One of them said she didn't have a clear view of our bird feeding station that hangs from the limbs of a tree just beyond the house. Bird watching is a big passion for many of our guests. Some are accomplished birders who can tell the difference, by sight or voice, between a Carolina wren and marsh wren. The growth of bird watching, be it casual to fanatical, has been phenomenal. It has become more than just a pastime or passion, it is big business.
Birders buy seeds by the tons.
They spend money for gas, accommodations, food, guidebooks and binoculars to see birds in habitats that differ from what they have at home. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has launched a program to expound on this interest. It is creating a Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, patterned after a highly successful trail in Texas, called the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. The idea is to map a driving tour that links Virginia's top wildlife watching areas. David Whitehurst, director of the Wildlife Diversity Division of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, is heading the project.