Field trip report from Joe Coleman (and a photo of a Field Sparrow):
Twenty-five people showed up for the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s regular monthly bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship in northwestern Loudoun County yesterday morning. We walked the area at the end of Sawmill Road and did the loop into the woods along Sweet Run from the power cut. Afterwards we tallied at the Visitor center where we added 10 more species. It was pretty obvious that summer has started as while we found 55 species, there were a lot fewer individuals and they weren’t nearly as vocal as they were just a couple of weeks ago.
The highlights of the 55 species were a WILD TURKEY in the field along Sawmill Rd, and a BLUE GROSBEAK and a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, both near the Visitor Center.
There were several butterflies on the morning walk and even more during the 1 pm Butterfly walk (total of 19 species). Next Sat. is LWC’s Butterfly Count and the Blue Ridge Center, along with several other locations from Leesburg to the Blue Ridge, are part of the count. If you’re int’d contact nhamilton@loudounwildlife.org.
The trails at BRCES are normally open to the public 7 days a week from dawn to dusk – check the BRCES website for dates and times of anything special going on that would limit access to some part of the Center.
Information on the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship can be found at http://www.blueridgecenter.org. Information on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy can be found at www.loudounwildlife.org.
Joe Coleman, near Bluemont, Loudoun Co
Location: Blue Ridge Center
Observation date: 6/28/08
Bird species (55):
Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, Wild Turkey, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow
Butterfly species (19):
Zebra Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Eastern-tailed Blue, Summer Azure, Variegated Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Question Mark, Eastern Comma, Monarch, Silver-spotted Skipper, Least Skipper, Peck’s Skipper, Little Glassywing, Sachem
