View thousands of raptors as they soar over Mahogany Rock in their annual migration south!
The Christmas Bird Count, organized by the Audubon Society, is a North American citizen science survey that runs from December 14th through January 5th each year. Information gathered during these counts helps us to better understand the health and status of bird populations.
Each year, Blue Ridge Discovery Center heads up to the New River CBC, centered around Sparta, NC. All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate! This event is free to all and we’ll make a full day of it.
Members/Blue Ridge Birders Event: American woodcocks (Scolopax minor), inconspicuous in plumage and behavior, can be difficult to spot throughout the year. During their mating season, however, it is possible to witness the males’ magnificent courtship display at dusk and dawn.
Join us for our annual visit to a rare valley bowl that plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the golden eagle and rough-legged hawk.
The Christmas Bird Count, organized by the Audubon Society, is a North American citizen science survey that runs from December 14th through January 5th each year. Information gathered during these counts helps us to better understand the health and status of bird populations.
Each year, Blue Ridge Discovery Center heads up to the New River CBC, centered around Sparta, NC. All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate! This event is free to all and we’ll make a full day of it.
View thousands of raptors as they soar over Mahogany Rock in their annual migration south!
BRB will host a field trip to Rural Retreat Lake on Friday, July 21st. Allen Boynton will be the guide for morning birding. We will meet at the parking lot by the swimming pool at 7:30 a.m. It is important to get there early before boaters hit the lake. We should be done by 11:00 a.m..
Please let us know if you plan to attend (info@bueridgediscoverycenter.org) and the number in your party. If the group size goes over 12, we need to get a group activity permit from the Department of Wildlife Resources.
We will look for summer season birds like Bald Eagle, Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, American Kestrel, Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat.
BRB will host a field trip to the high country on Sunday, July 16th. BRDC Staff will be the guides for morning birding. We will meet at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center parking lot at 7:45 a.m.
Please let us know if you plan to attend and the number in your party at info@blueridgediscoverycenter.org
We will look for summer season birds like Vesper Sparrow, Least Flycatcher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Canada Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Winter Wren.
Blue Ridge Birders and Blue Ridge Discovery Center will conduct a Burkes Garden field trip on Tuesday, June 13th.
Avid Birder, Allen Boynton will lead a Spring Birding Hike to see neotropical migrants in the area.
American woodcocks (Scolopax minor), inconspicuous in plumage and behavior, can be difficult to spot throughout the year. During their mating season, however, it is possible to witness the males’ magnificent courtship display at dusk and dawn.
Join us for our annual visit to a rare valley bowl that plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the golden eagle and rough-legged hawk.
(Image above was taken by Sandy Worrell during the 2022 Burke’s Garden Trip)
Join us for our annual visit to a rare valley bowl that plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the golden eagle and rough-legged hawk.
Each year, Blue Ridge Discovery Center heads up the New River CBC, centered around Sparta, NC. All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate!
Each year, local birder Allen Boynton heads up the Mt. Rogers Christmas Bird Count. This 15-mile diameter circle survey, centered on the highest peak in Virginia, has great scenery!
Join us for a birding field trip in search of wintering golden eagles and northern rough-legged hawks!
Hawk watches are a nationwide, annual event, and for good reason. Each fall it is possible to see hundreds, even thousands, of raptors circling or “kettling” overhead as they ride the thermal updrafts during migration. This event is scheduled during the height of activity in this region, when historical data report as many as 4,000-5,000 broad-winged hawks at Mahogany Rock, joined by other migratory raptors.
This members-only event is an opportunity for the BRDC community to connect during the common nighthawk migration. Join us for dinner around 5:00 pm and hang out through the evening as we (hopefully) get to observe flocks of these cryptically-colored birds which are usually crepuscular/nocturnal and solitary.
This event is free and is open to all ages. Membership and registration required.
During this hands-on workshop, we will discuss native plant gardening, non-native plant identification, and appropriate abatement strategies for a variety of species.
Join us for a Birding Field Trip in search of wintering Golden Eagles and Northern Rough-legged Hawks!
Geologist-led local expedition to learn about the geology of the highlands area.
Help Blue Ridge Birders and the Blue Ridge Discovery Center celebrate the migration of Common Nighthawks along the Blue Ridge near Sparta, NC. The potluck picnic will be held on Jim & Alice Keighton's porch. With years of documenting the display, the Keightons have seen anywhere from dozens to many hundreds of nighthawks on late August evenings.
The 3rd Annual Mt. Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally gives us a chance to explore Mt. Rogers in a different season. We have assembled a wide variety of field trips with leaders who are experts in their field and who are able to make it understandable and interesting for everyone from inquisitive amateurs to accomplished naturalists.
During February, Burkes Garden plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the Golden Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk.
Join the Blue Ridge Explorers Club for its monthly meeting at Creek Bottom Brews (truck route 89) in Galax.
The 2nd Annual Mt. Rogers Summer Naturalist Rally gives us a chance to explore Mt. Rogers in a different season. We have assembled a wide variety of field trips with leaders who are experts in their field and who are able to make it understandable and interesting for everyone from inquisitive amateurs to accomplished naturalists.
This BRDC signature event highlights the crown jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southwest Virginia. The Mount Rogers area, which includes Virginia's three tallest peaks, has long fascinated scholars and explorers. Not only is there a wide variation in altitude, there are many different ecosystems and mini-ecosystems within a short drive or hike of each other. This area is a naturalist's dream come true.
Join Blue Ridge Birders and Dr. Ashley Peele for a short talk and workshop about the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas project on Saturday, March, 4th 2017.
Join the Christmas Bird Count and add to a century of citizen science data!
Join the Christmas Bird Count and add to a century of citizen science data!
