Fifteen birders, including John Denice, Jane Yocum and Michael Sciortino as the leaders, came out for the monthly bird walk at Banshee Reeks on Saturday, March 9. It was a wet and muddy morning that kept the group on the major trails of the preserve to avoid too much standing water and muck. Even with these precautions, everyone was damp and soggy at the end of our excursion.
Photo by Michael Sciortino
The first highlight of the walk came quickly just after we started when we spotted a Sharp-shinned Hawk that was doing its “flap-flap glide” wing beat as it flew over the field near the visitor’s center. We all got good looks at its long flat tail. This was a lifer for some in the group, and that was exciting as well.
Eastern Bluebirds were active in main field and seemed to be scoping out the bluebird boxes. We turned onto the Goose Creek trail and watched numerous Northern Cardinals and White-throated Sparrows move along the edge of the trail just ahead of us. We also saw many Carolina Chickadees as they dashed in and out of the brambles. The second highlight was a surprise to us all when a lone Wild Turkey darted out of the field heading west across the path towards the woods. The group got good looks as it crossed up ahead.
We turned toward the direction of the Cathedral Trail to seek a shelter from the increasing rain. The trail was quiet, but as we made the turn to parallel the Goose Creek, we spotted a Red-tail Hawk heading east along the creek. It was soon followed by an adult Bald Eagle that perched on the far side of the creek. It was a bit hard to find, but the entire group eventually got eyes on it as it perched. The eagle was another exciting observation because seeing a Bald Eagle in the wild never fails to impress and is always a crowd pleaser.
After checking out the Goose Creek overlook, we noticed that the creek was running high with all the recent rainfall, but it was quiet with bird activity. The conditions were extremely muddy in this low-lying area, which we expected, but we were able to navigate around. The group decided to head back using the Arrowhead Ridge trail. The Spring House Pond was quiet, and we remarked how inactive this pond has been for the past few years.
Finally, back in the vicinity of the visitor’s center, we were treated to a large flock of Cedar Waxwings that perched in the tree next to the center. That was the final highlight of the day. Given the conditions, the day was still successful as the group recorded 32 species on a wet and wild day. The results of the day are listed below and can be viewed on eBird at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S164199764.
Species List:
Canada Goose 6
duck sp. 2
Wild Turkey 1
Mourning Dove 1
gull sp. 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 3
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 2
Fish Crow 3
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 4
Northern Mockingbird 4
Eastern Bluebird 6
American Robin 2
Cedar Waxwing 25
House Finch 2
Dark-eyed Junco 1
White-throated Sparrow 10
Song Sparrow 6
Eastern Towhee 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 8