Sixteen people participated in the bird walk at the Banshee Reeks Nature
Preserve in central Loudoun Co (www.bansheereeks.org) yesterday morning, July
9. A few of us were fortunate enough to survey, with permission, the Dulles
Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project before hand. The highlights of the
62-species day included a BALD EAGLE hanging out around its nest at the
Wetlands, but no sign of any young), a VIRGINIA RAIL (heard) at the Wetlands,
WILLOW FLYCATCHERS (heard & seen on the Wetlands), YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT (seen &
very-well heard), EASTERN MEADOWLARKS and a visit to the MAPS banding station
where we saw a few birds banded. As a result of the heavy rains earlier in the
week the Wetlands was full of water and there was no exposed mud to be found.
We also saw quite a few butterflies.
Don't forget that Banshee is open to the general public next week (the 3rd
weekend of the month) on Saturday & Sunday, July 16 & July 17, from 8 am to 4
pm and there will be a butterfly walk sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife
Conservancy (www.loudounwildlife.org) & FOBR at 10 am on the 16th.
The complete list follows (the 2nd number is for the Wetlands):
Green Heron 3/8
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Wood Duck 1/6
Mallard 0/1
Bald Eagle 0/1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2/1
Virginia Rail 0/1
Killdeer 0/1
Rock Pigeon 0/1
Mourning Dove 5
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2
Chimney Swift 0/1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1/1
Belted Kingfisher 1/5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3/1
Acadian Flycatcher 1
Willow Flycatcher 0/6
Eastern Phoebe 2/1
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 2/1
Red-eyed Vireo 5
Blue Jay 10
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 1
Tree Swallow 6/4
No. Rough-winged Swallow 0/2
Barn Swallow 6/13
Carolina Chickadee 8
Tufted Titmouse 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 10
Carolina Wren 4/1
House Wren 4/4
Eastern Bluebird 4
Wood Thrush 9
American Robin 4
Gray Catbird 12/5
Northern Mockingbird 5/1
Brown Thrasher 1/1
European Starling 3/6
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow Warbler 0/1
Ovenbird 2 (heard as we were driving into & out of the preserve)
Louisiana Waterthrush 1(very vocal along the stream that runs alongside the
Cathedral Trail
Common Yellowthroat 12/6
Yellow-breasted Chat 4/1
Scarlet Tanager 1
Eastern Towhee 6/2
Chipping Sparrow 3
Field Sparrow 15/6
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Indigo Bunting 10/3
Red-winged Blackbird 2/50
Brown-headed Cowbird 3/6
Baltimore Oriole 2
Northern Oriole 13/2
Am Goldfinch 25/6
AMPHIBIANS
Fowler's Toad - 1
American Toad - lots
Bullfrog - heard
BUTTERFLIES
Zebra Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Black Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Orange Sulphur
Eastern-tailed Blue
Great-spangled Fritillary
Pearl Crescent
American Lady
Painted Lady
Red Admiral
Red-spotted Purple
Viceroy
Tawny Emperor
Monarch
Silver-spotted Skipper
Horace's Duskywing
MOTHS
Clearwing Sphinx Moth
Eight-spotted Forester
Joe Coleman
jandkcoleman@xxxxxxxxx or 540-554-2542
