To prevent birds from trying to nest on South Island, which is now entirely paved, DWR has deployed trained Border Collies and their handlers to chase off birds investigating South Island.
Remember the Northern Virginia Bird Survey (NVBS), ASNV’s long-running survey of breeding birds in our region? We are busy getting ready for the 2021 survey, after cancelling last year’s data collection because of the pandemic.
Birdathon helps ASNV continue to support outdoor education, citizen science and habitat conservation, and encourage people to plant native plants and foster native wildlife.
More and more information exists to help determine the peak of migration in any given place. However, in Northern Virginia, we have a golden gem of a resource that highlights anything you might want to know about spring migration of landbirds – it’s a website called MPNature.
Carol Stalun, who is a skilled and talented nature photographer, took photos of an Osprey killing a crow. This is probably the first incident, documented with photographs, of an Osprey killing a wild bird.
Former Audubon at Home Co-Director and ASNV Board member, Robin Duska was recognized by the Virginia Master Naturalist state board as their 2020 Volunteer of the Year.
Neonics are systemic (absorbed by the plant) and are often applied to seeds before the seeds are sown so the growing plant takes up the pesticide. Neonics are used for both farming and landscaping, exposing all pollinators to their damaging effects.
The Plant NOVA Natives website maintains a list of native-only plant sellers and updates its list of seasonal native plant sales in our 4-county region.
The Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is an opportunistic omnivore. Much like your common Rock Pigeon, they are known to take advantage of leftover food that humans leave behind, in addition to bugs, berries and seeds that are present nearby.
Encouraging cavity nesting birds in suburban yards requires knowledge of birds and insects and how to support them. Larry Cartwright shared his knowledge with AAH Ambassadors in February.
