Peach State Pop-up Tour

Birding Big Canoe

May 16, 2026

Trip Leader: Melanie Furr, Feathers with Furr LLC

Time: 7:30 AM until 4:30 PM

Maximum Group Size:  9 people

May is magical for birding in the North Georgia mountains! This tour offers a full day of guided birding at Big Canoe, a private residential community just 75 miles north of Atlanta in the Blue Ridge Mountains that offers scenic hiking trails, lakes, waterfalls, and other amenities. We’ll kick off the day at Eagles Rest Park at the peak of Mount Oglethorpe, which adjoins Big Canoe, and bird our way down the mountain, stopping at a variety of different habitats and interesting trails inside Big Canoe. We’ll explore forests carpeted with native plants, walk a trail dotted with centuries-old indigenous cairns, and enjoy an explosion of blooming mountain laurel and sweeping mountain views as we search for a wide variety of bird species.

During the course of our day’s adventures, we expect to encounter neotropical migrants joining year-round residents on their summer breeding grounds. Breeding warblers we may find include Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Black-and-white, Black-throated Green, Hooded, Yellow-throated, Common Yellowthroat, Kentucky, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Ovenbird. In addition to three species of vireo (Red-eyed, Yellow-throated, and Blue-headed), we’ll also be looking and listening for Indigo Bunting, Wood Thrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and Blue Grosbeak. With luck, we may spot Wild Turkeys with poults. Near the lakes, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for Green Herons, Wood Ducks, Osprey, or one of the Bald Eagles that have nested in Big Canoe in recent years, as well as raptors, swallows,  and swifts.

Tour Details:

We will meet at 7:30 AM inside Big Canoe.  (Registrants will receive a guest pass at the entry gate.) From the meetup spot, we will carpool in three cars to the access point to Mount Oglethorpe (due to limited parking) and spend the morning birding at Eagles Rest Park. Our hike to the top from the parking area is less than one mile but includes some short, steep inclines on dirt and paved surfaces. We will hike approximately two miles total during the course of the morning. This 3,200-foot peak is perhaps the closest place to Atlanta to encounter breeding Ovenbirds, Blackburnian Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warblers, and Blue-headed Vireos all in one place, as well as numerous other neotropical species singing on their breeding grounds. Lookout platforms afford treetop looks at birds and sweeping views.

Late morning, we’ll have a rest stop and picnic lunch on the deck of Melanie’s family’s lakeside home inside Big Canoe, watching the hummingbird feeder and scanning the cove for Wood Ducks, Bald Eagles, and Green Herons. Bring your own lunch; soft drinks, chips, and fruit will be provided.

After lunch, we will take a couple of short hikes (less than 2 miles total) on mostly-level dirt trails.  In addition to looking for neotropical birds such as Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Acadian Flycatcher, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Louisiana Waterthrush, we’ll see mysterious cairns left behind by indigenous residents of the past and an abundance of native plants. We will wrap up the day at the Meadows Trail, where we expect to encounter Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and Common Yellowthroat, which like open meadow habitat. The tour will conclude around 4-4:30 PM.

Tour Pacing and Physical Difficulty: Moderate

You should be in good physical and cardiovascular health to join this tour. In the morning, we will have a short but occasionally steep hike (3/4 mile) to the top of Mount Oglethorpe from within Big Canoe. We will have long stretches of birding and time on our feet before and after lunch, starting at 7:30 AM and wrapping up around 4:30 PM. During the course of the day, we will hike 3-4 miles.

Tour Fee:  $70

Tour includes:

  • Full day of guided birding and access to Big Canoe

  • eBird lists and complete trip report

  • Soft drinks, chips, and fruit at lunchtime

Payment Schedule:

  • Payment due upon registration:  $70

  • Zelle payments are preferred. For Venmo payments, a 2.5% service fee applies. If you wish to pay with a check, please contact Melanie at featherswithfurr@gmail.com.

Cancellation Policy:
No refunds will be given if you cancel your registration unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given, less a $10 administrative fee.

In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a full refund will be given.

Register now