Birding is for Every Body: Birdability Week, October 20-26

Photo: Birdwatching from a wheelchair, USFWS Headquarters, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Jo Doumbia

Have you ever paused to think about how many people might want to join us in birding but can’t? Not because they lack interest, but because the trail is too rough for a wheelchair, the signage is too small for someone with limited vision, or the group atmosphere doesn’t feel welcoming to someone living with anxiety. That’s where Birdability comes in.

Founded by Virginia Rose, a birder and wheelchair user, Birdability is a nonprofit with a powerful vision: birding should be welcoming, inclusive, safe, and accessible for everybody and every body. Its mission goes far beyond removing barriers on trails. It’s about creating community, dignity, and joy for people of all abilities.

Birding is often seen as one of the most accessible hobbies: you can do it anywhere, at any age, with very little equipment. But in reality many opportunities are closed to people living with mobility challenges, sensory disabilities, chronic illness, or neurodivergence. That means a vast number of potential birders and future conservation allies are left out.

When we design programs with accessibility in mind, we don’t just help others: we strengthen our own community. Accessible trails and viewing platforms mean families can bird together. Clear communication and welcoming environments make first-time birders feel at home. Inclusion helps us live out the truth that birds belong to everyone.

Birdability offers tools to make this possible. Its crowdsourced Birdability Map, created by National Audubon Society in association with Birdability, helps birders of all abilities know what to expect at birding sites. Resource documents on Birdability’s website guide leaders on inclusive practices and respectful communication. And each October, Birdability Week shines a light on accessible birding with events, workshops, and celebrations across the country.

As birders, we can be part of this change. We can start by noticing where barriers exist, sharing reviews of our favorite spots, and experimenting with accessible outings. Most of all, we can open our doors wider and welcome people who may not have thought birding was for them.

Accessibility isn’t just a checklist: it’s a mindset. It’s choosing to see birding not as an exclusive hobby, but as a shared language of wonder and joy that everyone deserves to speak. By embracing Birdability’s vision, we can open the door to new members, new friends, and new advocates for the birds and habitats we cherish.

Let’s make sure birding is truly for everybody.

My Time at Hog Island Camp

Photo: Atlantic Puffins, Michael Schmitt/Audubon Photography Awards

Deborah Hammer, Autism and Low Incidence Specialist, Arlington County Schools, Winner of NVBA’s 2025 Scholarship

Have you ever felt nostalgic for the fun you had as a child at summer camp and wished to re-experience it -- the arts and crafts, music, hiking, meeting new friends, and the sense of wonder at having new adventures? I have, and thanks to the generosity of NVBA, I got to make that wish come true. I attended Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week at Hog Island Audubon Camp in Breman, ME. The camp, which is run by the National Audubon Society under the Seabird Institute, has several special sessions open to anyone, including children and families, who are interested in birds and nature. 

The camp experience began when I arrived in Bremen. I joined a group of enthusiastic campers, where we were met by some of our counselors and took a short boat ride to Hog Island. We were assigned our cabins, all of which are well over a century old, and began decorating our name tags. After some icebreaker activities, where I met my fellow campers from across the country, we sat down for the first of our many gourmet, locally sourced meals. While dining, we had a chance to get to know each other better. Although we came from diverse educational backgrounds - public schools, state parks, nature centers, preschool up to university – we all shared a life-long love of learning and playing in nature. 

Morning activities started early, with most campers rising at dawn to birdwatch, meditate, or write in a nature journal, either alone or in groups with counselors. Most of the sessions were designed with an eye on strategies we could bring back to our students. For example, we learned a mindfulness strategy that utilized breathing like different animals and another that utilized different senses. 

After breakfast, we often had a choice of classes we could take, such as cyanotype printing, nature photography, seaweed pressing, or poetry. We also received instruction on becoming better birders, the history and ecology of Hog Island, and tips for translating our instruction into practice. 

A view of intertidal creatures through the microscope. Photo: Deborah Hammer

One of my favorite activities was examining the intertidal zone for the many creatures who hide and thrive there. Some, like sculpins, lobsters, sea squirts, sponges, and crabs, we could examine right on the beach. Others, we took back to the lab to view under a microscope, including fetal horseshoe crabs, tunicates, tardigrades, baby mussels and flatworms. The lab was an adventure in itself. It had a vast book and specimen collection, including a passenger pigeon. 

A highlight for everyone was a visit from Dr. Steve Kress, founder of Project Puffin, who told us about the challenges he faced when bringing Atlantic Puffins back to their ancient home along coastal Maine. He has since replicated his techniques all around the world to help others preserve or reestablish vulnerable species of birds. The following day, we took a boat ride to Easter Egg Rock where we could see puffins, eiders, guillemots, and other birds.

Atlantic Puffin, Kevin VandeVusse/Audubon Photography Awards

Hikes throughout the week helped us learn about other aspects of coastal Maine, including the geology, flora, and mycology. We had a chance to lie on the soft moss and take in the scent of spruce and ocean, while terns, Laughing Gulls, and American Crows called all around us. 

One memorable night involved music from a band comprised of staff members and volunteers who played for us while we learned contra dancing. On the last night, we were treated to a feast with a festive dessert of Cream Puffin, the only type of puffin that humans should eat! Like campers worldwide, we also spent the last night singing, exchanging contact information, and bemoaning that we had to return to the “real” world in the morning. 

I’m looking forward to sharing all that I’ve learned with the educators that I support in Arlington Public Schools and applying new strategies with my students. 

I would highly recommend that my fellow educators apply for the chance to experience Hog Island Audubon Camp next summer. 

Help Our Migrating Songbirds

Photo: Common Yellowthroats, Gary Robinette

Tom Blackburn

We’re in the middle of fall migration season. For birdwatchers, fall migration can be challenging because the warblers are drabber, but, of course, it’s even more challenging for the birds! A recent study published in Global Change Biology by scientists with the National Audubon Society identifies fall migration as the most dangerous time for warblers.

Common Yellowthroat, Randy Streufert

Southbound migration in the fall is perilous for warblers and other songbirds for multiple reasons. There are many juvenile bids that are inexperienced in migration. And the birds take longer routes back to their wintering grounds compared to the quicker and more efficient northward journeys. The longer southbound journeys expose them to more of the hazards that can weaken or kill them, such as light pollution and developed landscapes. National Audubon reports that some of the declining species closely associated with harm from light pollution and landscapes include the Common Yellowthroat, Connecticut Warbler and Prairie Warbler, all of which migrate through northern Virginia.

That report reminds us of important measures all of us can take to help the warblers and other birds passing through northern Virginia during the fall. Because most of them fly at night, they can be disoriented by bright lights from tall buildings and sky glow from light pollution. Some crash into the buildings and are injured or die. Other birds fly around the lights, exhausting themselves. 

So, for the more than 160 million birds migrating through our area this fall, take a few simple steps to reduce some of those light hazards. If you live in a detached home or townhome

• Turn off interior lighting at night, especially on upper floors

• Close curtains or blinds

• Down-shield exterior lighting or limit lights to the ground level

• Turn off exterior decorative lighting

If you live in an apartment or condominium, or work in a multi-story building, turn off those interior lights at night and close your curtains or blinds. You also can help by contacting building managers and encouraging them to down-shield exterior lighting, turn off exterior decorative lighting, reduce lobby and atrium lighting, and extinguish spotlights and floodlights.

Let’s help our struggling birds so that we can welcome them back in the spring. If you have questions about other ways you can help, please contact our BirdSafe NoVA team at advocacy@nvbirdalliance.org. 

Be Very Brave: Plant a New Native Shrub This Fall

Photo: Native shrubs, Margaret Fisher

Eileen Ellsworth

Fall is the perfect time of year to add new plants to your landscapes and gardens, especially shrubs. They anchor a garden or a landscape for many years and are an ideal choice for fall planting. It may seem counterintuitive to invest in any new plants with cooler weather on the way. But the winter to come is what provides the advantage, allowing the roots to get established well before being hit by the next summer’s heat. If you install the plants properly and faithfully water for the first few weeks, they will grow and thrive beyond expectations for years to come. 

Purchasing new native plants, shrubs, and trees has never been easier. Several local nurseries specialize in native plant offerings. Thanks to the grass-roots efforts of Plant NOVA Natives and its many partners, traditional sellers and garden centers now offer a far wider array of native plants than ever before. As consumer demand has risen, plant sellers also willingly participate in native plant labeling programs to help their customers more easily identify them.

So, it's the right time of year to plant, and native plants are easier to find than ever before. But . . . something is still stopping you. Hmm. What could that be?

FEAR! You’re convinced you don’t know enough about native shrubs to pick the right one. You believe there is too much to learn and to decide between now and mid-month, so best to just let it be. You’ve imagined that the life of this shrub, upon which the biodiversity of your entire yard will no doubt depend, is doomed in your neglectful hands. On all counts, you are wrong. 

Remember, we’re talking about native plants here. (It’s all we ever talk about here.) And native plants have lived in northern Virginia about 100 million years longer than humans have been alive on the planet. They know exactly what they’re doing, even if we don’t. We can trust that just about any native shrub we plant will grow, so long as its light and water requirements are more or less met. These plants are very old and quite resilient. They can adjust and adapt in surprising ways non-natives can’t. They evolved in local soil under local climate conditions. Water them a bit more during very hot or dry spells, and all will be well. They’ve got this. You are three simple decisions away from success.

First decision – Where to plant the shrub. Look for an empty spot, or one that currently contains a non-native species you’ve been meaning to remove. About how many hours of direct sun does the spot get? Does it collect water, or does it drain well? Consider whether there is room for some growth, because native shrubs can grow with considerable vigor. You can always prune them back – a lot, if necessary. Pick the spot, then say to yourself, “New shrub will live here.” Done. Time for the second decision.

Second decision – What kind of native shrub to buy. Winterberry, Red Chokeberry, Highbush Blueberry, Spicebush, Buttonbush, Arrow-wood Viburnum, Virginia Sweetspire, Wild Hydrangea. These, and many others, are listed and discussed on the Plant NOVA Natives “Native Shrubs” webpage. They are all wildlife powerhouses, and yes, there are many.

But here’s the most important thing to remember when making this decision: It doesn’t matter what species you choose, and you can’t make a wrong choice. Any new native shrub will contribute to biodiversity, strengthen the food web, act as a host for some native insect species, and stabilize the soil. Many species will only set fruit if you plant two of them, in which event you’re also helping to attract and feed the birds. (It’s always best to purchase the second shrub from a different grower or seller so they are genetically divergent and not clones of each other.) Some other resources you can use to choose a shrub include 

1. the Plant NOVA Natives newly improved Plant Finder App, and

2. the Plant NOVA Natives Native Plant Plants for Northern Virginia guide, available in print or as a free download. 

Spend no more than an hour browsing the lists, choose the one you like, then say to yourself, “I will plant this shrub, and I’m not changing my mind.” Done. Time for the third decision.

Third decision: Where will I buy the shrub. This is the easiest one of all. Plant NOVA Natives lists fall native plant sales, native plant garden centers, and participating conventional garden centers. In the case of the one-day native plant sales, you may want to call the grower or seller a couple of days in advance and ask them to make sure they will be bringing the shrub you are seeking. If not, many folks will work with you directly to make sure you get what you want, even if that means picking it up directly from their native plant nursery. Done. All done.

So, let’s be brave. Let’s make these three decisions, buy and plant the shrub, and water it appropriately. Despite our worries, chances are excellent that next spring we will find ourselves chatting up and getting to know a new, glorious, happy, fruitful, flowerful native shrub that is anchored in our soil and smiling at the sun.

We may know nothing about native shrubs, and yet we have everything we need: joy, meaning, commitment, resolve, centeredness, and the support of a like-minded community of earth-loving native plant gardeners.

And, of course, we have the native plants themselves, who figure it all out anyway, with or without us.

Remember to Vote for Conservation

Photo: Virginia State Capitol Building, Wikimedia user Skip Plitt via CC BY-SA 3.0

It’s important to keep up with the actions (or inaction) of our federal lawmakers, but it’s equally important to take care to vote for conservation in the upcoming Virginia races. Decisions made at the local and state level have significant consequences for our environment and natural resources.

So, take a moment to review the voting record of your Virginia legislators. A helpful guide is available from Virginia’s League of Conservation Voters, which has published the 2025 General Assembly Conservation Scorecard, available here. Each year, the LCV ranks all 140 Virginia lawmakers based on their votes for or against the environment and a healthy democracy. LCV has published the Scorecard every year since 2000. Advocates look to it as a valuable tool to determine whether their lawmakers are standing up for Virginia’s environment at the General Assembly.

Another useful tool for preparing for next year’s General Assembly is the Virginia Conservation Network’s Common Agenda, with details on issues that a coalition of conservation organizations works on during the annual session of the General Assembly. NVBA works with VCN during every session.

Let’s work together to help the birds and other wildlife in Virginia!

A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us, October 2025

Photo:  Long-legged Fly with prey, Judy Gallagher

Judy Gallagher

October 2025

When I was growing up, my mother cautioned me to never let flies touch my food because they ate poop and their feet were likely covered in poop. I assumed that all flies ate feces, and I guess it's not surprising that I grew up disliking them. 

Dance Fly with sponging mouthparts. I don't know what substance it is sponging off my fingernail. Judy Gallagher

To understand what adult flies can eat, it is helpful to know about their mouthparts. Some adult flies have piercing-sucking mouthparts, while others have sponging mouthparts. In either case, food must be liquid or very finely grained in order to be sucked or sponged up. If a fly lands on or preys on solid food, it can regurgitate a drop containing digestive enzymes, which dissolves the food so that it can be eaten by the fly. 

Golden Dung Fly with fly prey, Judy Gallagher

One would think that Dung Flies would eat dung. Larvae of some species do, but the adults mostly eat other insects, especially other flies, injecting them with digestive enzymes to liquefy them, and occasionally eating dung or nectar to get extra nutrition. 

There is another fly family, Lesser Dung Flies, whose larvae also feed on dung and rotting seaweed. The larvae feed on other things too, as suggested by an alternate name, Lesser Corpse Fly. I was unable to find studies detailing what the adult flies eat. 

At least three different species of Blow Flies on dead catfish, Judy Gallagher

Adult Blow Flies like Bluebottle and Greenbottle Flies sometimes eat dung. They also dine on liquids from rotting garbage or carrion. It's easy to be disgusted by these flies' eating habits, but the flies play an important role in the ecosystem. They consume rotting organic matter and poop, which recycles nutrients back into the environment. They also help prevent the accumulation of rotting vegetation, dead bodies and waste. 

Eastern Treehole Mosquito showing signs of a recent blood meal, Judy Gallagher

As I'm sure you're all aware, some adult flies, especially mosquitoes, drink blood. In most cases, only the female bites, and she needs the proteins in blood to develop her eggs. But there are a few species, including the Stable Fly, where both males and females feed on blood. Scientists are studying anticoagulants secreted by blood-feeding flies, looking for medical applications in preventing blood clots, so some human good may come out of this annoying feeding strategy. 

Elephant Mosquito male feeding on nectar, Judy Gallagher

Male mosquitoes mostly feed on nectar, and don't feed on blood. But a recent study on male mosquitoes preserved in amber suggests that male mosquitoes also may have fed on blood in the distant past. Hover Flies and many other adult flies feed on nectar, and often pollinate flowers while they're looking for a meal. Fruit Flies love the yeast and bacteria in overripe or fermenting fruits, and also feed on decaying vegetables and other sugary waste.

Robber Fly with Eastern Amberwing dragonfly, Judy Gallagher

I previously mentioned the Golden Dung Fly, a predator on other flies. There are several fly families that specialize in eating other invertebrates. The most famous are Robber Flies, who catch their prey in the air. They usually fly back to a perch with their prey, inject digestive enzymes to liquefy it, and eat while perched. This Robber Fly took down an Eastern Amberwing dragonfly, prey that was bigger and heavier than the Robber Fly, and the weight of the prey caused them to crash on the beach at Leesylvania State Park. After a short while, presumably sated, the Robber Fly extricated itself and flew off. 

 Long-legged Fly with prey, Judy Gallagher

Long-legged Flies also are predators. Some species in this family specialize in mosquito larvae and are useful as a control of pests. 

Flies and their food choices play an important role in our environment. It's ironic that I was brought up to think of flies as being dirty, yet without flies, the world would be a much dirtier place. Let's hear it for the flies! 

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View more of Judy’s articles on A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us (formerly Observations from Meadowood).

Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: It's Time for Goldenrods

Photo: Goldenrod blooming in Fairfax County, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Alda Krinsman

One hallmark of autumn is the appearance of goldenrods along roadsides and in wild spaces; however, until recently, goldenrods have rarely been used deliberately in gardens. That omission is a shame, because goldenrods, along with asters, are not only attractive to human eyes but also, more importantly, support many pollinator and bird species with their nectar, pollen, and seeds.

There are over 138 species of goldenrod worldwide, the majority of which are found in North America. There are over 40 species of goldenrod native to Virginia alone. Most species of goldenrod belong to the genus Solidago, but some are also classified in the genera Euthamia and Oligoneuron. Perhaps one reason goldenrods have not been widely used in gardens is that many people believe goldenrods cause hay fever and are responsible for their sneezing and watery eyes every autumn. However, the goldenrod pollen is too heavy and sticky to be dispersed by wind. It is usually moved from plant to plant by bees and other pollinators. The true cause of hay fever is ragweed (Ambrosia species), which blooms around the same time of year as many goldenrods and is relatively inconspicuous. Ragweed produces abundant pollen, which is very light and dispersed by the wind. So next time you sneeze, blame the ragweed, not the goldenrod.

Locust Borer on Goldenrod, Judy Gallagher

In late summer and autumn, many bees such as bumblebees, sweat bees, and mining bees seek out the pollen provided by goldenrods to provision their nests. Male bees, butterflies and moths will seek out the nectar. Monarch butterflies will seek out goldenrod nectar on their migration south. The seeds of the plants are favored snacks by birds such as Goldfinch and Chickadees. Earlier in the growing season goldenrods also play an important role as larval hosts to up to 114 species of caterpillars, including Brown-Hooded Owlets and Goldenrod Hooded Owlets.

Goldenrod Crab Spider, Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Goldenrod species tolerate or even thrive in a range of environmental conditions. Some do well in part shade, and some prefer full sun. Some do well in dry soils, and others prefer moist soils. So, when selecting a goldenrod, take those factors into consideration. Although goldenrods provide valuable ecoservices, not every species is right for every situation. Some goldenrod species such as Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) can spread aggressively and are best used in large areas such as meadows and restoration projects. However, there are quite a few species that are good choices for garden situations. Blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia) is a good choice for shady woodland gardens. Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) would be a good choice for sunny dry areas, and wrinkleleaf goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) is recommended for poorly draining areas, although it also does well in garden soil with average moisture. Early goldenrod (Solidago juncea), which is one of the first goldenrods to bloom in summer, and anise scented goldenrod (Solidago odora) also are good candidates for average garden situations. 

Even well-behaved goldenrods may naturalize quickly. If you find you have too much of a good thing, control the spread by dividing your plant every few years and give some to your friends!

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Catch up on past Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac articles here.

Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Growing Virginia Native Plants from Seed

Photo: Milkweed seeds, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Laura Beaty and Donna Murphy

Fall is coming and gardeners’ thoughts may turn to collecting seeds for planting next spring. It’s best to remember that seed collecting begins with a knowledge and understanding of protocols and ethics of collecting seed outside of your own garden. Most people are aware they need the owner’s permission before gathering seeds from friends’ and neighbors’ gardens. It’s doubly important to get permission from land managing agencies before gathering any seeds from parks, forests and wilderness areas—even utility rights-of-way. You don’t want to impair the agencies’ conservation efforts.

A prominent native plant grower in our area, Earth Sangha, recommends that hobbyists not gather seeds from wild populations at risk of over-collection, as it also reduces food sources for wildlife. In addition to obtaining permission from the relevant land management agencies, it’s a good idea to seek guidance from local conservation organizations, like NVBA’s Wildlife Sanctuary Program, the Virginia Native Plant Society and local Master Naturalists if you are collecting outside your own garden and those of friends and neighbors.

Milkweed seeds. Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Seed collecting begins after flowering is completed and ideally late in the bloom season, giving the plant an opportunity to complete seed maturation. When collecting, use clearly marked bags with the plant’s name, date and location (site). You can custom-design envelopes to provide the information you’ll want to have on the seeds you collect for future use. Too often we have all assumed we’d remember what seed we’ve collected--Wrong! Keep good records. Brown bags (not plastic) help the seeds to dry out slowly. It’s fine to delay cleaning the seeds (separating seeds from dried flowers) for a rainy day when you have indoor time. 

Always look for fully ripened seeds, which ensures a mature embryo. Keep in mind that when seeds turn from green or yellow to tan, brown or black, and mature fruits turn red, orange or blue, they are ready to collect. When the fruits are ready the game is on for who will get to them first. Don’t wait! Many of us have missed collecting them on time and lost out to the birds and other wildlife.

When pulp, a germination inhibitor, is cleaned from fruit seeds, the seed is ready to grow when time and temperature are right. Timing is important. Once a seed is separated from the parent plant, its viability for producing a new plant is limited. It either germinates successfully or fails to germinate before it uses up the energy reserves it stores. Nature has provided a longer “viability” period to some seeds, but following regular protocols of processing is best practice. Most seeds require a cold period to ensure a viable embryo. Therefore, over-wintering the collected seeds in a safe/secure un-heated outdoor room, shed, or garage will prepare them for spring germination. 

You can prepare seed trays ahead of planting time in mid-March. Just cut coco-rolls to fit into the bottom of the trays for good drainage. There are a number of prepared seed-planting mixtures, or you can develop your own. Planting directly into the ground is iffy: Many birds will be watching, not to mention the squirrels. As the seedlings grow you can transfer them to individual small pots for better root development; in time, larger pots will accommodate their expanding roots—that’s a success!

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Catch up on past Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac articles here.

Hispanic Heritage Month and the World of Birds

Photo: Resplendent Quetzal, Charles Gangas/Audubon Photography Awards

Josefina (Jo) Doumbia

Lea en español

From September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States. For bird enthusiasts, it’s also a chance to honor the deep connections between these cultures and the avian world, connections that stretch from ancient traditions to modern conservation efforts.

Hispanic cultures across the Americas long have recognized birds as symbols of beauty, resilience and freedom. In the Andean regions, the Andean Condor soars as a national emblem and a messenger in Indigenous lore. In Mexico, the Resplendent Quetzal has inspired art, mythology, and conservation movements. Along the Caribbean coasts, colorful species like the Cuban Tody or the Puerto Rican Parrot hold both ecological and cultural significance.

These birds, and countless others, rely on the same flyways and ecosystems that link the Americas. Many species that breed in the U.S. migrate south each year, passing through or wintering in Latin American countries. Protecting their habitats is a shared responsibility that transcends borders.

Nowhere is this richness more evident than in Colombia, home to over 1,900 bird species, making it the second most bird-diverse country on Earth. From tiny hummingbirds in cloud forests to flocks of Scarlet Ibises in coastal mangroves, Colombia’s landscapes are a living showcase of avian beauty and biodiversity. Its conservation challenges and successes are directly tied to the health of migratory bird populations that also grace North American skies.

Hispanic Heritage Month also is a time to recognize the many Hispanic scientists, educators and community leaders who advance bird conservation. From field researchers in the tropics to grassroots advocates restoring wetlands, their work strengthens global efforts to protect avian biodiversity.

By celebrating cultural heritage and natural heritage together, we deepen our shared commitment to ensuring that future generations, across all the Americas can continue to experience the wonder of birds in the wild.

Please take a few minutes to watch this video to learn more about the partnership between NVBA and Casa Chiralagua in Alexandria, and consider volunteering to help us strengthen links with our local Hispanic community.

Expanded Polystyrene Foam Now Banned in Takeout Containers in Virginia

Photo: Scavenging gull, Chris Downer / Mallaig

Tom Blackburn

If you have ever participated in a trash cleanup along a shoreline, creek or road, you’ll undoubtedly have come across pieces of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), popularly known by one of its brand names, Styrofoam. There is good news on the environmental front: as of July 1, 2025, Virginia implemented a ban on the use of EPS in takeout and beverage containers for vendors with more than 20 locations in Virginia, including grocery stores, restaurants, food trucks and caterers. On July 1, 2026, the ban goes into effect for all vendors.

Scavenging gull, Chris Downer / Mallaig

EPS is extremely harmful to the environment. It is fragile, and quickly breaks into smaller pieces, making it difficult to clean up. And because it is very lightweight, it often blows far from where it was initially deposited, making it even harder to collect for proper disposal. Like all plastics, EPS biodegrades very slowly. Scientists estimate that plastics may take at least five hundred years to biodegrade. If Captain John Smith had tossed a piece of EPS over the side of his ship as he traveled up the Potomac River in 1608, tiny pieces of it would still be in the water, where fish, birds and other wildlife could eat them. 

EPS and all other plastics break down into microplastics and nanoplastics before they biodegrade and can have severe health impacts. A recent article, “Seabirds in crisis: Plastic ingestion induces proteomic signatures of multi-organ failure and neurodegeneration,” in the journal Science Advances, reports that the stomachs, livers and kidneys of 90-day-old seabirds that had eaten plastics were not functioning normally, and the birds also showed symptoms of Alzheimer’s-like brain deterioration. While no studies have demonstrated adverse health effects in humans yet, an article, “Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains,” in the journal Nature Medicine, reports that nanoplastics have breached the blood-brain barrier and are accumulating in human brains. 

Virginia State Representative Betsy Carr introduced HB 533 in the 2020 Virginia General Assembly to prohibit the use of EPS in carryout food service containers. It passed, but with an amendment requiring reenactment in 2021 before it could take effect. Rep. Carr’s reenactment bill, HB 1902, passed in 2021, but Governor Youngkin inserted language in the 2022 budget bill delaying implementation of the ban. He attempted to do the same thing earlier this year, but the legislature overturned the delay, allowing the initial ban to take effect this year. 

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has implemented a Foam Free Virginia campaign, providing information on its website about the ban, alternatives to EPS containers and filing a complaint about vendors violating the law. 

Ospreys May Be in Trouble Again

Photo: Osprey and its young at the Belle Haven Marina platform nest on June 18, 2025, Glenda C. Booth

Glenda C. Booth

Reprinted by permission from the Connection Newspapers

Osprey and its young at the Belle Haven Marina platform nest on June 18, 2025, Glenda C. Booth

They usually grow up and leave in July — Ospreys, 22-inch-tall, brown and white raptors with a 65-inch wingspan, birds that nest and raise their young near open water in northern Virginia from March to August. 

Many people are intrigued watching them dive feet first to catch fish with their sharp talons, take them to the nest, rip them apart and eat and feed them to their young. They build nests, a jumble of sticks, or refurbish old nests every spring, in northern Virginia generally along or near the Potomac and Occoquan Rivers, in trees, on platforms, duck blinds, poles and channel markers. 

This year has brought some troubling signs for these impressive birds.

Ospreys in Dyke Marsh

For many years, Ospreys have returned to Dyke Marsh in March and a pair has built a nest and raised their young on a platform at the Belle Haven Marina on the northern edge of Dyke Marsh. This year, the pair had two chicks, but around the end of June, one had perished. 

Larry Cartwright, who has conducted a breeding bird survey in Dyke Marsh since 1994, reported on June 30, “The female was feeding the survivor today and the nestling was taking the offered food quite readily but looks a little stunted in development. The bird just sat there after eating with a quick break to jet a nice stream of excrement over the side of the nest, but little additional movement.” His July 6 report was more encouraging: “The youngster was more active today, standing up in the nest and flapping its wings for the first time. Hopefully, fledging will occur within the next two weeks.”

Ospreys at Porto Vecchio

For over a decade, Osprey pairs have successfully raised young in nests on two platforms near Porto Vecchio condominiums next to Hunting Cove at the confluence of the Potomac River and Hunting Creek. Three chicks from the northeast nest and two chicks on the southeast nest born this spring are now flying. 

Several Porto Vecchio residents have had to come to the birds’ rescue over the years. Ospreys from these nests have died from fishing line entanglements at least twice in the past. Last summer, two residents rescued a chick from fishing line and this year, rescued two more chicks, one after falling from the nest and the second from twine wrapped around its wing.

More Ospreys

Jay Spiegel has had an Osprey camera on a Little Hunting Creek nest behind his house for several years. This year a pair had two chicks, but Spiegel reports that around June 23, the chicks disappeared. He does not know why.

For several years, a pair has nested atop a light pole over Walt Whitman Middle School’s softball field. Observers saw an Osprey there this year several times, but no one confirmed nestlings.

Challenges for Ospreys

Ospreys appear to be having a difficult year. Definitive data await final surveys. Local experts point to stressors like a weak shad run this spring on the Potomac, warming waters that affect the timing of fish migration, extreme cold and heat events during the hatchling phase, fewer ideal breeding areas because of ever encroaching development, competition with increasing eagle populations and more severe storms.  

A May 2025 survey of nesting Ospreys on Virginia’s Delmarva Peninsula, led by Dr. Bryan Watts of the College of William and Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology (CCB), reported a 90 percent decline there. He recorded nine pairs in the survey area and said that compared to past surveys from the 1970s and 1980s, “the 2025 survey reveals a nearly complete collapse of the population.” Watts concluded, “The most likely cause of the decline is prey availability. However, no Osprey diet studies have ever been conducted within this site, and we know very little about trends in fish availability.” 

CCB scientists previously reported that in the lower Chesapeake Bay, a silvery fish called Atlantic menhaden are nearly 75 percent of Ospreys’ diet. Some conservationists argue that large-scale, commercial menhaden harvests are depleting menhaden stocks and that government officials should reduce current limits on the number landed or caught.

There have been several efforts in the Virginia General Assembly in recent years to require a comprehensive study of the menhaden population, but those bills have failed. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s website says, “Atlantic menhaden are the target of Virginia’s largest commercial fishery, run by a company called Omega Protein, and its affiliates. Typically turned into fishmeal and fish oil products in a process known as ‘reduction fishing,’ the small schooling fish also are a key food for iconic predators like striped bass, bluefish, and Ospreys. All other states have banned the practice of reduction fishing.”

More Osprey Facts

• Ospreys mate for life and usually return to the same nest every spring. They typically incubate one to four eggs for 36 to 42 days. 

• Because they add materials to their nest year after year, a nest can be ten to 13 feet deep, three to six feet across and weigh up to 250 pounds. They may “decorate” their nests with items like shoes, cans, fabric, fast food debris and toys. Ospreys can become entangled in things in the nest, like plastic bags, balloon ribbons and monofilament fishing line.

• Over their 15-to-20-year lifetime, Ospreys may migrate more than 160,000 miles. 

• In the early 1970s, Osprey numbers plummeted and scientists concluded that the eggshells of Ospreys, eagles and other birds were so thin that they broke during incubation and birds failed to hatch. They concluded that the hatching failure was due to pesticides that moved up the food chain. In 1972, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned DDT and populations recovered, until recently. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about the challenges Ospreys face, see the article about Ospreys and menhaden from the June 2025 Potomac Flier, and watch Joanie Milward’s March 2025 talk, Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Pollinator Pathways: Connecting your yard to the bigger picture

Photo: Native plant garden, Margaret Fisher

By Eileen Ellsworth

Imagine the world as it once was. Verdant forests, buzzing meadows, and numerous other natural areas were immense, whole, and pulsing with life. Over time, human activity emerged and carved the natural world into disconnected, even isolated parts. Ecologists refer to this process as habitat fragmentation. You can see it in urban settings where green parks are biological islands surrounded by buildings and concrete roads. You can see it in rural settings where agriculture simplifies ecosystems and amplifies the populations of only certain insects to the detriment of others. You can see it in suburban settings where developments destroy natural habitats and where landscapes are “replaced” with all non-native species. 

Large and mostly undisturbed ecosystems can still be found, of course, especially in our beloved national parks and forests. But even they are distant from each other, understaffed, and too small in total acreage to sustain the biodiversity of the continent. Any solution to the problem of habitat fragmentation and the resulting loss of biodiversity, therefore, must be found right here among the throng of human life – where we live, work and play.

Is it possible to reconnect isolated fragments in our urban, suburban, and rural settings to benefit pollinators and the creatures that depend upon them? That was the question that sparked the “pollinator pathway” concept in 2007 by Sarah Bergmann, an artist living in Seattle. As part of a social and ecological project, she envisioned and described a network of native gardens that could create a “pathway” to support pollinators. This core idea led to the creation of a nonprofit – Pollinator Pathway – by Donna Merrill, a conservationist from Wilton, Connecticut, in 2017. Since then, the group has helped inspire and launch a national movement.

The idea is a powerful one. Anybody can take part, even at a novice level. There are very few barriers to participation. If all you have is one native tree or a small pollinator garden – preferably one with some native plants – it’s a start, and you can build from there. 

The main goal of a pollinator pathway is to reinstate connectivity between several small but healthy habitats. A single native tree can support bees and other pollinators as much if not more than a flower garden. Building a pollinator pathway on your street, for example, may include adding a new native tree or two, or creating new healthy gardens on communal grounds or private property as “stepping stones” along the way. It may include the expansion of existing native plant areas. Removal of invasives that disrupt the pathway will certainly be part of the plan, along with pledges to avoid all broadcast pesticides including mosquito and tick sprays. Only unpoisoned ecosystems can be included in the work.

Many communities across America are already building pollinator pathways and proving the concept. You can recruit participants on your own, or have fun working with like-minded people to muster engagement. Hold a kick-off meeting to build some early momentum. Don’t over-plan. Take some early action, starting with 1 or 2 easy planting projects, then see where it takes you. 

On a new webpage just launched by Plant NOVA Natives you will find some handy tools to help you build a pollinator pathway in your neighborhood or community. They include:

• A tip sheet for pollinator pathway organizers

• Instructions for ordering medallion signs that will be delivered to your house from Plant NOVA Natives for you and your participants — If you are in northern Virginia, we will have the sign company mail you the first five for free.

• Ideas for how to pitch the idea to the folks you want to engage

• Pollinator Pathway handouts to leave with your neighbor

Join the movement! Let’s work with our neighbors and friends to connect the fragments, rebuild some beneficial habitats, and heal the everyday ecosystems that surround us. Their resilience is astonishing. New life, activity, and hope will certainly emerge, along with a new joy in being part of something much bigger than our own backyards.

If you want help identifying plants to remove from your yard, and native replacements, consider signing up with NVBA for a Wildlife Sanctuary Consultation.

Biodiversity or mosquito fogging: You can’t have both

Photo: Asian Tiger Mosquito, Judy Gallagher

We’ve written before about harm from mosquito fogging, but it’s such an important issue, we encourage you to read this additional article from Plant NoVA Natives.

Plant NoVA Natives

Ah, the mosquito. It plagues our summers and can ruin our outdoor fun. Is anyone a fan? If so, consider the Asian tiger mosquito, which has no regard for personal space or time. If you happen to have it in your yard, it bites everyone, morning, noon, and night. In winter we long for warm weather, but when it finally arrives, in some neighborhoods we are indoor prisoners. Understandably we want to rid ourselves of this awful pest.

Some of our neighbors turn to commercial-grade mosquito fogging, persuaded by marketing claims that the product is both effective and “safe.” But a closer examination of these claims reveals an ineffective process that is devastating for native bees, butterflies, fireflies, moths, and a plethora of other beneficial insects we work so hard to attract with native plants.

How effective is mosquito spraying? How effective can it be when the chemicals in the product only target adult mosquitos and only those adults within direct range of the fog? By some estimates, no more than 20-30% of adult mosquitos are killed in one treatment. Meanwhile all mosquito larvae, which are laid and hatched in standing water, are unaffected. They continue to grow and emerge as if nothing harmful has happened in their environment. As a result, the adult population of mosquitos is quickly replenished while nearly every other insect the fog touches is indiscriminately killed.

Mosquito spray producers point to EPA statements that the chemicals are safe for bees when used according to label instructions. But there are severe limitations to the EPA’s testing method. The agency only tests on honeybees and only measures the chemical toxicity resulting from surface exposure, not oral ingestion.

This is highly problematic. Honeybees are only one species of bees and are non-native to boot. That leaves 400 species of native bees in Virginia, along with all butterflies, moths, dragonflies, ladybugs, fireflies, and numerous other beneficial insects that are not tested. Those insects have entirely different life cycles, foraging methods, and ways of protecting and feeding their larvae which render them tragically vulnerable. It is a complete folly to extrapolate EPA’s honeybee-focused test results to any other insect species.

Consider this: One spray of mosquito fog leaves a persistent residue on the surface of everything it touches. Repeating the applications every 10-30 days, as many commercial services recommend, just compounds the problem. The EPA says it considers how long the chemical residue persists in the environment and its effect on honeybee colonies. However, honeybees can forage up to 5 miles away from their hives if necessary, far away from the fogged area and the residue. Our native mason bees, on the other hand, forage no further than 300 feet from their nests. They are wholly dependent on the health of their immediate surroundings to eat and reproduce. Adults have no way to avoid exposure.

Neither do their larvae. Leaf cutter bees and mason bees, for example, produce dough balls that are left in hollow stems for their developing larvae to eat. The balls are composed of pollen and nectar from the flowers in their immediate foraging range. As the larvae hatch and eat the dough balls, they ingest concentrated levels of the pesticides and die. For our native bees, there is no honeybee equivalent of the hive to ensure their survival. They live their lives alone. As their larvae die, all subsequent lines of offspring from affected individuals are gone for good.

Fortunately, as research has advanced on fogging, so too has the thinking on several alternative, inexpensive methods of control. Here are some very safe and effective suggestions, especially when used together as a suite of tools.

• Source Removal. The most effective method of mosquito control by far is “source removal,” or emptying/eliminating all sources of standing water on your property. This practice kills mosquito larvae before they become biting adults. Regularly inspect your property for containers or areas that hold water, then remove or empty them. Remember to inspect flowerpots, buckets, or any other feature or item that can hold water. Change the water frequently in places where you want it – like birdbaths – so the larvae have no time to grow and emerge. Maintain your gutters and downspouts so the water flows. Keep your swimming pools and hot tubs clean and properly chlorinated.

• Mosquito Larva Traps: This is a favored method of control by Doug Tallamy, an entomologist at the University of Delaware and national proponent of supporting biodiversity in our own backyards. He recommends filling a five-gallon bucket of water, placing it in the sun, then adding a handful of hay, grass, straw, or leaf litter to decay and attract egg-filled female mosquitos. Add a quarter of a Mosquito Dunk® tablet you can purchase at any hardware store, garden center, or home improvement retailer. It contains bacteria that kill several species of fly larvae, including mosquitoes. A more detailed explanation of the process - and photos of lovely painted buckets - can be found on  Dr. Tallamy’s Homegrown National Park website. Or follow NVBA’s instructions for setting up a mosquito larva trap. To make your life even easier, you also can find kits for making mosquito larva traps on Etsy.

• Water Wigglers: Water wigglers are devices you can purchase to keep water moving in birdbaths. They were designed to attract birds to the sight and sound of running water but are also highly effective in stopping female mosquitos from laying eggs.

• Deck Fans: Mosquitos are weak fliers. Turn on a fan while you enjoy your deck and make it harder for mosquitos to reach you.

• Personal Protection: When spending time outdoors, consider wearing long pants, sleeves, and a hat, and spraying your clothing and skin with insect repellant. Personal precautions such as these can prevent mosquito bites entirely.

• Community Efforts: Mosquito control is very successful when several neighbors in a larger community participate. Talk to your neighbors about source removal, mosquito larva traps, fans, and water wigglers. Show them your homemade mosquito bucket and encourage them to do the same. Some studies tout this approach above all others, suggesting that mosquito populations can be reduced by 85% when the whole street or block works together. One way to approach your neighbors is by inviting them to join a Pollinator Pathway and giving them a nifty little sign to display which will encourage other neighbors to rethink their mosquito-spraying contracts.

We all enjoy our yards and our pollinator gardens, and we understand how including native plants promotes biodiversity. But along with joy comes responsibility. If we don’t protect the very life we’ve helped emerge, no one will. We can have improved biodiversity, or we can have pesticides. They do not co-exist.

A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us, September 2025

Photo: Horse Fly eyes, Judy Gallagher

Judy Gallagher

September 2025

Our eyes determine how we see the world. This is an oversimplification of human vision, but human eyes have a single lens that focuses light onto the retina, which has photoreceptors called rods which help us see in low light and cones that help us see colors. It's easy to assume that other species see things the same way we do, but that is not the case. 

Most adult insects have compound eyes, which are made up of many individual lenses called ommatidia that allow them to see a wide field of view and detect movement. The number of individual lenses can vary from 6 in worker ants to more than 25,000 in dragonflies. 

Nearctic Carpenter Ants. The worker ants are the ones with the smaller heads. Judy Gallagher

Evolution favors traits that benefit a species in some way. It's possible that visual acuity is not that important to worker ants who stay close to the colony and use other senses like smell and touch. 

Russet-tipped Clubtail dragonfly, Judy Gallagher

Dragonflies, on the other hand, need good vision. They have a greater number of light-sensitive proteins in their eyes than we do and likely have great color vision. Their range of view is almost 360 degrees and they can see up to 200 images per second, enabling them to track motion easily. They are aerial predators, catching all their prey in flight. Their excellent vision and flight prowess are responsible for them catching up to 95% of the prey they target. 

There are two basic types of compound eyes. Apposition compound eyes produce multiple images, one for each ommatidium. The vision is likely not as sharp as our single-lens eyes, but movement is tracked more easily.

Black Witch Moths, with their light-sensitive superposition eyes shining, Judy Gallagher

Most nocturnal insects have superposition compound eyes, which form a single image. This allows increased light sensitivity, but it's at the expense of resolution. 

Many insects can distinguish between polarized light (coming directly from the sun) and unpolarized light. That enables them to detect the sun’s position and use it as an orientation cue even when the sun is obscured by clouds. Many insects can “see” light in the ultraviolet range. But they often can't see red. Bees and butterflies have good color vision, but many insects don't. 

Western Honey Bee with pollen on its hairy eyeballs, Judy Gallagher

Speaking of bees, Western Honey Bees have hairy compound eyes, which allows them to capture pollen there when the bee is foraging. 

Chinese Mantis, Judy Gallagher

Some insects like the Praying Mantis have good vision. An area of their eye is slightly flattened and the ommatidia in the flattened zone are larger than in the rest of the eye. The flattening allows more ommatidia to receive light from a spot and therefore provides higher resolution.

Horse Fly eyes, Judy Gallagher

Female horse flies are attracted to linearly polarized light when searching for animals to bite. Scientists speculate that this helps them to locate dark host animals in sunlit vegetation because the vegetation and the animal reflect light differently. This suggests that wearing light colored clothing while outside might help you avoid being a horse fly target. 

 Eastern Hornet Fly showing Ocelli, Judy Gallagher

Most flying insects also have simple eyes called ocelli that may help them maintain a balanced course. They are pretty unassuming relative to the compound eyes. But there are a few flying insects that don’t have ocelli; for instance, some horse flies.

Intractable Quaker caterpillar - the little black dots on its head are stemmata. Judy Gallagher

Stemmata are simple eyes found on most larvae of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. They can detect motion and sometimes polarized light. They are located where the compound eyes will be when the larva transforms into the adult form. 

Antlion, showing its amazing eyes, Judy Gallagher

My favorite insect eyes are on members of the Neuroptera order. Adult lacewings, ant lions and mantidflies have mesmerizing eyes. But I couldn't find any research that detailed why. This may be a topic for a future article! 

View more of Judy’s articles on A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us (formerly Observations from Meadowood).

Dyke Marsh: A Fragile Treasure

Photo: A view of Dyke Marsh, Dixie Sommers

Glenda C. Booth, President, Friends of Dyke Marsh

Juvenile Bald Eagle bathing at Dyke Marsh, Dixie Sommers

Experienced and novice birders alike have had “front-row seats” this year in the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, observing both an Osprey and a Bald Eagle pair raising their young. The Ospreys had two young at an easily-viewed nest on a platform just off the Belle Haven Marina boat ramp. Sadly, one of the chicks did not survive. The Bald Eagle pair raised three young at a very visible nest along the Haul Road Trail. The birds’ fans started seeing the eagles bringing sticks to the nest as early as December. These are just two examples of birds in the preserve. Cornell’s eBird lists Dyke Marsh as a birding hotspot with 271 species reported.

The Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, in northern Mount Vernon along the Potomac River shoreline, is the "nearest thing to primeval wilderness" in the Washington area, wrote Louis J. Halle in 1947 when he biked from the city at dawn to watch the wetland awaken. 

Congress’s intent in adding it to the national park system in 1959 is clear: “so that fish and wildlife development and their preservation as wetland wildlife habitat shall be paramount.” Dyke Marsh is a unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway managed by the National Park Service (NPS). 

Black Swallowtail butterfly on Cardinal Flower, Dixie Sommers

It is one of largest remaining tidal, freshwater marshes in the Washington area and one of largest tidal, freshwater, temperate, climax, riverine, narrow-leafed cattail marshes in the NPS system. Part of the marsh is at least 2,200 years old.

According to NPS data, its tidal wetland, swamp forest, floodplain forest and open water provide habitat for over 230 known species of birds, 300 plants, 6,000 arthropods, 38 fish, 16 reptiles, 14 amphibians and 26 mammals, the latter including exotics like feral cats. Wetlands are “biological supermarkets,” notes Kirk Havens with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Marshes Unappreciated

Many wetlands, tidal and nontidal, have been sacrificed – filled and paved over – for roads, buildings and other development. For much of U.S. history, people viewed wetlands as mosquito-ridden dumping grounds to avoid. Some names were telling. In the 1800s, Dyke Marsh was called “Hell Hole,” and William Byrd named the wetland in eastern Virginia the Great Dismal Swamp. On an intriguing side note, during prohibition, Dyke Marsh was a hideout for bootleggers. Clandestine, enterprising purveyors could conduct their business in the dense vegetation and along the river, where state and federal jurisdictional lines were blurred.

Dyke Marsh has endured years of excavation, dumping, pollution, invasive plants and animals, poaching, illegal bow fishing, hunting, polluted runoff, off-leash dogs and endless trash.

Eastern Kingbird nesting, Dixie Sommers

Six species of birds that breed in Dyke Marsh are on Virginia’s list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need: Black and White Warbler, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Catbird, Green Heron and Least Bittern. 

And while it is a favorite place to watch birds and other wildlife, Dyke Marsh is much more than birds. It provides ecological services, including flood control, storm buffering, water quality enhancement, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and shoreline stabilization.

Saving Dyke Marsh

Over half of Dyke Marsh was hauled away by dredgers from 1940 to 1972, which destabilized the whole hydrologic system, two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) studies concluded. USGS reported that in 1940, the wetland part of the preserve was around 180 acres. By 2010, it was around 53 acres. The dredging that removed around 101 acres or 54 percent of the 1937 marsh was a strong destabilizing force, transforming it from a net depositional state to a net erosional state.

In 2010 and 2013, the USGS concluded that Dyke Marsh was eroding six to eight feet or 1.5 to two acres per year a year on average and at an accelerating rate. They predicted that at this rate Dyke Marsh would be gone by 2035. 

Said USGS: “Analysis of field evidence, aerial photography, and published maps has revealed an accelerating rate of erosion and marsh loss at Dyke Marsh, which now appears to put at risk the short-term survivability of this marsh.” 

NSP prepared a restoration plan and, with the help of the Friends of Dyke Marsh (FODM or the Friends) and other organizations, received over $25 million to stabilize the marsh. In 2013, then Interior Secretary Sally Jewell came to the marsh to announce the funding and a restoration-stabilization plan. In 2020, NPS completed phase one, construction of a breakwater that replicates a former promontory that protected the marsh. USGS identified the breakwater as a priority that would “redirect erosive flows in the marsh, particularly during strong storms and re-establish hydrologic conditions that would encourage sediment accretion.” In 2022, NPS’s contractor completed four sills north of the breakwater to also help stem erosion and encourage accretion.

FODM Projects

Another restoration effort is underway as well. Many of the upland areas of the marsh, especially along the trails, are overrun with invasive plants, like much of northern Virginia’s habitat. FODM teams work twice a month to control invasive plants near the Haul Road Trail, where most people visit the marsh. In June, FODM recently received a Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation grant to control three plots infested with mile-a-minute, porcelain berry, English ivy and other non-native plants. In one area in 2018, after clearing invasive plants, volunteers and NPS staff planted over 4,000 native trees and plants. NVBA helped fund the purchase of the plants.

The Friends have several other projects:

• breeding bird, butterfly, dragonfly and plant surveys;

• treatment of 20 pumpkin ash trees to combat the invasive emerald ash borer;

• a wildlife monitoring camera;

• planting black willow stakes to stabilize the marsh;

• guided walks focused on birds every Sunday; 

• other periodic walks focused on butterflies, trees, ecology and plants’ fall colors; 

• trash cleanups;

• water testing;

• annual raptor event;

• advocating for national parks, clean water and other issues; and

• public meetings with speakers on conservation topics.

Dyke Marsh like many natural areas offer what Henry David Thoreau called “the tonic of wildness.” The best way to really see Dyke Marsh is in a kayak or canoe. We hope you will visit and try nature’s restorative elixir. We invite you to join the Friends of Dyke Marsh by visiting our website, where you also can find more information about the marsh and a printable bird checklist.

Fall color at Dyke Marsh, Dixie Sommers

Happy Bees, Happy Yards

Photo: Spring Beauty Bee, Judy Gallagher

Plant NoVA Natives

Gardening to attract as many bees as possible is more than a rewarding pastime. It’s a blend of purpose, beauty and connection to something grand and greater than we are. The growing season is marching by, but sufficient time remains to add a few new bee-favorite flowering plants and shrubs to your property. Bees are key to the environment. Their health reflects the state of the health and interconnectedness of the surrounding world. If the bees are happy, so are the habitats they occupy.

Bees are among the most efficient and effective pollinators in the insect kingdom. Pollinators ensure the reproduction of 80% of all flowering plants, a Herculean feat that bees accomplish inadvertently. In the process of collecting nectar and pollen for their own use, bees become covered in the plant pollen, fertilizing plants as they move from bloom to bloom. The plants that bees pollinate have played their part as well, evolving flowers that are custom-built to attract bees by accommodating their unique preferences, anatomy and behavior. It is an ancient and productive partnership between two very different forms of life.

In more recent times we’ve come to appreciate the direct benefit bees provide to uncultivated ecosystems. In meadows, for example, bees cross-pollinate many different plants, which leads to genetic diversity and stronger, more resilient plant stocks. Bees promote the diversity of plants that help clean the air and water and reinvigorate the soil. Plants are the foundation of food chains that feed herbivores and, subsequently, carnivores. The native plants that grow and thrive in undisturbed natural settings fix carbon, release oxygen and mitigate soil erosion. In short, the health of wild ecosystems is greatly enhanced by the activity and industry of bees.

The non-native European honeybee, which arrived in North America in the 1600s, is well known and recognized in our region. However, the ecosystem depends on the 400+ species of native bees that were here in northern Virginia to begin with. Eighty percent of them are generalists and will visit many different flowers. The rest are specialists that need access to specific native plants to survive.

Native bumblebees are a good example of generalists. There are 14 species of native bumble bees in northern Virginia, all of which are adorable, hardworking and fast. A bumblebee can pollinate six blueberry flowers in the time it takes a European honeybee to pollinate just one. European honeybees are highly social insects that live together in colonies. The native Spring Beauty Bees, on the other hand, are small, solitary bees. It is a specialist that emerges in early spring and relies heavily on the Spring Beauty ephemeral flower to survive. You can often see females carrying large amounts of pink pollen collected from the Spring Beauties.

But whether they are large or small, generalists or specialists, social or solitary, all native bees are suffering. Habitat loss and fragmentation, pesticide use, and climate change are the primary causes. Their food sources and nesting sites are disappearing. Their numbers are declining, some drastically, others less so. Despite these complex threats, there is much we as individuals can do to protect them.

1. Tuck some of the native flowers and shrubs that are known to support bees into blank spaces in your garden. (See the Gardening for Bees link, below). After the heat of summer fades, add some spring ephemerals to help the early season native bees next year. It’s worth mentioning that bees are highly unlikely to sting when gathering food, as many gardeners will attest. When issues occur, it’s almost always because bees are defending their nests, and that is only an issue for a few species.

2. Remove non-native invasives from your property. They greatly disrupt native ecosystems.

3. Plant and maintain a pollinator garden that is reserved exclusively for native plants. With some care and planning, it can mimic a mini meadow.

4. Add a source of water like a birdbath to your garden.

5. Don’t spray for mosquitoes. The mosquitoes tend to reappear quickly after a spraying, but almost every other insect the mosquito fog reaches, including bees, will be annihilated.

6. Avoid the use of any pesticide.

7. Most native bees nest in the ground, so leave some bare ground in your garden or landscape for tunneling.

8. Think about leaving dead stalks in place for a year or two. Some native bees overwinter or reproduce in those stalks and need time to grow and emerge. 

Bees are small but mighty creatures who need our help as never before. Our own future is served when we help shelter, feed, and protect them. Let’s see what we can do to help. For more information about native bees and the plants that attract and support them, visit the “Gardening for Bees” page of the Plant NoVA Natives website, which, among other interesting information, offers suggestions for pairing specific plants with the bees that are known to visit their blooms.

The Bobolink

Photo: Bobolink, Calvin Borgmann/Audubon Photography Awards

Evelyn Novins

The Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryaivorus, also called the rice bird or rice bunting, is yet another migrating songbird that has declined in population over the last fifty years. People have trapped and sold them as pets in South America, collected them as food in Jamaica and shot them in the US as agricultural pests. The primary reason for the species’ decline, however, is changes in land use, particularly the disappearance of useful habitat in many areas of its historic range. 

The Bobolink, as a ground-nesting bird, looks for large areas dominated by grasses without woody plants or trees. With the loss of prairie land due to development and agriculture, the Bobolink has adjusted to smaller, often flower-rich open meadows and hayfields. In urbanizing areas, of course, that kind of habitat also is disappearing.

The threats are not news to most birdwatchers, but before going into too much detail on the dire circumstances (and some hopeful moves toward conservation), let’s look at the special bird in question. 

The Bobolink is a seed-eater. It passes through northern Virginia in migration, breeds in more northern North America and winters in South America. During their long migration, mostly through Florida and the West Indies although a few migrate through Mexico and Central America, they stop in marshes and rice and other grain fields. In years past when the Bobolink was very abundant, flocks of birds might strip rice fields of seeds, behavior that gave it its common rice bird or rice bunting name and its scientific name “orvaivorus”, which means rice-eater. Once considered a pest, hunting the bird was a common practice. 

Although John James Audubon’s Birds of America was limited to the plates, a separate, companion publication written by Audubon and Scottish naturalist and ornithologist William MacGillivray provides observations on the birds’ migration as well as the damage they caused to crops along the way. See the text for Audubon’s Plate 54, the Rice Bird. It’s interesting to compare their observations with the information in current field guides.

Male Bobolink in breeding plumage, Calvin Borgmann/Audubon Photography Awards

The breeding male Bobolink is easily identified by his stunning black and white “reverse tuxedo” plumage (black below with white above) and his straw-colored nape. The nonbreeding male and female have a yellow/buffy nape and bold, brown stripes on the wings. The breeding female is paler. Many birders, however, recognize the bird by its bubbly call, which some say gave it its name, that is, they hear “Bob O’Lincoln” as part of the song. Listen to the recording on the American Bird Conservancy's website to see if you can hear the name.

Bobolink with nonbreeding plumage, Matt Felperin

After migrating in the spring, the males arrive in the breeding ground first. Females arrive later, choosing a nest site within a male’s territory. The female scratches a depression in the soil and then builds an outer wall of dead grass and weed stems. She lines the inside of the nest with fine grasses and sedges placed directly on the soil about 2-1/2 inches deep and 2 inches across for a clutch of 3-7 eggs.  

Bobolinks are truly social birds. Males mate with several females per breeding season and the eggs in a female’s clutch may represent multiple fathers. Both parents feed the young, and families from several nests form forage flocks. The adults eat seeds, but the nestlings are fed invertebrates exclusively. The young leave the nest unable to fly and hide in the underbrush until their flight feathers emerge fully. Outside the nesting season Bobolinks continue to flock, and the males molt adopting a drabber plumage as they begin their migration to the South American wintering ground. The males molt again on their wintering ground.

The 2025 State of the Birds report lists the Bobolink as an Orange Alert Tipping Point species, a classification that means it has lost more than 50% of its population in the last 50 years, and its decline has accelerated in the past 10 years. The US Geological Survey’s North American Breeding Bird Survey indicates that grassland bird populations have fallen 53%, and Partners in Flight also acknowledges the imperiled status of the Bobolink. 

Conservation efforts focus on maintaining the birds’ breeding ground by refraining from mowing fields until after the young have fledged. Using prescribed burns in natural prairie habitat also prevents encroachments by trees and other woody plants. Locally, Fairfax County has implemented a timed mowing schedule at several capped mounds at the I-95 Landfill Complex. Birders spotted Boblinks there this spring as they made their way north to breed. Because of the dearth of natural, open meadows in an urbanizing area like northern Virginia, managing landfills for these (and other) imperiled birds may be the birds’ best chance for finding a resting and feeding stop on their migrations.

A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us, July-August 2025

Photo: Common Milkweed with multiple insects on flowers, Judy Gallagher

Judy Gallagher

July-August 2025

I am fascinated by the concept that plants and insects have co-evolved. Many plants rely on insects to pollinate them and disperse their seeds, and most insects rely on plants for food, either directly, or indirectly by eating other insects that have eaten plants. But it isn't in the plant's best interest to have all its vegetation eaten, and plants have evolved strategies to ensure that they survive the hordes of hungry insects. 

Common Milkweed with multiple insects on flowers, including Sachem Skippers, Oleander Aphids, Delta Flower Scarab Beetle, Small Carpenter Bee and Seven-spotted Lady Beetle , Judy Gallagher

Members of the Milkweed family produce chemicals called cardenolides which are toxic to most invertebrates, thereby preventing them from eating Milkweed's foliage. But a few insects, including the Monarch butterfly caterpillar, Small and Large Milkweed Bugs, Milkweed Longhorn Beetles, Milkweed Stem Weevil, Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars, three aphid species, a leaf-mining fly and the Swamp Milkweed Beetle have developed a tolerance to these chemicals. Some of these insects eat the leaves, at least one eats the roots, and Milkweed Bugs eat the seeds. The ingested cardenolides then protect most of these insects from predation by birds and other vertebrates. Milkweed's toxins aren't found in the flowers, so most insects can dine on nectar and pollinate the plants without being affected. 

Monarch caterpillars, Judy Gallagher

Although the insects mentioned above can eat Milkweed, Milkweed still has some defense against them. The undersides of Milkweed leaves are hairy, and these inedible hairs make it challenging for insects like newly hatched Monarch or Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars to access edible leaf tissue. The caterpillar must remove the hairs from an area of leaf before biting into the leaf, and many new caterpillars die of dehydration before they have removed enough hairs to get to the edible part of the leaf. 

Milkweed Stem Weevil with mouthparts clogged with latex, Judy Gallagher

Up to 60% of the caterpillars that get this far die after their first bite of Milkweed, which has another defense mechanism of gummy white latex. If the latex isn’t removed quickly, it will seal an insect's mouth closed, preventing further feeding. Milkweed tolerant insects compensate for that by chewing through small sap-carrying veins, forming a trench around an area of leaf tissue. This cuts off the flow of sap into that part of the leaf, and the insect can eat without encountering latex. 

Red Milkweed Beetle adult with latex on its head. Fortunately for it, the latex is not clogging its mouthparts. The beetle's bright color advertises that it is toxic. Judy Gallagher

Many Milkweed-tolerant insects are brightly colored. This is called aposematic coloring, and it advertises to predators like birds that the insect is unpalatable. Red Milkweed Beetle larvae burrow into the soil and feed on milkweed roots. Like the leaves, milkweed roots have toxic cardenolides; however, unlike the leaves, they aren’t protected by latex. But they do have another defense. When attacked, milkweed roots release volatile chemical compounds that attract soil-dwelling non-segmented worms called nematodes, which then prey upon the beetle larvae. Red Milkweed Beetle adults feed on Milkweed leaves and flowers. 

Milkweed Leaf Beetle, Judy Gallagher

The Milkweed Leaf Beetle is sometimes found on Common Milkweed but more commonly on Swamp Milkweed. It can also process Milkweed’s toxic cardenolides but does not keep the toxins in its body. It is somewhat protected from predation by its warning coloration which resembles that of insects that are toxic. 

Small Milkweed Bug eating another Small Milkweed Bug, Judy Gallagher

Large and Small Milkweed Bugs feed on Milkweed seeds, inserting their long proboscises into the seeds, injecting enzymes to liquefy the seeds' contents, and then sucking out the juice. The seeds have more cardenolides than the leaves, and both Milkweed Bugs sequester them and advertise their unpalatability with bright colors. Small Milkweed Bugs aren't as picky about their food as some other Milkweed-dependent insects. When Milkweed is scarce, they can also feed on Honey Bees, Monarch caterpillars and pupae, Large Milkweed Bugs, Dogbane Beetles, and each other. 

 Ants tending Aphids on Milkweed, Judy Gallagher

At least three aphid species feed on Milkweed. Some aphids are tended by ants, who like the sugary waste that aphids excrete. In exchange for the sugary waste, called honeydew, the ants protect the aphids from predation. But too many aphids could hurt the Milkweed plant, and it responds by producing more cardenolides. If the aphids' honeydew contains too high a concentration of cardenolides, ants won't eat it and won't protect the aphids. This tends to reduce the aphid population to a level that doesn't harm the Milkweed plant too much. 

Nature is so complex! I hope you have a chance to observe insects on Milkweed this season. 

View more of Judy’s articles on A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us (formerly Observations from Meadowood).

Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Creating Habitat for Butterflies

Photo: Monarch butterfly nectaring on a thistle, Judy Gallagher

Cliff Fairweather

Do you want more butterflies around your home? Consider creating a butterfly habitat that will attract not just adult butterflies passing through but will support butterflies throughout their life cycles. A habitat is where a living thing finds what it needs for survival: food, water, shelter, and space. Butterflies undergo a four-stage metamorphosis, which includes egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and adult. The specific habitat needs of butterflies change as they go through their life cycles, so the challenge in creating butterfly habitat is to meet their needs in each stage. 

Tiger Swallowtails, Virginia’s state insect, nectaring on buttonbush. Photo: Judy Gallagher

Adult butterflies need high-energy fuel for activities such as flight, foraging, mating, and egg laying, and that fuel is flower nectar. Nectar is essentially sugar water produced by flowers to attract pollinators. Butterflies seek it from a wide variety of herbaceous and woody flowering plants. They are opportunistic feeders, mostly without strong preferences for particular species of nectar flowers. They do have preferences, however, for particular flower characteristics. Butterflies have good color vision and are attracted to flowers with bright colors, especially yellow, orange, white, pink, red, and blue. They also are attracted to flowers with floral scents and flowers rich in nectar. 

Flower shape and the arrangement of flowers on a plant influence which nectar plants butterflies choose. They strongly favor flowers with tubular corollas, such as phloxes, which accommodate a butterfly’s long, thin proboscis. Because different butterflies have proboscises of different lengths, plant flowers with a variety of corolla lengths to attract a wider diversity of butterflies.

Nectar plants with clusters of many small flowers offer efficient nectaring for butterflies, such as this Great Spangled Fritillary. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

Butterflies tend to prefer plants with loose clusters of smaller flowers, like milkweeds, or tight clusters of small to tiny flowers, like asters. Clustered flowers offer efficient nectaring opportunities, enabling butterflies to visit many flowers quickly with a minimum of flying. Butterflies also tend to select flowers, such as sunflowers and asters, that provide a relatively flat, stable landing place. This allows them to rest while they feed. 

Most native plants have relatively short blooming periods, so try to offer a diverse mix of nectar plants with varied blooming times to ensure that something is blooming throughout the growing season. This bloom time table from Plant NoVA Natives is a good reference. Different butterfly species often forage at different heights, so offering plants of various heights can draw more butterfly diversity. Avoid cultivars of native species, because they might have undesirable characteristics, such as not producing nectar or producing nectar that is difficult to access. This document lists some examples of nectar plants native to northern Virginia, but there are many others. Consult your local native plant society chapter, butterfly club, naturalist organization, native plant vendors, or nature center for more choices.

Massing nectar plants of the same species together, rather than spreading them out, will create beacons for foraging butterflies. Plant taller plants towards the back and shorter plants in front of them so they aren’t hidden from view. If you have space, place trees and shrubs to shield nectar plants from the prevailing winds, making it easier for foraging butterflies to nectar on windy days. These also provide butterfly perching, roosting, basking, and sheltering sites.

Nectar and host plants alone don’t provide all the nutrients butterflies need. Most also need nutrients such as amino acids, nitrogen, and sodium. These are especially important for reproductive success. To obtain these, they engage in a behavior called puddling, where they land on patches of damp soil or sand, often at the edge of water puddles. They use their proboscises to imbibe nutrients from the wet spot. 

Butterfly adults, mostly males, visit damp soil or sand to imbibe nutrients not available in nectar. These are Eastern-tailed Blues. Photo: Judy Gallagher

You can create a puddling site by creating a patch of bare soil or sand in a flat, sunny spot in your habitat that you can wet down every day or so. Puddling sites also can be an important source of water for butterflies. Some butterflies seek additional nutrients from animal dung and carrion. Some also feed on rotted fruit, so putting some out in your habitat, or leaving some fallen fruit from trees, might attract some additional species.

Silver-spotted Skipper egg on a Black Locust leaf: providing habitat for the entire butterfly life cycle will result in more butterflies using your habitat. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

While nectar plants fuel adult butterflies, caterpillars need something more substantial to nourish their enormous and rapid growth to as much as 100 times their size at hatching. To satisfy the appetites of their progeny, female butterflies search out host plants on which to lay their eggs. Not just any plant will do as a host, it must be a plant that their species is adapted to eat. Most plants produce toxins and other defenses to deter insects from eating them. Caterpillars evolve tolerances for or countermeasures against these defenses, giving them nearly exclusive access to their host plants as a food source. Because different plants have evolved different defenses, caterpillars usually specialize in a few species of host plants. 

To help decide what host plants to grow, learn what species of butterflies are likely to be found in your area. Of course, you’ll also need to take into consideration the growing conditions on your site. Host plants include many woody, as well as herbaceous, forms. Many, such as milkweed, do double duty as nectar plants. This document includes a table of butterfly species and their host plants. Butterfly field guides usually list host plants for each species they cover. Also, remember that because the purpose of planting host plants in your habitat is to feed caterpillars, you need to tolerate some damage to host plant foliage. That damage, though, is a sign of success – it means you’re raising caterpillars! 

Monarch butterfly caterpillars feeding on Common Milkweed. Creating butterfly habitat means tolerating some damage to host plants. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

Monarch Butterfly chrysalis: Chrysalises need an undisturbed place in your habitat to transform from caterpillar to adult. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

When they are ready to metamorphose into their pupal stage, caterpillars usually leave their host plant, but they don’t go far. Many species suspend their chrysalises from a plant, branch, or other structure, natural or human-made, while others pupate under leaf litter or in the soil. To support butterflies in their egg, caterpillar, and chrysalis stage, avoid being an overly tidy gardener. Leave leaf litter on the ground, as some butterflies, many moths, and other beneficial insects pupate in the fallen leaves. Also, resist the urge to do a late winter or early spring cleanup by removing last year’s dead vegetation, at least until temperatures have warmed for a while and overwintering eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises have had a chance to move on to their next stage. 

Beyond food and nutrients, butterflies need places to bask in the sun, find shelter from storms and predators, spend the night, hibernate, and perch. A large rock or steppingstone placed in a sunny spot can provide a basking site where butterflies can warm their flight muscles up to flying temperature. They also will use large leaves as basking sites. The underside of leaves can provide a shelter against rain, a hiding place from predators, or a place to spend the night. Tree cavities, loose bark, or even old bird houses can provide short-term shelters or hibernation sites for overwintering butterfly adults and chrysalises. Some male butterflies use rocks, shrubs, or trees as perches from which to watch for potential mates and rivals.

Monarch Butterfly nectaring on a thistle. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

Planning and managing your butterfly habitat needn’t be complicated, but there are some basic things you should consider. First of these is where to locate the habitat. Monitor your property to see if butterflies are already visiting and where they linger. Also, look for any existing native nectar or host plants. Butterflies are “cold blooded,” so select an area that gets sun for at least six to eight hours a day. The space needn’t be large, just enough room for some host and nectar plants and some other habitat elements. Even a patio or balcony can provide some habitat with container-grown plants

Once established, a butterfly habitat should be fairly low maintenance, but it is not maintenance-free. You will need to manage invasive exotic plants and thin out natives that are trying to take over. Pesticide use is incompatible with raising caterpillars, so consider non-toxic alternatives to pest control, including just waiting out infestations. Often, a predator or parasite will come along and handle the problem. 

Creating a butterfly habitat will do more than provide a home for butterflies. Other wildlife, from fireflies to songbirds, will use your habitat as well, and you will be making a valuable contribution to local biological diversity. Also, it’s just plain fun to have butterflies around!

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Catch up on past Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac articles here.

Report on the 2025 Occoquan Bay Area Annual Butterfly Count

Photo: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Sheryl Pollock

Jim Waggener

0730, Sat., 28 Jun. 2025: Not the best of mornings for finding butterflies; sunless, oppressively humid, just the slightest of breezes, downright uncomfortable. But more than two dozen volunteers were ready for the challenge, forming small teams to cover Occoquan Bay NWR, and other promising sites nearby (Meadowood Recreation Area on Mason Neck, Occoquan Regional Park, the Metz Wetlands Preserve and Rippon Landing). Following a routine honed over decade of practice, every adult butterfly that could be identified would be recorded and, if unusual or rare, photographed. All done by sight, without capturing or harming any of the various swallowtails, sulphurs, skippers or other butterflies encountered.

This particular count was begun in 1990s to document the lepidoptera of a then U. S. Army facility slated for closure, both to draw public attention to the site’s unique nature and to generate support for its permanent protection. By the time the Occoquan Bay refuge was finally established in 1998 the count had taken on the form and routine that are followed today. Over the years, other sites with varied natural habitats were added. Certified in 2001 by the North American Butterfly Association, the Occoquan Bay-area Count presently encompasses the four sites (listed above) that are surveyed in a multi-year, citizen science project, long supported by the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance and other regional organizations.

Over the years, count results have varied considerably in numbers of species and individual butterflies. For example, 2005’s count resulted in 19 species and 114 individuals while 2013’s count resulted in 42 species and 1022 individuals. The count in 2015 resulted in 37 species and 1269 individuals, with the average over the past 24 years at 33.9 species and 593.6 individuals. Expectations for this year’s tally diminished as unfavorable conditions persisted until late morning. Less than an hour before count’s end, breaks appeared in the clouds, spurring heightened butterfly activity. While results from individual sites were not impressive, combined they were unexpectedly positive: 34 species and 828 individual butterflies.

In addition to the butterflies, this day’s count produced reports of a Mississippi Kite, confirmation of Blue Grosbeaks breeding, an uncommonly encountered Mole King Snake, other wildlife (Rough Greensnake, Box Turtle, Beaver, Cottontail, etc.) and plants (including first-of-season records of bloom).

In sum, another successful count and more records for the expanding base of data on these important natural sites. Certainly a tribute to the diversity and health of habitats across the various sites. A tribute as well to the skills and perseverance of the teams and leaders of today's count. A more difficult job than expected, perhaps, but exceptionally well done.

Learn more about butterfly counts and how you can join us!