Board Notes: Connie Ericson
Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Barbara Saffir/Audubon Photography Awards
The bird that sent me to the store for my first pair of binoculars and a field guide is the Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
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Attracting Pollinators to Upton Hill Park
Pollinator Garden, Musa Murawih
Starting in 2020, I worked with volunteers to move some of the native plant bounty from my yard into Upton Hill Regional Park, in Arlington. What started as an isolated project has evolved into one element of a larger ASNV program, Stretch Our Parks.
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Inviting Fireflies To Your Yard
Firefly, Margaret Fisher
When fireflies start their early summer dance, will they pick your yard for their display? Like most insects (and like most vertebrate species except humans and farmed animals), firefly numbers are in a steep decline, but there are steps we can take to foster them on our properties.
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Don't Transport Invasive Plant Hitchhikers
Multiflora Rose, Wikimedia Commons
Many of us have spent time in our yards and area parks battling invasive plants, but we need to add a few other measures in our continuing efforts to build and sustain healthy habitat for native wildlife. STOP HITCHHIKERS!
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eBird or Birda, or Both?
Birders, James Breeden/Audubon
Most American birdwatchers are familiar with eBird and Merlin, products developed and managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and launched in 2002 and 2021, respectively. But have you heard of Birda?
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Observations from Meadowood
Eastern Velvet Ant female, Judy Gallagher
Judy Gallagher is a long-time participant in the Meadowood Recreation Area survey. Here are some of her findings.
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Remember, Your Vote Counts
Ballot Box, Wikimedia Commons
All elections are important but Virginians will elect the entire Virginia General Assembly on November 7..
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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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Celebrate National Moth Week! Workshop with Judy Gallagher
Io Moth, Judy Gallagher
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Join Judy Gallagher for a workshop on moths, to celebrate National Moth Week (NMW), July 22-30. Did you know that many adult moths eat nectar but others don’t eat at all as adults? “Moth-ers” of all ages and abilities are encouraged to join us to learn about, observe, and document moths in their backyards, parks, and neighborhoods. NMW offers everyone, everywhere a unique opportunity to become a citizen scientist and contribute scientific data about moths. Through partnership with major online biological data depositories, NMW participants around the globe can help map moth distribution and provide needed information on other aspects of their life history. Judy Gallagher is a member of the ASNV board, and, although she loves birding, she is most passionate about documenting insects and spiders and their behavior and environment through macro photography.
When: Monday, July 24, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: FREE, but registration is required
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Fall Butterfly Identification with Larry Meade
Variegated Fritillary, David Illig
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The sight of butterflies fluttering around on a warm day is one of the most iconic signs of summer, but they can still be found well into the fall months. These beautiful insects usually live for only a few weeks as adults, but they make quite an impression while they are in their full glory. There is a large variety of butterfly species in our area. Larry Meade will walk us through the common species and help us differentiate some of the trickier look-alike species. Participants are encouraged to register for the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Count to be held on September 10, 2023, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM in the Alexandria area. Larry Meade is president of the Northern Virginia Bird Club, a member of the ASNV adult education committee, and compiler of the Alexandria Circle NABA Butterfly Count.
When: Tuesday, September 5, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Member Ticket: FREE
Non-member Ticket: $10
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NABA Butterfly Count
Variegated Fritillary, David Illig
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The Butterfly Count is an ongoing program of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) to census the butterflies of North America (United States, Canada and partially Mexico) and to publish the results. Volunteer participants are assigned a count area with a 15-mile diameter. The volunteers conduct a one-day census of all butterflies sighted within that circle. Volunteers of all experience levels are welcome! Every team will be led by an expert.
The deadline to register is Thursday, September 7 at 9:00 PM so you can be assigned to a team on Friday. Teams will each meet at their designated count locations.
Participants are encouraged to stay with their team for the duration of the event. A tally rally will take place at 4:00 PM at Belle Haven Pizzeria at 1401 Belle Haven Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22307.
When: Sunday, September 10, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Alexandria, VA area
Fee: Suggested donation: $3
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Understanding the Climate Crisis with Bill Young
Bill Young
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Join us for a five-evening course to become better informed about the scope of the climate crisis and the science behind this issue. Each class will last about an hour and a half, with opportunity for discussion. Topics to be covered include an overview of climate concepts and issues, greenhouse gases, effects on birds and biodiversity, fossil fuels, and transportation and agriculture. The class will be followed on Thursday, October 5, by a free Climate Crisis Action & Advocacy Workshop with Bill Young and ASNV board member Dr. Tom Wood. The workshop will provide participants (and others - all are welcome) with suggestions for action that we all can take to push back on the effects of climate change.
When: September 19, 21, 26, 28 and October 3, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Members: $65
Non-members: $75
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Audubon Afternoon: The Story of Kirtland's Warbler with Nathan Cooper
Nathan Cooper
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Join us on Sunday afternoon, September 24, for our quarterly live Audubon Afternoon at the National Wildlife Federation Building, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive in Reston. We’ll gather informally starting at 2:30 so you have an opportunity to reconnect with everyone. We welcome any food and drink you would like to share with everyone during the informal portion of the program. At 3:00 PM, we’ll have a presentation by the Smithsonian’s Nathan Cooper. He will discuss his research on North America’s rarest songbird, the Kirtland’s Warbler. Over the past few decades, Kirtland’s Warblers have undergone a remarkable recovery, from just 167 males in the world in 1987 to more than 2,200 males today. In addition to having a compelling conservation story, its small population size and restricted breeding and winter ranges provide an opportunity to learn more about the fascinating and interconnected annual cycles of songbirds. Cooper will take us on a journey through the annual cycle of the Kirtland’s Warbler and share what we have learned from this rare species.
Nathan Cooper is a Research Ecologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.
When: Sunday, September 24, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Where: 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA
Fee: FREE
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Bird Walks
Birding, Camila Cerea
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Check this page for upcoming walks! Registration is no longer required for ASNV-sponsored walks.
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Monday Nature Mystery
Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar, Judy Gallagher
Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery and see what this week's mystery holds.
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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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E-Activist Network: Volunteers Needed
The National Audubon Society invites all Auduboners to join its e-activist 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. https://www.audubon.org/
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Maximize Your Impact
Green Heron, Jay Stout/Audubon Photography Awards
Help ASNV build its nest egg through planned giving. Learn how here.
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