Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

At the regular monthly bird walk at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve  south of Leesburg, about 18 people enjoyed a cooler morning and a  flurry of activity right next to the parking lot that produced the  best 20 minutes of birding of the morning, including the first of two  male Blue Grosbeaks, a perched Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Kingbirds,  Pewees and Phoebes, a drop-by Red-eyed Vireo, Brown Thrasher, many  Bluebirds, 2 Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Towhee pairs, Field Sparrows, and  Orchard Orioles. 

Later we found a pair of Wood Thrushes carrying food  to a nest about 25 feet off the ground. 

Early likely migrants  included 2 female Redstarts. 

Following is the list of 36 species:

Canada Goose,Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, No. Flicker, E. Wood-Pewee, E. Phoebe, E. Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Am. Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, E. Bluebird, Wood Thrush, Am. Robin, Gray Catbird, No. Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Eur. Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Am. Redstart, E. Towhee, Field Sparrow, No. Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak – 2 male, Indigo Bunting, Orchard Oriole, Am. Goldfinch

Mary Ann Good, with co-leader Del Sargent

On July 24th, Del Sargent led the regular monthly Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center in northwestern Loudoun Co.  At the same time Marcia Weidner & Joe Coleman led a small group of Cub Scouts and their parents on a much shorter walk in both time & distance.
 
As Del wrote: Five very heat tolerant birders braved the hottest day this year in Loudoun County to trek the woods of the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship.  We planned our walk so that we were generally in the shade, which was basically the Farmstead Loop.  The big find for the day was a family of KENTUCKY WARBLERS with very impatient young begging for food.  Two Black Vultures sat on the roof of the house where they were probably hatched.
 
It was an int’g day w/the butterflies already active at 6 am and most birds quiet by 8 am.
 
Information on the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship which is open every day of the year can be found at http://www.blueridgecenter.org.   Information on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy many free walks and programs can be found at www.loudounwildlife.org. 
 
A total of 36 species on both walks were tallied:
Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture , Turkey Vulture, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo , Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, American Crow, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler. Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Common Grackle, Orchard Oriole, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

On July 17, a total of 12 people found 17 different butterfly species on a very hot & humid Butterfly Walk at the Blue Ridge Center.  Most of the two-hour walk was spent on the organic farm which was, by far, the most productive spot we visited.  The reason for this was that with the exception of some thistles, little was flowering in the fields.  However, it looks like a lot of the late summer flowers should be blooming in time to make the Blue Ridge Center a great place to visit for our Annual Butterfly Count on Saturday, August 7.
 
While there were a lot of butterflies, there wasn’t as much variety in species as expected.  The highlight of the walk was an AMERICAN SNOUT that landed and briefly perched on one of the participants.  Interestingly enough a HACKBERRY EMPEROR, as they are prone to do, landed on the same individual a little while later and wouldn’t leave. 
 
Most of the butterflies we saw were CLOUDED SULPHURS and SULPHURS, though there were also a fair number of EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAILS, including several dark morph female, EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAILS.  We also saw Spicebush Swallowtail, Cabbage White, Eastern-tailed Blue, Variegated Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Silver-spotted Skipper, Horace’s Duskywing, Least Skipper, Peck’s Skipper, Little Glassywing, and Dun Skipper. 
 
Three weeks ago during the regular monthly bird walk on June 26, when a lot more was blooming, we had more diversity and in addition to the above butterflies also saw Pipevine Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Meadow Fritillary, Red-spotted Purple, Northern Pearly-eye, and Monarch butterflies.
 
For more information about the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, one of Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s partners and open to the public every day of the year, visit www.brces.org.
 
To sign up for the Annual Butterfly Count visit http://www.loudounwildlife.org/Butterfly_Count.htm.

Five of us birded the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve on July 10.  When we arrived the rain was still coming down pretty heavily but by 8:15 had tapered off considerably and was finished by 8:30 am.  Because a lot of the birds were very wet fledglings identification was rather tough for the first hour or so and resulted in some rather int’g discussions over behavior and shape.  And of course none of us had a guide with us that showed fledgling plumage well.  It was a lot easier after it dried out.
 
The highlights at Banshee included a lot of Blue Grosbeaks, prob. more than most of us have ever seen before, including some recently fledged youngsters begging as well as beautiful adult males.  We also had very healthy numbers of Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-breasted Chats, Eastern Towhees, Field Sparrows, and Orchard Orioles.  Many of these were also recently fledged and begging birds.
 
After wrapping up at Banshee Reeks, Donna Quinn & I drove over to the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project where we spent a little less than an hour and found several shorebird species including four SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS.
 
The regular monthly free bird walk (every 2nd Sat) at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve is sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy (www.loudounwildlife.org) and the Friends of Banshee Reeks (www.bansheereeks.org); information on both and their upcoming events can be found on their websites.  On these Saturdays, depending on the weather & the time of the year, we often visit the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project either before or after the Banshee walk.
 
Good birding,
Joe Coleman, near Bluemont, Loudoun Co
 
Location:     Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve – MFF08
Observation date:     7/10/10
Number of species:     51

Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern), American Kestrel, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Prairie Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, American Goldfinch

Location:     Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project
Observation date:     7/10/10
Number of species:     26

Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher (Atlantic), Mourning Dove, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Common Yellowthroat, Field Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle (Purple), American Goldfinch

Seven birders joined Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a very pleasant bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship on Saturday, June 26. 

We met and spent a few minutes birding the area right around the Visitor Center before and after the main walk in the central portion of the Center.  Not only did we hear a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the woods next to the Visitor Center we were entertained by a couple of YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS, one of which was very vocal and active right next to where we were tallying at the end of the walk. 

Because of the heat we headed over to Arnold Rd and spent most of the morning’s walk in the center’s extensive woods and followed a variety of trails crossing Piney Run twice and Sweet Run twice as well. 

We did spend about 30 minutes on the Butterfly Alley Trail along the powercut where we heard BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS, a couple more chats, and saw several butterflies – including this fresh Pipevine Swallowtail shown in the photo by Norm Gresley.
 
In addition to watching CEDAR WAXWINGS courting we picked up nine warbler species, including a CERULEAN, a KENTUCKY, a REDSTART, a couple of OVENBIRDS, great views of a vocalizing LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, and one WHITE-EYED VIREO along with numerous ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS, RED-EYED VIREOS, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS, and INDIGO BUNTINGS.  As we were walking back to our cars after tallying we got great views of a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW vocalizing.
 
Additionally we saw quite a few butterflies species including a PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL, a couple of Zebra Swallowtails, several Great-spangled Fritillaries, a Meadow Fritillary, several Red-spotted Purples, a very worn Northern Pearly-eye, and a Monarch.
 
Joe Coleman
 
Location:     Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship
Observation date:     6/26/10
Number of species:     56

Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern), Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Cerulean Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

The 17 people who showed up for our monthly bird walk at Loudoun County’s Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve found 49 species of birds of which the highlights included singing OVENBIRDS and WOOD THRUSHES along the road as we entered the preserve, an under-birded but rich area due to the healthy understory that still exists in much of that area. 

The walk itself started with excellent views of a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and an EASTERN KINGBIRD close to the parking lot.   It was also a lot of fun to stop by the MAPS banding station and watch them band several birds. 

In the woods near the banding station we had great views of both a male & female SCARLET TANAGER and in other places saw a couple of AMERICAN KESTRELS, a small flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS, heard a PRAIRIE WARBLER, and saw several ORCHARD ORIOLES as well as a single BALTIMORE ORIOLE flying over the Goose Creek.
 
After we wrapped up at Banshee Reeks four of us stopped by the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project where, because of the lateness of the hour and the heat and humidity, there wasn’t that much activity but we did add a few more birds to the list, the nicest being seven GREAT EGRETS and a Great Blue Heron in a dead tree in the middle of the wetlands, the same tree where two adult BALD EAGLES perched during our walk on Wed. morning. 

We also saw a large dark shape moving around in the BALD EAGLE nest, heard two dif. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, and watched several Red-winged Blackbirds harass and COMMON RAVEN who must have come too close to their nests.
 
Best, Joe Coleman, near Bluemont, Loudoun Co

Location:     Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve
Observation date:     6/12/10
Number of species:     49

Canada Goose, Mallard, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Prairie Warbler, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle (Purple), Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole,American Goldfinch,

Location:     Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project
Observation date:     6/12/10
Number of species:     31

Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Bald Eagle, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Common Raven, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Common Yellowthroat,, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, American Goldfinch

Fifteen people showed up for very damp bird walks at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation and the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve (BRNP) on Wed., June 9. 

The highlights of the 57 species seen the on & off rain were 2 GREAT EGRETS, 2 BALD EAGLES perched on a snag in the middle of the Wetlands, 4 or 5 AMERICAN KESTRELS (several near the BRNP nest box where they successfully nested), 2 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, COMMON RAVEN, WILLOW FLYCATCHERS, and at least 15 ORCHARD ORIOLES scattered through both the Wetlands & Banshee Reeks.

Best,
Joe Coleman, near Bluemont, Loudoun Co

Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project
Number of species:     45
Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pew, e, Willow Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Blue Jay, American Crow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, American Goldfinch

Location:     Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve
Number of species:     41
Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, Killdeer, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, American Crow, Fish Crow, Common Raven, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat,Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, American Goldfinch.

This past Wednesday, eight people came out for our mid-week walk as we explored the great habitat around Foxcroft School near Middleburg. We investigated the rich hedgerows, walked through the woods and down to Goose Creek. 

The highlight was seeing a Belted Kingfisher going into its nest burrow.  This fascinating bird actually digs a burrow into the banks of rivers and streams for its nest site. 

Joe wrote: “Seeing the Belted Kingfisher duck into its nest hole under the think hanging vegetation was fantastic (something I have looked for for years).  It was also nice to see the Rough-winged Swallows duck in & out of their holes and to hear the woods full of spring sounds.  And we had great looks at Scarlet Tanagers (male & female) almost at eye level.”  

Overcast conditions turned to sunshine during the morning.  Many thanks to Christine Perdue for leading this field trip for us! Here’s her summary of sightings:

The group had 48 species during the walk:  Belted kingfisher (nesting) (1); Prairie warbler (1); Chestnut-sided warbler (1); Northern parula (2); Black-throated blue warbler (1); Black and white warbler (1); Common yellowthroat (1); Blackpoll warblers (6); La. waterthrush (2); Scarlet tanager (5); Red-eyed vireo (4); White-eyed vireo (1); Eastern wood pewee (2); Great crested flycatcher (1); Yellow-billed cuckoo (1); Northern flicker (1); Red-bellied woodpecker (2); Blue-grey gnatcatcher (4); Indigo bunting (5); Carolina wren (1); Spotted sandpiper (2); Solitary sandpiper (4); Cedar waxwings (6); Purple martin (2); Northern rough-wingedswallow (6) (nesting); Barn swallows (2); Mourning dove (2); American goldfinch (3); American robin (2); Bluebird (2); Chipping sparrow (1); House sparrow (6); Turkey vulture (3); Black vulture (2); American crow (4); Common raven (1); Blue jay (1); Northern cardinal (6); Catbirds (10); Northern mockingbird (2); Rock pigeon (2); Red-shouldered hawk (1); Carolina chickadee (1); Tufted titmouse (7), Red-headed Woopeckers (2), Brown Thrasher (1), and Chimney Swifts overhead.

Sorry for my delayed posting of this report but here’s the report from Joe Coleman on the great diversity of birds at the Blue Ridge Center on May 8th:

One of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s International Migratory Bird Day walks on May 8th was at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. The highlights of the walk, led by Joe Coleman & Larry Meade, included 12 warbler species, 2 Bald Eagles flying over together, American Kestrels, a Barred Owl, numerous Peewees & numerous Acadian Flycatchers 3 vireo species, a single Swamp Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrows, a lingering White-throated Sparrow, numerous Indigo Buntings, and Eastern Meadowlarks.

The 7 participants met & finished at the Visitor Center but spent most of their time walking from the end of Sawmill Rd deep into the forest where we briefly visited Gordon Pond and then down Arnold Rd to Piney Run where we had left a couple of cars.  The most productive areas were the east side of the large field at the end of Sawmill Rd, the marshy area in the power cut, and the Arnold Rd near Piney Run and Arnold Trail around Sweet Run. 

Once the wind kicked up it got a lot quieter and more difficult to find several of the more common species. In addition to the birds, we also saw several different butterfly species. Information on the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship can be found at http://www.blueridgecenter.org.   Information on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy can be found at www.loudounwildlife.org. 

Number of species:     72
Canada Goose, Mallard, Wild Turkey, Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern), American Kestrel,Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Gerry Hawkins and I led one of the 10 bird walks we had going on last Saturday in celebration of International Migratory Bird Day.

For our walk, we went all around Bles Park – from the fields to the wetlands to the river, and we had some wonderful views of different birds.

We then went over to the Great Blue Heron rookery and observed them for awhile as they tended their nests. 

We finished our morning with a great walk through the nature trails around Loudoun Water where we had amazing views of Eastern Kingbirds among others.

We had an excellent day birding these areas, although some common species (year round-ers like woodpeckers as well as summer residents like the chats) were missing. Warblers were down too but we did get a great view of a Northern Parula (shown here).  

In all we had 54 species:

Canada Goose, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great egret, Snowy egret, Green heron, Black vulture (poss. Nesting at Loudoun water), Turkey vulture, sharp-shinned hawk, Red-tailed hawk, Amer. Kestrel, Solitary sandpiper, Rock pigeon, Mourning dove, Chimney Swift, Belted kingfisher, Red-bellied woodpecker, Northern flicker, Peewee, Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Amer. Crow, Fish Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue0gray gnat-catcher, Eastern bluebird, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European starling, Cedar waxwing, Northern Parula, Prairie warbler, Blackpoll warbler, Nothern Waterthrush, Common yellowthroat, Chipping sparrow, Song sparrow, Northern cardinal, Indigo bunting, Red-winged blackbird, Common grackle, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Amer. Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Many thanks to Gerry for such a great walk!  We had fun exploring the trail through Loudoun Water too!