Photo by Michael Sciortino
Celebrate Birds kicked off on Saturday April 23 with a bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. A well-photographed Rose-breasted Grosbeak next to the parking lot greeted those people who arrived early for the walk. Unfortunately it didn’t hang around long enough for most of the 22 people who showed up for the walk, but there were still a number of other highlights for everyone including migrating Broad-winged Hawks, a perched and flying Barred Owl, an American Redstart, and an American Kestrel. Because there were so many of us, we split into two groups, one led by Michael Sciortino, assisted by Carol Sottili, and the other by Joe Coleman, assisted by Elliot and Nancy Kirschbaum. The American Redstart, one of six different warbler species, found on the lower Farmstead Loop was definitely one of Michael’s group’s highlights as it was clearly seen and photographed. The Broad-winged Hawks and a first-of-season Indigo Bunting were some of the highlights observed by Joe’s group.
Both groups were greeted by many spring-blooming plants. The forest floor was covered in Spring Beauties with many of the forest trees and shrubs were in bloom including Sassafras, Blackhaw (Viburnum Prunifolium), Redbud and Dogwood.
For a complete list of the birds observed at BRCES see the lists below on view on eBird at https://ebird.org/checklist/S107787310 and https://ebird.org/checklist/S107876502.
Joe’s Group Species List
Canada Goose 2
Mourning Dove 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Broad-winged Hawk 5
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Barred Owl 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 6
Downy Woodpecker 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 10
House Wren 1
Carolina Wren 7
European Starling 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Eastern Bluebird 7
American Robin 3
American Goldfinch 8
Chipping Sparrow 5
Field Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 15
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 1
American Kestrel 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 4
Fish Crow 4
Common Raven 2
Carolina Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 5
Tree Swallow 7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7
Song Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 3
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Louisiana Waterthrush 2
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 4
Northern Parula 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 8
Indigo Bunting 1
Michael’s Group Species List
Canada Goose 2
Mourning Dove 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 5
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 10
Downy Woodpecker 3
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 5
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue-headed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 4
Fish Crow 2
Common Raven 2
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 5
Tree Swallow 17
Barn Swallow 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 14
Carolina Wren 7
Northern Mockingbird 2
Eastern Bluebird 8
American Robin 1
Cedar Waxwing 1
American Goldfinch 8
Chipping Sparrow 5
Field Sparrow 6
White-throated Sparrow 10
Eastern Towhee 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 14
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 5
American Redstart 2
Northern Parula 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Northern Cardinal 7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 1
American Redstart.
Photo by Michael Sciortino
Black and White Warbler.
Photo by Michael Sciortino