As part of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy's Birdathon (all of the money
raised through the Birdathon goes to support the Conservancy's 5-year Bird
Atlas), Laura Weidner, Liam McGranaghan, Mary Ann Good, and Joe Coleman,
comprising Team Shrike Force, birded Loudoun County on Sat., May 15 from 4:10
am to 10:50 pm.
We had a great day and the team found a total of 107 different bird species
including our namesake, a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. Unfortunately the front that was
forecast to pass through by midnight the evening before started going through
at about the time we started, making it very difficult to hear anything over
the wind. While the wind only lasted for a few hours, it made it almost
impossible to hear owls (we had to work really hard and check several spots to
find one EASTERN SCREECH & one GREAT HORNED OWL and didn't get BARRED until
after 9 pm and never found a Barn Owl). It was also a bit tough for warblers
at first as we greet the dawn on top of the mountains and, of course, that is
where it was the windiest. The temperature and light were good all day and
once the wind died down we did a lot better.
Only two of us heard GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and WILD TURKEY so neither counted.
We did have some great birds: 16 warbler species, including CERULEAN; the
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE mentioned above; a DOWITCHER, we thought LONG-BILLED, along
with two rail species, WOODCOCK, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, and several shorebird
species at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands near Oatlands; as well as BOBWHITE and
LEAST FLYCATCHER (3) at the Blue Ridge Center near Harper's Ferry. It was also
nice to find a WHITE-EYED VIREO on a nest (which we were careful to not
approach so we wouldn't leave a scent trail to its nest), very young
single-collared KILLDEER, and several BALD EAGLES, including an immature
carrying a fish over the Potomac.
All of us had a great time and can't wait to do it again next year.
The complete eBird list follows below.
Joe Coleman, near Bluemont
Canada Goose X
Wood Duck X
Mallard X
Wild Turkey X
Northern Bobwhite X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron X
Green Heron X
Black Vulture X
Turkey Vulture X
Bald Eagle X
Red-shouldered Hawk X
Broad-winged Hawk X
Red-tailed Hawk X
American Kestrel X
Virginia Rail X
Sora X
Semipalmated Plover X
Killdeer X
Spotted Sandpiper X
Solitary Sandpiper X
Greater Yellowlegs X
Lesser Yellowlegs X
Least Sandpiper X
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher X
American Woodcock X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Eastern Screech-Owl X
Great Horned Owl X
Barred Owl X
Common Nighthawk X
Chimney Swift X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird X
Red-headed Woodpecker X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Downy Woodpecker X
Hairy Woodpecker X
Pileated Woodpecker X
Eastern Wood-Pewee X
Acadian Flycatcher X
Willow Flycatcher X
Least Flycatcher X
Eastern Phoebe X
Great Crested Flycatcher X
Eastern Kingbird X
Loggerhead Shrike X
White-eyed Vireo X
Warbling Vireo X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Common Raven X
Purple Martin X
Tree Swallow X
Northern Rough-winged Swallow X
Barn Swallow X
Carolina Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
Carolina Wren X
House Wren X
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher X
Eastern Bluebird X
Swainson's Thrush X
Wood Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
Brown Thrasher X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing X
Blue-winged Warbler X
Northern Parula X
Yellow Warbler X
Magnolia Warbler X
Cape May Warbler X
Black-throated Blue Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler X
Prairie Warbler X
Blackpoll Warbler X
Cerulean Warbler X
Black-and-white Warbler X
American Redstart X
Ovenbird X
Louisiana Waterthrush X
Common Yellowthroat X
Yellow-breasted Chat X
Scarlet Tanager X
Eastern Towhee X
Chipping Sparrow X
Field Sparrow X
Grasshopper Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Blue Grosbeak X
Indigo Bunting X
Bobolink X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark X
Common Grackle X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
Orchard Oriole X
Baltimore Oriole X
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/VA)
