50th Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally

First and foremost: THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who came out this past weekend to celebrate 50 years of the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally! Now you too are a part of the amazing history of this event! If you didn’t get a chance to hear Lisa share some of that history, take a look below….

Konnarock Training School and Medical Cottage from a distance.

Things have changed a bit since the rally started back in 1975. Initially a wildflower walk put on by the Wilderness Road Garden Club and the MR Planning District Commission, attendance was pretty low for the first two years. To try and spark some more interest, a bird walk and salamander walk were added in 1977. Wallace Coffey designed the format, secured the speakers and field trip leaders, worked with the forest service, and chaired the MRNR committee for the first five years.

After determining that May was the best time of year, and getting permission from the Forest Service to use the “Spike Camp” (aka Schoolhouse), the naturalist rally we know today was born! In 1984, the rally moved from the schoolhouse to the Konnarock Community Center after the floor collapsed in the chapel. Field trips still met around the schoolhouse building though. In 2012, Carrie Sparks and the Friends of Mt. Rogers passed the torch to BRDC. And in 2022, the rally returned to the fully-restored schoolhouse!

Dr. Steven Hopp and his group went up to Whitetop Mountain to look for raptors and other birds, exploring the different habitats and soaking in some lovely views.

So many people donated their time and energy to make sure everything went smoothly this weekend. And we want to extend a HUGE thank you to all of them! We couldn’t do it without you. The goal of the rallies has always been to foster a sense of community, and every year that community grows a little bit. Twenty seven guides shared their knowledge and passion with us by leading programs both day and night that covered a wide range of topics- edible plants, insects, small mammals, geology, nature journaling, salamanders, astronomy and more! We had a bluegrass jam on Friday night and the amazing Dr. Kevin Hamed gave a wonderful presentation on the salamanders of the MRNRA, Saturday night.

Making sure 160+ participants have something to do is no easy feat! Twelve volunteers (and BRDC staff) ran the kitchen, parked cars, helped people pick programs, and cleaned up. And so many donors provided raffle prizes or food.

Carrie Sparks stepped in and led an edible plant walk around BRDC’s campus at the last minute. It was great to have her back, and very fitting considering her history with the rally!

By purchasing raffle tickets, you helped raise over $1,000 for camp scholarships! Thank you so much for supporting the local community and getting these kids an immersive, unique, outdoor experience.

Some of our many raffle prizes, generously donated.

And while staff didn’t get a chance to experience the adult programs, we know that the kids had a blast on Saturday at kids programming- We had our largest turnout yet! They drew in nature journals, played ecology games like raptors and rabbits, got in the stream, made our own fish to catch, and roasted some marshmallows for s’mores!

BRDC News: Upcoming Events

The world is thawing out, fauna is getting more active, and here at BRDC we are excited to get back out there and discover more with you! Here’s what’s in store for upcoming events:

Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally

February 17, 2024

Embark on a journey of discovery with us at the Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally! Our upcoming seasonal rally is just around the corner. The Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally is a celebration of the region's diverse ecosystems. Learn about Appalachia’s unique landscape, meet fellow nature lovers in your community, and engage in interactive lessons taught by naturalist professionals.

This event is open to anyone. To learn more, visit the event page below.

Join local artist, Suzanne Stryk, for her talk, “Taking the Pulse of Place: Connecting to the Natural World through the Arts" as she discusses how art offers ways of better connecting us to the natural world.

Woodcock Display: Members Event

Tentatively march 1

The American Woodcock is an anomaly, a plump little shorebird that makes its home in young forests and shrubby fields instead of coastal shores. The woodcock’s long bill and short, and rounded body make this bird a cartoonishly endearing sight - if you can spot them! Their mottled brown plumage, which camouflages them perfectly in their preferred habitats, and elusive behavior means that these birds can be difficult to spot. Except for in spring evenings, when breeding season takes over, and male woodcocks engage in marvelous flight displays. Cornell Lab of Ornithology refers to this mating display as “one of the magical natural sights of springtime in the East.” The males cry a loud, distinctively buzzy peent call and spiral in flight 200, 300 feet into the air, before plummeting in a zig zag back to Earth to do it again.

We invite members to join us as we watch this mesmerizing sky dance - we will meet at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center office and travel by van to the area where woodcocks are currently active. The exact date of this event is determined by woodcock activity as spring approaches, but is tentatively scheduled for Friday, March 1st. Stay tuned to our events page for any changes, and sign up for the event below to stay in the loop.

Family Weekend

March 16 through 17

Come spend the weekend with BRDC and surround your family with the magic of the mountains as you explore, discover, and share endless natural treasures together. This weekend is designed for families that are ready for adventure and fun. With our expert guides, your family will hone their observation skills while exploring seasonally interesting topics, such as beaver ecology, birds, tracks and signs, dendrology, nighttime creatures, and fire building. This package includes lodging in our facility, as well as meals. More information coming soon!

Spring Break Kids Camp

March 25 through 28

Looking for something to keep your young naturalist engaged during spring break? BRDC is now offering Spring Break Camp from March 25-28, 2024! This is a perfect opportunity for any young naturalist between the ages of 6 and 13 to explore, discover, and share the wonders of the Blue Ridge during the springtime!

Programming topics will include tree study, nature journaling, birding, hiking, pollinators, orienteering, native plants, and more! Activities will take place both indoors and outdoors.

Help Scientists by Collecting Data with the Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count ‘24

For four days each February, birdwatchers of every skill level can participate in a global event for the love and wellbeing of birds. On at least one of the four days, participants will spend 15 minutes or more identifying birds in a location of their choice. The birds identified will be submitted to an online database, alongside data from hundreds of thousands of other birders all around the world. 

This is a way for anyone with an interest in birds and wildlife to engage with the world around them and learn new things while contributing to a larger collective with the ability to make a positive global impact. 

How to Participate

If being a part of this project sounds like a fun way to get outside this February–great! It’s easy:

1. Where/Who/When

This year's bird count runs from Friday, February 16, through Monday, February 19. Pick what spot you’d like to bird, and who you’d like to go with. Local parks, trails, forests, around the neighborhood, and yes, even your own backyard, are all lovely options. You can bird anywhere, as long as you can legally and safely access the property, of course. 

2. Watch/Listen/Identify

For at least 15 minutes, at least one time over the course of that Friday-Monday, get out there and observe! Sight and sound are the most helpful cues for bird identification. Helpful tools for bird ID include binoculars, field guides, Merlin Bird ID, and a more experienced birder friend. Be sure to keep careful track of each bird species you see, so that data can be collected!

3. Enter Data

The most crucial step - adding to the international database - can be done in any of three ways:

• Enter data through the Merlin Bird ID App

• Enter data through a checklist on the eBird App

• Enter data on eBird through a compute

If you’re already familiar with eBird and/or Merlin, that’s good news, birder! Any lists added to either over the days of the Great Backyard Bird Count will automatically be a part of the count. So, keep up the good work, and make a point to get outside and do some birding the weekend of the count. 

Project Goals

With everyone’s help, we can better understand bird populations. Data on species diversity, population numbers, and location can help ornithologists and land managers to make informed decisions on how to best protect birds and the environment as a whole. 

Project History 

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a partnership between CornellLab, Audubon, and Birds Canada. Originally founded in 1998 by CornellLab and Audubon, the Great Backyard Bird Count is the first ever community science project launched online, with the purpose of collecting data on wild birds and publicly displaying results. Birds Canada became a part of the collaboration in 2009 to expand the scope of the project in Canada (it was limited to the US when created). In 2013, the Great Backyard Bird Count joined with eBird, the world’s largest ongoing biodiversity related community science project, and became global. 

Resources 

Visit the Great Backyard Bird Count website to learn more about the project, see photos and data from past years, and for anything else Great Backyard Bird Count related!  

Visit eBird to expand your bird knowledge and download a list of target potential species for your area, that you can familiarize yourself with ahead of time.

Data from past counts

We are all in this together.

Migratory birds are a lovely reminder that, across oceans and borders, our planet is one whole. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a testament to our force as a collective. It reassures us with proof that individuals who care to engage and participate in the world around them can come together to make a positive global difference. It reminds us to go outside and be in our world. It encourages us to notice and care for the others we share our planet with. And last but not at all least, it gives us that little extra push to go delight in watching a fluffy little bird hopping around. So get out there and look at some birds! 

Winter Rally Re-Cap

Geology Road Trip with Arthur Merschat

We were delighted to host the first ever Mount Rogers Winter Naturalist Rally last weekend! It has been one of our objectives to host a fall, winter, and summer rally. The winter rally focused on the flora, fauna, weather, and terrain that is unique to the cold, winter months! 80 eager individuals experienced stimulating outdoor activities and great food. Our programs included winter astronomy, the Oral History of Konnarock, a weather balloon launch, a geology road trip, waterfowl prowl, wildlife tracks & signs, winter tree identification, the challenges of measuring snow, ecology & management of high elevation communities and clay bowl making with Grim Pottery.

Geology Road Trip with Arthur Merschat

Fluorescent Lichen found on a Night Hike led by Cade Campbell following the winter astronomy program.

We would like to say thank you to our keynote speaker and guide, Dr. Doug Miller, for his extraordinary presentation, “Sandy Snow: An Unusual Hurricane Winter Wonderland”. We would also like to thank our incredible guides that really helped make our first Winter Rally a success. Thank you to Allen Boynton, Cade Campbell, Jeremy Stout, Dr. Ed Davis, Mark Archibald, Arthur Merschat, Jordon Blevins, and Debbie Yates.

Kids programs were lead by Program Coordinator Ali Reilly and Naturalist Educator Olivia Jackson. Fries School brought 18 students to explore the Blue Ridge through programs such as intro to birding, geology, tracks & signs, snow science, and winter ecology.

Finally, a special shoutout to our spectacular volunteers, the BRDC Board! Their help truly allowed the rally to run smoothly and efficiently.

We can’t wait to see everyone back on our campus for our Spring Rally coming May 12-14! Stay tuned for more updates!

BRDC takes on Burkes Garden!

Red-headed Woodpecker

This past Saturday, BRDC staff and friends set off on an expedition to see the superb bird species of Burke’s Garden in Tazewell, VA. Burke's Garden is a rare valley bowl with a floor that rests at 3,000' while the encircling ridge rises to around 4,000'. It is located in Tazewell County, VA, where the Appalachian Trail skirts its southern rim. The 8.5 mile long and 4-mile wide valley is often referred to as "God's Thumbprint" for its distinctive shape.

Eastern Screech Owl

American Kestrel

Golden Eagle

Belted Kingfisher

The bowl is a beautiful pastoral landscape during the summer but in the winter it is equally impressive. During February it plays host to the rare wintering birds from the far north including the Golden Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk. Once in the valley, we slowly worked our way around the bowl in a large loop by vehicle, searching for birds along the way. During this expedition, we were able to see 35 different bird species. Species observed were: Eastern Meadowlark, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Common Raven, American Crow, Blue Jay, Eastern Phoebe, American Kestrel, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Screech-Owl, Rough-legged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Golden Eagle, Black Vulture, Great Blue Heron, Wilson’s Snipe, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, American Black Duck, and Mallard. Seeing the Golden Eagles, the Red-headed Woodpecker, and the vast amount of Red-tailed hawks, 36, truly made this years trip special. This is one of our annual trips, so if you are interested in seeing any of these magnificent birds, we will continue to host this amazing expedition for the years to come.

Wilson’s Snipe

Birding Adventures

We have got birds on the brain at BRDC and have enjoyed every second of it! Recently, we have gotten the chance to not only do birding programs with the majority of our school groups, but we also took a staff trip to go see the waterfowl at the Well Fields in Saltville, VA. 

White-breasted Nuthatch

With our school birding programs, we like to start with a brief overview of how to use binoculars, and then we go straight into bird watching. Here at the center we have a plethora of birds still flying around our feeders. The most common feeder birds here are the White-breasted Nuthatch, the Tufted Titmouse, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the Carolina Chickadee. With these birds still very active, the students are able to watch them at our center and then be able to identify the birds in their own backyards. 

Gadwalls and Widgeons

On our staff trip, the waterfowl that we were able to see were Canadian geese, American Widgeons, Mallards, Gadwalls, and a Great Egret. Not only did we get to see the amazing waterfowl that currently reside in the ponds, but we also were able to see many terrestrial winter birds as well. These types of trips are perfect for our staff development along with allowing us to practice one of our BRDC pillars, stewardship, by reporting all of our observations on eBird. This app is a great source to use when identifying and documenting bird species. 

Great Egret at the Well Fields in Saltville, VA

We are so glad that we get to participate in the birding activities this chilly Fall/Winter and cannot wait to continue more staff and student bird programs!

Fall Rally Re-Cap!

Arachnid Guide Cade Campbell & his marbled orb-weaver

We were so excited to host the first ever Mount Rogers Fall Naturalist Rally this October! In the past couple of years we have been fortunate enough to host the Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally, and we were so happy to now start a new fall annual rally as well. This rally specifically focused on the flora and fauna that is unique to the fall! 68 enthusiastic individuals participated in this rally where we experienced lots of beautiful weather and stimulating outdoor activities. Our programs for this rally included salamander hikes, nature photography, a mushroom hike, stream ecology, an all-day Mount Rogers hike, bird watching, bird acoustics, arachnids, nocturnal nature, an owl prowl, a campus tour, the natural history of the white-tailed deer, and flint knapping.

Bird Watching at Elk Garden with Guide Allen Boynton

Guide Doug Meyer teaching Leah Wilson how to flint knap

We would like to say thank you to our keynote speaker, Michael St. Germain, for an amazing talk about the Bats of Appalachia. We would also like to say thank you to our incredible guides that really helped make our first ever fall rally a success. Thank you to Neil Fredericksen, Phil Shelton, Allen Boynton, Joshua Ward, Maddie Cogar, Lee Diggs, Steven Hopp, Cade Campbell, Linda Hylander, Doug Meyer, and Kevin Hamed. 

Salamander Photography at the Salamander Hike. Photo credits to Joshua Ward.

We were also able to lead kids programs during this rally as well! These programs were led by BRDC staff Landscaper and Naturalist Educator Ali Reilly. The childrens programs included nature journaling, fall bingo, and stream ecology.

BRDC Naturalist Educator Ali Reilly leading Fall Bingo. Photo credits to Eva Walls.

We are also so thankful for our generous donors that supplied our raffle table. Thank you to Wolf Hills Coffee (Gift Card), White Birch Food & Juice (Gift Card), Sister’s Cafe (Appalachian Puzzle), Mike Pender (Chickadee Box), Mountain Sports Limited (Naturalist Hats), Marion Outdoors (Great Naturalist Gear), Charlotte Phillips (Two Homemade Pumpkin Rolls), Brian Livingston (Signed Book), Barbara Kingsolver (Signed Books), Bohicket Apothecaries (Candles, Wax Melts, and Soap), Flora of Virginia (App download), and Adventure Damascus & Sundog Outfitter (2 Rentals & 2 Shuttles). 

Emory & Henry Volunteers and our BRDC Staff.

We would also like to give a special shoutout to our amazing volunteers from Emory & Henry! Their help was so appreciated, especially by our Head of Hospitality Charlotte Phillips.

We cannot wait to see everyone back on our campus for our Winter Rally coming in February! Stay tuned for more updates to come!

Summer Camp Scholarship Opportunity

Do you have a child that loves nature…birds in particular? One that really wants a deeper connection with nature and the wonders of the Blue Ridge? Well, we have a camp for them!

Through the generous donation of Katherine Higgins, the William Roberts Scholarship Fund will provide 10 lucky kids ages 11-17 the opportunity to experience the amazing life of birds…for *FREE!

With our quality binoculars and spotting scopes they’ll see detail, color and action that you could never imagine! Looking for birds is a gateway to enjoying the outdoors that anybody at any level can dive right into. The Blue Ridge is an ideal place to start because of its phenomenal density of bird life, including: eagles, warblers, swallows, herons, wrens, woodpeckers, owls, thrushes, and more! From sunrise to the moonlit night, they’ll have tremendous fun with our expert guides, learning all about the fascinating world of birds. While honing their birding skills, they will also play games, meet other young people with similar interests, participate in citizen science projects, learn field ecology, and explore careers in ornithology. Each participant receives a journal and their very own field guide to study and keep. During the adventure we will identify between 80-100 different species of birds!

If your child has a drive to attend this camp, we encourage you to fill out the Scholarship Application and get ready to explore, discover, and share with BRDC during this Ornithology Camp! Camp runs from June 8th through 11th and is an overnight camp.

*Scholarships are given for both MERIT and NEED. To apply for the scholarship, please submit the following digital form http://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/scholarships. The scholarship application will be open until May 1st, 2022. On May 2nd, BRDC will notify the recipients of the scholarships! For more information on the Camp, visit http://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/ornithology-camp. To learn more about the scholarship contact info@blueridgediscoverycenter.org or call 276.388.3155

BRDC will provide all camp gear, meals, materials, and supplies for all camps. Personal gear, sleeping bag, and toiletries are required by participants.

February Events

If you’re willing to brave the cold and exercise a little patience, winter bird-watching can be a rewarding experience. Birds don’t hibernate and with a pretty high metabolism, they remain active even in the coldest time of the year.

Some birds stay around all year, some travel great distances south (insect eaters for example), and some travel just a little ways south to escape the bitter cold and lack of food. Raptors and waterfowl are species that find their way to Burkes Garden.

Join us February 5th as we migrate over to Virginia’s highest valley in seek of over wintering raptors such as Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Harriers, Owls, and more!

If you can’t make it on the 5th, stop by the Center on February 19th for the Great Backyard Bird Count. We have the feeders full and ready to participate in this citizen science activity. Join us! Click event titles for more information.

Burke’s Garden Birding Trip
February 5th, 9:00-4:00

Great Backyard Bird Count
February 19th, 10:00-2:00

Upcoming Events

Fall is quickly approaching bringing cooler weather, beautiful foliage, and outdoor activities! With darkness getting earlier, we are entering the prime season for stargazing. As trees and shrubs lose their foliage, fewer visual obstructions affect birdwatching, and the trails await new discoveries! There’s something for everyone over the coming months. Join us! Click event titles for more information.

Get Outside Hikes
Saturdays, now through October 30th
All ages!

Planting Day
Friday, October 1st, 9-4

Volunteer Weekend
Saturday, October 23rd - 24th , 10-4

New River Christmas Bird Count (hosted by BRDC)
Saturday, December 18th, 9:00-5:00

Burke’s Garden Birding Trip
February 5th, 8:00-5:00
All ages!

Great Backyard Bird Count
February 12th, 10:00-2:00
All ages!

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

A sure sign that the winter will come to an end and spring will begin; the American robin (Turdus migratorius). It is one of the first birds we see return from their wintering spots. Although not all robins leave for the winter, we don’t see them as often as they roost in trees rather than hop around in your yard. Once they arrive, you are likely to see them in large numbers running around your yard in search of earthworms.

American robin (Turdus migratorius)

Most everyone knows the robin, a truly cosmopolitan bird. They are found in just about every habitat and are so common that it is used as a size reference to other species. Robin red-breast is a term I heard growing up. A fitting name as the bird boasts a russet, red-orange breast. The head is dark with a distinguishing white eye-ring and its back is a varying gray-brown depending on age and sex. It is a rather large, plump songbird and the largest member of the thrush family. The robin's rich song is among the earliest heard at dawn in spring and summer, often beginning just before first light. Its song is often described as cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up. Hear it here.

As most also know, they dine on earthworms. But, they eat a wide variety of other invertebrates and fruit. Sixty percent of their diet is fruit and berries with earthworms and invertebrates at 40%. Generally, once spring arrives, they spend mornings searching the ground for earthworms and transition during the heat of the day to fruits and other insects.

Searching for worms while on the lookout for predators.

Robins can produce up to three broods a season. They have a relatively high mortality rate and the entire population turns over about every 6 years. However, some robins have been known to live up to 14 years. (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/overview).

This early bird has arrived in Southwest Virginia and searching your fields and lawns for worms. Soon, if not already, they will be waking you with their cheery pre-dawn song. Spring is just around the corner!

Upcoming Events

As the temperatures cool down, Blue Ridge Discovery Center isn’t slowing down! With darkness settling in sooner in the evenings, we are entering the prime season for stargazing. And with trees and shrubs losing their foliage, the winter months allow for fewer visual obstructions during birdwatching, including sighting rare wintering birds from the far north. There’s something for everyone over the coming months. Join us! Click event titles for more information.

Exploring Astronomy
Friday, November 20th, 5:30-7:30
All ages!

Seedling Scientist
Saturday, November 21st, 2:00-3:30
Ages 3-5

New River Christmas Bird Count (hosted by BRDC)
Saturday, December 19th, 9:00-5:00

Mt. Rogers Christmas Bird Count (hosted by Allen Boynton)
Sunday, December 20th, 9:00-5:00

Burke’s Garden Birding Trip
February 6th, 8:00-5:00
All ages!

Great Backyard Bird Count
February 13th, 10:00-2:00
All ages!

Courtship

The American woodcock (Scolopax minor), sometimes referred to as “timberdoodle” is a plump, short-legged upland shorebird (classified with sandpipers) about the size of a robin. They spend most of their time on the ground in brushy, young-forest habitats, where the birds' brown, black, and gray plumage provides excellent camouflage, making them nearly impossible to spot. A very little tail and neck and a long beak, make them look a little like a flying football.

On spring nights, the males perform a conspicuous courtship display beginning with a buzzy “peent” call, then launch into the air. They ascend quite high and create a distinctive “twittering” flight sound before ending in a steep dive back to the ground. And then it repeats. This usually happens just before dawn and dusk. Courtship displays can start as early as December in the southern parts of its range and as late as March in the North. Here it begins around mid-February.

American woodcock (Scolopax minor)

Sunday evening, a group of intrigued members gathered to witness this courtship. Loaded in the van and vehicles, we headed to the site armed with high hopes and headlamps. The single male we were able to hear and watch began his dance around 7:40 pm. As he called and flew, we inched closer in hopes of getting a look at him. As the light faded, the odds of actually seeing him diminished but we could hear his calls and twitters and witness his swift swoop back to the ground. It was exciting to be out in the last vestiges of light honing our senses to experience this unique display.

BRDC Receives VDGIF eStore Grant Award

BRDC is very excited to be a recipient of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries eStore Grant! This grant will provide vital material support for the programs we offer. As you all well know, birding and fly fishing are two subjects that inspired BRDC from the very beginning. This generous grant is going to boost these two programs to another level! 

The birding award has already helped us purchase 12 new binoculars in partnership with Vortex Optics and the Blue Ridge Birders. If you have ever been birding, you know how much "good glass" can mean to the experience. For years we have worked with the lowest level of binoculars on the market and the kids, even though they could kind of see the birds, couldn't get that wow moment looking through them. Thanks to the VDGIF eStore grant we are now working with excellent glass in the 8x32 Vortex Diamondback Binoculars. These are small (great for kid hands), lightweight, a broad field of view (makes it easy to find the target), close focus (awesome for butterflies), waterproof, and have a lifetime warranty. Vortex also included their harness strap system which is perfect for kids. It takes the weight off of their shoulders and keeps them from twirling the binos like a lasso :) These binoculars will prove invaluable to connecting our youth to wildlife, whether it is school field trips or summer camps. Immediately, however, we are taking them on a youth birding trip to OBX next week!

Over the years our fly fishing programs have proved to be an excellent way for BRDC to connect youth to the outdoors. We do this by studying aquatic ecology, mimicking prey through fly tying, and teaching the kids a potential lifelong hobby that gets them outdoors. Key to this program is proper equipment. The VDGIF eStore grant will provide BRDC with new waders so the kids can explore water habitats during the cold months (the school year) and complete our collection of snorkels and masks so that the kids can see the underwater world. The grant will also supply a much-needed library of fly tying materials that give the kids the opportunity to exercise their creativity and learn about life cycles. Perhaps most importantly, this grant will provide eight new fly rods that give participants the chance to fly fish one of the great water systems in the region: the New River. For many years we have utilized 5wt Orvis rods, which work great for mountain trout streams, but do not work with the larger flies and larger water of the New River. These new rods will be perfect for our trips down the New!

Many thanks to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Vortex Optics, and Blue Ridge Birders for making this possible!! 

The Virginia Wildlife eStore Grant Program is a partnership between the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Wildlife Foundation of Virginia. Support of the Grant Program is generated through the sale of gear and other merchandise from www.shopdgif.com. Shopping on their webpage is an excellent way to support programs like ours!

Birding Adventure in the High Country

12 kids went on a gravity-defying adventure in the high country participating in BRDC’s inaugural Ornithology Camp in honor of William Roberts.  For four days and three nights, the kids camped out and honed their ornithology skills, searching for bird species that inhabit the diverse Appalachian ecosystems of southwest Virginia.  

Each morning the campers woke bright and early before leaving base camp to search for birds. They explored the region's prime birding spots including Cox's Chapel Low Water Bridge, Rural Retreat Lake, New River State Park, Fairwood Valley, Elk Garden, and Whitetop Mountain. They found a wide range of birds and logged a total of 80 species by the end of camp! When they weren’t actively searching for birds, the campers learned valuable birding and naturalist skills from guides Allen Boynton, Scott Jackson-Ricketts, Ashley Peele, Joyce Roberts and Aaron Floyd. They learned how to keep a naturlist's journal, how to use a guidebook and how to be good stewards to birds and other fauna and flora that are part of the Blue Ridge. 

Everyone enjoyed many other activities, like searching for crayfish in the creek, playing stickball, and telling stories around the campfire after a long day of birding.

At the conclusion of camp, the campers gathered together in a circle and discussed what they had enjoyed most. The highlights included seeing bald eagles and their nest, observing an oriole pair, hearing a hermit thrush and making lots of new friends. On the drive back from camp, the campers excitedly talked about coming back next year! 

Ornithology Camp Bird List:

Herons:
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
 
Waterfowl:
Canada Goose
 
Raptors:
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
 
Shorebirds:
Spotted Sandpiper
Killdeer
 
Pigeon-like:
Mourning Dove
 
Swifts and Hummingbirds:
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
 
Woodpeckers:
Red -bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
 
Flycatchers:
Eastern Wood Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Great-crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
 
Vireos:
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue-headed  Vireo
 
Jays, Crows, Ravens:
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
 
Swallows:
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Chimney Swift
 
Chickadees, Nuthatches:
Carolina Chickadee
House Wren
Carolina Wren
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse
 
Thrushes:
Catbird
Mockingbird
American Robin
Veery
Brown Thrasher
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Eastern Blue Bird
 
Warblers:
Louisiana Waterthrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Northern Parula
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Blue
Black-throated Green
Canada Warbler
Hooded Warbler
 
Tanagers:
Scarlet Tanager
Indigo Bunting
Northern Cardinal
 
Sparrows and Juncos:
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Meadowlark
 
Blackbirds, Orioles:
Red Winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Common Grackle
European Starling
 
Finches:
American Goldfinch
 
80 Species!
 

BRDC receives SWVA Outdoor Recreation Contract

We are excited to announce that Blue Ridge Discovery Center has been awarded the contract to provide web content for the SWVA Outdoors Website. This project is headed up by the Friends of Southwest Virginia and is an effort to highlight the awesome outdoor recreation opportunities our region has to offer. 

Over the course of the next eight months, BRDC will be exploring and networking all across SWVA from the Blue Ridge Escarpment in the east, north toward to the border mountains and all the way to the western tip of VA at Cumberland Gap. Adventures that we will be documenting will include birding, horseback riding, paddling, hiking, biking, climbing, disc golf, touring, fishing and more! You will be able to keep track of our blogs and photographs on the SWVA website where you can find all sorts of information about destinations and events throughout SWVA. 

A large part of our goal is to get others to join this project and help promote and strengthen the SWVA identity. If you know of anyone who would share blogs, events, or photos about outdoor adventures in SWVA, please let us know! This is a great opportunity for individuals or businesses to share their experience and help us strengthen the SWVA identity. 

Beyond the opportunity to help connect more people to the outdoors, this is a great chance for our organization to get to know the place we call home while networking with others that share our values. Blue Ridge Discovery Center is proud to be located in SWVA and we are excited to help shift economic focus to our natural assets.

See you in the Great Outdoors!

Red-tailed Hawk Saved after Collision with Vehicle

On a chilly January day, local birder Cathy Spencer stopped by our office with news of an injured red-tailed hawk just up the highway. We frequently get calls for help from concerned citizens about injured animals. For many years we were able to connect them to local wildlife rehabilitators William and Joyce Roberts. With William's death this past summer, dedicated rehabilitator Darin Handy stepped forward to carry the torch. After consulting Darin, we grabbed a blanket and BRDC storage tub and headed out to find the bird. 

The young red-tailed hawk was standing in the same spot Cathy had seen it, just a foot from the shoulder in a sharp bend in the highway with trucks barreling past. We crossed the road and covered the bird with the blanket and placed it in the storage tub. The only apparent injury was a crushed beak and some blood in its mouth, but it clearly could not fly. As we returned to the truck, a second red-tail called from above and swooped in to perch on a tree. We paused, and acknowledged our hopes of a full recovery for this bird and a return to the location it was found.

I drove the bird west to meet Darin that afternoon. After a full inspection and the bird surviving through the night, Darin decided it was best if he could get it to the Carolina Raptor Center for further rehabilitation. Our program coordinator, Lisa Benish, picked up the red-tailed hawk along with an eastern screech owl and transported them to the Carolina Raptor Center in Huntersville, NC. 

Although the screech owl did not survive, the hawk has undergone multiple treatments, including getting a new epoxy beak and is now eating food with vigor! Hopefully, the bird will get a clean bill of health soon and can be released back into the wild. If you are interested, as I'm sure Cathy is, you can track the recovery progress online at: medreport

It takes a team to take care of our wildlife. Please consider supporting the Carolina Raptor Center as a vital resource for regional wildlife rehabilitation: donate

The creation of an Ornithology Camp in honor of William Roberts

William assisting youth with the spotting scope.

A scholarship sponsored Ornithology Camp

Over the past five years William Roberts served on the Blue Ridge Discovery Center Board of Directors. He guided us calmly through many difficult challenges with his wisdom and steady hand while also taking the time to inspire youth as a guide and instill in them a deep love of nature.

Blue Ridge Discovery Center, in gratitude and honor of our recently departed and most principled birder and outdoor enthusiast, would like to advance his contagious interest in birds, flight, majesty of raptors, seasonal surprises of migration, and his boundless curiosity.

We believe that the best way to share his love of birds is to create an Ornithology Camp supported by a scholarship fund in his name, with the goal of inviting young people to immerse themselves in the art of bird study through the guidance of BRDC’s pool of experienced birders. The camp will provide an opportunity for young explorers to experience the many facets ornithology through a variety of hands-on learning activities and field trips.

The power of birding as an engagement tool and a gateway into the relationships within an ecosystem is bounded only by getting the binoculars into the hands of our youth. Please consider a donation in his honor and sponsor a kid for this unique opportunity.

The scholarship fund will be known as: The William Roberts Ornithology Camp for Young Birders

Donate Now

Wrapping up 2015 Bird Sleuth program at Grayson County High School

We had two working classes: Becky Absher’s ecology and Deb Greif’s/Kathy Davis' math analysis. Working with both classes from March through April, Blue Ridge Discovery Center focused on acquainting the students with local birds, their habitats and behavior. Starting in early March, we divided up our instruction time between in-class studies and outdoor walks behind the school. Through Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology curriculum, called Bird Sleuth, we watched a series of videos dedicated to the skills of bird id and natural history. Outside, along Stinky Creek, we set up a few bird feeders to draw in common feeder birds, giving us the opportunity to put our new-found skills to test.

When the weather turned to warmer days, we initiated a series of field trips to offer the kids a chance to observe birds in different habitats while giving them ideas for developing their hypotheses, a crucial component of this program. We began at the Grayson County Recreation Park, moving on to the Matthews State Forest and Don Philen’s farm in Baywood. Our last field trips were held at the Cox’s Chapel Low Water Bridge.

As questions morphed into hypotheses, the students created a series of observable phenomena as presented:

• There are more small birds than large birds (small and large defined by the study groups)

• There are more birds found in a coniferous forest than a hardwood forest

• The dimorphism displayed by birds of the same species is mostly explained by sex

On May 21, Greif and Kathy Davis held a presentation ceremony for their class, (while Absher’s class had previously conducted an internal review). What follows is a series of photos from the ceremony, in celebration of the student’s hard work. BRDC is appropriately grateful for the chance to work inside the public schools with such support at Absher, Greif and Davis have offered. We are also grateful to the kids who, regardless of their inherent interest in birds, go away with an experience that they will never forget.

And to top off the ceremony, as she did last year, Deb Greif made a bird cake!

A beautiful day at Hungry Mother State Park Birding Adventure Weekend!

BRDC set up shop at Hungry Mother State Park this past weekend for their Birding Adventure Weekend, where we shared our traveling booth of wonders with visitors. Area youth dissected owl pellets and studied our collection of raptor wings, skulls and talons. While tending our booth we got to scope birds on the lake including, pied-billed grebe, red-breasted mergansers and eastern kingbirds.