Fourteen people found 46 species and an unidentified accipiter on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Friends of Banshee Reeks regular monthly bird on Saturday morning.
While it was pretty chilly, a frosty 30 degrees, when we started it was a beautiful clear fall day for a nice walk. The highlights of the walk included several First of Season species including Purple Finches, mostly brown birds but two adult males as well, two juvenile White-crowned Sparrows, two Red-breasted Nuthatches, a couple of Swamp Sparrows, lots of White-throated Sparrows, a Brown Creeper, as well as a Common Raven, three warbler species, and very vocal Eastern Towhees everywhere.
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
46 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose X, Black Vulture 12, Turkey Vulture 12, Accipiter sp. 1, Red-shouldered Hawk 1, Rock Pigeon 4, Mourning Dove 4, Red-bellied Woodpecker 6, Downy Woodpecker 5, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 15, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Eastern Phoebe 6, Blue Jay X, American Crow X, Fish Crow 1, Common Raven 1, Carolina Chickadee X, Tufted Titmouse 2, Red-breasted Nuthatch 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 3, Brown Creeper 1, Carolina Wren 4, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 8, Eastern Bluebird 8, Hermit Thrush 1, American Robin 125, Gray Catbird 1, Northern Mockingbird 6, Brown Thrasher 2, European Starling X, Cedar Waxwing 4, Common Yellowthroat 1, Black-throated Blue Warbler 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 4, Eastern Towhee 20, Chipping Sparrow 6, Field Sparrow 6, Song Sparrow 20, Swamp Sparrow 2, White-throated Sparrow 20, White-crowned Sparrow 2, Northern Cardinal 6, Brown-headed Cowbird 1, Purple Finch 6, House Finch 3, American Goldfinch 50.