Wildlife

With nearly 900 acres of land surrounded by a few thousand additional acres of protected and undeveloped land, the Blue Ridge Center is both home to wildlife and an indicator of ecological health of the Northern Blue Ridge. Whatever your interest, be it wildflowers or salamanders, the Blue Ridge Center has a rich diversity of wildlife to discover. We've identified 130 species of birds, 60 species of butterflies, and you can walk the trails looking for signs of fox and bobcat.

Read the details below to find out more information about the types of wildlife and variety of species living at the Blue Ridge Center:

• Mammals
• Birds
• Butterflies
• Reptiles
• Fish

Mammals

Animals on the property are typical of those generally found within recovering mixed mesophytic Blue Ridge forests. The white footed mouse, eastern chipmunk, gray squirrel, and eastern cottontail number among the smaller species, with raccoon, and white-tailed deer among the larger. Coyotes, beavers, black bears and red and grey foxes have been sighted, and there is abundant evidence of bobcats.

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Birds

The variety of birds found at the Blue Ridge Center is unique in the Mid-Atlantic region.  We have been named a "birding hotspot" by the Fairfax Audubon Society and are featured as a location in Virginia's Birding and Wildlife Trail. The Blue Ridge Center also serves as a release site for rehabilitated birds through the Raptor Society of Virginia.  Additionally, we're proud to host a monthly bird walk led by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy; please check our online calendar for upcoming dates.  Conversely, use our "Birds of a Feather" trail map for a self-guided excursion.

A rich bird life is ensured at the Blue Ridge Center because of open fields, fence rows, riparian areas, deciduous forests, wetlands, ponds and rock outcrops. So far, 25 species of warblers have been identified, and our bird list stands at about 130 species. Wading birds, such as herons, are a common occurrence.  Open area species such as mourning doves and field sparrows, as well as birds of prey, benefit from the diverse habitats the Blue Ridge Center offers.  Wood ducks and double-crested cormorants are regular visitors to Gordon Pond.  Eastern bluebirds, Carolina wrens and tree swallows take full advantage of our 90+ bluebird boxes.

Since May of 2001, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has sponsored International Migratory Bird Day bird counts here at the Blue Ridge Center. Thanks to the many volunteers that take part, we have added new birds to the list below every year. Some highlights include: summer tanager, northern harrier, cooper’s hawk, red-headed woodpecker, yellow-billed cuckoos, and incredible numbers of blue-winged warblers.  Read more in the table below or download our bird brochure.

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Butterflies

The Blue Ridge Center's extensive habitat variety provides an excellent venue for butterfly enthusiasts. The land preserve at the Blue Ridge Center is invaluable for butterflies because, unfortunately, many species are rapidly losing habitat because they are highly vulnerable to pesticide pollution, often suffering from agricultural sprayings and mass sprayings against gypsy mothinfestations.

Butterlies were first surveyed at the Blue Ridge Center in 1998; species identified since then have been added to our inventory database. Currently, our butterfly list stands at about 60 species, notably including the gold-banded skipper. The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy holds an annual Loudoun County butterfly count every August, contributing greatly to butterfly conservation.

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Reptiles & Amphibians

The Blue Ridge Center offers excellent habitats for snakes, turtles, frogs, newts, toads and salamanders. Riparian habitats, rocky outcrops, seeps, historic structures, vernal pools, mulch piles and two fishless ponds are among the best environments. The streams, ponds, and wetlands of the Blue Ridge Center host a large number of reptiles and amphibians, including the Virginia-listed threatened wood turtle. Explore our trails and search for these species and more.

Did you know the Blue Ridge Center holds a Loudoun county record? In March of 2004, we found Marbled salamander. Thanks to Loudoun county high school students and Mike Hayslett of the Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, they found 11 larvae. Mike says this find represents a county record for Loudoun (i.e., the first formally documented site of this species in the county) and a surprising find, being located along the Blue Ridge scarp versus the eastern end of the county, where more are expected. Another unexpected find was the Jefferson salamander. The discovery of this population represents the third known site for the county.

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Fish

There are two primary streams on our land, Sweet Run and Piney Run, both of which contain a high diversity of fish for a small, first-order stream. Both streams are major drainages of the "Between the Hills" valley and lead north to the Potomac river. Water quality analysis of these streams tells us that they are healthy and capable of supporting a wide variety of life.

Sweet Run contains seven species of fish: pumpkinseed, white sucker, creek chub, blunt nose minnow, black nose dace, long nose dace, and fantail darter. In addition to those seven species, Piney Run also contains blue gill, red-breasted sunfish, green sunfish, northern hogsucker, silverjaw minnow, yellow bullhead, margined madtom, largemouth bass, and common shiner.  Fish in Sweet Run are less diverse due to its substantially colder water than Piney Run

Information in the table below was collected during the summers of 2000 and 2004.

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