Ten birders participated in the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s regular monthly (every 4th Sat.) walk at the Blue Ridge Center yesterday. It was a great day to spend birding and taking a long walk to do so.
Most of our time was spent birding the southern portion of the Blue Ridge Center where we walked approx. three miles and all the way into Gordon Pond by way of Butterfly Alley and the Wood Thrush trails and returning by the Sweet Run Loop.
Highlights of the 53 species included great views of three different very vocal male Blue-winged Warblers, a lifer for several people, six Scarlet Tanagers (5 singing males, two of which were well-seen, and one female), at least eight Eastern Towhees, two Grasshopper Sparrows, great looks at several singing White-eyed Vireos, 17 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (six in one location), flyovers of a Woodcock right over our heads and a loose flock of seven Common Loons, as well as an Osprey hunting Gordon Pond deep in the forest interior. A short drive on Arnold Rd after the walk allowed me to add a couple more common species to the list.
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
See below for complete list of bird species seen at the Blue Ridge Center as reported to eBird:
53 species
Canada Goose, Common Loon 7, Great Blue Heron 6, Turkey Vulture 1, Osprey 1, Red-shouldered Hawk 1, American Kestrel 1, American Woodcock 1, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Eastern Phoebe 1, White-eyed Vireo 6, Red-eyed Vireo 3, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren 2, House Wren 2, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 17, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Gray Catbird 1, Northern Mockingbird 1, European Starling, Ovenbird 4, Louisiana Waterthrush 3, Blue-winged Warbler 3, Common Yellowthroat 3, American Redstart 1, Northern Parula 2, Yellow-rumped Warbler 2, Eastern Towhee 8, Chipping Sparrow 4, Field Sparrow 4, Grasshopper Sparrow 2, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow 2, White-throated Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager 6, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird 3, Eastern Meadowlark 1, Common Grackle, American Goldfinch.