With the cold, frigid weather (12 degrees when we began, 14 when we ended), only two of us showed up for the regular monthly bird walk at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve on January 10th. While there were very few birds at first, and never a lot of species, we did find numerous sparrows and other small birds along the southern & eastern edges of forest where they were sheltered from the wind and warmed by the weak winter sun. Highlights of the walk included an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, two male Eastern Towhees, a number of Field Sparrows, and six of the seven local woodpeckers which are around here in the winter.
There were no raptors or vultures flying at Banshee Reeks but when I swung by the county landfill, which borders Banshee Reeks, after the walk there were hundreds of crows, several Ring-billed Gulls, a few vultures, three Red-shouldered Hawks, and a Common Raven.
For a complete list of the birds observed at Banshee Reeks pls see the eBird report below.
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) & 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 & Del Sargent
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve – MFF08, Loudoun, US-VA Jan 10, 2015 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Regular monthly bird walk at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve.
25 species
Mourning Dove 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1, Downy Woodpecker 3, Hairy Woodpecker 2, Northern Flicker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 2, Blue Jay 6, American Crow 6, Fish Crow 75, Carolina Chickadee 5, Tufted Titmouse 5, White-breasted Nuthatch 2, Brown Creeper 1, Carolina Wren 2, Northern Mockingbird 5, Eastern Towhee 2, American Tree Sparrow 1, Field Sparrow 8, Song Sparrow 35, Swamp Sparrow 1, White-throated Sparrow 12, Dark-eyed Junco 20, Northern Cardinal 6, American Goldfinch 3
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S21281877