A Letter to Our Members
Tennessee Warbler, Ben Cvengros/Audubon Photography Awards
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.
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Hispanic Heritage Month and the World of Birds
Resplendent Quetzal, Charles Gangas/Audubon Photography Awards
From September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States.
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Expanded Polystyrene Foam Now Banned in Takeout Containers in VA
Scavenging Gull, Chris Downer / Mallaig
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.
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Ospreys May Be In Trouble Again
Osprey Nest at Belle Haven Marina, Glenda C. Booth
This year has brought some troubling signs for these impressive birds.
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Pollinator Pathways: Connecting Your Yard to the Bigger Picture
Graphic by Carly Parker
Is it possible to reconnect isolated fragments in our urban, suburban, and rural settings to benefit pollinators and the creatures that depend upon them?
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Biodiversity or Mosquito Fogging: You Can't Have Both
Asian Tiger Mosquito, Judy Gallagher
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.
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A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us
Horse Fly eyes, Judy Gallagher
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.
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Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Growing VA Native Plants from Seed
Milkweed Seeds, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fall is coming and gardeners’ thoughts may turn to collecting seeds for planting next spring.
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Upcoming Classes and Events
We have some exciting classes and events coming up, both virtually and in-person! Click any event to learn more and register. You can also check our calendar for our full schedule of events.
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Fall Butterfly Identification with Larry Meade
Variegated Fritillary, David Illig
Larry Meade will walk us through the butterfly common species in our area and help us differentiate some of the trickier look-a-like species. Participants are encouraged to register for the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Count to be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025. See below (NABA Butterfly Count) for more information and a registration link.
When: Tuesday, September 9, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: FREE
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Birds in Watercolor: Barred Owl with Ronna Fujisawa
Barred Owl, Ronna Fujisawa
In this online class, students of all levels (beginner to expert) will paint a portrait of a Barred Owl, learning how to mix neutral colors, as well as techniques of layering colors to create various feather patterns. Your instructor, Ronna Fujisawa of Salty Water Art, will be your guide through the step-by-step process.
When: Wednesday, September 10, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Members: $22
Non-members: $33
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NABA Butterfly Count
Variegated Fritillary, David Illig
The Butterfly Count is an ongoing program of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA). Its aim is to census butterflies across North America (United States, Canada, and parts of Mexico) and publish the results. Volunteer participants are assigned to teams to survey locations within a 15-mile diameter count area in a one-day census of all butterflies seen within that circle.
When: Saturday, September 13, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Rain date September 14)
Where: To be announced
Fee: FREE! NVBA is covering the $3 per participant donation this year.
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Virginia Wildlife Action Plan 2025 with Jeff Trollinger
Golden-winged Warbler, Arni Stinnissen/Audubon Photography Awards
Learn about the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Wildlife Action Plan 2025 from Jeff Trollinger, who has a long career working with or for DWR. Jeff’s presentation will identify some of the 89 avian species of greatest conservation need identified in the plan and provide some examples of how the plan has resulted in successful conservation actions.
When: Tuesday, September 16, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: FREE
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Alliance Afternoon: Amazing Insects
Splendid Tiger Beetle, Judy Gallagher
Join us September 21 at our quarterly Alliance Afternoon to learn from NVBA Board Member and insect expert, Judy Gallagher, all about these important creatures that form the foundation of food webs that sustain the birds around us!
When: Sunday, September 21, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: National Wildlife Federation Building, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Fee: FREE
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Virtual Symposium on Spatial Approaches to Priority Setting in Conservation
Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Judy Gallagher
The symposium is designed for a target audience that includes conservation professionals and volunteers working in government or in non-governmental roles who are interested in how GIS analysis can help them in developing conservation priorities and strategies.
When: Wednesday, October 15, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: FREE
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Bird Walks
Birding, Camila Cerea
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Check our Bird Walks page for upcoming walks! Registration is no longer required for NVBA-sponsored walks.
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Conservation Counts
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Rusty Moran
Join Jim Waggener in his ongoing natural resource surveys at two of Northern Virginia's best birding spots. Surveys alternate between Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area on Mason Neck.
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National Audubon Society Action Network
The National Audubon Society invites all Auduboners to join its action network. When you subscribe to the Society’s newsletter, you'll receive alerts about important congressional actions and information about how you can affect legislation by contacting your members of Congress.
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Too many emails? Now you can update your profile to let us know how often you'd like to receive email communications from NVBA.
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