NVBA Resource Library

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We've been watching the birds of northern Virginia very closely. Maybe too closely.

For the last four years it’s has been a pleasure and an honor to be NVBA’s president. I want to take this opportunity to thank the great folks on our board, on our staff, in our volunteer ranks, and among our members and communities – and to highlight how, working with these groups, NVBA has been able to strengthen and grow its bird and nature conservation efforts. 

Why is that Northern Cardinal bald? We all have bad hair days. Birds have bad feather weeks every late summer as they go through molt. Some, like Northern Cardinals, take the process to the extreme. 

The 2026 Winter Waterfowl Survey, sponsored by NVBA, was conducted on February 14 and 15. Nearly 70 participants monitored areas along the Potomac River from western Loudoun County to Quantico Marine Base in Prince William County.

Depending on its position and angle, planting a slope isn’t always easy. But the rewards can be considerable.

One of my favorite sights (and sounds) of spring is my first Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) of the season. I’ve always found them elegant-looking, with a sleek, slaty body, jaunty black cap and rusty patch under the tail. 

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.

There are both native and non-native dogwoods available in the nursery trade, as well as hybrid crosses. It is important to know that all dogwoods are not created equal when it comes to their value to wildlife.

Black Birders Week changed my life. It changed the way I see myself in environmental spaces. It was the reason I joined the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance board and gave me the opportunity to meet Black birders, photographers, artists, conservation leaders, and other Black nature enthusiasts. 

National Geographic defines citizen science as “the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge.” Projects usually do not require specialized knowledge, and volunteers often train new ones.

The equinox is a reminder that things begin again. Birds feel it before we do, returning, singing, coming back to the spaces they need. And that's exactly what I want us to think about this May during spring migration and the local nesting season: who gets to be in those spaces with them?

National Wildlife Refuges are entering a period of uncertainty that could undermine the vital protections they offer to around 800 bird species across the country. Northern Virginia’s refuges are not immune from the looming pressures, but area refuges outside the federal system are thriving.

It’s the time of year when more of us are spending time outdoors, watching and photographing birds. It’s also a good time to review the principles of ethical birding. 

Northern Virginia’s stream and river water quality is not great. Although agriculture is the largest contributor by far of nutrient and sediment loads in Virginia’s streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay, urban and suburban stormwater runoff is the second-largest and the fastest-growing contributor to these pollutants.

Sadly, many of us have come across a dead bird, whether near a window or out on a trail, often a result of its collision with a window or other object. When birds do die, can they be of use to scientists?

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.

Once any of us becomes aware of the threat to our community’s trees from invasive vines, walking through our own neighborhoods can be a little frustrating. What if you could help those trees in a friendly, neighborly way?

If Japanese Barberry’s thorns, poisonous berries and dense thickets aren’t enough to convince you to get rid of it, here’s another reason.

Save the date for the Migratory Bird Count on Saturday, May 9 at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Over this count’s history, final tallies have averaged over 100 species.

The Virginia Legislature has passed legislation, now awaiting the Governor’s signature, which will help combat the spread of invasive plants. But the new laws don’t do anything about the invasive plants in your own, or your neighbors’, yards. Here are a few that are at the top of my Enemies List, along with some suggestions on what to replace them with. 

During the transition from winter to spring, nature shows off. There are a trillion different emerging sights, but few as captivating as the trilliums (Trilliaceae family). 

After snow flurries and a couple of cold snaps this past month, here are a couple things local birders are looking forward to in April.

My favorite birding spot is Veterans Memorial Park in Woodbridge. I keep coming back for the surprises that appear around every bend in the trail.