Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy opened its Celebrate Birds events with the quarterly bird walk at Broad Run Stream Valley Park in Brambleton on April 20. John Denice, Bruce Hill and Michael Sciortino hosted 14 birders at this gem of a park on a beautiful spring day. The group recorded a whopping 56 species during the 2.7 mile hike that lasted three hours.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
Photo by Michael Sciortino
This was a special outing for us as we also hosted Alli Smith, the Merlin Project Coordinator and avid birder, who was in town to present on Merlin and e-Bird. It was a great opportunity to hear about our favorite birding apps in detail. As usual we started the walk from the residential community and watched mallards and tree swallows that were using the pond.
We crossed under Evergreen Mills Road via the tunnel and immediately started hearing Field Sparrows in their normal habitat. As we paralleled Broad Run, we began to hear the calls of Red-headed Woodpeckers and recorded six before the walk was finished. We did see six of the seven woodpecker species found in our area throughout the walk. We were excited to get quick views of a Barred Owl (first seen by Alli Smith) perched in the forest and as it flew off and followed a Red-shouldered Hawk.
The backside trail that bordered Broad Run provided many of us with the first-of-season views and sounds of a Warbling Vireo, a Blue-headed Vireo, good views of a lone Orchard Oriole and Rusty Blackbirds hunting in the swamp area. The walk was well-represented by Yellow-rumped Warblers that seemed to be everywhere. We recorded 14 individuals by the time we finished, and that was probably an undercount. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were plentiful as well. The complete list of birds can be viewed below or on eBird at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S169454160.
At the walk’s end we did one final scan of the pond and found a lone Spotted Sandpiper working the edge as it bobbed its tail. It was a fitting bonus bird, but we were even more surprised when a single Broad-wing Hawk appeared and circled overhead for all to see. That was a first of season for many and a lifer for some, and a great start to our Celebrate Birds walks.
Photo by Michael Sciortino
Species List
Canada Goose 5
Wood Duck 1 Heard
Mallard 7
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 2
Mourning Dove 3
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 4
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Barred Owl 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 1 FOS
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 1
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 4
Fish Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 6
Tree Swallow 14
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 14
Carolina Wren 2
European Starling 4
Gray Catbird 1
Brown Thrasher 1
Northern Mockingbird 4
Eastern Bluebird 4
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 4
House Sparrow 2
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 6
Chipping Sparrow 2
Field Sparrow 7
White-throated Sparrow 8
Song Sparrow 3
Eastern Towhee 1
Orchard Oriole 1 FOS and photo
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Rusty Blackbird 4 FOS and photo
Common Grackle 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Parula 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 14
Northern Cardinal 7