Yesterday I did the USGS Breeding Bird Survey
from Taylorstown throught Waterford, Paeonian
Springs, and Leesburg, past Banshee Reeks and
Dulles wetland project to route 15. I noted 69
species as listed below. This survey has 50
stops, one every .5 mile, and the observer notes
what he sees and/or hears in a three minute
period at each stop. The route passes through
rural areas that are becoming more and more
developed along the route as the years go by.
The area that passes through part of Leesburg is
particularly developed and has lots of fast,
noisy traffic that makes surveying difficult.
This year there were at least 40 new homes along
the route erected since last June. Only a few
sites are in wooded areas, and these woodlots are
quite small, hence the low numbers of birds like
red-eyed vireos, ovenbirds, and wood thrushes.
Biggest disappointment was a total lack of
Bob-whites, absent from several areas where I
have heard them in the past. Biggest surprises
were the bobolinks I mentioned in a post
yesterday, and a green parakeet (budgerigar)
flying around at the middle school. Yellow-billed
Cuckoos and Orchard Orioles seemed above average.
Crow numbers seemed low compared to the
average. Recently-fledged birds seemed to swell
the flocks of starlings, barn swallows, house
sparrows, Canada geese, and grackles. The most
widely-distributed bird was the cardinal found in
68% of the sites. Other birds of interest were
willow flyctcher, warbling vireo, wild turkey (2
heard in the distance), good numbers of
grasshopper sparrows and meadowlarks still, a
kestrel on the silo he always seems to be on,
louisiana waterthrush, and yellow warbler.
The USGS BBS site has interesting analysis tools
to see the trends in bird populations over time.
If interested, click on this link to get to the
site for the data for this route.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/rtena22.pl?88002
One of the most interesting graphs is that of the
bob-white. See this link graphing its decline
since 1967.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/rtegif.pl?001087751325.rt
So here are the totals for yesterday's survey.
I hope you all have a grrrrrrreat summer full of
fun times watching neat birds.
Fred
Species (ave prev years) Total Ind. Tot. Stops
Black Vulture (2.2) 9 5
Turkey Vulture (5.1) 22 10
Canada Goose (40.2) 108 5
Red-shouldered Hawk (0) 1 1
Red-tailed Hawk (.2) 1 1
American Kestrel (.1) 1 1
Wild Turkey (.1) 2 2
Killdeer (3.1) 4 4
Rock Pigeon (9.9) 30 2
Mourning Dove (26.7) 35 26
Budgerigar 1 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1.1) 6 6
Chimney Swift (10.1) 11 6
Belted Kingfisher (.8) 1 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (6.1) 13 11
Downy Woodpecker (2.8) 3 3
Pileated Woodpecker (.1) 1 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee (6.1) 7 6
Acadian Flycatcher (.9) 1 1
Willow Flycatcher (.8) 1 1
Eastern Phoebe (4.6) 3 2
Great Crested Flycatcher (3.4) 3 3
Eastern Kingbird (7.2) 21 15
White-eyed Vireo (.9) 1 1
Warbling Vireo (1.4) 3 3
Red-eyed Vireo (2.7) 2 2
Blue Jay (9.2) 7 5
American Crow (60.6) 32 19
Fish Crow (4.4) 3 1
Tree Swallow (3) 5 3
N. Rough-winged Swallow (1.6) 2 1
Barn Swallow (30.1) 94 15
Carolina Chickadee (7.1) 8 5
Tufted Titmouse (8.8) 8 6
White-breasted Nuthatch (1.7) 1 1
Carolina Wren (9.8) 19 10
House Wren (13.3) 17 11
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2.3) 3 2
Eastern Bluebird (4.1) 9 7
Wood Thrush (4.1) 5 4
American Robin (38) 39 18
Gray Catbird (20.1) 52 25
Northern Mockingbird (29.8) 47 25
Brown Thrasher (2.6) 6 6
European Starling (121.3) 247 25
Cedar Waxwing (1.7) 10 6
Yellow Warbler (3.3) 1 1
Ovenbird (1.6) 2 1
Louisiana Waterthrush (.2) 1 1
Common Yellowthroat (8.4) 13 10
Yellow-breasted Chat (1.1) 1 1
Scarlet Tanager (.6) 1 1
Eastern Towhee (6.8) 10 8
Chipping Sparrow (15) 32 16
Field Sparrow (6.8) 15 10
Grasshopper Sparrow (8.8) 18 11
Song Sparrow (11.4) 30 19
Northern Cardinal (37.2) 81 34
Blue Grosbeak (.7) 3 3
Indigo Bunting (22.2) 23 15
Bobolink (.1) 3 1
Red-winged Blackbird (37.1) 55 16
Eastern Meadowlark (19.2) 22 10
Common Grackle (89.3) 198 23
Brown-headed Cowbird (6.8) 6 6
Orchard Oriole (1.6) 12 11
House Finch (8.8) 9 7
American Goldfinch (10) 20 14
House Sparrow (15.2) 41 12
=====
Frederick D. Atwood fredatwood@xxxxxxxxx
Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124
703-242-1675
http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood
http://www.flinthill.org
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