This past Saturday, eleven people participated in the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s free monthly bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center and found 32 species in the fields and woods near the Visitor Center. The highlights included a single AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, a very cooperative HERMIT THRUSH, and a couple of COMMON RAVENS.
The other highlight of the walk occurred as Germaine Connolly was checking out the various leaf (squirrel) and stick (raptor or crow) nests and spotted a raccoon sleeping on top of one of the squirrel nests. We put the scope on the raccoon and not only saw one of its ears but watched it breathing while it slept. In spite of our loud conversations it never stirred.
While the trails at BRCES are normally open to the public 7 days a week from dawn to dusk there are controlled deer hunts there this time of year so check the BRCES website for the dates and times when parts of BRCES are closed.
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.
Here’s our list of sightings (also posted to eBird): Canada Goose, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Eastern Meadowlark, House Sparrow