First-of-season Birds and Blooming Wildflowers on Walk at Blue Ridge Center

Celebrate Birds 2023, involving 10 bird walks, a Big Sit, and Loudoun Wildlife’s annual Birdathon, began April 22 with the bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. More information about the celebration and the Birdathon can be found on the Celebrate Birds page and visit this page for the complete list of walks plus The Big Sit.

The highlights of the 42 species found on the walk at the Blue Ridge Center were a first-of-season (FOS) Chimney Swift, five Purple Finches feeding in catkins high in a tree over Sweet Run, a FOS American Redstart, at least four FOS Northern Parulas, three Louisiana Waterthrushes, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (scattered every few hundred yards), and a beautifully singing FOS Scarlet Tanager. American Goldfinches were singing throughout the area, and flocks of Blue Jays were frequently seen migrating north.

Pinxter Azalea.
Photo by Lisa Sreckfuss

The group of 11 birders, led by Joe Coleman and John Denice and assisted by Mary Ann Good, began at the Visitor Center, crossed Piney Run on the Old Bridge Trail, and revisited Piney Run near the log cabins. Because it was a nice spring morning with very comfortable temperatures, the group decided to cross Sweet Run and push on to Gordon Pond, which is beautifully nestled in heavy woods at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. While that area wasn’t very birdy, there was a wide variety of blooming wildflowers and shrubs including one of the native deciduous azaleas, the Pinxter Azalea. We also found Wild Geranium in abundance where Arnold Trail crosses Sweet Run.  Star Chickweed and Mayapple, both in bloom, were seen in a wide variety of locations. Spring Beauty dotted the forest floor everywhere and on the way back to the center, we found blooming Sweet Cicely along the Farmstead Loop. Lisa Streckfuss and Mary Ann were very helpful in identifying the numerous wildflowers.

Other interesting wildlife sightings on the almost four-mile walk included an Eight-spotted Forester (a moth), an Eastern Garter Snake, an Ashy Clubtail dragonfly and several butterflies.

For a complete list of the birds observed, see the list below or view on eBird at https://ebird.org/checklist/S134590195.