Eagles and More on a Cold Morning at Banshee Reeks

Ten hardy birders showed up at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve Saturday morning for the regular bird walk that takes place the second Saturday of every month. While all of us expected it to be cold the brisk winds out of the north made the 25 degrees much more uncomfortable than we had anticipated. It appears to have done the same with the birds, most of whom were eerily quiet and reclusive. With the exception of multiple flocks of White-throated Sparrows, a couple of Field Sparrows and one White-crowned Sparrow there were very few birds until about 45 minutes into the walk and not a single woodpecker.

We finally came across a large mixed flock near the Goose Creek that included a few other species. While watching them we saw our first Bald Eagle of the day, quickly followed by four others of various ages and plumages including one adult, one almost adult and three distinctly different looking juveniles; it was great to get so many so quickly and compare the extensive variation this species has. In the same area we saw our only Brown Creeper of the day and a mystery bird with ear tufts that we first thought was an owl but turned out to be something completely different. We also enjoyed great looks at a couple different Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and, as we were driving out in our cars, a Red-tailed Hawk posed right over the driveway.

For a complete list of the birds observed at Banshee Reeks see the eBird report below.

This regular monthly free bird walk is sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy & the Friends of Banshee Reeks.

Joe Coleman

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, Loudoun, Virginia, US Feb 9, 2019 7:57 AM – 10:26 AM

Protocol: Traveling

2.0 mile(s)

Comments:  Very cold & windy

26 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  14

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)(Columba livia) 2

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  75

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)  1

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  5

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2

Barred Owl (Strix varia)  1

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)  3

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  3

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  3

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  5

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  8

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  2

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)  1

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  3

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)  5

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)  2

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  3

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)  1

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  50

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  3

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  75

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52523628

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home