BJ and I spent about 6 hours today cruising roads in Northern Loudoun Co (all
north of Hwy 7). While concentrating on raptors, we
also managed to find a few other good birds. In spite of the weather (COLD to
the Virginian - just a bit chilly to the Minnesotan),
it proved to be a productive birding day.
In particular, we were looking for good areas to find Short-eared Owls.
Although we couldn't stay til dusk in the best areas, we did
find a number of good spots where they should be. Most of the day was spent
around Lucketts.
Early on, not much was there - but as the afternoon progressed, the birds
started to become more active.The most likely area for
SEOW is along Montresor Road, just west of Hwy 15. We hope to return next week
but encourage anyone who can to check it out - I've
no doubt there MUST be SEOWs out there.
In the following list, raptors are first:
Bald Eagle - 1
Harrier - 5
Red-tailed Hawk - 31
Cooper's Hawk - 1 Female @ VERY close range
Red-shouldered Hawk - 2
Kestrel - 6
Killdeer - 2
Snipe - 1
Sapsucker - 5
Robin - 2
Winter Wren - 2
Tree Sparrow - 1
Meadowlark - 15+
The 31 RTHAs made for a good complementary comparison to the 38 we found in the
Shenandoah Valley last Sat. Many are starting to
pair up.
Snow Buntings & Northern Shrikes were no-shows, but there's always hope!
Jon Little
BJ Westervelt
Winchester
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