Elliott and Nancy Kirschbaum led the walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship this past Saturday morning.
Eight people showed up for the bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES), in spite of the threatening weather. They were rewarded with a total of fifty-one species, including six species of warblers.
Highlights included a brief, but very close up, look at two male Blue-winged Warblers contesting territory, as well as looks, for some, of a hard to find singing Northern Parula and a chipping Louisiana Waterthrush.
Other signs of the season included the Great Crested Flycatcher, numerous White-eyed Vireos and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and the ubiquitous singing Chipping Sparrows.
The complete list of species seen is as follows: Cananda Goose, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Prairie Warbler, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow
Elliot Kirschbaum
Shepherdstown, WV
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.