Hello Va. birders,
The NVBC walk on Sat., June 2, at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental
Stewardship in NW Loudoun County, led by Joanna Taylor and Mary Ann Good and
with 11 other participants, observed 64 species. We started out by checking
out Arnold Road, up to the start of the walking trail, where we saw the
first pair of approx. 10 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS. We observed a pair of
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS taking food to a tiny lichen nest, and saw a pair of
YELLOW WARBLERS. We also saw the male of the pair of BLUE GROSBEAKS that
has been seen there regularly this spring, and also heard a second male
singing farther down the road! Here we also had MEADOWLARKS and a singing
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW who flew in right beside us to check us out!
By the time we got to our main walk through the woods behind the Visitor
Center, things were quieter. We saw a few of the calling ACADIAN
FLYCATCHERS, heard a single BLUE-WINGED, PRAIRIE, and CERULEAN WARBLER as
well as OVENBIRDS, LA. WATERTHRUSHES, and SCARLET TANAGERS, and were
surprised to spy a silent WORM-EATING WARBLER and a non-chatting
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. The complete list follows:
Great Blue Heron - 2
Black Vulture - 3
Turkey Vulture - 2
Canada Goose - 8
Red-shouldered Hawk - 2
Rock Pigeon - 2
Mourning Dove - 3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 10
Red-bellied WP - 4
Downy WP - 2
Flicker - 1
Pileated WP - 3
Wood Pewee - 2
Acadian Flycatcher - 6
E. Phoebe - 2
Great Crested Flycatcher - 2
E. Kingbird - 2
White-eyed Vireo - 3
Red-eyed Vireo - 6
Blue Jay - 4
Am. Crow - 6
Fish Crow - 1
Tree Swallow - 6+
Barn Swallow - 8
C. Chickadee - 6
T. Titmouse - 8
WB Nuthatch - 2
Carolina Wren - 1
House Wren - 1
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher - 3
E. Bluebird - 18
Wood Thrush - 4
Robin - 1
Catbird - 3
Mockingbird - 3
Brown Thrasher - 1
Starling - 6
Cedar Waxwing - 4
Blue-winged Warbler - 1
Yellow Warbler - 2
Prairie Warbler - 1
Cerulean Warbler - 1
Worm-eating Warbler - 1
Ovenbird - 4
La. Waterthrush - 2
C. Yellowthroat - 6
Yellow-breasted Chat - 2
Scarlet Tanager - 3
E. Towhee - 2
Chipping Sparrow - 20
Field Sparrow - 5
Grasshopper Sparrow - 1
Cardinal - 10
Blue Grosbeak - 2 (both males)
Indigo Bunting - 15
Red-winged Blackbird - 4
E. Meadowlark - 2
C. Grackle - 12
BH Cowbird - 3
Orchard Oriole - 2
Baltimore Oriole - 4
House Finch - 3
A. Goldfinch - 12
House Sparrow - 1
Mary Ann Good
