NVBA News Blog
American Robin. Photo: Mick Thompson/Audubon Photography Awards
Welcome to the blog for Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, a wealth of resources about northern Virginia birds, wildlife, habitat conservation and restoration, native plants, wildlife-friendly gardening, advocacy and more.
Attractive Flies? Yes!
Some flies deserve a much closer look. Explore a few of our lesser-known but fascinating and - dare we say - beautiful fly species.
The Intriguing World of Carrion Beetles
Carrion and burying beetles help the environment by eating carcasses and breaking them down. As Wikipedia so succinctly puts it, this "prevents accumulation of deceased organisms," and they help suppress fly populations. Let's hear it for these charming creatures!
A Different Perspective on Weevils
Weevils have a bad reputation. But I've become fascinated with weevils as I see more of them through my macro lens. They are most unusual-looking creatures, and they aren't all pests.
Galls: Winter Evidence of Insects to Come
Live insects are challenging to find at this time of year. But signs of them remain in the form of galls, a swelling growth of plant tissue.
The Wonderful World of Wasps
While researching something recently, I read that bees were descended from Crabronid or Square-headed Wasps, and I thought that the wasps would be an interesting topic for this column.
Our Very Necessary Insects
People spend more time trying to kill insects than trying to save them, University of Delaware entomologist Douglas Tallamy told a Zoom gathering of 300 on September 25.