When 35 people showed up the regular Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy monthly bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship yesterday morning, we split into two groups.
One led, by Jon Little, took the Arnold Rd Trail to Sweet Run & then the Power Cut (Butterfly Alley); the other, led by Joe Coleman & Larry Meade, group birded around the Visitor Ctr and then walked the Farmstead Loop & Piney Run Spur.
The highlights of the two walks included 10 warbler species, all presumably nesting at BRCES, including CERULEAN, BLUE-WINGED, WORM-EATING including one carrying food, KENTUCKY and YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS in numerous locations.
It was also nice, esp. this year, to hear and see a few YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS. As the last of us were heading for the cars we watched two BALD EAGLES interacting right over our heads and earlier two BROAD-WINGED HAWKS flying together. There was also one GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, 2 BLUE GROSBEAKS,and for the first time ever, two PURPLE MARTINS were using the martin house.
Number of species: 72!
For a complete list of the birds seen see the results below.
The trails at BRCES are normally open to the public 7 days a week from dawn to dusk.
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, near Bluemont, Loudoun Co
Canada Goosem Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted), Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Cerulean Warbler, American Redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.