The second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas, known as VABBA2, is one of the largest citizen science projects in Virginia’s history. Over the last five years, more than 1,400 volunteer birders have gathered data on breeding activity of over 200 species throughout the Commonwealth, resulting in over 6 million records.

When you hear “ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp” or a mellow “cu, cu, cu, cu” call in the distance it might be a sign of rain. Cuckoos are known for their weather forecasting abilities.

In Virginia, migration season is peaking for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, which are here throughout the summer during their breeding season.

Cathy Ledec, who joined the ASNV Board of Directors a year ago, has received Fairfax County’s 2020 Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award.

Soon we will begin—cautiously – to resume bird walks this fall. While the activity is outdoors, we still want to avoid the need for participants to be in close proximity. Even though the business economy is restarting, we realize that the virus is still a significant risk, especially to older people.

Seriously in need of a get-away without compromising our health, my wife and I packed a lunch and drinks and headed out for a socially-distanced day trip to the West Virginia border to search for birds we’d not seen before – Red Crossbills.

During the pandemic we’ve had to cancel our regular wildlife surveys but some long-time participants are going out individually on an ad hoc basis to continue collecting data. Judy Gallagher is one of those folks who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.

Prince William Conservation Alliance held a community conversation on July 12, “Is This Land Your Land?” with keynote speaker, Dudley Edmondson, who presented information and ideas on why African Americans and other People of Color might not think so.

In a rare show of bipartisan support, the Great American Outdoors Act passed in both Congressional houses with a large margin. The Act has been called one of the most important environmental bills in history.

We think these resources from the National Audubon Society offer a helpful introduction not only for our ASNV board but for anyone who wants to better understand how the outdoors and specifically birding, is not equally safe and welcoming for everyone, especially for people of color.

“Tier, Tier, Tier, Tier, Tier.” Have you heard this call? It’s the call of a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), but it could be a Blue Jay you’re hearing. Even if you have a discerning ear, the calls can be indistinguishable.

Getting back into nature is often the best therapy for challenging times. Read on for a link to Glenda Booth’s article, originally published in Zebra, on the importance of getting outside.

Last month we asked readers if they could identify a particularly beautiful nest that had fallen from a tree, and we’ve decided to continue our Monday Mystery contest each week on Facebook.

On June 7, 2020 ASNV held its Annual Membership Meeting “virtually” for the first time since our founding in 1980. Members elected three new board members and a current member to three-year terms.

ASNV has held the Northern Virginia Bird Survey every June since 1994, providing a picture of the trends over 25 years on the number and species of breeding birds in our area.

The covid-19 pandemic had the unexpected result of showing people how important outdoor spaces are for easing the stress of lost jobs, closed schools and worries about infection. But there was another side to the sudden enthusiasm for nature.

We’re now offering most of our classes and workshops online due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

After the video of a white woman making racist threats against Christian Cooper, a black birder in Central Park, a group of black professionals working across science, technology, engineering and math known as BlackAFinSTEM, organized #BlackBirdersWeek from May 31 – June 5.

It’s summertime and mosquito control companies are once again pushing their services to kill mosquitoes in your yard. Although the companies may claim they target only mosquitoes, the products they use have a broader impact.

Last fall Kit Fechtig, an avid birder from Pungoteague, Virginia was birding around Machipongo, on Virginia’s barrier island, when he spotted a Northern Wheatear, a small thrush-like bird who is almost never seen in the continental United States. He reported the sighting to the Eastern Shore Post which wrote an article about this rare find.