September 2020

Photo: Bald Eagles, Randy Streufert

Tom Blackburn

“It is not only a sin to kill a mockingbird, it is also a crime.” With those words, referencing Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a federal court judge has invalidated a U.S. Department of the Interior memorandum that eliminated more than 100 years of protection for migratory birds. Prior to the DOI memorandum, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 had been interpreted as making it illegal to take actions that resulted in the killing of birds. The memorandum would have applied the law only to actions that intentionally killed birds. The court’s decision ensures that environmental disasters such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which killed more than 1 million birds, will continue to be subject to penalties.    

The lawsuit that led to the court’s decision was brought by the National Audubon Society, among other plaintiffs. It is a reminder that Audubon chapters, including ASNV, are not simply organizations of bird watchers. Women established the first Audubon Society at the end of the 19th century to stop the killing of egrets for their plumes and to protect birds from market hunting for food. We have come a long way from the days when hundreds of millions of Passenger Pigeons were killed, leading to their extinction; and the days when millions of songbirds, and particularly robins, were killed for food. Advocating to protect birds and the environment is still a core mission of all Audubon Society chapters. 

Most of ASNV’s advocacy efforts focus on environmental issues that affect Northern Virginia and matters of statewide importance, but we also urge Virginia legislators to take action on Federal environmental issues. Most recently, we helped draft a joint letter from the National Audubon Society and other Virginia Audubon chapters urging the Governor and the General Assembly to preserve budgetary language providing for compensatory mitigation in connection with actions that cause harm to birds or other wildlife. We also urged the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to support provisions for natural landscaping at county facilities and we are working on letters urging Virginia senators and representatives to support Federal legislation to reduce the amount of pollution from plastics.  

Protecting the environment requires constant vigilance. The loss of 3 billion North American birds in the last 50 years, nearly 30% of our bird population, is stark evidence of the importance of environmental advocacy. ASNV is committed to its mission – to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.

August 2020

Photo: Red Crossbills, Brenda Frank

Tom Blackburn

In July and August, there’s not as much new or interesting in the birding world as there is during the rest of the year. Most birds have nested, their young have fledged, there’s less bird song in the morning and fall migration is several weeks away. Normally, this is when my wife and I head out for a vacation, but two trips never got beyond the planning stage due to the pandemic. Seriously in need of a get-away without compromising our health, we packed a lunch and drinks and headed out for a socially-distanced day trip to the West Virginia border to search for birds we’d not seen before – Red Crossbills.  

Red Crossbills are my new favorite bird – at least for this month. Aptly named, their mandibles cross at the tips. They feed primarily on the seeds in pinecones, and their bills have evolved to maximize the efficiency of their foraging. They insert their partially opened bill between the scales of the cone, then close it, forcing the scales apart, and use their tongue and bill to pull out the seeds. Much like the Galapagos Finches, Red Crossbills have evolved into several “types” with different bill sizes based on which species of conifer is prevalent in the area where they live. 

Red Crossbill, Brenda Frank

Red Crossbills breed primarily in Canada, the Rockies and the Northwest, but range maps show three small regions along the Appalachians where they are found year-round. We headed for the closest spot where they are seen regularly, Briery Branch Gap, wondering whether a 5 ½ hour round trip would be productive. We didn’t have to wonder long. As we pulled off the road, we saw our first crossbill singing in a tree. In the next hour, we watched as many as 28 birds at a time – reddish males, yellowish females and sparrow-striped juveniles – flying from tree to tree, then gathering in a dense mass on the ground to eat grit from the road to aid their digestion. Their chatter and songs were almost continuous. Once we’d had our fill of crossbills, we walked forest roads searching for other birds, then had a relaxed lunch in the forest.  

The pandemic will be with us for a good while, but you can still manage to change your routine without having to worry about infection. You can explore significant portions of 6 states within 120 miles of Northern Virginia and still get home in time for dinner. So, get out and enjoy nature – and stay safe!