A Letter to Our Members: Flickers of Hope in Winter
Northern Flicker. Photo: Barbara Tomawski/Audubon Photography Awards
Working to help birds, I cherish moments in the field. It's a reminder that helping science and volunteering is about more than contributing additional data. It sharpens your noticing. And suddenly you realize there are flickers of hope everywhere.
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NVBA Helps Preserve Urban Forest in Fairfax City
View of the path of the proposed trail. Photo: Val Morgan
Following a long and hard-fought campaign by environmental advocates, the Fairfax City Council voted not to proceed with constructing the George Snyder Trail, which would have destroyed much of the city’s urban forest. This victory for the environment over development is a classic demonstration of the effort needed to secure an environmental “win.”
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Winter Irruptions
Snowy Owl. Photo: Bernard Friel/Audubon Photography Awards
An “irruption” is a large-scale movement of birds to a new area, somewhat similar to migration. However, unlike regular fall and spring migrations, irruptions are typically driven by resource availability (such as food scarcity) and thus occur more randomly, with some winters seeing big irruptions and others seeing none at all.
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Updating the VA Breeding Bird Atlas
Baltimore Oriole. Photo: Mark Boyd/Audubon Photography Awards
Breeding bird atlases have a long history in the United States, where they are typically conducted at the state level. Like road atlases, at their core they are centered around maps, but the maps relate to the geographic distribution and abundance of breeding bird species—that is, where they are found on the landscape and in what numbers.
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The Depths of Winter: What's a Gardener to Do?
Invasive English Ivy with new year snow. Photo: Ian Paterson via CC BY-SA 2.0
February is a daunting, cold month for sure. But winter dormancy is for plants, not humans, and February can be the perfect time to plan additions to your native plant garden. It is also a great time to remove some invasive, non-native species.
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Our 2026 Scholarship Winner
Atlantic Puffins. Photo: Walker Golder/Audubon Photography Awards
This summer NVBA is sending Carrie Lombardi, science coach at Arlington’s Barrett Elementary School, to “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” at National Audubon Society’s Hog Island Camp in Maine.
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The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards are Now Open!
Pileated Woodpeckers. Photo: Wayne Wetherbee/Audubon Photography Awards
Attention photographers! National Audubon Society kicked off its 17th annual photography awards on January 15.
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A Closer Look: Nature All Around Us
Tree Cattle. Photo: 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: Bird-Friendly Tree and Shrub Pruning
American Robins. Photo: William Harris/Audubon Photography Awards
Pruning can be good for the tree and good for us, but it isn’t always good for birds. Done wrong, it can disturb nesting sites, remove protective cover and prevent plants from flowering or fruiting. Here are a few tips for bird-friendly pruning this winter and 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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NextGen Winter Birding at Lake Fairfax and Board Game Session
Mallards. Photo: Luke High
Join Nextgen Birders for a fun-filled day of birding at Lake Fairfax Park followed by a board game session at the NVBA offices, both in Reston. You’re welcome to join us for the morning walk, the afternoon game session, or both.
When: Sunday, February 1, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Where: Lake Fairfax Park and NVBA Office
Fee: FREE
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Bird Outing: Winter Birding at Huntley Meadows
Dark-eyed Junco. Photo: Lucy Franco/Audubon Photography Awards
Join bird guides Arielle and Gabrielle for a winter bird walk through Huntley Meadows in Alexandria, VA! Meet at the trail entrance by the main parking lot.
When: Saturday, February 7, 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Where: Huntley Meadows Park, 3701 Lockheed Boulevard, Alexandria, VA 22306
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Raptor Rehabilitation and Rodenticide Awareness with Dr. Belinda Burwell
Red-shouldered Hawks. Photo: Matt Strachan/NVBA Photo Contest
Join us for an afternoon program covering the fundamentals of raptor rehabilitation. The course will be taught by certified wildlife rehabilitator and veterinarian Dr. Belinda Burwell and will cover essential raptor rehabilitation skills geared toward at-home rehabbers. Participants will also learn how rodenticides harm raptors.
When: Saturday, February 7, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Where: National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
General Admission: $25
Wildlife Rehabber Admission: $15
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DCBA x NVBA Winter Crow Watch at Shirlington Roost
Crows gathering at Shirlington roost. Photo: McKenzie Ingram
Join the DC Bird Alliance and NVBA for our last crow watch this winter. It’s quite a spectacle to see to watch crows circling their roost in numbers so large it appears on radar.
When: Sunday, February 8, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM
Where: Meet outside the Shirlington Library, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA
Fee: FREE, but registration is appreciated
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Bird Outing: Winter Birding at Lake Audubon
Tufted Titmouse. Photo: Jocelyn Anderson/Audubon Photography Awards
Join Northern Virginia Bird Alliance guides Robin and Luke for a winter birding outing at Lake Audubon! Birders of all experience levels are welcome.
When: Saturday, February 21, 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Where: Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive, Reston, VA 20191
Fee: FREE, but registration is appreciated
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Bird Outings
Birding, Camila Cerea
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Check our Bird Outings page for upcoming events! Registration is requested for NVBA-sponsored outings to help our leaders prepare and communicate with participants.
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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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