On December 13 Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy held two birding events at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve on a seasonably cold morning. Eight people led by Joe Coleman and Larry Meade held a Christmas Bird Count (CBC) training session that introduced birders to the CBC, the nation’s longest-running community science bird project, and how it is administered in Loudoun County. Four other birders joined Michael Sciortino and Pat Whittle for the normally scheduled monthly bird walk. The two groups joined as one after the CBC presentation and continued the walk. Combined, the group recorded 31 species.

The parking lot was eerily quiet with virtually no bird activity to start. This was especially notable because the parking lot is usually chockful of birds perching in the trees, calling from the nearby fields or flying overhead. The cold temperatures seemed to be influencing activity. As the CBC group headed in to the warmth of the Banshee Reeks Visitor Center, the smaller group headed out for the cold trails.

Eastern Bluebird. Photo by Michael Sciortino

The small group ventured onto the Raspberry trail to explore the edge habitat and get views of the valley and surrounding skies. The bird activity was still quiet. We heard the call of a Northern Flicker off in the distance and began hearing White-throated and Song Sparrows chipping from the brambles. Two Red-shouldered Hawks called from the adjacent field as they were being mobbed by Blue Jays and American Crows. We did not get to see the hawks, but we knew they were there. We had sightings of numerous Cedar Waxwings and Eastern Bluebirds as we made our way. We were delighted the see a lone Cooper’s Hawk as it flew from the field into the woods; we would see this hawk again with the main group. The various woodpeckers began waking up, and we spotted Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, as well as Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. A few more Northern Flickers joined in as well.

The two groups met up near the junction of the Raspberry and Carter-Luck trails and combined efforts. We again saw the Cooper’s Hawk as we turned in the direction of the Goose Creek. A lone Great Blue Heron flew above the trees heading to the northwest. The combined group was moved to see the enormous eagle’s nest perched in the sycamore tree on the far side of the Goose Creek with great views of its construction. The nest seemed to be in great shape and ready for action in the new nesting season. While we were admiring the structure, we saw two Bald Eagles nearby although neither of them visited the nest.

At this point it was getting cold, and temperatures seemed to be dropping so we quickened our pace and started our way back to the Visitor Center via the Goose Creek trail. We made a quick stop at the Goose Creek observation point, and it was quiet. From the Goose Creek trail, we expected to see vultures take to the skies, but we did not record a single observation because the conditions were just too cold. Northern Mockingbirds took up their usual spots from the trees and bushes in the field to the left of us and watched us closely as we hurried by. We made a stop at the Spring Pond to see if there was any activity, but it, too, was quiet.

We made our way back to the warmth of the Visitor Center and made our final tally for the day. For as quiet as the day was from a birding standpoint, we were still able to record 31 species in addition to getting ready for the annual Christmas Bird Count. The complete list of species can be seen below or on eBird at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S288404996.

Downy Woodpecker.
Photo by Michael Sciortino

Species List:
Canada Goose 30
duck sp. 2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 12
Great Blue Heron 1
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 4
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 30
Fish Crow 2
Common Raven 2
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Carolina Wren 3
Northern Mockingbird 5
Eastern Bluebird 12
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 7
Cedar Waxwing 35
American Goldfinch 1
Dark-eyed Junco 6
White-throated Sparrow 30
Song Sparrow 8
blackbird sp. 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Northern Cardinal 15

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