Sorry for my delayed posting of this report but here’s the report from Joe Coleman on the great diversity of birds at the Blue Ridge Center on May 8th:
One of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s International Migratory Bird Day walks on May 8th was at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. The highlights of the walk, led by Joe Coleman & Larry Meade, included 12 warbler species, 2 Bald Eagles flying over together, American Kestrels, a Barred Owl, numerous Peewees & numerous Acadian Flycatchers 3 vireo species, a single Swamp Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrows, a lingering White-throated Sparrow, numerous Indigo Buntings, and Eastern Meadowlarks.
The 7 participants met & finished at the Visitor Center but spent most of their time walking from the end of Sawmill Rd deep into the forest where we briefly visited Gordon Pond and then down Arnold Rd to Piney Run where we had left a couple of cars. The most productive areas were the east side of the large field at the end of Sawmill Rd, the marshy area in the power cut, and the Arnold Rd near Piney Run and Arnold Trail around Sweet Run.
Once the wind kicked up it got a lot quieter and more difficult to find several of the more common species. In addition to the birds, we also saw several different butterfly species. 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.
Number of species: 72
Canada Goose, Mallard, Wild Turkey, Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern), American Kestrel,Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, 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, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow