Over 200 species of birds have been seen at the Blandy Experimental Farm, and we are part of Virginia's Mountain Birding Trail. Breeding species at Blandy include Red-tailed and Cooper's Hawks, Sora, Virginia Rail, Northern Bobwhite, Red-headed Woodpecker, Willow Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrows. The Shenandoah River, Thompson Wildlife Management Area, Shenandoah National Park, and George Washington National Forest all offer other nearby birding opportunities. A trip to the coast takes a little longer, but the area around Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware can be reached in less than four hours. In late July and August this area provides the best shorebirding in the Mid-Atlantic region. Here local birder Jon Little and REU students Jake Langeslag (Minnesota State University, Mankato) and Corinne Campbell (Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA) check out Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones along the Delaware Bay.