Dwayne Estes, co-founder and executive director of Southeastern Grasslands Institute. T-shirts for the event will also be available for purchase and order. Times and prices vary between events, so patrons are encouraged to refer to the full event calendar, available online at www.alaudubon.org/event/blackbeltfestival2024.
