Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

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In this episode we talk all about skunks – their lives and times, how to get one out of a window well and why they’re a gardener’s best friend.

The photo above is of the skunk that came to our feeder and was quite patient as I inched closer and closer for a shot.

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Here’s a great one ….. this is straight from the field from our bird walk at BRCES last Saturday.  Ray Smith sent this over and we’re interested in knowing what insect this is.  Many thanks to Marcia for standing still while Ray got the shot. If you can help id this insect, please do post a comment. Here’s his note:

I was on a bird walk Saturday with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and came across an unusual (at least for me) situation and was wondering if one of you could help me with an ID.  Attached is a picture of a scary looking critter clasping, and either sucking the insides out of or laying eggs in another scary looking critter.  The claspee appears to be a Bald-face Hornet and the claspor I do not know.  Although it kind of looks like a very large fly.  Can you ID the claspor?  All of you are my best insect ID friends.
Also, if you know it, do you know anything about it’s natural history and what it is probably doing in the picture? Thank you.

Ray Smith

This past Saturday (Aug 23), we had our monthly bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center. Mary Ann Good provided a report of the sightings:

Ten birders led by Laura Weidner and Mary Ann Good found 46 species Saturday morning at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, highlighted by an early Broad-winged Hawk, 2 Kestrel, and 3 Worm-eating Warblers at two locations.  At the fire station where we met, we also enjoyed watching 2 men from Pennsylvania releasing groups of homing pigeons, that swirled into the sky and headed north!  (We didn’t include them in our count!)  Pewees were the bird seen and heard everywhere.
 
Black Vulture(3), Turkey Vulture(12), Canada Goose(150), Red-shouldered Hawk(1), Broad-winged Hawk(1), Am. Kestrel(2), Mourning Dove(5), Yellow-billed Cuckoo(3), Chimney Swift(4), Ruby-throated Hummingbird(2), Red-bellied Woodpecker(2), Downy Woodpecker(4), Pileated Woodpecker(6), E. Wood-Pewee(15+), Acadian Flycatcher(1), E. Phoebe (1), Great Crested Flycatcher(1), E. Kingbird(3), White-eyed Vireo(1), Red-eyed Vireo(10), Blue Jay(2), Am. Crow(4), Tree Swallow(2), Barn Swallow(3), Carolina Chickadee(4), Tufted Titmouse(4), White-breasted Nuthatch(2), Carolina Wren(4), E. Bluebird(2), Gray Catbird(4), No. Mockingbird(6), E. Starling(15), Cedar Waxwing(2), Worm-eating Warbler(3), Ovenbird(1), Scarlet Tanager(1 juv.), E. Towhee(2), Chipping Sparrow(6), Field Sparrow(5), No. Cardinal(12), Indigo Bunting(9), Baltimore Oriole(2), Orchard Oriole(1), House Finch(1), Am. Goldfinch(25), House Sparrow(5)