Yellow-breasted Chat.
Photo by Pat Whittle
What a great day it was for birding at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve on May 11. The walk was one of Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s Celebrate Birds events, and it was a real celebration of spring migrants.
One group was led by John Denice and Carol Sottili. The walk started off well in the parking lot as we got good looks at Cedar Waxwings and an Orchard Oriole as well as other usual species like Eastern Bluebirds, Chipping Sparrows, House Finches and Northern Mockingbirds. As we left the parking lot we immediately heard a Common Yellow Throat and were lucky enough to see it. We also got great looks at Indigo Buntings and Red Eyed Vireos, before we even left the road. We then went down the trail and our new birders were very helpful with spotting. We got to see multiple American Redstarts, more Common Yellow Throats, a Cape May Warbler and a Scarlet Tanager. We also heard a number of other species including Tennessee Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler. After the halfway point we were lucky enough to see a Prairie Warbler, a Bald Eagle and some White-throated Sparrows, and hear a Yellow-throated Vireo. As we got back another Bald Eagle flew by and as we tallied a Ruby Throated Hummingbird perched on a tree next to us. The group recorded a total of 50 species (see list below).
Photo by Pat Whittle
The other group was led by Dori Rhodes and Jane Yocom. This group decided to take some trails less traveled and had quite an adventurous morning. Prairie Warblers, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, and Eastern Towhees were singing all around us and even posing for some photos. Brown Thrashers flew back and forth across the trail while a Scarlet Tanager called from the trees. We walked trails that none of us had ever heard of, following the birds. Coming up (or perhaps down) the Watercress Trail, a Wild Turkey flew from a roost in a nearby tree. Northern Parulas called along with a Yellow Warbler and American Redstarts. And then we heard it—a Hooded Warbler. It sounded so close that we stopped and searched and finally saw it. Wow! It was a lifer for some of the group. As it was getting later in the morning, we turned to the All Trails App to get us back to the Visitor Center. We had seen a total of 59 species (see list below).
John Denice/Carol Sottili Species List
Canada Goose – 2
Wood Duck – 4
Mourning Dove – 1
Ruby Throated Hummingbird – 1
Great Blue Heron – 1
Black Vulture – 4
Turkey Vulture – 3
Bald Eagle – 2
Buteo sp – 1
Red Bellied Woodpecker – 5
Hairy Woodpecker – 1
Pileated Woodpecker – 1
Eastern Wood Pewee – 2
Great Crested Flycatcher – 3
White Eyed Vireo – 3
Red Eyed Vireo – 10
Blue Jay – 1
American Crow – 2
Fish Crow – 2
Carolina Chickadee – 3
Tufted Titmouse – 3
Tree Swallow – 1
White Breasted Nuthatch – 1
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher – 2
Carolina Wren – 10
Brown Thrasher – 2
Northern Mockingbird – 4
Eastern Bluebird – 1
Wood Thrush – 1
Cedar Waxwing – 6
House Finch – 8
American Goldfinch – 4
Chipping Sparrow – 6
Field Sparrow – 8
White Throated Sparrow – 3
Song Sparrow – 1
Eastern Towhee – 2
Orchard Oriole – 3
Brown Headed Cowbird – 3
Ovenbird – 2
Black and White Warbler – 1
Tennessee Warbler – 2
Common Yellowthroat – 8
American Redstart – 4
Cape May Warbler – 1
Northern Parula – 1
Prairie Warbler – 6
Black Throated Green Warbler – 2
Scarlet Tanager – 2
Northern Cardinal – 8
Indigo Bunting – 7
Dori Rhodes/Jane Yocom Species List
4 Canada Goose
1 Wild Turkey
2 Mourning Dove
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
3 Black Vulture
9 Turkey Vulture
2 Bald Eagle
2 Red-shouldered Hawk
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Belted Kingfisher
4 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Downy Woodpecker
3 Eastern Wood-Pewee
4 Acadian Flycatcher
4 Great Crested Flycatcher
2 Eastern Kingbird
4 White-eyed Vireo
6 Red-eyed Vireo
2 Blue Jay
2 American Crow
4 Fish Crow
1 Common Raven
2 Carolina Chickadee
4 Tufted Titmouse
6 Tree Swallow
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
6 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
3 House Wren
3 Carolina Wren
1 European Starling
2 Gray Catbird
3 Brown Thrasher
3 Northern Mockingbird
6 Eastern Bluebird
3 Wood Thrush
4 Cedar Waxwing
2 House Finch
8 American Goldfinch
1 Chipping Sparrow
4 Field Sparrow
4 White-throated Sparrow
10 Eastern Towhee
2 Yellow-breasted Chat
4 Orchard Oriole
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Ovenbird
1 Louisiana Waterthrush
1 Black-and-white Warbler
5 Common Yellowthroat
1 Hooded Warbler
2 American Redstart
6 Northern Parula
1 Yellow Warbler
1 Palm Warbler
5 Prairie Warbler
3 Scarlet Tanager
8 Northern Cardinal
1 Blue Grosbeak
8 Indigo Bunting