Rusty Blackbird
Photo by Gerco Hoogeweg
Novice and expert birders alike enjoyed the opportunity to go birding with Loudoun Wildlife on January 8 at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands – property that is not open to public. Built in the early 1990s to replace the wetlands lost when the Dulles Greenway was built, this wetlands along the Goose Creek near Oatlands, is a great place to observe a wide variety of birds including a magnificent pair of Bald Eagles who have successfully nested there for over a decade.
Both groups of birders got to see Rosa and Martin, the Bald Eagles we view on the live-stream camera, along with several species of wetland birds. The highlight of the walk was seeing six Rusty Blackbirds, which hold the “unfortunate distinction of being one of North America’s most rapidly declining migratory birds,” according to the Birds of Loudoun. The book also notes that, “Populations have declined by an estimated 85-95% over the past 40 years.”
US Federal and State agencies, along with Canadian agencies are widely studying Rusty Blackbirds to determine the reason for the decline. The leading hypotheses are degradation and loss of breeding grounds in Canada and winter habitats in the southeastern US and global climate change. Declining numbers of these water-loving birds may also be due to mercury contamination.
The complete lists of birds seen by by the two groups are shown below or can be viewed on eBird at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S125698342 and https://ebird.org/checklist/S125694521.
Group 1 Species List
115 Canada Goose
1 Wood Duck
4 Gadwall
2 American Wigeon
240 Mallard
12 American Black Duck
10 Green-winged Teal
1 Ring-necked Duck
3 Hooded Merganser
2 Mourning Dove
3 Bald Eagle
2 Red-shouldered Hawk
1 Buteo sp.
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
3 Downy Woodpecker
2 Hairy Woodpecker
12 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
6 Blue Jay
20 American Crow
18 Fish Crow
3 Carolina Chickadee
2 Tufted Titmouse
4 Golden-crowned Kinglet
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Brown Creeper
3 Carolina Wren
2 European Starling
3 Northern Mockingbird
2 Eastern Bluebird
8 American Robin
1 House Finch
4 American Goldfinch
4 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
42 White-throated Sparrow
14 Song Sparrow
6 Swamp Sparrow
6 Red-winged Blackbird
6 Rusty Blackbird
14 Northern Cardinal
Group 2 Species List
80 Canada Goose
1 Wood Duck
2 American Wigeon
16 Mallard
2 American Black Duck
1 Green-winged Teal
3 Hooded Merganser
2 Bald Eagle
3 Red-shouldered Hawk
2 Downy Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker
3 Northern Flicker
5 Blue Jay
10 American Crow
2 Fish Crow
1 Common Raven
5 Carolina Chickadee
3 Golden-crowned Kinglet
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Brown Creeper
3 Carolina Wren
2 Northern Mockingbird
3 Eastern Bluebird
2 American Robin
2 American Goldfinch
3 Dark-eyed Junco
9 White-throated Sparrow
3 Song Sparrow
2 Swamp Sparrow
2 Northern Cardinal