Sixteen birders came to Banshee Reeks for the monthly birdwalk (second Saturday of every month) sponsored by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Friends of Banshee Reeks. This walk also honored International Migratory Bird Day. It was a beautiful morning. Temperatures reached 80 by the end of the walk. A total of 53 species were seen.
The highlight was a hen WILD TURKEY trying to escort at least 15 newly hatched poults across the trail. When she got the safely across, she then did her wounded act to distract us. We also saw a pair of RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS which have been absent from Banshee Reeks for several years.
Del Sargent
The complete list of birds follows:
Wild Turkey, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe, Great-crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Prarie Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grossbeak Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, American Goldfinch