May 14th Field Trip – Larkspur Conservation Area

Come join Tim Loyd as he leads us on a tour of a relatively new birding hotspot in northern Sumner County.  As part of the Highland Rim, Larkspur contains one of the finest examples of mature hardwood forest in our region, and together with the adjacent Nature Conservancy property at Taylor Hollow they support one of the highest densities of breeding Cerulean Warblers in Middle Tennessee along with large numbers of other forest breeders.  The area also contains a cedar glade and several grassy fields, and this habitat diversity supports a high variety of warblers, thrushes, tanagers, and other neotropical migrants.  Larkspur is managed as a natural burial site, and you will notice several memorial headstones throughout the park.  The gravel trails are well maintained, but steep in places so sturdy footwear is a must and a hiking stick may come in handy.  We’ll meet at 7:00am at the trailhead; the address is 155 Bear Carr Rd, Westmoreland, TN.  From Gallatin, take Hwy 31E north for approx. 15 miles and turn right onto Phillip Hollow Rd.  After 1.2 miles turn left on Bear Carr Rd; the parking lot is 2 tenths of a mile on the left.  There is a tour of the burial site at 10:00am on the same day, and the gravel parking lot can only accommodate 8 to 10 cars, so carpooling will be essential – please make arrangements amongst yourselves.  A good meeting place is the Wal-Mart in Gallatin.  For additional information, please email ms722@bellsouth.net