As storms were rolling into the area Tuesday afternoon, museum employees and volunteers were standing out back, admiring the new deck and putting up bird feeders.

“We’re calling it ‘The Bird Lounge,'” said museum naturalist Sherl Rose.

It’s a new feature at the museum, just in time for the third annual Tipton County Birdfest.

The event kicks off Friday, drawing bird enthusiasts from across the country for a three-day event packed with guided hikes, a bird count, a silent auction, and a free barbecue supper — all anchored at the museum’s location in Covington.

The Birdfest, which drew roughly 550 visitors over three days last year, has grown into one of the region’s marquee outdoor experiences. Attendees have come from as far as California, Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas. This year’s program runs through Sunday, May 3, and organizers say it’s their most ambitious edition yet.

“It’s gotten bigger and bigger every single year,” Rose said.

Friday Night: BBQ, music, and a birding primer

The weekend opens Friday evening with a free reception at the museum from 6 to 9 p.m. Attendees are invited to enjoy a barbecue supper, with vegetarian options, while checking out the museum’s bird art display from local artists.

The evening’s highlight is a talk and performance by Keith Paluso, an author, singer, and retired park ranger perhaps best known to some as a former contestant on NBC’s The Voice and lead singer of Blood Sweat and Tears. Paluso will cover birding basics, ethics, and taxonomy before performing a few songs.

Organizers say the first night also serves as an entry point for first-timers.

“On Friday night with barbecue supper and the concert, Keith is also going to be doing kind of like an intro to birding,” said Julie Hartsfield, a wildlife photographer, author, and Hatchie River Conservancy board member who serves as one of the event’s lead organizers. “Just your basic things so that anybody can learn.”

The first 50 guests through the door will receive swag bags. Door prizes will also be available, and the silent auction opens Friday night.

Saturday: A full day across multiple sites

Saturday’s schedule fans out across Tipton and Lauderdale counties, offering simultaneous hikes designed for different skill levels, a point organizers have been deliberate about.

“We’ve got beginner, intermediate, and advanced hikers able to go to all the different places,”  said Katherine Markley, Tipton County Museum director. “It’s going to be an absolutely perfect outdoor experience.”

At 7 a.m., an intermediate bird hike departs for Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge in Lauderdale County, led by Paluso, Bob Ford (Interim Director of the Hatchie River Conservancy), Liz Reed, and TWRA Game Warden Jake Yoes. A photography bird walk runs concurrently, led by wildlife photographers Watt Wallace, Julie Hartsfield, and Larry Chitwood, also at Lower Hatchie.

Meanwhile, a beginner’s bird hike and bird-watching session with Dexter Hartsfield runs from 8 to 10 a.m. on the Tipton County Museum’s own nature trail, an option that organizers say is intentional for accessibility.

“You’ve got some people that don’t feel comfortable going to Lower Hatchie,” Markley said. “And those are some of our best Backyard Birders ever, and they have the most fun, the best conversations. They meet people and they make connections from all over.”

Saturday afternoon brings a Backyard Birds Program with Paluso from 2 to 2:45 p.m. and a Birding/Native Plants Program with Paluso and museum naturalist and artist Sherl Rose from 3 to 4 p.m.

The evening closes with the event’s only ticketed item: a Sunset Bird Pontoon Ride and Hayride at Fort Pillow State Park with State Park Ranger Tyson Weller. The ride is $7 per person, with pre-registration required through the Fort Pillow website. For those who can’t get a spot on the boat, Paluso is volunteering to lead a free bat and nightjar hike for overflow guests.

“The bat and nightjar hike, that part’s free,” Hartsfield confirmed. “And they’ll still get a great experience.”

Sunday: Turner Farm, birds of prey, and the final count

Sunday morning opens with a limited-registration bird walk at Turner Game Birds, a farm owned by retired agriculture teacher Ted Turner. Participants meet at the museum and carpool to the farm, where Turner uses golf carts and side-by-sides to move birders across the property.

“He does the property like you’re supposed to — by the thirds, cutting it a certain way — in order to help preserve the areas for the quail,” Markley said. “To see the dogs find one and do their thing, that’s really cool to watch too.”

From Turner’s farm, the group travels directly to Lower Hatchie Wildlife Refuge on the Tipton County side, where a picnic-style lunch will be provided. The Sunday hike to Lower Hatchie typically yields a strong showing of warblers, shorebirds, and other migratory species that draw more experienced birders chasing what the community calls “lifers,” the first confirmed sighting of a species.

“Shorebirds are a huge thing with a lot of the birders that come,” Hartsfield said. “That’s where your seasoned people end up getting their lifers.”

Sunday afternoon at the museum features a Birds of Prey Show with Jewell West from Reelfoot Lake State Park at 3 p.m. and a pollinator talk and walk with Sherl Rose at 4 p.m. The silent auction closes at 5 p.m., followed by a raffle and Q&A.

At 6 p.m., the weekend wraps with a sunset walk on the museum’s nature trail and the official announcement of the weekend’s bird species tally in the Bird Lounge. Attendees are encouraged to bring their check-off cards so every species spotted over the weekend can be included.

The count: A friendly competition with real stakes

The bird count is one of the event’s most anticipated features. Each hike leader tracks species seen throughout the weekend, with TWRA providing standardized check-off cards listing birds common to Tennessee. Last year, Tipton County Museum Birdfest participants collectively logged 137 species, besting the count at the nearby Hatchie Bird Fest, which recorded 101 this year.

“We kind of have a friendly competition going,” Hartsfield said.

Even before the weekend officially began, species were already stacking up. Markley said naturalist Rose spotted 17 different species in about five minutes during a quick morning check. Separately, Markley herself picked up Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, American Redstarts, Eastern Warbling Vireos, rose-breasted grosbeaks, blue-winged warblers, and Indigo Buntings — all in a single morning near her Munford home.

According to BirdCast data cited by Rose, more than 3.4 million birds crossed the area migrating Monday night.

“That’s amazing,” she said.

A growing community impact

Organizers say the event’s reach goes beyond birding. Last year, out-of-town guests visited restaurants and shops on the square during breaks, and new partnerships have followed. The West Tennessee River Basin Authority has since explored the possibility of establishing a mussel nursery at the museum.

“The bird festival itself is not only bringing in tourism,” Markley said. “It’s bringing in educational resources. It’s creating a space that people can use as an educational resource. And it just makes it all worth it.”

The Tipton County Museum is located at 751 Bert Johnston Avenue in Covington. For more information about the BirdFest, see the event’s website.

All events are free with the exception of the Saturday evening pontoon ride. Participants must sign up with the museum and complete a liability waiver. Comfortable, sturdy shoes and water are recommended. Maps to each location, a full schedule, and registration information are available on the website. The museum can be reached at (901) 476-0242.