The 18 or so birders at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve south of Leesburg enjoyed
a warm but pleasant morning and were pleased to find a rare summer Savannah
Sparrow among other delights, such as Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Blue Grosbeak
carrying food, a very agitated Prairie Warbler who popped up right beside us,
and great looks at a couple Yellow-breasted Chats. A couple people also
stopped by the private Dulles Wetlands beforehand to see if any shorebirds have
arrived, and found a solitary Solitary and at least two Least Sandpipers, along
with an American Black Duck, Wood Duck with young chicks, many juvenile Green
Herons, the adult Bald Eagle calling near us, a calling Willow Flycatcher, and
a No. Bobwhite that flushed from the treeline beside us, surprising us more
than it did him since they are rarely found in these parts any more.
The list follows, with birds found only at Dulles Wetlands so indicated:
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret - DW
Green Heron - DW
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Wood Duck - DW
Am. Black Duck - DW
Mallard - DW
Bald Eagle - DW (adult)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
No. Bobwhite - DW
Killdeer - DW
Solitary Sandpiper - 1 DW
Least Sandpiper - 2 DW
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher - DW
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker - a pair on my way out
No. Flicker
E. Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher - DW
Great Crested Flycatcher
E. Kingbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Am. Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
No. Rough-winged Swallow - DW
Barn Swallow
Car. Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
E. Bluebird
Wood Thrush
Am. Robin
Gray Catbird
No. Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler - DW (young bird trying out its song)
Prairie Warbler
Ovenbird
Com. Yellowthroat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Scarlet Tanager - heard on my way out
E. Towhee
Field Sparrow
SAVANNAH SPARROW
No. Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Am. Goldfinch
64 combined species
