“Birds and Butterflies” Event at Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship

The 11 people on this regular bird walk (every 4th Saturday of each month) at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship spent most of their time in the forest with only a short walk along Butterfly Alley on the power line. The walk,  led by Joe Coleman and Elliott & Nancy Kirschbaum, followed Arnold Road to the Sweet Run Loop, to Butterfly Alley, and returning by the westernmost segment of the Sweet Run Loop. We also took two jogs, the Old Bridge Trail & Little Turtle Trail, down to Piney Run.

The highlights of this exciting walk included two American Kestrels along the power line a little east of where it crosses Arnold Rd, the same location as last month, and a Yellow-breasted Chat who flew in and perched near us while we tallying at the end of the walk next to the Monarch Butterfly Waystation.

The three Baltimore Orioles who flew in while we were tallying was also nice. In addition to 46 bird species, we found 14 different species of butterflies after the heavy clouds lifted, including one Monarch! The most common butterflies today were Clouded & Orange Sulphurs. The previous day, while checking out the ford on Sweet Run to see if it was easily passable, my wife & I also saw a Monarch along Butterfly Alley as well as several Great Spangled Fritillaries; today’s Monarch was nectaring among the thistle near the Center’s Monarch Waystation.

Don’t forget this Saturday’s Loudoun County Butterfly Count which stretches from Leesburg to the Blue Ridge Center, beginners and experienced butterflies are all welcome.  There will be two teams at the Blue Ridge Center, one of the count’s most productive locations. To register for the Butterfly Count event, go to Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy online.

Reported by Joe Coleman
Edited/Posted by Sarah Steadman

The complete list follows:

Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship – MFF01, Loudoun, US-VA
Jul 26, 2014 8:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.5 mile(s)
46 species

1. Turkey Vulture  5
2. Red-shouldered Hawk  1
3. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3
4. Mourning Dove  10
5. Red-bellied Woodpecker  5
6. Downy Woodpecker  7
7. American Kestrel  2
8. Eastern Wood-Pewee  12
9. Acadian Flycatcher  15
10. Eastern Phoebe  1
11. Great Crested Flycatcher  1
12. White-eyed Vireo  2
13. Yellow-throated Vireo  1
14. Red-eyed Vireo  15
15. Blue Jay  2
16. American Crow  8
17. Fish Crow  1
18. Tree Swallow  3
19. Barn Swallow  27
20. Carolina Chickadee  4
21. Tufted Titmouse  6
22. White-breasted Nuthatch  4
23. Carolina Wren  3
24. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4
25. Eastern Bluebird  8
26. Wood Thrush  5
27. Gray Catbird  2
28. Brown Thrasher  1
29. Northern Mockingbird  1
30. European Starling  1
31. Cedar Waxwing  3
32. Common Yellowthroat  3
33. Yellow-breasted Chat  1
34. Eastern Towhee  2
35. Chipping Sparrow  4
36. Field Sparrow  8
37. Grasshopper Sparrow  3
38. Song Sparrow  1
39. Scarlet Tanager  3
40. Northern Cardinal  5
41. Indigo Bunting  9
42. Common Grackle  1
43. Baltimore Oriole  3
44. House Finch  4
45. American Goldfinch  9
46. House Sparrow  6

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19226291
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)