There’s so much happening at NVBA in the coming months, and there’s so much more to do. See how joining our new local membership program will help us keep working for birds right here in northern Virginia.

From September 12–20, communities across the country will celebrate Latino Conservation Week, a time to recognize the important contributions of Latino communities to conservation and to encourage greater participation in protecting and enjoying our natural world.

Judy Gallagher is an NVBA board member and a regular surveyor of local wildlife who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.

Butterflies are with us once again, moving softly and quietly across the landscape. They’ve been called flying flowers, floating poems, nature’s confetti, and many other appreciative metaphors. But words fall short every time.

The population of Osprey in the saltier portions of the Chesapeake Bay is declining dramatically due to the overfishing of menhaden on which the Osprey rely as a principal food source. 

NVBA is looking for the next editor of our newsletter, The Potomac Flier! If you love writing and have a passion for birds and conservation, this volunteer position could be a great fit for you.

We've been watching the birds of northern Virginia very closely. Maybe too closely.

For the last four years it’s has been a pleasure and an honor to be NVBA’s president. I want to take this opportunity to thank the great folks on our board, on our staff, in our volunteer ranks, and among our members and communities – and to highlight how, working with these groups, NVBA has been able to strengthen and grow its bird and nature conservation efforts. 

Why is that Northern Cardinal bald? We all have bad hair days. Birds have bad feather weeks every late summer as they go through molt. Some, like Northern Cardinals, take the process to the extreme. 

The 2026 Winter Waterfowl Survey, sponsored by NVBA, was conducted on February 14 and 15. Nearly 70 participants monitored areas along the Potomac River from western Loudoun County to Quantico Marine Base in Prince William County.

Depending on its position and angle, planting a slope isn’t always easy. But the rewards can be considerable.

One of my favorite sights (and sounds) of spring is my first Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) of the season. I’ve always found them elegant-looking, with a sleek, slaty body, jaunty black cap and rusty patch under the tail. 

Judy Gallagher is an NVBA board member and a regular surveyor of local wildlife who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.

There are both native and non-native dogwoods available in the nursery trade, as well as hybrid crosses. It is important to know that all dogwoods are not created equal when it comes to their value to wildlife.

Black Birders Week changed my life. It changed the way I see myself in environmental spaces. It was the reason I joined the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance board and gave me the opportunity to meet Black birders, photographers, artists, conservation leaders, and other Black nature enthusiasts. 

National Geographic defines citizen science as “the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge.” Projects usually do not require specialized knowledge, and volunteers often train new ones.

The equinox is a reminder that things begin again. Birds feel it before we do, returning, singing, coming back to the spaces they need. And that's exactly what I want us to think about this May during spring migration and the local nesting season: who gets to be in those spaces with them?

National Wildlife Refuges are entering a period of uncertainty that could undermine the vital protections they offer to around 800 bird species across the country. Northern Virginia’s refuges are not immune from the looming pressures, but area refuges outside the federal system are thriving.

It’s the time of year when more of us are spending time outdoors, watching and photographing birds. It’s also a good time to review the principles of ethical birding. 

Northern Virginia’s stream and river water quality is not great. Although agriculture is the largest contributor by far of nutrient and sediment loads in Virginia’s streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay, urban and suburban stormwater runoff is the second-largest and the fastest-growing contributor to these pollutants.