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** March 2025
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** NVBA ([link removed]) HOME ([link removed]) ([link removed]) DONATE ([link removed]) JOIN ([link removed])
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** President's Corner
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** Yellow-throated Warbler, Matt Felperin
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Our work is powered by our volunteers with direction from (and many hours of participation by) our NVBA committees. To encourage you to get involved, we would like to introduce you to those committees and the work they do.
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** The Chimney Swift
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** Chimney Swifts, Ben Cvengros/Audubon Photography Awards
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Did you know that until the mid-19th century the Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) was called the American Swift?
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More News


** The 2025 VA General Assembly So Far
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** VA State Capitol Building, Wikimedia User Skip Plitt via CC By-SA 3.0 ([link removed])
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The Virginia General Assembly adjourned sine die on February 22. It is scheduled to reconvene April 2 to address actions the governor may take on legislation sent to him.
Read more > ([link removed])


** Clean Water and Native Plants
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** Riparian buffer graphic from James River Consortium ([link removed])
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If your property contains a stream, pond, or any sort of wetland, whether its flow is permanent or intermittent in nature, this article is especially for you!
Read more > ([link removed])



** Get Ready for Birdathon 2025
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** Birders, Camila Cerea
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As spring arrives in northern Virginia, we’re looking forward to Birdathon 2025, our annual event where teams collect pledges from friends and family and then record how many species they can identify during any 24-hour period between April 19 and May 18.
Read more > ([link removed])

Monthly Features


** A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us
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** Aplos simplex nymph, Judy Gallagher
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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.

Read more > ([link removed])



** Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Wildlife-Friendly Spring Garden Cleanup
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** Common Eastern Bumblebee, Judy Gallagher
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If you followed the advice to forgo an annual autumn garden cleanup and instead left fallen leaves and dead plant stems in place to provide winter habitat for wildlife, your yard helped lots of local bugs and birds survive the winter and prepare for spring.

Read more > ([link removed])

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Upcoming Classes and Events
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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 ([link removed]) for our full schedule of events.


** Homegrown National Park: Creating Habitat in Our Own Yards
Asclepias tuberosa with Fritillaries, PNN
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Join us at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church for an inspiring talk by Doug Tallamy on creating diverse ecosystems in our yards, communities, farms, and surrounding lands. Learn how reducing lawns and planting native trees, shrubs, and perennials can help repair the devastating loss of native species—all while adding beauty to your surroundings.

When: Sunday, March 9, 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Where: Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, 1909 Windmill Lane, Alexandria, VA 22307
Fee: $10

MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed with Joanie Millward
Osprey, Doug German/Audubon Photography Awards
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Learn about the history of Ospreys, the challenges they face today in the Chesapeake Watershed, and how you can help.

When: Tuesday, March 11, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: FREE

MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Birds in Watercolor: Barn Swallow with Ronna Fujisawa
Barn Swallow, Ronna Fujisawa
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Join this digital art class and learn to paint a Barn Swallow. Your instructor, Ronna Fujisawa of Salty Water Art, will be your guide through the step-by-step process. The class is open to all levels of watercolor painters. Beginners are welcome!

When: Wednesday, March 12, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Members: $25
Non-members: $35

MORE INFO ([link removed])


** 30,000 Miles in Search of Godwits with Bruce Beehar
Hudsonian Gotwit, David Seidensticker/Audubon Photography Awards
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Between 2019 and 2022, Bruce Beehler, a research associate at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, completed five field trips in search of Hudsonian Godwits. In this illustrated lecture, he will recount the highlights of his more than five months in the field, from Nome and Point Barrow to Tuktoyaktuk, Moosonee, and Monomoy Island.

When: Tuesday, March 18, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: $15 member; $25 non-member

MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Backyard Bird ID Workshop - Get Ready for Birdathon at Home!
Eastern Towhee, Calli Cook/Audubon Photography Awards
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Join us for an exciting backyard bird identification workshop, where we’ll dive into the fascinating world of local birds and seasonal visitors! Whether you’re watching from your window, patio, or garden, you’ll gain the confidence to identify and appreciate the birds around you.

When: Thursday, March 20, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: FREE

MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Alliance Afternoon: Matt Felperin's Birdathon Warbler Bootcamp
Yellow-throated Warbler, Matt Felperin
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Our quarterly Audubon Alliance Sunday afternoon at the National Wildlife Federation in Reston will feature guest speaker Matt Felperin’s Birdathon Warbler Bootcamp, to get you ready for spring migration. We’ll gather informally starting at 2:30 pm for snacks and visiting. At 3:00 pm, President Libby Lyons will present our revised bylaws for member approval. Matt’s presentation will begin at 3:15 pm, and after his talk, from 4:00 - 4:30 pm, we invite you to stick around to speak with board members and staff representing our very active committees, who will help you learn how you can get more involved through volunteering!

When: Sunday, March 23, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Where: National Wildlife Federation Building, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Fee: FREE

MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Bird Walks
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Birding, Camila Cerea


Check this page ([link removed]) for upcoming walks! Registration is no longer required for NVBA-sponsored walks.


** Monday Nature Mystery
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** Spotted Salamander, USFWSmidwest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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**
In case you missed it, we're providing a link to the February 24 Monday Nature Mystery. AND, we're giving you a heads up! Monday, March 3 will be our last Monday Nature Mystery, so if you haven't played before, now is your chance!
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**
Read more > ([link removed])
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** Conservation Counts
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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.

Read more > ([link removed])

National Audubon Society Action Network

The National Audubon Society invites all Auduboners to join its action network ([link removed]) . 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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Copyright © 2025 Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, All rights reserved.
You subscribed to this list when you joined the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance directly, joined the National Audubon Society and live in the Northern Virginia area, are an NVBA volunteer, or asked to receive our email updates.

Our mailing address is:
Northern Virginia Bird Alliance
11100 Wildlife Center Drive
Ste. 100
Reston, VA 20190
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