Twenty-eight Birders and 44 Species of Birds at Banshee Reeks

Twenty-eight birders attended the March 8 Banshee Reeks bird walk hosted by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. Michael Sciortino, John Denice, Carol Sotilli, and Mary Ann Good led the walk that included numerous regulars and many new birders. We thought that we were in store for an early spring day, but that quickly changed as the wind picked up and the sun-obscuring clouds made it made it seem much colder.

Bald Eagle.
Photo by Michael Sciortino

Carol and John took half the group out of the parking lot and back up the road to the Raspberry Trail. The walk started out slow with only a Northern Mockingbird and a few American Robins. We had a few birds down the Raspberry Trail including a Northern Flicker and a cooperative Golden-crowned Kinglet that perched for a few minutes. One of our eagle-eyed birders also spotted a raccoon sleeping in a hole in a tree. We continued down the Raspberry Trail and then decided to take the Carter-Luck Trail along the Goose Creek. As soon as we did the bird activity picked up. We got to see the Bald Eagle nest on Goose Creek with an eagle on the nest. We also saw two Wood Ducks, two Fox Sparrows, a Belted Kingfisher and more eagles. The group saw a total of four Bald Eagles with two being adults and two first-year juveniles. We took the Goose Creek Trail back, and when we got near the visitor center, we spotted an Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrows, two Pileated Woodpeckers, a Red-tailed Hawk and an Eastern Phoebe. We recorded 35 species in all, and it was a great introduction for the new birders. Hopefully they will be back for another walk.

The second group, led by Michael and Mary Ann, headed east along the Greenway Trail, an under-birded part of the preserve. Shortly after leaving the parking area, we spotted an approaching adult Bald Eagle hat all saw as it soared overhead. We also had our first sighting of the year of a Tree Swallow in the field east of the visitor’s center. We also heard a lone Eastern Towhee calling from the field. As we turned onto the Greenway Trail, we watched a Cooper’s Hawk fly over heading north and spotted a group of four Brown-headed Cowbirds flying east.

Hairy Woodpecker.
Photo by Michael Sciortino

We turned onto the Eastern Watercress Trail and almost immediately, we spotted Ring-billed Gulls streaming toward the landfill; the stream seemed endless and continued through the rest of the walk as hundreds of birds made their way in that direction. The forest birding was quiet but picked up as various woodpecker species began moving and calling. We also clearly heard the sweet, whistling sound of a Fox Sparrow nearby in the forest. We watched as a Hairy Woodpecker probed a dead snag and called out with its loud “peek.” We eventually recorded sightings of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, three Downy Woodpeckers, three Northern Flickers, and a lone Pileated Woodpecker to round out six of the seven potential woodpecker species at Banshee.

We crossed the small stream and continued onto the Jack Hugus Trail hoping to spot or hear owl activity, but it was quiet. We made a quick visit to the Beaver Pond that had no waterfowl, but we did get good looks at a second Fox Sparrow in the bushes across the pond. We also heard the loud and bubbly sound of a Winter Wren calling from the brush. White-throated and Song Sparrows were also active around the pond area. We made our way back to the silos and stopped to look for evidence of the resident owls but, other than some whitewash, the area looked void of activity.

Our group eventually recorded 37 species along the 2.6 mile loop that went to the east of the visitor’s center. Combined the groups recorded 44 species on a cold and blustery day.  We were all glad to get back to the shelter and warmth of our cars. The lists of birds recorded can be seen below or on eBird at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S217265261 and https://ebird.org/checklist/S217238512.