On July 12, 32 people showed up for the regular monthly Banshee Reeks Nature
Preserve bird walk. We split into two groups, one led by Ron Staley, one by
me. Both leaders were assisted by a lot of very able birders. Before the
Banshee Reeks walks a few people visited the Dulles Greenway Wetlands
Mitigation Project (DGWMP) which is immed. to the west of Banshee. A total
of 72 species were observed at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve
(www.bansheereeks.org) and at the nearby Dulles Wetlands.
The most int'g birding moment of the day was a kettle of 5 Ravens seen flying
over Banshee Reeks as we were leaving Banshee Reeks to head home. The other
more int'g birds observed were: Virginia Rail and Blue Grosbeak at the DGWMP
along w/one only one shorebird, a lesser Yellowlegs. Also observed were 3
Red-headed Woodpeckers, one a juvenile at Banshee Reeks, 3 Willow Flycatchers
at the DGWMP, and 6 Yellow-breasted Chats at Banshee.
Also, Banshee Reeks is now open to the general public from 8 am to 4 pm on the
3rd weekend of every month (July 19 and July 20 this month).
The complete list follows (the first number is Banshee, the 2nd the Wetlands):
Great Blue Heron 0/1
Green Heron 3/7
Black Vulture 0/9
Turkey Vulture 20
Canada Goose 0/12
Wood Duck 0/18
Mallard 0/2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Am Kestrel 3, one a juvenile
Virginia Rail 0/2
Killdeer 0/4
Lesser Yellowlegs 0/1
Rock Dove 6
Mourning Dove 6
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1/1
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Belted Kingfisher 1/2
Red-headed Woodpecker 3, 1 a juvenile
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 4
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Peewee 3
Acadian Flycatcher 5
Willow Flycatcher 0/3
Eastern Phoebe 4
Great-crested Flycatcher 3
Eastern Kingbird 3/2
White-eyed Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 4
Am Crow 2
Fish Crow 0/1
Raven 5
Purple Martin 2
Tree Swallow 3
No. Rough-winged Swallow 2/4
Barn Swallow 35/6
Carolina Chickadee 8
Tufted Titmouse 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren 5
House Wren 3
Eastern Bluebird 5, including 2 juveniles
Wood Thrush 11
Am Robin 5
Gray Catbird 25
No Mockingbird 5
Brown Thrasher 5
European Starling 5
Prairie Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 12/3
Yellow-beasted Chat 6
Scarlet Tanager 1
Eastern Towhee 6
Chipping Sparrow 3/2
Field Sparrow 8
Grasshopper Sparrow 0/1
Song Sparrow 7
No Cardinal 8/2
Blue Grosbeak 0/1
Indigo Bunting 10/6
Red-winged Blackbird 14/6
Eastern Meadowlark 3
Common Grackle 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Baltimore Oriole 1
House Finch 2
Am Goldfinch 24/6
Joe Coleman, near Bluemont, VA
jandkcoleman@xxxxxxxxx or 540-554-2542
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