NVBA News Blog
American Robin. Photo: Mick Thompson/Audubon Photography Awards
Welcome to the blog for Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, a wealth of resources about northern Virginia birds, wildlife, habitat conservation and restoration, native plants, wildlife-friendly gardening, advocacy and more.
Help Our Migrating Songbirds
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!
Be Very Brave: Plant a New Native Shrub This Fall
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?
Remember to Vote for Conservation
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.
Why Some Flies Eat Poop (and Some Don’t)
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!
Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: It's Time for Goldenrods
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.
Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Growing Virginia Native Plants from Seed
Fall is coming and gardeners’ thoughts may turn to collecting seeds for planting next spring.
Letter to Our Members
Fall migration is starting! I saw that someone had reported a Tennessee Warbler in northern Virginia just the other day, which got me musing about this migration season -- the challenges the birds face, how to make it safer for migrating birds and how to enjoy the spectacle of migration.
Hispanic Heritage Month and the World of Birds
From September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States.
Expanded Polystyrene Foam Now Banned in Takeout Containers in Virginia
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.
Ospreys May Be in Trouble Again
This year has brought some troubling signs for these impressive birds.
Pollinator Pathways: Connecting your yard to the bigger picture
Is it possible to reconnect isolated fragments in our urban, suburban, and rural settings to benefit pollinators and the creatures that depend upon them?
Biodiversity or mosquito fogging: You can’t have both
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.
A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us, September 2025
Judy Gallagher is an NVBA board member and a regular surveyor of local wildlife who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.
Letter to Our Members
I have been admiring the fireflies in my backyard recently. I didn’t see them there for many years, but I’ve attracted them by making several simple changes.
Dyke Marsh: A Fragile Treasure
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.
Happy Bees, Happy Yards
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 Bobolink
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.
Plant Survival Strategies
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.
Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Creating Habitat for Butterflies
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.
Report on the 2025 Occoquan Bay Area Annual Butterfly Count
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.