Highlights of the 69 species observed on Saturday morning’s walk at the Blue Ridge Center included a Swainson’s Thrush, 9 warbler species including Blue-winged, Cerulean, Kentucky, great looks at numerous Yellow-breasted Chats, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 3 Red-headed Woodpeckers, an American Kestrel, lots of Cedar Waxwings, and lots and lots of Indigo Buntings and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.
About 25 people gathered for a joint Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy/Northern Virginia Bird Club bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center on what turned out to be a rather birdy but also very warm day. Everyone met at the Education Center on the north side of the center and then drove down to the south side where we split into two groups, one which began at the Sawmill Field parking lot led by Larry Meade, Donna Quinn, and Gerco Hoogeweg and the other at Arnold Road and led by Marc Ribaudo and Joe Coleman. Both groups walked a lot in the mature woods while one spent a fair amount time along Butterfly Alley and in the fields around Sawmill while the other was in the woods mostly visiting both Piney Run and Sweet Run in two spots.
For a complete list of the 69 birds observed see below.
Larry Meade and Donna Quinn also spent some time during their walk identifying the following butterflies: Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, Cabbage White, Orange Sulphur, Eastern-tailed Blue Pearl Crescent, Great-spangled Fritillary, Red Admiral, Red-spotted Purple, Least Skipper, Dun’s Skipper and Zabulon.
Information on the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship can be found at http://www.blueridgecenter.org
Joe Coleman
Species Name | High Count |
Canada Goose |
5 |
Great Blue Heron |
3 |
Green Heron |
2 |
Black Vulture |
10 |
Turkey Vulture |
10 |
Red-shouldered Hawk |
1 |
Broad-winged Hawk |
2 |
Red-tailed Hawk |
3 |
Mourning Dove |
3 |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
5 |
Chimney Swift |
2 |
Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
3 |
Red-headed Woodpecker |
4 |
Red-bellied Woodpecker |
8 |
Downy Woodpecker |
5 |
Northern Flicker |
1 |
Pileated Woodpecker |
5 |
American Kestrel |
1 |
Eastern Wood-Pewee |
20 |
Acadian Flycatcher |
22 |
Eastern Phoebe |
2 |
Great Crested Flycatcher |
12 |
Eastern Kingbird |
2 |
White-eyed Vireo |
4 |
Yellow-throated Vireo |
6 |
Red-eyed Vireo |
30 |
Blue Jay |
20 |
American Crow |
10 |
Fish Crow |
2 |
Tree Swallow |
6 |
Barn Swallow |
6 |
Carolina Chickadee |
10 |
Tufted Titmouse |
2 |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
9 |
House Wren |
6 |
Carolina Wren |
3 |
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher |
40 |
Eastern Bluebird |
10 |
Swainson’s Thrush |
1 |
Wood Thrush |
9 |
American Robin |
3 |
Gray Catbird |
2 |
Brown Thrasher |
2 |
Northern Mockingbird |
2 |
European Starling |
6 |
Cedar Waxwing |
50 |
Ovenbird |
6 |
Louisiana Waterthrush |
4 |
Blue-winged Warbler |
7 |
Kentucky Warbler |
5 |
Common Yellowthroat |
6 |
American Redstart |
5 |
Cerulean Warbler |
3 |
Northern Parula |
1 |
Yellow-breasted Chat |
6 |
Grasshopper Sparrow |
2 |
Chipping Sparrow |
12 |
Field Sparrow |
15 |
Song Sparrow |
2 |
Eastern Towhee |
7 |
Scarlet Tanager |
11 |
Northern Cardinal |
20 |
Indigo Bunting |
20 |
Red-winged Blackbird |
4 |
Common Grackle |
2 |
Brown-headed Cowbird |
8 |
Orchard Oriole |
1 |
House Finch |
2 |
American Goldfinch |
30 |