Twenty-nine people showed up for the bird walk at the Banshee Reeks Nature
Preserve in central Loudoun Co (www.bansheereeks.org) the morning of June 10.
A few people stopped by the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project (DGWMP)
on Oatlands Mill Rd before the walk to view the eaglets & were not disappointed
as the 3 BALD EAGLE eaglets were clearly visible feeding & flexing their wings
on the nest. Because of the number of people we split into two groups at
Banshee, one led by Elliot Kirschbaum & Laura Weidner & the other by Mary Ann
Good & Joe Coleman. The highlights of the 62-species day included a WILLOW
FLYCATCHER and an active & easily seen BLUE GROSBEAK close & to the east of the
Visitor Center, and a visit to the MAPS banding station where we saw a few
birds banded. There were also Willow Flycatchers on the DGWMP.
We also noticed 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, June 17 & June 18, from 8 am to 4
pm and there is a scheduled Butterfly & Dragonfly Walk at 10:30 am on the 17th.
The complete list follows:
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 10
Turkey Vulture 10
Canada Goose 3
Bald Eagle 2 adults (& 3 eaglets on the DGWMP)
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 8
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Acadian Flycatcher 7
Willow Flycatcher 1 (also on the DGWMP)
Eastern Phoebe 4
Great Crested Flycatcher 6
Eastern Kingbird 10
Red-eyed Vireo 5
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 1
crow sp. 2
Tree Swallow 40
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 20
Carolina Chickadee 10
Tufted Titmouse 10
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 6
House Wren 1
Eastern Bluebird 35
Wood Thrush 11
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 6
Brown Thrasher 4
European Starling 30
Cedar Waxwing 1
Northern Parula 3
Prairie Warbler 1
Ovenbird 1 (heard going in & out of the preserve)
Common Yellowthroat 5
Yellow-breasted Chat 2
Scarlet Tanager 5
Eastern Towhee 5
Chipping Sparrow 6
Field Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal 8
Blue Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 16
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Common Grackle 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Baltimore Oriole 3
Northern Oriole 12
House Finch 3
Am Goldfinch 10
Butterflies Seen:
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail
Spring Azure
Great-spangled Fritillary
Silvery Checkerspot
Pearl Crescent
Eastern Comma
Northern Pearly Eye
Little Wood Satyr
Silver-spotted Skipper
Joe Coleman
jandkcoleman@xxxxxxxxx or 540-554-2542
