This morning 6 of us visited a very dry Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation
Project (DGWMP) at 6:30 a.m. and 11 people participated in the regular Loudoun
Wildlife Conservancy and Friends of Banshee Reeks monthly bird walk at 8 am
walk at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, both in central Loudoun Co, near
Oatlands Plantation. Most of the 60 species of birds observed were at Banshee
as even most of the mud at the DGWMP was dry & packed.
The highlights at Banshee were PURPLE MARTINS and a first year PRAIRIE WARBLER
along The Woods Road. Other juvenile birds included RED-TAILED HAWKS,
RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, GREEN HERONS, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS, CEDAR WAXWINGS, both
Oriole species, and more. RAVENS were seen at both locations. At the DGWMP
there was a single SPOTTED SANDPIPER and 1 BALD EAGLE among the normal
suspects. A large mixed kettle of vultures (at least 60), both Black and
Turkey, was over the landfill.
Information on Banshee Reeks can be found at http://www.bansheereeks.org. ;
Information on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy can be found at
www.loudounwildlife.org.
There is a Butterfly & Dragonfly walk at Banshee Reeks next Saturday from 10:30
am to noon.
Birds seen (where there is a second check mark/number, it is for the Dulles
Wetlands):
Great Blue Heron 0/1
Green Heron 0/4
Black Vulture x/x
Turkey Vulture x/x
Canada Goose x
Bald Eagle 0/1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/4
Red-tailed Hawk 3
American Kestrel 1
Spotted Sandpiper 0/1
Rock Pigeon 2/2
Mourning Dove x/x
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 6
Chimney Swift 1
Belted Kingfisher 2/3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 4/2
Northern Flicker 3
Pileated Woodpecker 7
Eastern Wood-pewee x/x
Acadian Flycatcher x
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird x/x
White-eyed Vireo x
Red-eyed Vireo x
Blue Jay x/x
American Crow x/x
Fish Crow x/x
Common Raven x/x
Purple Martin 11
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow x/x
Carolina Chickadee x/x
Tufted Titmouse x/x
White-breasted Nuthatch x/x
Carolina Wren x/x
House Wren x
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher x/x
Eastern Bluebird x/x
Wood Thrush x
American Robin abundant x/x
Northern Mockingbird x/x
European Starling x/x
Cedar Waxwing x/x
PRAIRIE WARBLER 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Eastern Towhee x
Field Sparrow x/x
Song Sparrow x/x
Northern Cardinal x/x
Indigo Bunting x
Red-winged Blackbird 0/x
Common Grackle x
Baltimore Oriole x
Orchard Oriole x
House Finch x
Am Goldfinch x/x
Butterflies noted:
Black Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Clouded Sulphur
Orange Sulphur
Eastern-Tailed Blue
Spring Azure
Great Spangled Fritillary
Pearl Crescent
Red-spotted Purple
Northern Pearly-eye
Monarch
Silver-spotted Skipper
Zabulon
Joe Coleman, near Bluemont, Loudoun Co
