Photo by Linda Sieh
Four people participated in Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s monthly bird walk January 26 at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship on a rather cold (19 degrees) but nice morning as there was little wind until the end of the walk. Even before the walk started we got to not only watch a nearby Cooper’s Hawk unsuccessfully try to catch a bird but a few minutes later a Red-shouldered Hawk flew by. After that we drove to the south side of the center where we walked approximately three miles on the Sweet Run, Butterfly Alley, and Wood Thrush trails only avoiding walking through a lot of mud because of the cold temps.
Other highlights were a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks, a couple of Red-tailed Hawks, a Great Blue Heron hunting the unfrozen Sweet Run, as well as a Chipping Sparrow, which we unsuccessfully tried to turn into an American Tree Sparrow.
Joe Coleman
Sat Jan 26, 2019 7:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
Party Size: 4
Duration: 2 hour(s), 59 minute(s)
Distance: 3.0 miles
Canada Goose 13
Mallard 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red Shouldered-Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Red-Bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 3
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 6
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 5
Eastern Bluebird 4
Chipping Sparrow 1
Field Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 2
White-throated Sparrow 21
Song Sparrow 9
Eastern Towhee 1
Northern Cardinal 17
The complete list can be seen at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52053588
The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy schedules two regular bird walks every month, one at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship every fourth Saturday of the month, and one at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve every second Saturday of the month. Everyone is welcome at these walks.