100 Bird Species Recorded at Hidden Creek Country Club The 164 acres of Hidden Creek Country Club are part of Bob Simon’s vision for consolidating large tracts of open space for recreational as well as visual relief for all who pass by. It is no surprise that developers wish to build housing on this open space. Fortunately, the County stands firm that the land use designation is golf course open space. Dave Young, a volunteer birder and trip leader at Great Falls’ Riverbend Park, shares another reason to keep this open space. He has been birdwatching from his home bordering Hidden Creek for over 38 years. He considers himself fortunate to have purchased a home adjoining designated open space that provides an opportunity to do backyard birding and survey the daily avian goings-on in Reston.
Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Barred Owl
Since 1980 he has recorded the birds that he has observed on, above and breeding at Hidden Creek Country Club or on his bordering property on North Shore Drive. Some birds are year-round residents and others are seasonal migrants, including flyovers who soar above on the thermals. Open spaces such as Hidden Creek CC provide a brief resting and safe cover area during these yearly migrations, which are often over distances of a thousand miles or more. It cannot be overstated how valuable this open space is as a vital stop during their migration. Most important, perhaps, are those birds that make this jewel of open space their year-round home and the neo-tropical migrants who annually travel here to breed. The tree canopies and areas along the margins of the golf course are established territory for these birds, providing essential food and cover. In his list of 100 species, Dave has indicated with an asterisk those birds that have bred here between 1980 and 2018.
Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Dave shared his list with Rescue Reston and our community in hope of inspiring more involvement in Reston’s winter bird count, which occurs on the first Saturday in January. He also asks the community to stand united that there be no housing on Hidden Creek so that his list does not become a historical record of what was lost. To see the complete list of 100 species, go to rescuereston.org/birds-of-reston. All photos taken in Reston by Arthur Hass, https://aehass.zenfolio.com. Over the last ten years Hass has photographed 105 species throughout Reston.
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