The bird walk on Saturday, December 12 brought 14 birders to Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve. In order to stay socially distant while birding, we split onto two groups, one led by Mike Sciortino and Jen Leeper, which found 34 species, and the other by Joe Coleman and Donna Quinn, which found 30 species.

It was a beautiful though chilly morning for a bird walk and everyone in both groups seemed to really enjoy themselves with one group covering the area west and south of the parking area while the other group walked to the far eastern side of the preserve. The highlights of Mike and Jen’s group were a pair of Bald Eagles (a second-year immature and an adult along Goose Creek), a Golden-crowned Kinglet, and a couple of flocks of Cedar Waxwings. The highlights of Joe and Donna’s group were flyover Black Ducks and Green-winged Teal, and great looks at two very vocal and cooperative Hermit Thrushes. Both groups enjoyed watching active and vocal Common Ravens and both groups found six of the our area’s seven winter woodpeckers, only missing out on Red-headed Woodpeckers which continue to be very scarce.

For a complete list of all the birds observed at Banshee Reeks by the two groups see below or visit eBird at https://ebird.org/checklist/S77378788 and https://ebird.org/checklist/S77379426.

This regular, monthly bird walk (every second Saturday) at Banshee Reeks is sponsored by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Friends of Banshee Reeks .

Juvenile Bald Eagle
Photo by Michael Sciortino

Mike and Jen’s group list:
Canada Goose 29
Mallard 4
duck sp. 9
Ring-billed Gull 1
Turkey Vulture 6
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 7
Downy Woodpecker 10
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 4
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 10
Common Raven 3
Carolina Chickadee 7
Tufted Titmouse 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren 8
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 3
Eastern Bluebird 12
American Robin 5
Cedar Waxwing 27
American Goldfinch 2
Dark-eyed Junco 3
White-throated Sparrow 20
Song Sparrow 5
Eastern Towhee 2
Northern Cardinal 6

Joe and Donna’s group list:
Canada Goose 4
Mallard 5
American Black Duck 2
Green-winged Teal 2
Mourning Dove 1
Turkey Vulture 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 6
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 2
Common Raven 2
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 5
Northern Mockingbird 2
Eastern Bluebird 9
Hermit Thrush 2
American Goldfinch 10
Dark-eyed Junco 2
White-throated Sparrow 30
Eastern Towhee 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 8

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