Mixed Flocks of Birds are Difficult to ID at Blue Ridge Center
While we saw only 37 species on September 26 at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, we did run into several mixed flocks of migrants and resident birds. Although it was a beautiful, comfortable morning to be outside birding, the fog and mist enveloping the mountains and goldenrod-covered meadows created low light conditions that made it difficult to identify many of the birds darting through the canopy chasing insects. Normally our bird walks end around 10:30 am, but this one stretched out to noon as the participants strained to identify the darting warblers and wouldn’t leave the field.
The highlights of the walk included the constant chorus of Spring Peepers (which never let up during the walk), and two first-of-season birds (for many of us): Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and a male Wood Duck in eclipse plumage that so thoroughly blended into the vegetation it was difficult to find. We also saw four Swainson’s Thrushes, four Yellow-billed Cuckoos, three very indignant House Wrens in one of the goldenrod meadows, and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. For a complete list of the birds observed see below.
To more effectively identify the birds in the mixed flocks and to maintain social distancing we frequently split into two groups among the three trip leads: Joe Coleman; Mike Sciortino; and Mary Ann Good.
eBird Report (combined from both groups)
50 Canada Goose
1 Wood Duck
4 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
1 Great Blue Heron
3 Black Vulture
5 Turkey Vulture
2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
9 Red-bellied Woodpecker
4 Downy Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
4 Northern Flicker
3 Eastern Wood-Pewee
5 Eastern Phoebe
10 Blue Jay
5 American Crow
2 Common Raven
6 Carolina Chickadee
5 Tufted Titmouse
6 White-breasted Nuthatch
3 House Wren
11 Carolina Wren
5 Gray Catbird
1 Brown Thrasher
1 Northern Mockingbird
6 Eastern Bluebird
3 Swainson’s Thrush
6 Wood Thrush
5 American Robin
6 Cedar Waxwing
6 American Goldfinch
3 Black-and-white Warbler
8 Common Yellowthroat
1 Magnolia Warbler
4 Black-throated Blue Warbler
8 Northern Cardinal
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
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