Explore the Farm and surrounding forest with birder Clifton Avery of Venture Birding Tours(@bigbaldbirder on IG) to spot the various species of birds that can be found in WNC!
Edge habitat birding, learn how planned grazing benefits the local avian population.
We will be hiking in uneven and sometimes steep terrain, so please wear sturdy shoes and be dressed for the weather.
Learn about our Holistic Land Management from Farm Director Virginia, and how this practice works in tandem with the local flora and fauna.

Spotted on the farm by our farm crew, staff & neighbors: bluebirds, a rainbow of finches, downy & hairy woodpeckers, vultures, cardinals, mourning doves, robins, red-shouldered hawks, swifts, egrets, blue herons, hermit thrush, golden-winged warblers and this last year we’ve had a resident Bald Eagle!

Spring migration is just starting and on this walk we hope to see some of the first arrivals to our region such as blue-headed vireo, black-throated green warbler, Louisiana waterthrush, and a variety of sparrows.

Attendees will break for an included biscuit brunch* from butcher Brian’s kitchen, as birding is hungry work. When attending classes, you will receive a 5% discount in the Farm Store & Butchery, just ask for the Savory Student Discount!

Birding courses are part of our Savory Naturalist Series! A portion of the proceeds for these events and classes support our activities as a Savory Hub, and further the reach of regenerative agriculture.

Date: Sunday, April 6th, 2025
Time: 8am-11am
Cost: $30/person, biscuit brunch is included.

*If you have dietary restrictions, please reach out to Megan.auten@hickorynutgap.com and we can accommodate.

ABOUT CLIFTON: Clifton Avery is a wildlife biologist and professional bird watching guide. He was born and raised in the foothills of western North Carolina. He has always had a passion for nature and the outdoors but did not discover his love for birds until he saw a Painted Bunting off the coast of North Carolina on an early summer morning. Soon after this eye-opening experience, Clifton had the opportunity to participate in a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) course in Brazil where he was overwhelmed by the beauty and diversity of the birds of the Amazon Rainforest. Following this experience, Clifton went to Appalachian State University where he majored in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a focus in Ornithology.

Clifton worked for various ornithological research projects after college where he banded and nest searched for a wide range of avian species in Peru, Colombia, and Nicaragua. He also worked a couple seasons for the NC Audubon Society studying the Golden-winged Warbler on its breeding grounds in northwestern NC. For the past 7 years Clifton has worked for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission as the Mountain Wildlife Diversity Technician. His duties include conducting surveying, monitoring, habitat management, and public outreach for wildlife conservation projects focusing on species of greatest conservation need that occur in western North Carolina. He mostly focuses on birds, flying squirrels, and Hellbender salamanders. He also works for Ventures Birding Tours, a birding and natural history tour company based out of Asheville, NC as a bird watching guide. He leads tours in western NC but also all over North and South America. He currently lives in Asheville, NC with his girlfriend and is the father of 7-year-old son, Banks. He does not have any inside pets but the bears and turkeys that pass through his yard regularly suffice.