Birdability Week: Celebrating Accessible Birding. Join Us for a Special Bird Walk!

Photo: Part of the Five Beaks Birdathon team

Tina Dudley

As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusivity and making birding accessible to everyone, the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance is excited to celebrate Birdability Week! This week is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of accessible birding experiences and ensuring that bird watching is a welcoming activity for all individuals, regardless of mobility challenges or disabilities.

Why Accessibility Matters

Birding should be an activity enjoyed by everyone, and accessibility is a key factor in making this happen. For many, enjoying nature and birdwatching can be difficult if trails and facilities are not designed with accessibility in mind. By promoting accessible birding, we not only open up opportunities for more people to experience the joy of birdwatching, but we also foster a more inclusive community that values everyone’s ability to connect with nature.

Part of the Five Beaks Birdathon team

Accessibility features like level trails, clear signage, and accessible restrooms make a significant difference in allowing people with different abilities to enjoy birding. These features ensure that nature experiences are enjoyable, stress-free, and available to all, enhancing the sense of community and belonging.

Accessibility improvements benefit not only individuals with disabilities but also the broader community. Features such as smooth, well-maintained paths, clear signage, and accessible restrooms enhance the overall usability of spaces for everyone, including those with temporary injuries, parents with strollers, and older adults who may have mobility challenges. Birding is an activity particularly popular with our seniors. By designing and maintaining accessible trails, we ensure that the joy of birding can remain a part of people's lives well into their later years, preserving their connection to nature and their sense of independence.

Join Us for the Birdability Bird Walk

To celebrate Birdability Week and highlight accessible birding opportunities, we invite you to join us for a special Birdability Bird Walk on Sunday, October 27th. Here are the details:

Time: 8:00 AM
Meeting Location: Great Marsh Trailhead, Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge

Directions: Located on Gunston Road, the parking lot is on the right 1.25 miles past High Point Road (which leads to Mason Neck State Park). Look for the 25 mph Speed Limit sign just before the parking lot.

The Great Marsh Trail is an excellent example of an accessible trail, featuring a level and wide asphalt surface for about 0.85 miles, leading to a scenic overlook of the Great Marsh. The trail is wheelchair accessible, ensuring a comfortable birding experience for all participants. For more details on the trail, you can check the Birdability review on the Birdability Location Explorer by searching for "Great Marsh Trail."

We plan to return to the parking lot by 10:00 AM. After the walk, participants may want to tour the Visitor Center, look for birds on Belmont Bay from the concrete pad behind the Visitor Center,  and take a short stroll on the Osprey Trail overlooking Belmont Bay at Mason Neck State Park. Accessible restrooms are available at the Visitor Center for your convenience.

The Friends of Mason Neck State Park are committed to improving accessibility in the park. You can learn more about their Accessibility Program here. 

Why You Should Attend

This bird walk is a great opportunity for anyone who has a mobility restriction such as a wheelchair, a walker, or someone who would benefit from a more level walking surface, but all are welcome to attend!

It's also a chance to meet like-minded bird enthusiasts and engage with our community in celebrating Birdability Week. Whether you're a seasoned birder or new to the hobby, this event promises to be a rewarding experience.

For any questions or additional information, please feel free to reach out to us. Let’s make birding accessible and enjoyable for everyone!

Happy birding!

Field Trip to the Lorton Landfill

Photo: American Kestrel, David Zieg/Audubon Photography Awards

Greg Butcher

Why do I want to go birdwatching at a landfill? Only because I want to see multiple kestrels, harriers, Bald Eagles, meadowlarks, sparrows (maybe some rare ones, if I’m lucky). The I95 landfill is mostly closed, so we can safely drive around and experience open grassland birds and also visit small ponds and forest edges. 134 species have been recorded here, including 58 on a single day in late October. It’s one of those places where you’re never quite sure what you’ll see.

Join us at 8 AM on Saturday November 20 at the Administration Building by following Google Map directions to Fairfax County Recycling and Disposal Center, 9850 Furnace Road, Lorton VA. As you drive in past the weigh station (stay to the left so you don’t get weighed), the administration building is the first building on the right. Contact Greg Butcher for more information.

This walk is FREE, but registration is required.

Bird Walks are back!

Photo: Brook LaValley

Because the number of attendees at walks is very limited to allow social distancing whenever possible, these walks are intended for inexperienced birders.  You must wear a mask for situations where distancing on trails or from other walkers may not be possible. 

Click here to find a walk and register. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL WALKS! Once you have registered, the leader will tell you where to meet.

If you cannot attend a walk for which you are registered, PLEASE cancel as soon as possible and notify the leader by email.  If cancellations are at least 3 days in advance, we can fill the spot from the waiting list. 

Virtual Bird Walk at Oak Spring Garden

If you missed the virtual birding Facebook Premier with our friends at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, it’s available to view here. Join Laura McDonald, ASNV Program Manager and Tom Wood, ASNV Board member and GMU professor, on a virtual morning stroll through the property’s fields and forests. 

ASNV Bird Walks are Resuming in September—within Limits

Photo: Occoquan, Dixie Sommers

By Jean Tatalias and Dixie Sommers 

Soon we will begin—cautiously—to resume bird walks this fall. While the activity is outdoors, we still want to avoid the need for participants to be in close proximity. Even though the business economy is restarting, we realize that the virus is still a significant risk, especially to older people.

Our walks will be limited to 4 or 5 participants plus the leader. Participants must observe social distancing whenever possible and masks will be required when that is not possible—for example, when passing other walkers. Scopes will not be used. Locations will be chosen where trails are wide enough for the needed separation. 

The bird walk list will announce the general area for a walk (e.g., western Prince William County or south of Alexandria), the date and the leader. We will require that people enroll with the leader by email. The leader will limit the attendees to space available and will give enrollees the exact location to meet. Two September walks are being offered. 

These walks are intended for participants who would like the guidance of a leader. In parallel, we encourage our more experienced birders to continue with their own solo birding and photography outings.

When you register for a walk you are expected to be symptom-free if you attend. If you have registered but find you cannot attend, please notify the leader. We will keep a waiting list

This is a cautious beginning for all of us who miss birding together. Some may not be comfortable with even this limited format yet—and we respect their choice. If you do register, please follow the requirements out of respect for the leader and other participants.

We could use your birding skills!

Do you have a favorite spot to bird that you’d like to share with others?  Consider leading a winter or spring walk there for ASNV.  Leaders don’t have to be perfect birders—it’s a group effort.  Prime responsibilities are setting the date and meeting place, guiding the route, and helping new birders locate the sightings. 

Call or email to discuss:

Jean Tatalias or 703-281-6099