This morning 19 people participated in the Loudoun Wildlife
Conservancy's regular monthly bird walk at the 900 acre Blue Ridge
Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES) in northwestern Loudoun
County this beautiful morning. 68 species of birds were observed,
some by people who went early, with the highlights including 9 warbler
species including several well-seen BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS (5) and
YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS, as well as CERULEAN (2), WORM-EATING (1),
KENTUCKY (1); and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS and EASTERN MEADOWLARKS. One
of the most int'g sightings was an OVENBIRD that ran across the trail
and into the woods as if it was trying to draw us away from its nest.
It made itself visible long enough for all of us to see it. We also
enjoyed a Blue Jay doing a pretty good imitation of a Broad-winged
Hawk that fooled a few of us for at least a few minutes.
We parked at the end of Sawmill and took the Sweet Run trail loop with
a side trip to Piney Run. A few of us then checked out Arnold Rd and
the area around the Visitor Center. Leaders included Mary Ann Good,
Laura Weidner, and Elliott & Nancy Kirschbaum.
The trails at BRCES are generally open to the public 7 days a week
from dawn to dusk except during the controlled deer hunts in the Fall
- check the BRCES website to make sure that nothing special is going
on that would limit access to some part of the Center.
Information on the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship can
be found at http://www.blueridgecenter.org/directions.html.
Information on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy can be found at
www.loudounwildlife.org.
We observed:
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (5)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy WP
Northern Flicker
Pileated WP
Eastern Wood-pewee
Acadian Flycatcher (abundant)
Eastern Phoebe
Great-crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo (abundant)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER 5
CERULEAN WARBLER 2
American Redstart
WORM-EATING WARBLER 1
Ovenbird (common)
Louisiana Waterthrush 4 or 5
KENTUCKY WARBLER 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 4
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 2 or 3 at Sawmill & at the Visitor Center
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting (abundant)
Red-winged Blackbird
EASTERN MEADOWLARK
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Am Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Joe Coleman
