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.
Sound ID on the Merlin Bird ID App Update
Did you know that there is now a Sound ID feature on the Merlin app that analyzes bird songs in real time and matches the species that produces that sound while they’re singing?
Ivy Kills!
Ivy is an invasive exotic species that destroys trees and natural habitat. Please, do not allow English ivy to grow up trees on your property, and if it has done so, take steps to remove it.
Native Groundcovers and Trees: The perfect pairing!
Native groundcovers are becoming increasingly popular, for good reason: even if they have minimal time for gardening, people want to use native plants to support our local birds and butterflies.
Observations from Meadowood: June 2022
Judy Gallagher continues to survey Meadowood Recreation Area. Here are some findings from her most recent survey.
Monday Mystery - May 30
Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery.
A Birdathon Story: The Chipperbirders
This story is about one of our youngest teams, The Chipperbirders.
A Birdathon Story: The Three Beaks
Our Program Administrator Louise Edsall led her team (composed of herself, her husband Bart Edsall and his caregiver, Salay Kamara) on a successful big-day outing. Louise shares her story of the team’s experience below.
Support our Birdathon Teams!
Eleven teams of birders have committed to support Audubon Society of Northern Virginia’s 2022 Birdathon. Can you help by supporting one or more of our teams?
Use your Birding Skills for Science
Want to bird for science? Consider participating in the Northern Virginia Bird Survey, ASNV’s long-running survey of breeding birds in our region!
Learning about Native Plant Communities
Plant communities are assemblages of plant species that grow in a particular habitat and interact with each other, wildlife, and the environment around them. Plant communities are a natural extension of “right plant, right place.”
Invasive Plants Bill Became Law
Under a new law, the General Assembly has directed the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to prepare a brochure that explains the value of native plants and the harm from noxious weeds and other invasive plants.
Join the Fun this Spring and Summer and Monitor Breeding Birds with NestWatch
With the season of baby birds now here, it is important for ornithologists to collect data on nest construction, successful nestling development, and overall care from adults. To do this, nest boxes must be constructed and mounted properly.
Do You Have Room for a Shade Tree?
If your yard sits in the blazing sun in the summer, it may have already occurred to you that a native shade tree would benefit you tremendously. But even if your yard is already graced by one or more mature trees, you should give some serious thought as to whether it is time to start the next generation.
ASNV is Looking for New Board Members
Would you like to help Audubon Society of Northern Virginia? We’re looking for candidates to join our Board of Directors.
Monday Mystery - May 2
Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery.
April 2022 Bird of the Month
What do we call these birds that are definitely not robins but are well known as robins? Are they thrushes, are they chats? Does all of this really even matter?
ASNV Awards Two Audubon Hog Island Scholarships
Every year, ASNV awards a scholarship to “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” at Hog Island Audubon coastal Maine.
Help Our Migrating Birds Navigate Safely through Northern Virginia
Peak songbird migration in our area is mid-April to mid-May. Now is a good time to take extra steps to greet our migrants by making our homes and neighborhoods a little safer for them, helping them avoid window collisions and exhaustion.
Youth Education Mini-grants - Last Chance to Apply is April 1!
The ASNV Youth Education Committee is pleased to offer three mini-grants of up to $500 each for 2022. Read on to find out how to apply.
Do you have a Scope you’d like to Donate?
The Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust is looking for a telescope to use for bird counts and surveys.