President's Corner: November 2022

Photo: King Rail, Joshua Galicki/Audubon Photography Awards

Elizabeth “Libby” Lyons

King Rail, Joshua Galicki/Audubon Photography Awards

It seems all too often that a new report documents significant losses in bird biodiversity in the U.S. and around the world. The October release of the State of the Birds 2022 report for the U.S. (SOTB) continued that trend, but it also provided reason for hope linked to an increased sense of urgency.

Yes, the report documented widespread losses of birds across almost all habitats. It included a long list of species that have lost 50 percent of their population within last 50 years, and a list of 70 species at “the tipping point,” that is, in danger of declining by another 50 percent from their remaining population in the next 50 years. There was also some good news: waterfowl populations have increased over the past few decades.

Why do I say the report provided hope when most of the news seems so dire?

One significant cause for hope is that the increase in waterfowl populations is a model for how interventions for conservation, such as through wetland protection, can help bird populations rebound.

More importantly, the report laid out positive and proactive approaches in the form of science-driven solutions that engage communities in bird conservation at the local level. These are exactly the kinds of approaches ASNV is exploring as bird conservation takes on new urgency. We will need your help to implement these solutions!

ASNV’s strong tradition of citizen science, coupled with the scientific expertise on our Board and in our community, can serve as a foundation for developing science-based conservation solutions.

One of ASNV’s greatest assets is its cadre of dedicated citizen scientists who have spent tens of thousands of hours collecting data on biodiversity in our region. We are now digitizing and analyzing this data. We have data from regional surveys:

• The Northern Virginia Bird Survey has counted birds at over 500 points across northern Virginia for almost 30 years.

• The Occoquan Bay area surveys have monitored bird, butterfly, dragonfly, damselfly, and plant species year-round for over 30 years.

To these we can add regional information from broader-based surveys: 40 years of Christmas Bird Counts, numerous Winter Waterfowl Counts, World Migratory Bird Counts, Backyard Bird Counts, and the North American Butterfly Association’s spring, summer, and fall butterfly counts. And, of course, there is eBird data entered by so many of our members and others over the last 10 years. 

We also can use information from SOTB; from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Natural Heritage Program; from National Audubon Society’s Survival by Degrees online tool, which estimates the potential impact of climate change on North American bird species; and from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s list of Birds of Conservation Concern (2021) that need focused, conservation efforts. Another new resource is the Bird Migration Explorer, just released this September by the National Audubon Society and 10 partners, that provides data on the migration pathways and obstacles faced by birds that migrate through our area. See this month’s article about this remarkable tool and how it can provide information on individual species in our area.

Our scientific team, which includes ASNV Vice-president Greg Butcher, a member of the SOTB Science Committee, can use these datasets and tools to identify which species in northern Virginia are at greatest risk and how and where we might work to mitigate threats and advocate for protection. 

But plans alone are not sufficient. We must turn data and plans into action with lasting impact. SOTB noted that bird conservation offered bold opportunities for locally led, voluntary efforts. Such community efforts are essential if the positive effect of conservation initiatives is to be sustainable. I see the potential for ASNV to combine a proactive, science-based approach with strong community engagement as the greatest source of hope and optimism stemming from this report. In fact, Community Engagement is ASNV’s newest committee. ASNV is exploring how it might use activities such as nature education and Audubon at Home to make neighborhoods and communities the drivers for sustainable conservation projects. Such community-linked conservation efforts could provide our volunteers the opportunity to make a positive difference for birds, but also for broader protection of plants and other animals, for climate resiliency, for environmental justice, and for enhanced quality of life for all communities in northern Virginia.

Stay tuned as we develop local solutions that we will need your help to make happen!

October 2022

Photo: Snow Geese, Noah Reiter/Audubon Photography Awards

Elizabeth “Libby” Lyons

ASNV is emerging from the pandemic re-energized and looking to boost its impact! Essential to this strategy is increasing our community engagement. We want to serve the wide range of communities in Northern Virginia more fully by providing them more opportunities to learn about and enjoy wildlife and nature. We also want to enable more community members to contribute to local conservation as volunteers.

So, last month the ASNV Board of Directors agreed to form a new Community Engagement Committee. Its charge is to reach out to our communities to recruit new members and volunteers and to coordinate how we work with those volunteers, involving them in the full array of ASNV activities, from education to advocacy to citizen science to conservation. 

We recognize that Northern Virginia is a very special place that is filled with amazingly talented and passionate people, many of whom might like to use their skills to help protect birds and other wildlife. The chair of the new Community Engagement Committee is Stacey Remick-Simkins, herself a long-time volunteer in environmental and faith communities. She described the opportunity this way, “Because so many people are passionate about wildlife and nature, we have the chance to match their passion with community conservation and education activities. This allows that passion to grow and deliver tremendous benefits.”

Looking out several months, we plan to start bolstering our community engagement activities by addressing the growing and often unmet need for environmental information and nature outings from groups such as libraries, homeschoolers, elderly citizen centers, and boys’ and girls’ clubs. We hope to tap the enthusiasm and broad expertise of Northern Virginia residents by recruiting them, training them as volunteers, developing outreach and education materials for them, and sending them out across the region. And looking even further ahead, as we strengthen our ability to manage volunteers and have engaged many groups across Northern Virginia, we plan to focus on finding volunteers for ASNV community conservation projects that combine the strengths of our various programs.

We have an immediate need for volunteers:

1. We are seeking board members and volunteers to serve on ASNV’s committees. ASNV’s work is done by its committees, which are Adult Education, Advocacy, Audubon at Home, Citizen Science, Communications, Community Engagement, Conservation, Diversity and Inclusion, Finance, Fundraising, and Youth Education. We welcome inquiries from folks with a wide range of backgrounds.

2. We hope to identify at least a few volunteers to serve on the board or committees who have fundraising experience or a commitment to helping us with such efforts.

3. We also are looking for people who have experience managing volunteers. We are hoping to hire a part-time volunteer coordinator and would like to have this person work with a team of folks on our volunteer effort.

Please contact me if you are interested in volunteering to serve on the board or any of the committees, or to help us with fundraising or managing volunteers. And STAY TUNED because we will soon be recruiting volunteers more regularly for many of our activities! 

September 2022

Photo: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Kristine Olson/Audubon Photography Awards

Elizabeth “Libby” Lyons

I recently came across the question online, “What is the point of birdwatching?” This reminded me that when I started to bird regularly I enjoyed hearing birder Chris Cooper list his seven pleasures of birdwatching in the 2012 documentary, "Birders: the Central Park Effect." The link allows you to watch it for free.

Cooper compiled his list to explain his passion to his non-birding friends and began with his love of birds’ beauty. He went on to cite the joys of being in a natural setting, of scientific discovery, and of hunting without bloodshed. Next, he professed joy in solving the puzzle of a bird’s identity especially when glimpsing only parts of it, and of adding another item to his collection (that is, his life-list). He called his final pleasure the “unicorn effect,” the almost surreal joy of finally seeing a species of bird in real life that he had long studied via books, film, and audio.

I remember thinking at the time that I also enjoyed the almost infinite richness and novelty of birding.  At one instant I witness birds that might at other times or places vary in appearance, voice, and/or behavior. I also found great joy in the social aspects of birding, for example, helping someone find a bird in a large leafy tree, teaching someone a bird’s telltale call and seeing their face light up when they heard it, and enjoying the camaraderie of others who unabashedly share the same passion. And I knew then as I know now that birdwatching was a form of escapism that can transport me to a world where birds are the sole focus, leaving behind and putting in perspective any cares and troubles. 

During the pandemic I can attest that birding was essential to my mental health; millions of others, some new to the activity, clearly felt the same way. In recent years, as I used eBird, participated in Christmas Bird Counts, and worked to digitize ASNV’s citizen science surveys, I found a new appreciation for birdwatching. My efforts take on added meaning because they can help reveal larger patterns that emerge only from thousands of observations that can collectively inform conservation, education, and advocacy.

So, you might ask, what was the answer to that question I found online? The answer, from John White, highlighted the intimate connection to nature that birdwatching provides people, and so invests them with a stake in conservation. 

In my work with ASNV I also value birdwatching as a way to build community. The love of birds and nature is a unifying force that can bring us together to conserve them, especially as we recognize the vulnerability of wild things and wild lands around us. I hope ASNV can nurture our common enjoyment of nature via our programs and activities. Equally important, I hope we can tap into those shared protective urges and convert the support of volunteers’ passion, time, and donations into effective conservation actions.

In that vein, let’s please remember that we all can make a difference during the next two months as songbirds are migrating southward – please turn off as many lights as possible at night! See Audubon’s website for more information on its Lights Out program. 

And if you have other reasons that you love birdwatching, please let me know!

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Kristine Olson/Audubon Photography Awards

July 2022

Photo: Northern Flicker, Sheen Watkins/Audubon Photography Awards

Libby Lyons

As my ASNV presidency starts, I am optimistic about the work ahead, in spite of the serious threats to birds from climate change and development. My optimism arises from observing the different kinds of places we can find birds in Northern Virginia and my response to what I see there.

Many of my recent eBird lists are for a few places I birded many times: Monticello Park in Alexandria, Huntley Meadows in Fairfax County, and my own Arlington back yard. But I also explored many new spots in ASNV’s territory. Frequenting my regular haunts offers the familiarity of visiting old friends, showing me the local residents through all the seasons, but also letting me watch the migrants come and go. New sites feed my curiosity and the urge to explore, sometimes sending me chasing after a look at a species that doesn’t commonly show up here. Everywhere I take joy in observing the complexity and beauty of nature. This response is a major part of what drives me to work for conservation. Knowing that I share this joy with many in the birder community gives me hope that ASNV can continue to tap into that source of inspiration to motivate our members to protect Northern Virginia’s resources.

Considering my eBird lists from a different perspective, I was astonished when I looked at the land use around my birding sites. I did not travel primarily to national wildlife refuges or local, state, and national parks. Instead, I found that I had watched birds in cemeteries and churchyards, and at turf farms and wineries. I recorded birds at an elementary school playground, a university campus, and museum gardens. I had watched from ferries and marinas, and on or around bridges, buildings, and tunnels. There were lists from sewage treatment plants and landfills, a ski resort, chain store retention ponds and parking lots, and adjacent to nuclear and coal-fired power plants.

Why do such observations cheer me? I marvel at the adaptability of so many bird species, although not all are so adaptable. Mostly, though, these sites make it clear that because birds are using so much of the human-influenced landscape, we need to create and conserve wildlife habitats all around us, not just in isolated wilderness and large parks. Taking this perspective, I feel less overwhelmed by the dual pressures of development and climate change bearing down on Northern Virginia. We can create and preserve habitat all around us, working with partners to provide clean water, nurture native plants, and remove invasive plants around neighborhood parks, churches, stores, and our backyards, as well as around our institutional and infrastructure sites.

I am honored and excited to serve ASNV in my new role and I hope you will join me in embracing and acting on this upbeat view of conservation, where each of us can draw motivation from our love of nature and act to make small patches of landscape more habitable for wildlife and ourselves. Please take heart and join in the fight from whatever place you can!

Northern Flicker, Sheen Watkins/Audubon Photography Awards

June 2022

Photo: Red Knots feeding on Horseshoe Crabs, Greg Breese/USFWS

Tom Blackburn

What has nine eyes, light-sensitive organs in its tail, lays up to 120,000 eggs a year, and is an important food source for shorebirds? Answer: the horseshoe crab. The horseshoe crab is not actually a crab but is most closely related to spiders and scorpions. It is a perfect example of complex inter-species relationships and the impact of climate change and other human-caused impacts on bird populations. 

Red Knots feeding on Horseshoe Crabs, Greg Breese/USFWS

Horseshoe crabs come ashore by the millions in the spring, and particularly during the full moon high tides, to lay and fertilize their eggs. However, they do not spawn until water temperatures reach 55 degrees. While climate change is resulting in higher average temperatures, it also causes wider short-term variations in temperature. This spring’s unusual cold spells kept ocean temperatures below average, leading to concern that the water would not be warm enough to support spawning during the May full moon. Fortunately, water temperatures warmed up and the horseshoe crabs came ashore to lay their eggs on schedule. 

The pinhead-sized eggs take about two weeks to hatch. During that time, huge flocks of shorebirds and gulls converge on the beaches to feast on them; on a trip to Cape May, New Jersey last week, I was astonished by the deafening cries of tens of thousands of Laughing Gulls gathered on the beaches of the Delaware Bay to eat horseshoe crab eggs. In particular, the eggs are a critical part of the diet of endangered Red Knots. They time their 9.000-mile migration from the southern tip of South America to nesting grounds above the Arctic Circle to take advantage of the protein-rich eggs to fuel their trip northward.

Horseshoe crab populations have undergone steep declines in the past fifty years, leading to concern that their reduced numbers are affecting the populations of Red Knots and other shorebirds that depend on them. Hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs are harvested yearly for bait. The medical industry uses the blood of horseshoe crabs to test for toxic bacteria in vaccines. Thankfully, several states have banned the use of horseshoe crabs as bait, and the medical industry has improved the ways it takes the blood of horseshoe crabs, leading to fewer deaths from the process. Eighteen months ago, ASNV joined other Audubon Society chapters in urging the Food and Drug Administration to recognize a synthetic alternative to horseshoe crab blood for medical purposes. These efforts have helped to stem the loss of horseshoe crab populations. It remains to be seen whether they will be sufficient to protect Red Knots and other shorebirds from further declines. But until then, ASNV will continue advocating for causes that will allow birds to flourish.

May 2022

Photo: Bald Eagle, Randy Streufert

Tom Blackburn

A couple of weeks ago I was transfixed by the sight of ten Bald Eagles soaring above me on the shore of Belmont Bay in Mason Neck State Park. A commercial fishing crew had been netting fish, and the eagles were waiting to feast on what the crew left behind. As the boats left the area, one eagle after another swooped down, talons skimming the water as they picked up easy meals. The memory will stay with me for a long time.

Bald Eagle, Randy Streufert

Now is a great time of year to get outside and remember how wonderful and restorative nature can be. Birds are in their glorious springtime plumage, with goldfinches dressed in their best yellow-and-black, cardinals sporting a new crop of red feathers, and warblers showing flashes of yellow as they flit through newly-leafed trees. Birds of all kinds are singing to establish territory and attract mates. On sunny days, turtles are crowding onto logs to capture some extra warmth. Wood frogs have already finished their mating frenzy, leaving behind masses of eggs transforming into tadpoles practically as you watch. And butterflies are becoming more common as the weather warms.

We’re fortunate to live in an area where the weather changes significantly over the course of the year, because each season offers something new. Our winter waterfowl have left, but you can find Hooded Mergansers with their broods of young parading around Huntley Meadows Park and other wetlands. And while not everyone likes Canada Geese, the sight of a pair shepherding their fuzzy yellow offspring might brighten your entire day. 

ASNV can help you appreciate the full range of what nature has to offer this month. We’re sponsoring bird walks on May 1, 8, 12, and 15. They are free and registration is not required. We also have a butterfly walk on May 18 and a Birding-by-Ear class on May 12, followed by an optional field trip on May 14. You can see the full list of our May events here. ASNV is also leading two bird walks at Mason Neck State Park in conjunction with the park’s 24th annual Eagle Festival. Registration is required for these two walks; you can do that here.

Of course, it’s not essential to participate in an organized event to appreciate nature. What is important is to get outside and experience how glorious the world can be in spring. Just head for a local park – you’ll be glad you did. 

April 2022

Photo: Prothonotary Warbler, David Sloas/Audubon Photography Awards

Tom Blackburn

As you read this, more than three billion birds are preparing to migrate into or through the United States. Some species, such as Ospreys, have already returned to their warm-weather homes in Virginia. Others, including the much-loved warblers, will be arriving from mid-April through mid-May as they make their way to their breeding grounds. 

Scientists and observers from at least the time of Aristotle have marveled at and posited ideas about bird migration; one 17th-century scientist hypothesized that some birds spent 60 days migrating to the moon. Since then, our understanding of where and how birds move as the seasons change has grown tremendously thanks to developments in bird-banding and careful observation techniques. Through these advancements, we’ve learned that the Arctic Tern migrates 40,000 to 50,000 miles a year to and from the Arctic and Antarctic. Over its 30-year lifetime, this five-ounce bird may fly the equivalent of three round trips to the moon. 

Migration is perilous. The survival of migrating birds depends on their ability to find food and safe spaces to rest and recover along their journey. Habitat loss at any point along their migratory path can have a huge impact on the likelihood they will complete their journey. Insecticides can also devastate migrating birds, killing not only the insects they eat but also the birds themselves. Twenty-five years ago, scientists discovered that 20,000 of North America’s 400,000 Swainson’s Hawks had died because of a now-banned pesticide in Brazil. 

Governmental and non-profit organizations in the United States are working with their counterparts in Central and South America to help protect birds along their flyways. The U.S. Forest Service, the National Audubon Society, and the American Bird Conservancy are a few of the many organizations that have undertaken efforts to enhance habitat conservation and improvement, nature education, and the monitoring of bird populations across Latin America, the Caribbean, and the rest of the world. The message from these organizations is clear: If we want to save the birds we enjoy here in Northern Virginia, we have to save the planet. 

If you’d like to learn more about migrating birds, BirdCast is a great place to start. BirdCast is a consortium of researchers primarily from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Colorado State University, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst that uses weather radar to predict suitable conditions for migration and to create real-time maps of actual bird migrations. Watching the BirdCast map light up as huge flocks of birds take flight at night can be mesmerizing. On a good night, like September 21 of last year, BirdCast’s map may show up to 500 million birds in flight. This spring, check out BirdCast’s forecasts and bird flight map, and if you see a good migration night, head out with your binoculars the next morning to see what birds might have flown in. 

March 2022

Photo: Canada Geese, Rusty Moran

Tom Blackburn

Thank you! 

Thanks to the generosity of our members and friends, our Annual Appeal raised a record-setting $57,000. That’s $8000 higher than our fundraising goal. It’s also a testament to our donors’ support of our mission to engage all Northern Virginia communities in enjoying, conserving, and restoring nature.

Donations during our Annual Appeal are a critical part of ASNV’s revenues. They compose nearly 50% of our annual income. Of course, the vast majority of our work is done by our dedicated volunteers, but we rely on donations to fund the things that cannot be done by volunteers. 

Thanks to our donors, we have been able to convert ASNV’s Program Manager position from part-time to full-time. Tina Dudley, who accepted the Program Manager position late last year, is hard at work expanding the number of programs and events we offer. As a full-time employee, she also can spend more time extending our outreach to underserved communities, one of our most important priorities for the year to come. Donations also help fund the salaries of our two part-time employees: Louise Edsall, who handles our administrative functions; and Jill Spohn, who supports our Audubon at Home program. 

Your donations have also enabled us to provide 58 class sessions and programs during 2021. We were able to offer many of those events for free, thanks to donations that covered the program costs. Donations are also critical to our grant and scholarship programs. For this fiscal year, we’ve budgeted $12,000 in grants to fund conservation projects on public lands, $4,000 in grants for educational conservation projects at local schools, and $3,500 to send two educators to National Audubon Society’s Educator’s Week in Hog Island Maine. Your generosity has enabled us to have a direct impact on our communities. 

The Annual Appeal donations also fund our more routine expenses such as rent, our website, newsletter, office equipment, and insurance. We could not function without donations that cover these expenses. 

Once again, thank you to all our donors for your support during our Annual Appeal. Your financial contributions will enable us to continue our important environmental efforts in support of the birds, other wildlife, and people of Northern Virginia. 

Canada Geese, Rusty Moran

February 2022

Photo: Bufflehead, Mick Thompson

Tom Blackburn

It’s cold outside, and the short days are often cloudy! This is a perfect time to go winter birding!

Spring migration, when birds from Central and South America move into or through Northern Virginia to their breeding grounds, gets lots of attention among birding enthusiasts. Winter migration, when waterfowl come into the area from further north in search of ice-free water, gets much less attention but it provides even beginning birders lots of enjoyment. Unlike warblers and other songbirds that can be difficult to see, waterfowl are large and in plain sight. 

Right now, local waters are filled with birds that you can’t see most of the year. When it’s not iced over as it has been for the past couple of days, as many as 200 magnificent Tundra Swans can be found at Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge. Your best spot to see them is at the shelter on the Woodmarsh Trail, but check the tide table and try to get there near high tide to get the best views. Rafts of thousands of diverse waterfowl species gather at Pohick Bay Regional Park, although it’s often best to use a scope to see them. On a recent walk from Great Falls Park to Riverbend Park I spotted over 100 Buffleheads, as well as Ring-neck Ducks, Redheads, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, and Common Mergansers, all easily visible with binoculars. I always enjoy watching the little Buffleheads as they leap up before diving for food and bob up like corks a few seconds later. 

Bufflehead, Mick Thompson

Loudon County boasts several spots to watch waterfowl. Beaverdam Creek Reservoir and the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project often host Gadwalls, American Wigeons, Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teal, Common Loons, Redheads and an occasional Common Goldeneye. Many of these birds winter at other spots as well. The Warrenton Reservoir in Fauquier County, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Prince William County, and Huntley Meadows Park near Alexandria are other good spots to see waterfowl. 

If you are new to watching waterfowl, ASNV is offering a great way to get to know them. We recorded our January 27 program on identifying waterfowl, presented by Greg Butcher, our Vice President and the Migratory Species Coordinator for the U.S. Forest Services’ International Programs. You can view it here for free.

Winter is a good time to look for other kinds of birds as well. With no leaves on the trees, it’s much easier to see birds that are more difficult to spot during the rest of the year. Downy, Hairy, Red-headed, Red-bellied, and Pileated Woodpeckers, as well as Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, are busy in most local woods. Bluebirds provide bright spots of color in the gray and brown branches. Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets move frantically through the trees, and Brown Creepers work their way methodically up a tree trunk in search of insects and fly down to another tree to begin again. You won’t see the Kinglets and Creepers when the weather warms up – they’ll be flying north to build nests in the spring. 

So don’t succumb to cabin fever! Get outside, breathe some fresh air, and get a little exercise. While you’re out, look for winter birds. You’ll be glad you did. You can get a preview of all of the birds mentioned in this article  in the free on-line Audubon Bird Guide.

January 2022

Photo: Green-winged Teal, Richard Spener

Tom Blackburn

Huntley Meadows Park is arguably the crown jewel of Northern Virginia public parks. Thanks to a $3 million restoration project completed in 2014, the park, which boasts wetlands, flooded forests, and dry forests, is the top birding destination in the region. Birders at Huntley Meadows have uploaded more than 17,000 bird lists to eBird, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s world-wide data base of citizen-scientist bird sightings. They have recorded at least 252 bird species on the park’s four main birding trails and sites – second in Northern Virginia only to Dyke Marsh Wetlands Preserve with 270 recorded species. 

With water birds migrating to the region as their more northern habitats freeze over, Huntley Meadows is particularly inviting to birders at this time of year. On a mid-December morning, I spotted Northern Shovelers, Hooded Mergansers, American Black Ducks, Green-winged Teals, Northern Pintails, and Gadwalls, in addition to the resident Canada Geese and Mallards. On the same day, other birders found American Wigeons, Redheads, and a Cackling Goose. Thanks to the sharp eyes of another birder, I had an excellent view of the secretive Wilson’s Snipe with its extraordinarily long bill (“find the half-sunken yellow bottle and look diagonally left at the edge of the vegetation”). Other birders found one and perhaps two hard-to-spot Soras and one and maybe two shy Virginia Rails near the boardwalk. 

Wilson’s Snipe, Lynette Spence

Green-winged Teal, Richard Spener

Huntley Meadows’ wildlife is attractive to non-birders as well. Large numbers of turtles sun themselves on logs on any warm sunny day. You can hear or see ten species of frogs and toads in warmer weather. Beavers have made extensive changes to the wetlands, and there is no better place in the region to see their dams up close. Otters and muskrats also make their homes in the wetlands, and occasionally you can see or hear red foxes and coyotes in the forest. 

It’s important to remember that places like Huntley Meadows Park didn’t “just happen,” and their preservation is still under threat. Plans to restore the park’s wetlands were discussed as early as 1992, and it took more than twenty years for those plans to come to fruition. As Northern Virginia’s population continues to grow, there is increasing pressure to convert natural spaces like Huntley Meadows and other parks and open spaces to more intensive uses. Fairfax County removed from its plans long-standing proposals to construct bike trails through sensitive wetlands at the southern end of Huntley Meadows Park two years ago. A proposal to convert a portion of Justice Park in Alexandria to a parking lot was defeated just a few weeks ago. Proposals to construct a highway bypass that would degrade the JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary in Loudoun County and to “enhance” Loudon County’s Bles Park by constructing roads, parking lots, and ball courts in the passive enjoyment portion of the park’s wetlands, forest, and floodplain are currently under consideration. 

Protecting and enhancing our region’s natural spaces requires continuing vigilance. If you’d like to help ASNV protect our region’s natural spaces, you can make a donation during our current Annual Appeal. We advocate at the Federal, state and local level to preserve natural habitat and work with public land managers to make parks and public spaces more attractive to wildlife. If you’d like to help us with our advocacy work or help us improve habitat on public lands , email us at info@audubonva.org.

December 2021

Photo: Eastern Bluebird, Pamela Underhill/Audubon Photography Awards

Tom Blackburn

One hundred million unowned cats in the United States kill 1.7 billion birds and more than six billion other small animals each year. For the past several months, I have participated in a state-mandated mediation group that is attempting to address the unowned cat problem in Virginia.

In February 2021, Delegate Ken Plum, the Chair of the Chair of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, requested the secretaries of three Virginia state agencies convene a working group to develop legislation to reduce and control the population of free-roaming cats. The secretaries convened a mediation panel consisting of representatives of pro-wildlife organizations, including ASNV; pro-cat groups, including the Humane Society; several state agencies; and Virginia Tech’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and its Public Health Program. The mediation panel, led by a professional mediator, met for five day-long sessions in Richmond.

Feral cat colony, Rahel Jaskow

The mediation process has been difficult, but there is some hope for success in addressing the unowned cat problem. The panel agrees on broad issues, such as the existence of the problem and the necessity of reducing the number of unowned cats. There also is agreement that Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) programs – which capture cats so they can be sterilized and return them to the place they were captured – should maintain records and provide training to trappers and caretakers, and that there should be limits on how unowned cats should be fed to reduce unintentional attraction and feeding of wildlife. 

However, there are still disagreements. Studies of TNR programs show that they are not effective in reducing the number of unowned cats in a colony unless at least 70% of the cats are sterilized because the remaining cats continue to reproduce. It appears to be nearly impossible to achieve that level of sterilization.  However, the pro-cat groups disagree with the scientific studies or assert that TNR of even a small percentage of the cats in a colony reduces the number of cats that would otherwise exist.  This makes it difficult to agree on how much emphasis should be placed on TNR as a means of reducing the number of unowned cats.

There is also disagreement on what to do with unowned cats that cannot be domesticated.  Many unowned cats are too distrustful of humans to be placed in homes. Even if a TNR program sterilizes 70% of the cats in a colony, it can take many years before the colony is eliminated. In the meantime, the cats continue to kill birds and other wildlife and threaten public health with diseases such as rabies and toxoplasmosis. The mediation panel is divided on whether undomesticated cats should be permitted to exist in colonies, or whether they should be placed in open-air “catios” or euthanized to reduce their predation on wildlife. Some groups maintain that unowned cats live in inhumane conditions because they frequently die from starvation, disease, extreme weather and trauma, and that as many as 80% of kittens born to unowned cats die within six months.

Feral cat colony, Rahel Jaskow

The mediation panel will continue to meet without a professional mediator in the coming months to try to resolve their disagreements on these issues. The group also will discuss funding to expand sterilization of both owned and unowned cats, whether to encourage people to keep their cats indoors, and ways to reduce the number of owned cats that are abandoned. 

Regardless of the outcome of the mediation process, local governments have the right to enact a broad variety of measures to limit the impact of free-roaming cats. 60 Virginia local governments have enacted ordinances that do so. However, of the jurisdictions within ASNV’s service territory, only Prince William County, Manassas Park and the City of Manassas have enacted any such ordinances. ASNV will explore working with local governments to address the unowned cat issue in the months to come.

November 2021

Photo: Ivory-billed Woodpecker plate, J.J. Audubon

Tom Blackburn

Practically everyone has heard that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the Ivory-billed Woodpecker officially extinct. Now, like the Passenger Pigeons that used to number in the hundreds of millions, the only way you’ll be able to see an Ivory-billed Woodpecker is in a museum. Is there an extinction crisis? What can you do about it?

Ivory-billed Woodpecker plate, J.J. Audubon

Two years ago, a Science Magazine article noted that over the last 50 years, the North American bird population has declined by nearly three billion birds – a reduction of nearly 30%. A few months later, National Audubon Society reported in Survival by Degrees that global temperature rise is placing two-thirds of North American bird species at an increasing risk of extinction. Birds are not alone in experiencing sharp declines. A German study documented a 75% reduction in flying insect biomass in nature protection areas in just 27 years. A United Nations report stated that nearly one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction.

The largest cause of extinctions is habitat loss. What can you do about this? Noted author and entomologist Doug Tallamy has a radically simple idea: a Homegrown National Park. Tallamy’s vision is to convert half of America’s lawns – 20 million acres, 9 times larger than Yellowstone National Park – to native plants that can sustain wildlife, restore biodiversity and help the ecosystem. ASNV’s Audubon at Home program can help you decide what native plants are best for your yard.

Another simple action you can take that protects birds especially is to keep your cat indoors. Outdoor cats are second only to habitat loss as a contributor to human-caused bird mortality. ASNV is doing its part by participating in a mediation program under the auspices of the Virginia General Assembly that hopefully will result in legislation that will address the problems caused by the more than 100 million unowned cats in the United States. You can find more ways to help protect birds at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

You can also get involved in organizations that work to protect and restore the environment. ASNV’s advocacy, conservation, education, and citizen science initiatives are all focused on achieving our vision of a Northern Virginia in which people, wildlife, and their habitats thrive. You can find links to dozens of other Virginia environmental organizations here.

The extinction crisis is real, and we humans have caused it. It’s up to us to also be part of the solution.

October 2021

Photo: Jill Barker

Tom Blackburn

The latest census data show that five of the nine Northern Virginia localities are majority-minority. If we are going to slow the effects of climate change and stop the loss of biodiversity, it is crucial that all communities develop an appreciation of nature and become involved in protecting the environment. To that end, this spring, ASNV adopted a revised mission statement to emphasize the importance of involving people and organizations that reflect the broad diversity of Northern Virginia: our mission is now “to engage all Northern Virginia communities in enjoying, conserving, and restoring nature for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people.” 

ASNV has undertaken a number of steps to meet that goal. We have partnered with the staff of Upton Hill Regional Park, NAACP/Arlington, and other organizations to support the park. Our activities include bird walks; guided walks for the local low-income senior housing complex, which serves mostly Asian-Americans; participation in invasive plant pulls; and the award of a conservation grant to improve habitat restoration and support educational activities. 

In the realm of education, ASNV made grants to several Title I Schools to promote nature awareness, bird-friendly habitat, and native plant and pollinator gardens. We also granted an all-expense scholarship to a teacher at a Title I School to enable her to attend National Audubon Society’s Educators’ Week at their Hog Island Camp in Maine.

ASNV has also continued and expanded its advocacy efforts. We have opposed paving a portion of Justice Park for a parking lot. Justice Park is in a densely populated area of Fairfax County that lacks sufficient green space for its residents. We also submitted comments opposing the routing of the proposed MAG-LEV train to Baltimore, in part because 80% of the land parcels affected by the proposal are in environmental justice communities where minority populations comprise almost 70% of the population.

In conjunction with the Birdability organization, ASNV members have evaluated more than 65 local trails to determine their accessibility to people with mobility challenges. Information about the accessibility of trails makes the outdoors and birding more welcoming to everyone.  

ASNV is continuing to look for opportunities to encourage people from all segments of our community to enjoy natural spaces and become involved in protecting the environment.  Let us know if you have suggestions on how we can do that.  

Tom Blackburn
President

September 2021

Photo: Luke Franke

Tom Blackburn

It is likely that nearly every one of the readers of this newsletter has a love of birds and nature and understands the importance of preserving natural habitats. However, our success in protecting the environment hinges on passing that understanding on to the younger generation. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, ASNV has been able to undertake several programs that do so.

This year, we hired Annaliese Meistrich, a senior at a local high school, as a summer intern and tasked her with reaching out to other youth to encourage their interest in birds and nature. Annaliese has just enrolled at Virginia Tech, where she plans to study environmental science.  She credits her high school science teacher with getting her “hooked” on birding.  You can read her article on why she loves birding in our May Newsletter. 

We awarded multiple grants recently: three went to two local schools and a church to support planting native species that are attractive to birds in conjunction with youth education activities. One more went to support nature drawing for students at Huntley Meadows Park.

We also awarded full-expense scholarships to two local educators, enabling them to attend the National Audubon Society’s Educators’ Week at Hog Island Camp in Maine. Their experiences at the camp will enhance their efforts to instill students with a love of nature and an understanding of the importance of preserving habitat for wildlife.   

Of course, efforts to involve youth in birding and environmental protection are not limited to ASNV. For many years, Fred Atwood, a biology teacher at the Flint Hill School in Oakton, has sponsored the NoVA Teen Bird Club. Fred’s work in mentoring young people has been invaluable in encouraging them to love and become stewards of the environment. A photograph by Adit Nehra, a member of the club, was chosen by National Audubon Society as one of its “Top 100” photos in its 2021 Audubon Photography Awards contest.  You can read more about Adit here .

July-August 2021

Photo: Bumble Bee, Randy Streufert

Tom Blackburn

Infill development – most of us have seen it, and many have experienced it close at hand. This practice of replacing modest houses with mansions that fill the entire lot removes the last remnants of undeveloped land. Bit by bit, our community is losing habitat vital to the existence of wildlife.  

If we want to continue to hear birdsong each morning, watch monarchs and swallowtails flit through our yards, and smile nostalgically at fireflies lighting up the night, each of us has a responsibility to create and preserve as much habitat as possible. ASNV’s Audubon at Home (AAH) program can help us do just that. 

AAH has a corps of volunteer naturalists who will visit your property and make recommendations to help you establish natural habitat. They visit residential backyards, schools, churches, HOA common areas and parks, giving advice on how to grow native plant species, remove invasives and replace sterile turf grass with plants that support insects, birds and other wildlife. 

Creating natural habitat is not as difficult as it may appear. AAH Ambassadors can help you plan even a small garden of native plants or make suggestions on what to grow in the containers on your deck or balcony. They can also offer advice on reducing pesticides or help you chose a water feature to attract dragonflies or allow birds to bathe.  Any step you take to make your property more inviting will attract insects, birds and other wildlife. It doesn’t take long. “Build it and they will come,” is an apt description of what to expect.  

You can also seek certification of your property as a Wildlife Sanctuary. AAH maintains a list of 42 species that demonstrate the attractiveness of your property to wildlife. If you observe at least 10 of the species on your property and take AAH’s Healthy Yard Pledge, you can apply for certification as a Wildlife Sanctuary. If you wish, you can purchase a sign advertising your property’s attractiveness to wildlife. That might encourage your neighbors to take their own steps to create and preserve wildlife-friendly habitat – one property at a time. The wildlife and our next generation will appreciate it.  

Bumble Bee, Randy Streufert

June 2021

Photo: Mottled Duck, Larry Temple/Audubon Photography Awards

Tom Blackburn

A few days ago, my wife and I were on a boardwalk in southwest Florida peering through binoculars at a flock of distant birds. We had spent 5 days in the state, and this was our last chance at seeing a Mottled Duck, a bird that we hadn’t seen before.  

eBird, the online database of bird observations created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, improved our chances of seeing a Mottled Duck. We had come to the boardwalk because another birder had reported on eBird that 42 Mottled Ducks were visible from that spot earlier that day. We were in luck. The ducks were still there, as were several other wading bird species.

Mottled Ducks, Larry Temple/Audubon Photography Awards

Later, I reflected on why I enjoy birding. Although I am certainly not an expert, searching for birds adds another dimension to my enjoyment of nature because I focus more intently on my surroundings. Birding is like a treasure hunt but one where the treasure keeps moving. To claim the “treasure,” you have to see or hear the bird and also identify it. With more than 1,100 bird species in the United States and over 10,000 species worldwide, there is always a new bird to discover.  

Of course, you can see all sorts of other things while looking for birds. During our five days in Florida, we saw innumerable tropical plants, River Otters, Manatees, Gopher Tortoises, butterflies, armadillos, several varieties of lizards, and – closer than we would have liked – a 5-foot-long Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake in full “threat” mode.  

ASNV, like its parent organization National Audubon Society, does far more than simply promote birding. We are engaged in environmental advocacy, conservation, education, citizen science and native landscaping for wildlife habitat. Birding may be pure outdoor fun and adventure but we need to protect birds so that we can share the enjoyment of birding with our entire community now and for many future generations.

If you are new to birding or want to try it, ASNV is currently hosting bird walks geared to novice birders once or twice each month. We also have many partners who invite an even wider audience to birding. You can find out more about local bird walks here. Take advantage of our rich habitat and welcoming bird community. Go birding!

May 2021

Photo: Bald Eagle, Richard Hebhardt/Audubon Photography Awards

Tom Blackburn

Recently I spent three hours in Riverbend Park, stationed with a good view of the Bald Eagle nest across the river. I talked to visitors about eagles while they watched the adult and young birds through a telescope. The visitors peppered me with questions about the eagles, leading to discussions about birds in general and environmental issues such as pesticide use, habitat loss and climate change.  I was struck by the power of charismatic species such as Bald Eagles to motivate people to become more engaged in protecting birds and the environment. 

Bald Eagle, Richard Hebhardt/Audubon Photography Awards

Bald Eagles are one of the best examples of our ability to protect threatened species.  A recent article on Bald Eagle populations by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports that in 1963 active Bald Eagle nests reached an all-time low of 417 in the lower 48 states. Pesticides, loss of habitat and illegal shooting were principal causes of the population decline. In 2020, the number of active nests rose to an astonishing 71,467, resulting from an average annual population growth of about 9% per year, compounded for 57 years.  This dramatic rebound in the eagle population is largely due to the banning of pesticides such as DDT; the creation of eagle-friendly habitats such as the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in southern Fairfax County; protection under the Endangered Species Act; and public education. 

The successful restoration of the Bald Eagle population is in stark contrast to the experience of most bird species. Science Magazine’s Decline of the North American Avifauna documented the appalling loss of 2.9 billion birds – nearly one quarter of the population – in the last 50 years.  The current population of 316,000 Bald Eagles is minuscule compared to the loss of 58 million birds each year for the last half-century.   

Bird species that are less prominent and popular than Bald Eagles face similar survival challenges. While DDT has been banned, neonicotinoids and other insecticides have devastating impacts on birds by killing them when they eat the insects or depleting food sources critical to their survival. Habitat loss is a particularly acute problem for migrating birds, which depend on habitat in their summer and winter grounds and along the flyways between the two. Climate change is also a problem. The National Audubon Society warns in Survival by Degrees that 2/3 of North American bird species are threatened with extinction due to global warming.  

Today’s challenge is to repeat the success story of the Bald Eagle by raising public awareness of the fragile state of our endangered birds and wildlife. Their survival – and ultimately our own species’ survival – depend on it.

April 2021

Photo: Pileated Woodpecker, Gary Kunkel/Audubon Photography Awards

Tom Blackburn

Like many people, I’m becoming increasingly eager to get out and travel as the pandemic eases and vaccinations are becoming more widely available. My spring wanderlust is especially strong this year because last spring the closure of most area parks made it difficult to experience the annual resurgence of nature. A week ago, I visited a local vernal pool to hear and see the mating wood frogs, one of the earliest breeding frogs in North America. My pleasure at seeing the frogs was tempered by the realization that I hadn’t been able to do that or so many other things last spring.   

Pileated Woodpecker, Gary Kunkel/Audubon Photography Awards

Despite my desire to take a longer trip, I was reminded the other day of how much of nature can be enjoyed without traveling, as I watched the activity at the neighbors’ red maple tree adjoining our backyard. Gray squirrels were balancing on impossibly thin branches as they feasted on the dark red flower buds. One of the main branches of the tree has died, and its stump is regularly visited by Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied and Pileated Woodpeckers, as well as nuthatches and chickadees. While the other birds probe more delicately for their breakfasts, the Pileated Woodpecker is ruthless in her quest; large chunks of wood rain down from the tree, and the stump changes shape week by week as the birds whittle it away.  

Birds aren’t the only animals that rely on this tree. Last July, lightning bugs festooned the tree with tiny twinkle lights – nature’s own Christmas tree, six months out of season. I am anticipating a very noisy May. A family of raccoons has already found cicada nymphs moving to the surface of the earth around the tree as they approach the culmination of their seventeen-year cycle with a frenzy of molting, mating and egg-laying. The ground under the tree looks as if it has been tilled, thanks to the raccoons’ search for food. Despite their appetites, I’m sure that hundreds, if not thousands, of cicadas will make it into the tree to sing for their mates later this spring. A little later we’ll hear the gray tree frogs singing in the tree.  

The tree is old, and an arborist has recommended that it be taken down. Late this summer it will go, as so many older trees do, when the neighbors replace their house with a much larger one. It’s sad that such a useful and enjoyable habitat will soon disappear.  

March 2021

Photo: Eastern Bluebirds, Herbert Fechter/Audubon Photography Awards

Tom Blackburn

How much time do you spend looking at wildlife?  How often are you diverted and calmed by watching birds at your feeder, entertained by the antics of squirrels or awed by a fawn and its mother in your yard or local park? Watching wildlife can be an important antidote to the stresses of everyday life.  

Eastern Bluebirds, Herbert Fechter/Audubon Photography Awards

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is committing its resources to encouraging the public to engage in wildlife-related activities.  It has released a draft Wildlife Viewing Plan that when finalized will guide its efforts to engage and support people in watching wildlife during the next ten years.  The plan is the product of nearly four years of work and the involvement of thousands of individuals and dozens of interest groups. It reflects a significant effort by DWR to change the public’s perception that its efforts are directed primarily at hunting, fishing and boating. The plan’s four key goals also demonstrate DWR’s intention to focus on encouraging diverse populations to enjoy wildlife and to use wildlife-based recreation to connect people to wildlife and habitat conservation activities.  

I am fairly certain that everyone who is reading this is already aware of the value of taking time to enjoy nature, and many of you are motivated to take action to conserve and restore natural ecosystems. However, DWR’s survey concluded that only about 1/3 of the public considers themselves to be “wildlife viewers.” Given the undeniable link between wildlife-related activities and a commitment to conservation, engaging the 2/3 of the population that did not express an interest in viewing wildlife is vitally important to our ability to ensure that future generations can enjoy a livable world. 

Like DWR, the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia has committed to expanding the scope of its activities to include people who are not typically involved with ASNV. You’ll be seeing more evidence of this effort, which is being led by our recently established Diversity and Inclusion Committee, in the near future. 

If you’d like to comment on the draft Wildlife Viewing Plan or commend DWR on its initiative, you can do it here. Comments are being accepted until March 3.

February 2021

Photo: Northern Pintail, Dick Daniels, Wikimedia CC

Tom Blackburn

My favorite bird tends to vary with the seasons, and sometimes is determined by what I’ve seen most recently. The Painted Bunting that has been delighting birders along the C&O Canal held the title of “favorite” for a day or so. A delighted birder commented on eBird that it looked like a sparrow that had been painted by a parrot. But for me, a true favorite has to be more than a one-day wonder.  

My long-term favorite winter bird is the Northern Pintail. It is far more graceful looking than mallards and most of the other ducks in the Anas genus which look a little dumpy in comparison. The male Northern Pintail’s slender white neck is accentuated by the white stripe extending up the back of its head. Its graceful look and long tail feathers give it an elegant aspect that I think looks like it’s dressed for a formal dinner – as a guest, not an entrée.  

Northern Pintail, Dick Daniels, Wikimedia CC

The Northern Pintail has a surprisingly extensive range. They breed in northern latitudes throughout the world, and their nonbreeding range extends into sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. I found them summering in Alaska and the Siberian coast, and wintering in Hawaii and in Myanmar, where flocks of several hundred raft up in wetlands. Of course, there are much easier places to see them, including Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County, where you can reliably find them all winter. They also can be found in the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, where you have the additional opportunity to see from 70 to 250 Tundra Swans.  

Northern Pintails, like other dabbling ducks, eat aquatic plants. Their long necks allow them to obtain food in deeper waters than many other dabblers. Like songbirds, they eat invertebrates during the breeding season to provide more protein for their young.  

Northern Pintails are considered to be of low conservation concern. However, like so many other birds, their numbers have declined dramatically due to habitat loss. There are now 70% fewer Northern Pintails than there were 50 years ago.  

Even if you’re not an enthusiastic birder, take an hour or so to explore your local wetlands or rivers for wintering ducks. You can decide for yourself whether your favorite is the Northern Pintail, the blue-billed Ruddy Duck, the green-headed Northern Shoveler, the spectacular Hooded Mergansers and Buffleheads or another duck. You’ve got just a few weeks left before they start making their way north for breeding season.