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In This Newsletter
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, all of the general wildlife and butterfly/dragonfly surveys in this series are suspended until further notice. While chances of transmission may seem slight for outdoor programs like this, it is only prudent to avoid any undue risks until data indicate it is safe to proceed. I will be giving as much notice as possible regarding resumption of the survey schedule.
In the meantime, any findings you may have from your individual outings in the survey circle would be appreciated. Take very good care of yourselves. Looking forward to seeing you all in the not too distant future.
Jim Waggener
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.
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President's Corner May 2020
By Tom Blackburn, ASNV President
While working in my garden the other day, I simply had to stop and listen to the chorus of birdsong coming from a nearby tree. In rapid succession, I heard the “peter, peter, peter” of a Tufted Titmouse, a Northern Cardinal’s “cheerily, cheer-up,” the “teakettle, teakettle” song of a Carolina Wren, and assorted chip notes that I couldn’t place – followed by what was unmistakably the ring of a cell phone. A Northern Mockingbird that has taken up residence in one of our trees was treating me to its repertoire of borrowed songs. It was as if an entire symphony was being played by a single instrument.
As the pace of life slows down, I’m not only paying more attention to the mockingbirds’ songs. I was pleased to see a pair of them contest with a swarm of Common Grackles to visit our suet feeder. I don’t think I had noticed mockingbirds coming to the suet feeder before. And has that Red Fox I saw patrolling our yard the last two mornings been here all spring? Recently, I heard a Barred Owl’s “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?” in a nearby yard. Did it just arrive in the neighborhood, or have I simply not been at home to listen to it?
Certainly, the Stay-At-Home order in effect for Virginia has caused disruptions to most of us, ranging from inconvenience to serious economic hardship. But there can be benefits from the restrictions, ranging from finally finding the time to upgrade the garden to simply relaxing and paying more attention to the nature that surrounds us. In the last four weeks the dominant color of the trees has turned from brown to green, bees have begun visiting the spring flowers and birds everywhere are carrying nesting material. So, if you’re bored, going stir-crazy in the house or simply need some “alone time,” go outside, take a slow walk around the block and really pay attention to what you see and hear. There’s lots going on right now; all you have to do is take the time to appreciate it.
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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
Join us online!
World Migratory Bird Day Workshop – Webinar
With: Greg Butcher
When: Thursday, May 7, 7:00 to 8:00 PM
Free but space is limited and registration is required.
To register, click here
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is an annual celebration of birds around the globe. While we are not able to gather together and bird this year, WMBD is still an opportunity to check in with the birds where you live and contribute important citizen science data.
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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES (continued)
The 2020 World Migratory Bird Day conservation theme is, Birds Connect Our World. It focuses on the tracking  technologies used to explore the routes of migratory birds across the globe and how this knowledge is used to inform conservation.
Since 1993, the focus of WMBD has been on the flyways in the Americas to highlight the need to conserve migratory birds and protect their habitats. To learn more about the history of the celebration click here.
Instructor: Greg Butcher, ASNV Vice-President and Migratory Species Coordinator for the US Forest Service, will be our guest speaker.
Bird Behavior Course – Webinar
With: Bill Young
When: May 20, 21, 27, 28; June 3, 4, 10, 11, 7:00 to 8:00 PM
Fee: $40 for all sessions
To register, click here
 Join us for 8 one-hour sessions examining a variety of bird behaviors, including avian feeding, reproduction, migration, visual and auditory displays and more. Each session will feature video, audio and photographs to help people learn about the many aspects of bird behavior. Classes will draw on the knowledge Bill has gained from birding locally and on all seven continents.
Instructor: Bill Young is a writer who lives in Arlington. He is the author of The Fascination of Birds: From the Albatross to the Yellowthroat (Dover, 2014). He is the co-creator of the MPNature.com website, which contains information about birds, plants and other aspects of the natural history at Monticello Park in Alexandria. Bill also makes nature videos, and his YouTube channel has had over half a million views.
Celebrate Pollinator Week!
The World of Pollinators Workshop – Webinar
With: Larry Cartwright
When: Thursday, June 25, 7:00 to 8:00 PM
FREE, but space is limited and registration is required.
To Register, click here
There is a wide diversity of pollinators in the world. Most of us are aware of bees and hummingbirds as major pollinators, but there are many other insect and mammal species that distribute pollen from one plant  to another to support fertilization. Some plants co-evolved with specific pollinator species and rely solely on them to ensure reproduction. We will discuss how this process is accomplished and what threats face many pollinator species today.
Instructor: Larry Cartwright has been a nature lover for most of his life and is fond of creatures that fly, especially birds and bats. Larry leads the Dyke Marsh Breeding Bird Survey for the National Park Service and the Winter Waterfowl Survey for the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and compiles the Washington D.C. Christmas Bird Count sponsored by the Audubon Naturalist Society. He is also a participant in a five-year project to update the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas. Larry has received several awards from scientific and conservation-based organizations, including the Virginia Society of Ornithology’s Jackson M. Abbott Conservation Award for 2013.
Ecological Landscaping – Webinar
With: Charles Smith
When: JUNE – TBD
Fee: TBD
Coming Soon!
Participants will learn to apply ecological principles to creating backyard habitats and restoring ecosystems. Focus will be on looking not only at the needs of animals, but working with nature and using local ecosystems as examples for selecting species, building soils and providing natural structure.
This webinar is open to all. It is especially relevant for volunteer Audubon at Home Ambassadors, and will augment basic training for Virginia Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners and qualifies for advanced training hours. It is recommended that attendees have some familiarity with the book, "Bringing Nature Home" by Douglas Tallamy and the ASNV publication "The Nature of Change" which can be downloaded here.
Instructor: Charles Smith
Also Coming Soon - Virtual Field Trips!
Keep your eyes on your inbox and our website. We’ll be offering field trips from near and far! Weekday events will include visits to birding hot spots from around the world including Florida, Midway, Colombia and Ecuador just to name a few!
Coming this Fall – Ornithology Topics: Avian Biology
With: Dr. Chris Haney
When: Fall 2020
 Check back with us. We plan to offer this course in-person, depending on health advisories.
Instructor: Dr. Chris Haney's expertise straddles the fields of ornithology, including: marine science, climate change, wildlife biology, ecosystem management, and conservation policy. His projects and scholarly work have taken him to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Bahamas, Lesser Antilles, several countries of southern Africa, and the former Soviet Union. Dr. Haney’s knowledge and enthusiasm in the classroom are contagious!
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Spring Warblers Webinar now Online
If you missed Bill Young’s popular four-part series on Spring Warblers, you can now view the first two sessions on our website here. Warblers are some of the most challenging birds to identify - they are often small and fast moving with distinctive but easily confused calls and songs. This 4-part webinar presented by Bill Young will help you learn warbler plumages and behaviors.
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 Earth Day Webinar with Audubon at Home
Looking for a reason to get out into nature? How about making your property more wildlife-friendly by adding plants native to Virginia? If you missed the Audubon at Home Earth Day webinar that discussed why native plants are important and was full of tips on how to integrate them into landscaping, click here to see the recorded version.
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 Native-only Plant Vendors Offer Curbside Pick-up
While in-person Audubon at Home Ambassador visits are paused you can still plan for spring planting with information on our website. Native-only plant vendors in our area will be taking orders in advance and arranging for curbside pick-up. See a list here Plant NoVA Natives.
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Up close with Peregrine Falcons
Peregrine Falcons have been nesting on the Riverfront Plaza Building in Richmond since 2003. For thirteen years the same pair, “Ozzie” and “Harriet” occupied the nest. Harriet was last seen in 2016 and Ozzie’s last appearance was in 2017. Last year a new banded male showed up and was joined by an unbanded female this spring. They now have 4 red eggs. For a close up view of their nest watch here. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries operates the webcam and maintains a highly informative website about Peregrine Falcons.
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 How Birds practice Social Distancing
Bryan Watts, Director of The Center for Conservation Biology, has written a timely article about the importance of social distancing or spacing among various bird species.
“For bird behaviorists, the term social distance and its variants (territoriality, individual space, social spacing) are familiar and have been in use for over a century. Social distancing was initially used to describe the common observation that birds often exhibit a uniform distribution with incredibly even distances between individuals.” Read the full article here.
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Social Distancing for Birders
American Birding Association advice during the COVID-19 crisis
 Birders tell us how glad they are to have birds in their lives during this time of social distancing. They might not be visiting their favorite parks and hot spots but at a minimum, they can open a window and experience the songs and displays of our region’s spectacular spring migration. When ASNV decided in March to cancel all in-person activities because of COVID-19, birders asked us whether it was safe to go birding and if so how. Here is some good advice from the American Birding Association:
“Keep your eyes on the sky and your butt close to home!”
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Advocacy Update
Virginia General Assembly
The legislature met on April 22 to consider Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed amendments, vetoes and changes in the budget. Governor Northam has proposed freezing or reversing all new funding added by the legislature in its session earlier this year. The coronavirus has put many environmental initiatives at risk.
Governor Northam signed into law the landmark Clean Economy Act, a plan to move the state to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045, establish energy efficiency standards for electricity use, incentivize rooftop solar generation and encourage offshore wind development.
Check the Virginia Conservation Network’s web site for more updates.
Every year, the General Assembly usually sends 800-odd bills to the Governor who can sign them, veto them, or amend them. This year was a bit different – a record 1,291 bills were sent to the Governor who signed 1,188 of the bills -- 92% of the 1,291 we sent him -- directly into law.
Natural Landscaping on Fairfax County Properties
The Fairfax County Planning and Development Department published the staff report on natural landscaping on county properties on April 9, 2020,  proposing a comprehensive plan amendment. The Planning Commission hearing is May 14, 2020, at 7:30 PM. The Board of Supervisors’ hearing is scheduled for June 9, 2020, at 4:00 PM. Given the uncertainties of the times, these dates could change. Staff says that these hearings could be “virtual.”
Staff is recommending approval of the comprehensive plan amendment in their report found here. This is an ASNV initiative begun in 2006.
Local Budgets
All local governments are facing the coronavirus challenge and are having to redo their current spending and proposed budgets. Some local governing bodies are “streamlining” public participation and public hearing processes, steps that some advocates argue curtail public participation.
Fairfax County and Climate Change
Fairfax County is preparing a plan to address greenhouse gas emissions which will include a greenhouse gas inventory and targets for greenhouse gas reductions, called CECAP, the Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan.
The county’s website says, “The CECAP will also include actions and strategies to help mitigate climate change and to reduce the impact of climate-related events on county residents and businesses. At the conclusion of the development process, a final plan will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for adoption.”
At this stage, they are considering five emission reduction scenarios. This is an opportunity for Auduboners to convince county officials to take concrete steps to address climate change. You can read about the process, the schedule and monthly updates here.
Election
Virginians will elect a U.S. senator and all members of the U.S. House of Representatives on November 3, 2020. It’s never too early to get involved.
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Teach Your Children to Become Avid Birders During Coronavirus Lockdown
By Jessica Bigger
When schools closed due to the Coronavirus, my husband and I decided to homeschool our 10-year-old daughter. We wanted to come up with some interesting science projects to keep her engaged during these challenging times. We started off raising tadpoles, where our daughter would gather data to calculate their survival and growth rates. We thought about designing a vegetation habitat survey or an invertebrate creek survey. Can you tell we’re biologists?
Since bird migration is in full swing, we decided on developing a bird identification program where our daughter could learn how to identify local and migrating bird species by sight and by their song and call.
 We then added a math and science component, where our daughter would record the number of birds she saw or heard that morning. She would then add up the total number of birds, and the total number of different species she recorded earlier. After a week she would graph this information, figure out the average number of species seen and which species were more prevalent in the area.
We started off with a handful of birds and then added a few more to her list every couple of days. To keep things interesting, we started visiting different habitats to introduce her to birds she had not seen or heard before.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a great resource and we referred to it often. They have lots of games to help test your child’s bird ID skills, and several educational ideas and projects that you can glean from. It’s also my go-to when I want more detail on a particular species. The photos are wonderful to look at and the song and call recordings have been extremely helpful.
Birding is a great activity, and getting your child involved can keep them busy and engaged. Kelly Preheim, a kindergarten teacher from South Dakota, started teaching her students how to identify birds. She was amazed that over time, her 5 and 6-year-old students could visually identify 100 birds, and be able to recognize the songs and calls of 25 bird species. She introduced photos of new birds to her students every day and created different games like “Name That Bird,” using bird ID flashcards. These activities improved each student’s ability to recognize those bird species out in the field.
So, if you are looking for a unique educational experience to do with your kids that combines science, math, and nurtures their love of birds, here are a few tips to get started:
Bird Identification by Sight
It might be good to begin with birds your child is familiar with and only pick a handful to start. Before heading out with your binoculars to look for those birds in the morning, review photos of each bird you and your child will be looking for and make sure to bring a bird book with you to refer to if needed.
Bird Identification by Sound
Since many of us tend to identify birds by sound, because most of the birds we hear we can’t see, it’s not too far-fetched to teach your kids to learn a bird’s song and call. So, when your child hears “Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter,” she’ll know that a Tufted Titmouse is singing nearby. Starting with a few birds at a time will give your child time to absorb the information, and in time, be able to recognize those birds on the fly. You might want to download the free Audubon Bird Guide app. It’s easy to use with great photos, information and excellent sound recordings for 800 species of North American birds.
Mix it Up and Keep it Interesting
It’s time to test those birding skills at different birding habitats. Before heading out the door with your kids, make sure to review some of the birds you are likely to see, grab your bird ID book and binoculars, and launch into your adventure.
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Barred Owls of Reston
By Lisa Mackem
Barred Owls are some of our most intriguing local birds. Most people will recognize their hoot-sequence call that sounds like, “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?” Unlike many other owls, they are semi-nocturnal. Their name comes from their striped plumage, or “bars.” They are the only eastern owls with deep brown eyes, which can appear blue-black in certain light. Females are larger than males, and only females incubate chicks, or owlets.
I often see Barred Owls near my home – usually when they are quietly perched in trees, and once when one was sitting on the ground. Barred Owls have distinct personalities. They watch people intently, but with different levels of tolerance. When I take pictures of them, some of these owls change positions as if striking various poses. They aren’t disturbed when I stand near or directly under their perch. Others hoot with apparent annoyance or anger and fly to a more distant perch.
The varied behavior described above might be related to the presence of other birds in the area. Small songbirds recognize Barred Owls as a threat, and sometimes band together to harass or “mob” them. Crows especially have a long-standing animosity towards owls. They frequently mob Barred Owls, chasing them from perches and potential prey. The owls will sometimes attack and eat individual crows, or other small birds (although birds are not their preferred prey), but they will retreat from a mob.
As Leigh Clavez wrote in The Hidden Lives of Owls,  Barred Owls are the opportunists of the owl world, easily adapting to varied habitats, including mixed forests and disturbed areas. Although they prefer tree cavities, they will also use the nests of Red-shouldered Hawks, crows or ravens. They eat a variety of small mammals and birds, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates but they cannot catch cats and dogs.
Great Horned Owls are the Barred Owls’ only natural enemy, but these owls are not seen frequently in Reston. Sadly, Barred Owls are often hit by cars when they swoop down to capture prey along a road. If the prey has been attracted by food people discarded out of a car window, the encounter can become deadly for the owl. I have seen some of these owl casualties along Lawyers Road in Reston.
Barred Owl courtship begins in February and breeding is from March – August. They will lay 2-4 eggs, and the incubation period is 28-33 days. Owlets fledge at 35-40 days, but adults care for their young for at least 4 months – much longer than other owls. Young owls call for their parents with a distinctive screeching hiss. They have a fuzzy appearance until they are fully mature. Barred Owls often use the same nest sites, and can occupy territories for 2-3 decades, suggesting strong site fidelity over time. They do not migrate. Captive Barred Owls can live to their early 20’s, and wild owls live for 10-20 years. They mate for life, but if a mate dies, the survivor will likely mate again.
Click the Barred Owl below to follow a pair of Barred Owls through their nesting.
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Hog Island Audubon Camp News
Last month we announced the winner of our Hog Island Scholarship for teachers,  Phoebe Riegle, a fifth-grade teacher at William Ramsey Elementary School in Alexandria, VA. Unfortunately, she will not have the opportunity to attend “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” this year. Hog Island Audubon Camp cancelled their summer programs out of concern for the health and safety of campers, volunteers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. ASNV is postponing Phoebe’s scholarship until the summer of 2021 when we hope she’ll have an opportunity to visit this unique island.
Even though camp is closed, the popular Hog Island wildlife cams are still operating. While you are watching the Ospreys, Atlantic Puffins and Black Guillemots you might want to try making the Hog Island kitchen’s famous Cream Puffin Pastries, traditionally served on the last night of each camp.
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The Humane Gardener books available
Did you miss our Audubon Afternoon with author and blogger, Nancy Lawson? You can still learn why plants are the solution to everything! That’s the driving concept behind her Humane Gardener book. Order your personalized copy by clicking here.
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WE NEED YOUR HELP!
ASNV is primarily a volunteer-driven organization. We rely on people like you to carry out most of our organization’s functions.
If you would like to volunteer your time to help support birds and the environment, check out the following opportunities. If you are interested, please send me an email at [email protected] and if you have other ideas about projects you’d like to undertake, let me know about those too.
Volunteer Coordinator: We need an enthusiastic person to help us manage our volunteers. You would keep a roster of volunteers, publicize volunteer opportunities in our newsletter and website, coordinate the volunteers’ activities, and help ensure that their volunteer experiences are good ones.
Speaker: We receive requests from time to time for speakers who can talk about birds, wildlife, habitat, and conservation. Let me know if you would like to join our Speakers Forum. ASNV can provide some training, access to photographs from the National Audubon Society website, and an already-prepared slide show of common birds that you can use or modify to suit your preferences.
Thanks!
Tom Blackburn
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