Yesterday morning fifteen people enjoyed the regular 2nd Sat. of the month bird
walk sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy & the Friends of Banshee
Reeks. While the morning started cold with temps around 26, it warmed up nicely
while we walked. After the Banshee walk about half a dozen people checked out
the privately-owned Dulles Greenway Wetlands from Oatlands Mill Rd.
For the most part the activity at Banshee Reeks was relatively quiet with 39
species including FOS Tree Swallows, several different raptors, and great looks
in the same bush of a Fox and Swamp Sparrow. While there were Turkey tracks in
many locations, some pretty fresh, not one was seen. The highlights of the
birds seen from the road at the Wetlands were a Bald Eagle sitting on the nest
and several distant duck species including Northern Pintail, Black Duck,
Gadwall, and one or two Canvasbacks.
Mary Ann Good, Donna Quinn, and a couple of other people actually went on the
Wetlands, which not surprisingly, was pretty high. Estimated numbers for their
sightings:
Gadwall - the most abundant - est. 35-40 M&F
Am. Wigeon - ~6 M&F
(saw no teal!)
(saw no shovelers, Wood Duck, or Mallards)
No. Pintail - 8 M&F
Canvasback - ~8 M&F
Lesser Scaup - 4 M&F
Bufflehead - ~15 M&F
Pied-billed Grebe - 1
Bald Eagle - 1
Am. Coot - 5
- a chunky bird flushed up and over my head with whirring wings, I didn't get a
look. Woodcock? Snipe?
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Flicker - 1
Bluebirds
Swamp Sparrow - 1
Cardinals
Red-winged Blackbird - couple
Com. Grackle - 1
See below for complete eBird list of the birds seen at Banshee Reeks.
The regular monthly free bird walk (every 2nd Sat) at the Banshee Reeks Nature
Preserve is sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy
(www.loudounwildlife.org) and the Friends of Banshee Reeks
(www.bansheereeks.org); information on both and their upcoming events can be
found on their websites.
Good birding,
Joe Coleman, near Bluemont, Loudoun Co
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve - MFF08, Loudoun, US-VA
Mar 8, 2014 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
39 species
Canada Goose 3
Turkey Vulture 6
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Ring-billed Gull 75
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 3
Mourning Dove 12
Red-bellied Woodpecker 6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 4
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 2
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 15
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren X
Eastern Bluebird 6
American Robin 6
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Field Sparrow 1
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 6
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 15
Dark-eyed Junco 6
Northern Cardinal 15
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 1
House Finch 12
American Goldfinch 1
View this checklist online at
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17359809
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org/VA)
