NVBA NEWS BLOG
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.
Local Teen Wins National Audubon Society Photo Award
James Fatemi, a junior at Mclean High School, won the Youth Honorable Mention Award in the National Audubon Society’s 2023 Photography Contest.
Photo: Green-winged Teals, James Fatemi/Audubon Photography Awards
Tom Blackburn
Green-winged Teals, James Fatemi/Audubon Photography Awards
James Fatemi
James Fatemi, a junior at McLean High School, won the Youth Honorable Mention Award in the National Audubon Society’s 2023 Photography Contest. James’s photograph of Green-winged Teals mating during a snowfall at Huntley Meadows Park impressed the judges, one of whom praised his decision to take the photo in adverse weather and stated, “The colors on the male pop beautifully against the overall muted color palette.”
James is no stranger to photo contests. His photo of an American Toad titled “King of His Domain” won first prize in both the Youth and Overall divisions in the 2021 Friends of Huntley Meadows Park photo contest when James was just 14. He also won first prize in the Youth category for the Friends’ 2020 contest.
“King of His Domain,” James Fatemi
James learned the basics of photography about four years ago from his father, Fredrik, who said, “It wasn’t long before James began teaching me things.” His first important photo was of a Scarlet Tanager that he took for his grandmother, who had only ever seen one. James recently has developed an interest in macro photography and enjoys taking pictures of insects as well as birds and other wildlife. You can see more of James’s photos here and here. You can see all of the National Audubon Society’s 2023 award winners here.
Photo Haiku Project Gallery
By sharing a Photo Haiku, others can experience the feeling that the photographer/author had. We explored this art form in recent Fireside Chats and we think you'll agree that Fireside Chat participants are a talented group!
Photo Haiku uses inspiring nature photos combined with the simple elegance of Haiku poetry to express encounters with the natural world. By sharing a Photo Haiku, others can experience the feeling that the photographer/author had. We explored this art form in recent Fireside Chats and we think you'll agree that Fireside Chat participants are a talented group!
A Year in Photos from Wildlife Surveys
Even though COVID disrupted regular wildlife surveys this year, individual survey members still took to the field. Here’s a stunning set of photographs that represents a small sample of what they saw in 2020.
By Judy Gallagher
In normal years, Jim Waggener leads regularly scheduled general Wildlife and Butterfly/Dragonfly surveys. Because of COVID, official surveys are not being conducted. However, individual survey members have still been viewing wildlife, collecting data and taking pictures. Here is a sample of what they saw in 2020.
Click on any image for a larger view.
Pictures in this article are protected by copyright. If you'd like to use an image, please contact ASNV and we’ll connect you with the photographer for permission.
January
This Leconte's Sparrow was photographed by Ed Eder at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the regularly scheduled wildlife survey in January.
February
Su Kim's picture of Ring-necked Ducks at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge was taken in February, just prior to the cancellation of the rest of the year's surveys.
March
March's picture is an Eastern Fence Lizard, resplendent in breeding colors, seen at Meadowood by Gary Myers.
April
The Garter Snake was seen in intimate detail by Judy Gallagher at Meadowood in April.
May
Rusty Moran captured this Golden-backed Snipe Fly at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in May.
June
June's picture is of Jim Waggener's favorite damselfly, the Ebony Jewelwing, taken by Michael Ready at Occoquan Regional Park.
July
Ana Arguelles provided this ethereal picture Eastern Tailed-blue butterflies on Short-toothed Mountain Mint at Meadowood's Pollinator Garden in July.
August
In August Margaret Fisher contributed a Least Skipper at Julie Metz Wetlands.
September
Ken Larson took an action shot of Blue Dashers at Meadowood in September.
October
October's picture is a fabulous dew-covered Wandering Glider at Mason Neck West, taken by Fred Siskind.
November
Gary Myers took this amazing close-up of a Carolina Wren at Veteran's Park in November.
December
We round out the year with Bob Blakney's excellent Hooded Merganser picture from Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Want to get involved? Learn more about Butterfly and Dragonfly Surveys and Natural Resource Surveys that normally take place throughout the year.
Take a Virtual Tour of the 2019 National Audubon Photography Awards
In celebration of the natural connection between birding and photography, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia co-hosted the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards Traveling Exhibition with Walker Nature Center in February and again with Huntley Meadows Park in March.
Photo: Audubon Photography Award Winners
In celebration of the natural connection between birding and photography, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia co-hosted the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards Traveling Exhibition with Walker Nature Center in February and again with Huntley Meadows Park in March. Sadly the exhibition is now closed to the public but you can take a virtual tour and learn about the stories behind the photographs here.
Local Photographers Win National Wildlife Federation Photo Contest
ASNV member Randy Streufert has won the Grand Prize in the National Wildlife Federation’s “Garden for Wildlife” photo contest. Randy’s photo of a Prothonotary Warbler cooling off in water was the top photo out of nearly 5000 submissions from all over the world.
Photo: Prothonotary Warbler, Randy Streufert
ASNV member Randy Streufert has won the Grand Prize in the National Wildlife Federation’s “Garden for Wildlife” photo contest. Randy’s photo of a Prothonotary Warbler cooling off in water was the top photo out of nearly 5000 submissions from all over the world. Randy and his wife Barbara’s property, where the photo was taken, is a Certified Wildlife Sanctuary in ASNV’s Audubon at Home program.
Randy also won an Honorable Mention for his photo of a Cope’s Gray Treefrog tadpole and froglet.
Copes Gray Treefrog Tadpoles, Randy Streufert
Local wildlife enthusiast Arthur Hass’s photo of an Eastern Tailed-Blue won the top prize in the category Close-up Native Plants and their Wildlife Visitors, and Fairfax resident Sherry Schellenger Parker’s photo of her son in his grandmother’s garden won in the category People in the Wildlife Garden. The Category Winners and Honorable Mentions showcase a wonderful array of photos of plants, wildlife and people enjoying them.
National Audubon Photography Award Winners Show comes to Northern Virginia
In celebration of the natural connection between birding and photography, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia will co-host the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards Traveling Exhibition with Walker Nature Center in Reston between February 5 and February 26, 2020 and again with Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria between March 4 and March 25, 2020.
Photo: Red-winged Blackbird, Kathrin Swoboda/Audubon Photography Awards 2019 Grand Prize Winner
Join ASNV at Walker Nature Center in February and Huntley Meadows Park in March for the best avian photography of 2019.
In celebration of the natural connection between birding and photography, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia will co-host the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards Traveling Exhibition with Walker Nature Center in Reston between February 5 and February 26, 2020 and again with Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria between March 4 and March 25, 2020. Visitors of all ages will enjoy a display of the winning photos and learn more about our local birdlife in Northern Virginia.
In the 10th year of the contest, winning photos and honorable mentions were selected from 2,253 entrants from all 50 states, Washington D.C. and 10 Canadian provinces and territories. The 2019 Grand Prize Winner is a photograph of a Red-winged Blackbird taken by Kathrin Swoboda in Huntley Meadows Park.
New this year, the judges introduced the Plants for Birds Prize and the Fisher Prize. The Plants for Birds Prize was awarded to the highest scoring photograph submitted in the Plants for Birds Division, featuring birds and plants native to the area the photo was taken. The Fisher Prize was awarded to the photograph depicting the most creative approach to bird photography across all divisions: Professional, Amateur, Youth and Plants for Birds.
Walker Nature Center will host an Open House on Sunday, February 9, 2020 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. Visitors can view the exhibition, watch birds from inside the nature house or outside on guided bird walks and take part in bird-related activities for all ages. The center will also host an environmental film on Friday, February 21, 2020 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM.
Huntley Meadows Park will host an Open House on Sunday March 8, 2020 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM with activities in the Visitor’s Center and guided bird walks in the park.
Blowing Smoke for a Prize-winning Shot
This year’s annual Audubon Photography Awards contest attracted 2,253 entrants from throughout the U.S. and Canada. Kathrin (“Kathy”) Swoboda, of Vienna, VA, won the grand prize for her photo of a Red-winged Blackbird seeming to blow smoke rings.
Photo: Red-winged Blackbird, Katharin Swoboda/Audubon Photography Awards
Local Photographer takes Grand Prize Photo in Huntley Meadows Park
By Lisa Mackem
This year’s annual Audubon Photography Awards contest attracted 2,253 entrants from throughout the U.S. and Canada. Kathrin (“Kathy”) Swoboda, of Vienna, VA, won the grand prize for her photo of a Red-winged Blackbird seeming to blow smoke rings. Kathy is an amateur photographer who started photographing birds about seven years ago in her backyard, which is beside a park. Her son created a professional-looking photography website for her, but she has never sold her photographs. Kathy originally did not plan to enter her prize-winning photo in the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards contest. Instead, she posted the picture on the Facebook site “Birds of Eastern US”, where someone suggested that she enter.
Kathy took her picture in Huntley Meadows Park, which she visits every year. She wanted to capture a bird’s backlit breath on a cold, sunny, early spring morning. The park is a 40-minute drive from her home, but “Huntley Meadows is fantastic,” says Kathy. “In the spring and summer, they have lots of birds, birdwatchers, and people taking pictures. The birds are probably tamer there than in other places because they’re used to seeing more people up and down the boardwalks.” Kathy arrived at the park at 7 am on the March morning when she took her winning photo. She slowly walked along the boardwalk, taking pictures of Red-winged Blackbirds. “A particular bird was very vocal – singing hard and long,” said Kathy. She focused on that bird, and for the first time, she saw the smoke rings. She took 26 shots of that bird, continually trying to get a better one. When the sun rose over the trees, Kathy could backlight the blackbird’s breath. The shadow of the woods behind the bird was an effective backdrop.
Initially, Kathy took photos with consumer-grade cameras. As she learned more about photography, she bought her current camera – a Nikon D500 with Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens. She explained that its features, including fast focus and large buffer, are ideal for bird photography, and let her shoot many images without pausing. “You can just keep going and going,” she says. She finds her subject and just lets the camera shoot. The camera took 30 shots for her winning photo. Kathy joined a camera club and entered a club competition to hone her photography skills. She is active on social media and at National Audubon’s request, is doing an Audubon takeover on Instagram. “Watch birds, learn all you can about them,” she says. “Focus on one bird or species and know their nature story. That makes for a better picture.”
A retired physician, married with three grown children, Kathy loves all birds.