Below is the invitation and more information for this fun get together!

Join us for a fun-filled day “Between the Hills” at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. We are holding a free Open House to become better acquainted with our friends and neighbors and to showcase the Blue Ridge Center – a place where nature, history and farming converge to reveal connections between people and the natural world.

The Open House on Sunday, May 20 will feature:

• a complimentary picnic featuring “pulled pig” and vegetarian options
• live Ethno-Appalachian roots music (2 – 4 pm) by Fiddlin’ Dave and Morgan of the well-known local group Furnace Mountain
• tours of a carefully restored 1840s farmhouse and other Civil War-era structures
• naturalist-led interpretive walks for adults and kids on some of our 11-mile trail network
• tours of Mountain View Farm including animal feedings and explanations of organic farming techniques
• games for children and families

The free Open House will take place Sunday, May 20 from 1 – 5 pm, rain or shine. The Blue Ridge Center is located at 11661 Harpers Ferry Road, Purcellville, VA (our entrance is just north of the Neersville Fire Department).

Visit our website at www.blueridgecenter.org or email info@blueridgecenter.org for more information. RSVPs are not required, but much appreciated!

While Gov. Davis served ice cream made of the cream from his prized dairy cows, this year’s ice cream social will be provided by family-owned and operated Moo Thru of Remington, Va.

For $20 ($15 in advance) per carload of ice cream fans (and who doesn’t fall into that category?), guests will be treated not only to this special frozen treat but to hayrides, live music, horse-drawn carriage driving demonstrations, craft and food vendors, sheep shearing demonstrations, baking contests, and a day-in-the-country atmosphere.

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will be there leading nature walks to explore the great wild places of Morven. We will also have our booth set up, naturalists on-hand to help answer your wildlife and other nature questions, and fun hands on activities for kids of all ages. You can also pick up our free materials like the Gardening for Wildlife Plant List, current and past issues of the Habitat Herald with all sorts of wildlife and plant information, checklists of Loudoun’s butterfly, bird and dragonfly species, and information about our different environmental monitoring programs. For the kids, you can pick up our wildlife coloring book, filled with information on our local species, as well as our Crossword puzzle book.

Mom’s Apple Pies of Leesburg is sponsoring a pie/cookie/cupcake bake-off, and Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, in residence at Morven Park since 1995, will demonstrate its superstar therapy horses. Members of the Loudoun County 4H Club’s “Leaps & Squeaks” group will have bunnies and guinea pigs available for petting. Local equestrians will demonstrate dressage, show jumping, and cross-country riding techniques.

Numerous other contests, exhibits, and demonstrations will take place throughout the afternoon.

Guests should access the Governor’s Country Fair via the Waterford Road entrance.

Morven Park, a non-profit organization, is operated by the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation and receives no federal, state or local funding. Its mission is to preserve and advance the ideals of Gov. Davis, most notably civic responsibility, sustainable agriculture, and enhancement of life in rural Virginia. Its 1,200 acres include three museums, an equestrian center, athletic fields, hiking trails, and formal gardens, all of which serve as host to a variety of educational and recreational programs.

To learn more, go to http://www.morvenpark.org/.

We began our bird-a-thon on May 11^th, a spectacularly beautiful day, by leading an LWC sponsored IMBD walk at Camp Highroad in western Loudoun County.

During the walk, we spotted Cerulean Warblers and Black-throated Blue Warblers on a wooded slope above Goose Creek; watched a distraction display by an Ovenbird which gave everyone close-up views; witnessed an unexpected fly-over by an Osprey; and discovered Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers feeding their chicks in a nest on a lofty branch in a tall sycamore by the pond where a Green Heron stood on the shoreline.

Our fifty-one species included Pine Warblers, Prairie Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers, American Redstarts, Indigo Buntings, Northern Parulas, Eastern Wood Pewees, and Wood Thrush.

After the walk, we drove along Beaver Dam Bridge Road where a Barred Owl called, Eastern Meadowlarks perched on farm fences, and Common Yellowthroats skulked in hedge rows. Rough-winged Swallows swooped above a stone bridge across a creek. Then, we paused for lunch in Christine’s beautiful garden where we were joined by the usual feeder birds and serenaded by House Wrens all around.

After lunch, we traversed roads near Mountville. Along Pot House Road, near a small pond, we saw a bird on the ground which looked in the distance like a Brown Thrasher with no tail, and realized that it was a Veery! Emily was also side-swiped by a Pileated Woodpecker at this stop.

A Broad-winged Hawk soared near Frances Mill Road. We added Orchard Orioles, Savannah Sparrows, and Song Sparrows. Then, it was on to the National Beagle Club near Aldie where Yellow-breasted Chats, Eastern Towhees, Great Crested Flycatchers, and Ovenbirds sounded off in the dense foliage. It took a while, but we tracked down a chat, and as always, it was a thrill to see this gorgeous bird.

From there, we crossed the road to Mt. Pleasant farm with its beautiful red barn, home to countless Barn Swallows swirling above our heads. In a tall willow, we found a Warbling Vireo and stood underneath listening to its lovely song. We circled the pond where Red-winged Blackbirds flashed their red epaulets and a Baltimore Oriole sang from a tree top, his bright orange breast gleaming in the sunlight. All day, everyplace we went, we found Gray Catbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, and Chipping Sparrows in abundance.

We found a few great species near our respective homes. A Red-headed Woodpecker adorned a branch near Christine’s. At Emily’s, a female Wood Duck with three ducklings glided across a tiny pond, and a Killdeer performed her broken wing display near her nest in the coarse sand of a horse ring. Not too far from Linda’s house, we found our last bird of the day, a Solitary Sandpiper on a pond on Piney Swamp Road.

We had a great day. In the twelve hours we birded, we spent almost seven hours walking the back roads, paths, and trails in the forests, farms, and fields of Loudoun County. We ended our day with 77 species.

Thank you to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for supporting efforts that preserve and protect our beautiful habitat and ensure a future for many more bird-a-thons!

Friday May 11th was a beautiful albeit windy day for an IMBD walk in the area of Morven Park. Mary Ann Good, Sally Snidow, Sidney Lissner and Sharon Kearns enjoyed checking out the pond at the corner of Fairview and Old Waterford Rd. We had excellent looks at two Solitary Sandpipers and a Spotted Sandpiper as well as a Great Egret that decided to land for a quick stop.

Since the woods in the ridge at the back of Morven Park have been productive we headed there and on the way found Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanager, and Black-Throated Green Warblers among many other birds. Phoebe Fledglings were prevalent.

As we walked up to the ridge to look for more warblers the wind had picked up to 20+mph so for safety’s sake we nixed walking along the wooded ridge. We birded woods in a lower area and then walked/drove the road around the mansion area, entrance.

The full list of species seen follows:
Canada Goose 7, Mallard 2, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Great Egret 1, Green Heron 1, Turkey Vulture 4, Red-tailed Hawk 2, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Solitary Sandpiper 2, Mourning Dove 8, Chimney Swift 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 3, Downy Woodpecker 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1,  Northern Flicker 3, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Eastern Wood-Pewee 5, Acadian Flycatcher 2, Eastern Phoebe 6, Great Crested Flycatcher 2, Eastern Kingbird 1, Yellow-throated Vireo 1, Red-eyed Vireo 5, Blue Jay 5, crow sp. 2, Tree Swallow 8, Carolina Chickadee 2, Tufted Titmouse 6, White-breasted Nuthatch 3, Carolina Wren 1, House Wren 2 Nesting, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2, Eastern Bluebird 9, Wood Thrush 2, American Robin 12, Gray Catbird 1, Northern Mockingbird 4, Brown Thrasher 2, European Starling 16, Cedar Waxwing 12, Ovenbird 2, Louisiana Waterthrush 2, Northern Parula 4, Yellow-rumped Warbler 4, Black-throated Green Warbler 2Field Sparrow 1, Scarlet Tanager 2, Northern Cardinal 5Red-winged Blackbird 8, Common Grackle 5, Baltimore Oriole 2, American Goldfinch 2

We found 68 species during the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s International Migratory Bird Day walk at the Blue Ridge Center on Saturday, May 12.

The highlights of the walk included 3 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 14 warbler species including three different Ceruleans (two in the same area as they were on the 5th), a Northern Waterthrush, a Blue-winged, at least 4 Kentucky Warblers, a Cape May, a Worm-eating, two Ovenbirds doing a distraction display, a Swainson’s Thrush, White-eye & Yellow-throated Vireos, several Grasshopper Sparrows, a Blue Grosbeak about a mile away from the one we found on May 5, and two Wild Turkeys.

One of the Red-headed WP landed on a snag next to the Education Annex and the other two were declaring territory around the field at the end of Sawmill (the same place we had one on May 5), about a mile away from the first. While Red-headed WPs are common in southwestern Loudoun County we rarely find them on the Blue Ridge Center.

The distraction display was fascinating as we were walking along a trail when an Ovenbird hopped up from the ground onto a branch on the opposite side of the trail. It was right next to the trail and only feet away from us, its orange crown up raised up & excitedly chipping at us. It was joined by a much duller Ovenbird on also chipped at us. Both of them tried to lead us away from the area. To avoid disturbing what we figured was a nest we followed them down the trail.

At another location two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, one bluer than any gnatcatcher I have ever seen, came out of nowhere and did the same. One of the other interesting sightings occurred after the walk when I heard two excited crows mobbing something in a large oak. They had found a large Black Snake climbing high in the tree and one was on each side of the snake. Whenever the snake would strike at one of the crows, the one behind it would dart in & peck the snake. At that point the snake would reposition itself and go after the one pecking it. This was still going on when I left.

Information on the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship can be found at http://www.blueridgecenter.org. Information on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and its many free activities can be found at www.loudounwildlife.org.

Joe Coleman
The complete list of birds follows:
Wild Turkey 2, Black Vulture 1, Turkey Vulture 1, Red-shouldered Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Killdeer 1, Mourning Dove X, Chimney Swift 1, Red-headed Woodpecker 3, Red-bellied Woodpecker X, Downy Woodpecker X Pileated Woodpecker 4, Eastern Wood-Pewee X, Acadian Flycatcher X, Eastern Phoebe 1, Great Crested Flycatcher X, Eastern Kingbird X, White-eyed Vireo 3, Yellow-throated Vireo 1, Red-eyed Vireo X, Blue Jay X, American Crow X, Fish Crow X, Tree Swallow X, Barn Swallow X, Carolina Chickadee X, Tufted Titmouse X, White-breasted Nuthatch X, Carolina Wren X, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 10, Swainson’s Thrush 1, Wood Thrush 4, American Robin X, Gray Catbird X, Northern Mockingbird X, Brown Thrasher X, European Starling X, Cedar Waxwing 23, Ovenbird 3, Worm-eating Warbler 1, Louisiana Waterthrush 3, Northern Waterthrush 1, Blue-winged Warbler 1, Tennessee Warbler 1, Kentucky Warbler 4, Common Yellowthroat X, Cape May Warbler 1, Cerulean Warbler 3 , Northern Parula 7, Blackpoll Warbler 1, Yellow-throated Warbler 1, Yellow-breasted Chat 3, Eastern Towhee 1, Chipping Sparrow X, Field Sparrow X, Grasshopper Sparrow 5, Song Sparrow X, Scarlet Tanager X, Northern Cardinal X, Blue Grosbeak 1, Indigo Bunting X, Red-winged Blackbird X, Eastern Meadowlark X, Common Grackle X, Brown-headed Cowbird X, Orchard Oriole 1,,House Finch X, American Goldfinch X,

The Drive for Charity is the day when 100% of all toll proceeds are donated to charitable organizations that benefit Loudoun County.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUAB-lsHo-U

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is one of the organizations that will benefit from this event again this year.

Funds donated to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy by the Dulles Greenway have been instrumental in enabling us to execute habitat restoration projects across the county, offer free environmental education programs and scholarships to nature camps, and further develop our environmental monitoring programs.

Drivers who go to the attendant booths will receive discount coupons for Leesburg Outlet stores.

You can also hear the play by play for how the day is going on radio stations like the Jack Diamond Morning Show on Mix 107.3

To find out more, visit the Drive for Charity site.

Highlights included Cerulean and Black-throated Blue Warblers on a wooded slope above Goose Creek; a distraction display by an Ovenbird which gave everyone close-up views; an unexpected fly-over by an osprey; and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers feeding their chicks on a pond-side nest.

The following species were found:  Canada Geese, Green Heron, Black and Turkey Vultures, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied, Downy, Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Fish and American Crows, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Scarlet Tanager, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole and American Goldfinch.

The highlight was a hen WILD TURKEY trying to escort at least 15 newly hatched poults across the trail. When she got the safely across, she then did her wounded act to distract us. We also saw a pair of RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS which have been absent from Banshee Reeks for several years.
Del Sargent

The complete list of birds follows:

Wild Turkey, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe, Great-crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Prarie Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grossbeak Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, American Goldfinch

Terry Hoffman, from the Dulles Greenway, just made his television debut as he was interviewed about the Drive for Charity by Channel 8  See the interview here:

http://bcove.me/rqj8s6u0

1) Tell us about your educational background.

As of May 12th, I will have graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s of Science. During my time there I majored in Environmental Education (K-6) with a minor in Forestry. While initially planning to get directly involved in elementary school teaching, working with different programs throughout my time at Tech has opened my eyes to the many different possibilities in the Environmental Education field. Most notably, I have gained a greater appreciation for environmental interpretation and how it is possible to really engage and inspire a wide variety of audiences. By and large, my favorite classes in my time at Tech were Dendrology (learning everything there is to know about local trees), Environmental Interpretation, and my Environmental Education Service Learning class.

2) What experiences will you bring to this internship as you help with nature camp and support our programs?

As I mentioned above, my Environmental Education Service Learning class was one of my favorite experiences, as I was able to become directly involved in the education process. We spent ten weeks working with 4th and 5th graders at a local elementary school in Blacksburg. Our main goal when working with these students was to hopefully inspire positive behavior when it came to environmental stewardship. However, while this was the “main goal,” our greatest effort went into making sure that all of our students were having a great time while still learning at the same time. We developed activities that built upon prior knowledge as well as introducing new concepts. Essentially, we hoped to inspire a greater appreciation for the environment while making sure everyone had as much fun as possible.

3) Why are you excited for this internship?

I am incredibly excited to be working with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy as it finally provides me with the opportunity to help protect and preserve the local environment that I grew up with. I have lived in Loudoun County all my life (excluding my few years at Tech, of course) and in the past few years I have become increasingly worried with the seemingly uncontrolled development present in our county. I want future generations to be able to enjoy the beauty and diversity that my little section of the state has provided since I was young. I feel there is no better way to do that than by getting involved with the organization responsible for just such a philosophy. The idea of restoring the natural habitats of the creatures we displace on a regular basis is something I am eager to do, and I feel it is something that I could truly help share with younger generations. Also, the summer camp aspect of the internship would help me garner a greater appreciation for younger students. This experience will hopefully provide a better understanding of how to work with kids when I eventually become a teacher in the environmental education field.