There was a lot of breeding bird behavior and disbursement observed at this morning’s bird walk at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve and during an early morning visit to the privately owned Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project.
The twelve people at Banshee Reeks found 54 species of which the highlights were 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoos, 3 vocal White-eyed Vireos, Prairie Warblers feeding young, a Louisiana Waterthrush bathing in the Goose Creek, lots & lots of Common Yellowthroats, two Chats, and both oriole species, including a family unit of Orchard Orioles. It was also fun to stop by the MAPS banding station where we watched an adult male Common Yellowthroat and a recently-fledged Indigo Bunting measured, weighed, and banded.
Prior to the Banshee walk three of us, Mary Ann Good, myself, and Del Sargent spent an hour at the wetlands and found 33 species of which the highlights were a juvenile WHITE IBIS, two Great Egrets, two Blue Grosbeaks, a few shorebirds including one Solitary Sandpiper and 8 Semipalmated Sandpipers, a food-begging Orchard Oriole, and adult Bald Eagle which flew around its nest. While we did not see any juvenile eagles, we were pls’d to see that the nest did not suffer any apparent damage from the June 29 storm.
We often visit the privately ownerd Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project prior to Banshee Reeks walk; if you are int’d in joining us pls contact us ahead of time and we’ll be happy to include you if we are planning a visit.
See below for the complete list of birds seen.
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
54 species: Mallard 6, Great Blue Heron 4, Black Vulture 15, Turkey Vulture 15, Red-shouldered Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, American Kestrel 1, Rock Pigeon 4, Mourning Dove 6, Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Belted Kingfisher 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher 2, Great Crested Flycatcher 1, Eastern Kingbird 1, White-eyed Vireo 3, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee 2, Tufted Titmouse 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Carolina Wren, House Wren 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2, Eastern Bluebird X, Wood Thrush, American Robin 1, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher 2, European Starling 10, Cedar Waxwing 5, Ovenbird 1, Louisiana Waterthrush 1, Common Yellowthroat 15, Prairie Warbler 3, Yellow-breasted Chat 2, Eastern Towhee 4, Field Sparrow 12, Song Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager 1, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole 5, Baltimore Oriole 2, American Goldfinch.
Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project, Loudoun, US-VA
33 species: Wood Duck 16, Mallard 7, Great Blue Heron 3, Great Egret 2, Green Heron 4, White Ibis 1, Bald Eagle 1, Killdeer 8, Solitary Sandpiper 1, Semipalmated Sandpiper 8, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1Great Crested Flycatcher 1, White-eyed Vireo 1, American Crow, Fish Crow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3,Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, House Wren 1,Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird 1, Common Yellowthroat 4, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow 3, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak 2, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Orchard Oriole 3, American Goldfinch.