As the holiday season draws to a close, an annual holiday tradition also is coming to a close – the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count...


** January 2021
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** Quick Links
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* Visit our website ([link removed])
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** In This Newsletter
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* Conservation Counts
* Observations from Meadowood
* A Year in Photos from Wildlife Surveys
* President's Corner January 2021
* Events, Workshops, Classes and Online Programs
* Fundamentals of Avian Biology, The Study of Birds: Spring Session 
* ASNV Online Programs
* Action Alert: Invasive Plants Legislation
* Virginia Legislature to Consider Conservation Bills
* A Trailblazer in the Forest Service
* Methane Flaring –  A Hidden Killer for Birds of Prey
* Tom Blackburn Op Ed published
* Audubon at Home Invites Applications for Small Grants to Beautify Neighborhood Entrances with Native Landscaping
* Arlington Birder Brothers – The Chippers
* Bird of the Month: 
* Monday Nature Mystery
* Other News

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** Conservation Counts
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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

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**
Observations from Meadowood
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** Judy Gallagher
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You wouldn't expect to see dragonflies after Thanksgiving in Virginia, yet survey members have seen Autumn Meadowhawks at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and at a location on Mason Neck on several occasions since Thanksgiving. During the day they bask in the winter sun and warm their flight muscles, then fly around catching insects that are still flying at this time of year, mostly small flies. At night they perch low in vegetation which protects them from the cold and they will survive until there have been several hard frosts. The late flight record for Autumn Meadowhawks in Virginia is January 3, so keep your eyes open for a sight of this small, bright red dragonfly which blends in surprisingly well on autumn leaves.


Collared Water Scavenger Beetles are aquatic. Adults feed on algae, detritus and animal remains, and the larvae are important predators of mosquito larvae. This adult was seen in a pond near Meadowood in late November.



** A Year in Photos from Wildlife Surveys
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** Judy Gallagher
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In normal years, Jim Waggener leads regularly scheduled general Wildlife and Butterfly/Dragonfly surveys. Because of COVID, official surveys are not being conducted. However, individual survey members have still been viewing wildlife, collecting data and taking pictures. Here is a sample of what they saw in 2020.

This LeConte's Sparrow was photographed by Ed Eder at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the regularly scheduled wildlife survey in January.

Su Kim's picture of Ring-necked Ducks at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge was taken in February, just prior to the cancellation of the rest of the year's surveys.

March's picture is an Eastern Fence Lizard, resplendent in breeding colors, seen at Meadowood by Gary Myers.

The Garter Snake was seen in intimate detail by Judy Gallagher at Meadowood in April.

Rusty Moran captured this Golden-backed Snipe Fly at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in May.

June's picture is of Jim Waggener's favorite damselfly, the Ebony Jewelwing, taken by Michael Ready at Occoquan Regional Park.

Ana Arguelles provided this ethereal picture Eastern Tailed-blue butterflies on Short-toothed Mountain Mint at Meadowood's Pollinator Garden in July.

In August, Margaret Fisher contributed a Least Skipper at Julie Metz Wetlands.

Ken Larson took an action shot of Blue Dashers at Meadowood in September.

October's picture is a fabulous dew-covered Wandering Glider at Mason Neck West, taken by Fred Siskind.

Gary Myers took this amazing close-up of a Carolina Wren at Veteran's Park in November.

We round out the year with Bob Blakney's excellent Hooded Merganser picture from Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Check out full size versions of these photos here ([link removed]) .

Pictures in this article are protected by copyright. If you'd like to use an image, please contact ASNV ([link removed]) and we’ll connect you with the photographer for permission.


** President's Corner January 2021
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** By Tom Blackburn, ASNV President
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As the holiday season draws to a close, an annual holiday tradition also is coming to a close – the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Since 1900, when 27 birders conducted 25 surveys and tallied 96 species, the CBC has grown in 2019 to 81,601 people who participated in surveys in 2646 count circles and tallied 672 species and nearly 43 million birds. You can learn more about the history of the CBC and the bird population statistics here ([link removed]) .

ASNV has sponsored the Manassas-Bull Run CBC for 37 years. Our survey covers a 15 mile diameter circle around Centreville, VA. In 2019, 137 birders participated in our chapter’s CBC, more than all but 46 of the 2,646 CBCs. We counted 86 species and more than 20,000 birds. Six other CBCs include portions of the ASNV service territory: Washington DC, Seneca, Fort Belvoir, Central Loudoun, Nokesville and Brooke. That gives our members a nearly-unparalleled opportunity to participate in the annual bird counts. Some of ASNV members participate in as many as four CBCs each year.

ASNV has a long tradition of community science. In addition to the CBC, we participate in the Winter Waterfowl Count and the Great Backyard Bird Count each February, the World Migratory Bird Count in May and the Northern Virginia Bird Survey in June. ASNV also conducts weekly butterfly and dragonfly surveys each April through October within the 15-mile diameter count circle around Occoquan National Wildlife Refuge established by the North American Butterfly Association (NABA); and year-round natural resource surveys in the same area.

The CBC and other community scientist-driven surveys are vitally important in gathering knowledge about the status and health of wildlife. The data compiled through these surveys and through the 100 million bird sightings reported each year through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird program have helped professional ornithologists and other biologists to fully understand changes in populations of wildlife and recommend actions to protect vulnerable species. The data compiled by volunteer birders have, among other things, helped to document the loss of nearly three billion birds ([link removed]) in North America since 1970.

If you would like to join the army of community scientists who are working to document wildlife populations in Northern Virginia, look for information about upcoming surveys on the “Get Outside” menu on our website ([link removed]) . Some of our surveys have been curtailed or restricted to previous participants due the pandemic, but we’ll restart them as soon as the public health situation improves.


** Events, Workshops, Classes and Online Programs
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**
Fireside Chat with Dr. Tom Wood: New Year Edition
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All are welcome! Socialize with friends and meet new people. Grab your hot chocolate (or fireside drink of choice!) and cozy up for an evening of fun and friendship. Here is an agenda.

Share your New Year’s Resolutions!   Saunter sharing (2 min) around the zoom room
Share and get support for your ASNV related New Year’s Resolutions! Whether increasing your birding or botany skills, increasing your participation in citizen science, or resolving to find a good book, share your resolutions and learn how ASNV programs and people can help support you! “I’m finally going to learn my ducks, how can I do that and stay dry?”

New for 2021:   Photo Haiku.   PowerPoint presentation
For something fun and refreshing for 2021, Tom will introduce Photo Haiku. This is a fun challenge to use inspiring nature photos combined with the simple elegance of Haiku poetry to express your life experiences with changing seasons in NOVA (or your stomping grounds). We will go through some ground rules and turn you lose to create Photo Haiku. In future chats, we will share our work and offer the opportunity to submit for consideration of awards! All are welcome!

What did you get for the holidays?   Whip around lightning share
Last but not least, we will have a cool, touching or wacky gift share! Bring whatever bird or nature related gizmo you received as a gift for the holidays and you get 30 seconds to Zoom share your treasure! “This thing really will slow the squirrels down, I’m sure of it.” LOL buys a bonus 30 seconds!

ONLINE: Friday, January 8, 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Cost: FREE
Limit: 50

LINK: [link removed]

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**
Register for our January Audubon Afternoon with Dr. Sahas Barve
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Join us as we’ll learn how birds stay warm in cold weather and extreme elevations. Sahas is an avian evolutionary ecologist and currently a Peter Buck Fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History where he studies how birds stay warm in the high Himalayas. He is also an avid birder and hopes to see 6,000 bird species by the time he is 60. Learn more about him at his website www.sahasbarve.com ([link removed]) .

ONLINE: Sunday, January 17, 3:00 to 4:30 PM
Cost: FREE Registration required
Limit: 300

LINK: [link removed]


**
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** Events, Workshops, Classes and Online Programs (continued)
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**
Waterfowl Identification with Bill Young
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Join our good friend and expert, Bill Young, as we dive into waterfowl identification! Waterfowl can be easy to see, but difficult to tell apart. This two-part program will provide techniques for identifying ducks, geese and swans. It will also show how to identify other species typically seen on the water, such as loons, grebes, cormorants and coots. This two-part workshop is suitable for beginning and skilled birders. We’ll have a fun interactive Kahoot! quiz to reinforce what we learn in class.

ONLINE: Monday, January 11, 7:00 to 8:00 PM; Tuesday, January 12, 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Cost: $25
Limit: 150

LINK: [link removed]



** Fundamentals of Avian Biology, The Study of Birds: Spring Session
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When: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:30 to 8:30 PM
March 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30; April 1, 13, 15
Where: Virtual
Fee: $150/member; $175/non-member
Limit: 50

Are you new to birding and want to learn more or just want to dig deeper into the subject? Then this class is for you! This course is designed and presented at an introductory but comprehensive university level in 12, 1-hour sessions.

Fundamentals of Avian Biology: Spring Session Topics emphasized in the spring session encompass: bird song; avian diets and foraging; mate selection and social behaviors; breeding biology (incubation, chick-rearing, post-natal care); bird populations; and avian conservation and sustainable management. Instructional presentations will include PowerPoint slides, auditory or video supplements, and some in-class participatory exercises, wrapped up with a 10-15-minute question-and-answer session. Each night’s lecture will be made available to all participants in PDF format.

Instructor: Dr. Haney's expertise straddles the fields of ornithology, 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. He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and technical notes, over 150 reports, abstracts, testimony, blog communications, and other public documents, and delivered more than 150 invited seminar, conference and workshop presentations. Chris’s knowledge and enthusiasm in the classroom are contagious!

Limit: 50 students. Don’t delay, this class will sell out quickly.

Fee: $150 members, $175 non-members

LINK: [link removed]

This course is designed and presented at a university introductory level in two separate sections – Fall and Spring. The two sections are independent and field trips will focus on birds that are present during each season. Spring Session will begin in late winter 2021, there is no prerequisite for this section.


** ASNV Online Programs
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**
Missed one of our programs?
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We’ve moved our classes and workshops to an online format due to the pandemic. We will provide recordings of as many of these events as possible and make them available here ([link removed]) , both to keep our members and community engaged while staying at home and to develop an ongoing collection of educational resources. Check back often, as we will add videos and resources as we receive them. Please enjoy!


** Action Alert: Invasive Plants Legislation
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** Ask your state senators and delegates to support this bill on
invasive plants!
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Contact your legislators now and ask them to vote in favor of this bill, which will help guide Virginia in controlling the sale of invasive plants. This bill will mandate a study that will explore options for phasing out the propagation and sale of invasive plants in Virginia’s horticultural industry, which may include potential legislative action to be brought the following year to the 2022 General Assembly. The study group, which will include representatives from the nursery and landscaping industry, state agencies and environmental groups, will produce a report of their recommendations and findings. This is a big step forward in the fight against invasive plants!

Please call or email both of your legislators now and ask them to support the study bill. During this unusually short legislative session, things will move very fast, so do not delay. You should write the state senator and delegate from your own district, but copy all the members of the Senate and House Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committees (see below).

When you contact your legislators please use your own words. Some points you might include:
* Our local ecosystem is under serious threat from many quarters. We must stop making the situation worse.
* Virginia native plants are the basis of our ecosystem. Invasive introduced plants crowd them out, bringing down trees and ruining our natural areas.
* You yourself have seen commonly-sold introduced plants that have escaped into the wild (examples include English Ivy, Japanese Barberry, Japanese Pachysandra, Asian Wisteria, Burning Bush, Chinese Silvergrass, Privet, etc.)
* It costs taxpayers large amounts of money to control these invasive species in their parks. State and local budgets have been able to cover only a fraction of what is needed.
* It has cost you hours of labor and/or a lot of money to control these plants in your yard and/or a place you volunteer.
* There are plenty of non-invasive plants that are every bit as nice that could be substituted for these invasives.


You can find your senator and delegate by using Who's My Legislator ([link removed]) .

Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee members:

Chap Petersen (Chair), ([link removed]) Emmett Hanger, ([link removed]) Frank Ruff, ([link removed]) Mark Obenshain, ([link removed]) Richard Stuart, ([link removed]) David Marsden, ([link removed]) William Stanley, ([link removed]) Lynwood Lewis, ([link removed]) David Suetterlein, ([link removed]) Monty Mason, ([link removed]) Jennifer McClellan, ([link removed]) Barbara Favola, ([link removed]) Joseph Morrissey, ([link removed]) Todd Pillion,
([link removed]) Ghazala Hashmi ([link removed])
For their contact information, click on their last names.

Senate committee member email addresses:

[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) ;
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House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee members:

Ken Plum (Chair), Robert Bloxom, David Bulova, Joshua Cole, James Edmunds, Todd Gilbert, Wendy Gooditis, Nancy Guy, Dan Helmer, Sally Hudson, Mark Kean, Alfonso Lopez, Daniel Marshall, Charles Poindexter, Margaret Ransone, Shelly Simonds, Kathy Tran, Roslyn Tyler, Lee Ware, Michael Webert, Rodney WIllett, Tony Wilt. Find their contact information here ([link removed]) .

House committee member email addresses:

[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) ;
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At the Legislative Information System (LIS) ([link removed]) you can track legislation ([link removed]) and review committee agendas prior to a meeting.

The Bill’s Language (draft):

Invasive Plant Species Study

That the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), jointly with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), shall convene a work group to examine the sale of invasive plant species by any entity, including the retail, landscape, greenhouse and nursery industries, and consider measures to reduce and eliminate their use and promote the use of native plants in the commonwealth. The work group shall include representatives of DCR, VDACS, the Department of Forestry, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Virginia Native Plant Society, Blue Ridge PRISM, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, the Virginia Agribusiness Council and the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. The work group shall examine measures to reduce, mitigate and/or eliminate the continued sale and use of identified invasive species, as identified in the Virginia Invasive Plant Species List by DCR. This would
include, but not be limited to: (i) labeling of invasive plant species at point of sale; (ii) taxing the sale of invasive species and applying revenue to the removal of invasive species and potential restoration of sites for native habitat; (iii) expanding the noxious weed list to include invasive plant species currently being sold by the industry or other parties; (iv) support for education and outreach, including state partnership with nonprofit organizations either fully or partially dedicated to the preservation of Virginia’s natural heritage, on the reduction of the use of invasive plant species and/or promoting the use of non-invasive or native plant species as substitutes and; (v) measures to increase the use of native plants on local and state government owned properties and projects. The work group shall make recommendations on (a) changes to guidance or regulations for agencies having the authority to regulate activities associated with the work group's work, and (b) statutory
changes, including but not limited to changes related to the placement of plant species on the Noxious Weed list (§ XXX et seq. of the Code of Virginia). The work group shall report its recommendations to the Director of DCR and the Commissioner of VDACS by December 1, 2021.


** Virginia Legislature to Consider Conservation Bills
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The General Assembly will convene on January 13, 2021, for what’s called a “short session.”

The actual number of days they will meet is to be determined. The House of Delegates will meet virtually, although a pending lawsuit could force legislators to open their offices to the public during the session. The Senate will meet at Richmond’s Virginia Science Museum.

Here are some online resources on the Virginia General Assembly website:
* The General Assembly, [link removed]. You can find your senator and delegate by using Who's My Legislator. ([link removed])
* At the Legislative Information System (LIS) ([link removed]), you can track legislation ([link removed]) and review committee agendas prior to a meeting.

Many state legislators have town meetings before and during the session.

Check with yours, show up, ask questions and advocate.

The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN), of which ASNV is a member, advocates for conservation bills. Visit www.vcnva.org ([link removed]) to read their agenda.

We anticipate bills to address the following, among other issues:
* Increasing utility accountability
* Non-polluting energy
* Environmental justice
* Limiting balloon releases
* Reducing plastic pollution
* Funding state parks and other land conservation measures

Senators will be limited to introducing 12 bills; delegates, eight. In the 2020 regular session, legislators introduced over 3,000 bills; 1,351 became law.

Be a Citizen Advocate

Every year, Virginia Conservation Network's (VCN) 150-plus environmental organizations come together for a Lobby Day. In 2021, it’s virtual on January 21, 8 AM to 12:30 PM. VCN expects to host guest speakers and legislators in the morning and arrange 15-minute Zoom meetings with delegates and senators for participants. Visit www.vcnva.org ([link removed]) to register.

Addressing Invasive Plants

ASNV has been working with an informal coalition on a state bill to create a working group with broad representation to conduct a study of invasive plants. Delegate David Bulova and Senator David Marsden have agreed to introduce bills.

The study, due by December 1, 2021, would examine the following:
* the sale of invasive plants by all entities
* measures to reduce and eliminate the use of invasive plants and to promote the use of native plants
* labeling invasive plant species at point of sale
* taxing the sale of invasive species
* expanding the current noxious weed list
* taking steps to increase education and outreach
* promoting the use of non-invasive plants on local and state government properties

ASNVers understand the value of native plants and can help persuade legislators to support the bill. Please contact your state delegate and senator and urge them to vote for the bill. The best time to reach out is now, before the session convenes on January 13, 2021. Ask for a commitment to vote for it. See above for how to find your legislator.

Ask Fairfax to Do Better

On January 13, at 7:15 PM, the Fairfax County Environmental Advisory Council will hold its annual public hearing online to hear concerns and recommendations for environmental policies in the county. This is a good opportunity to express your concerns about the county’s environmental policies and practices that are detrimental to the environment. Visit here ([link removed]) or email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

Speak Up about Salt's Harm

Salt used on roads and parking lots is washed off into streams and rivers and can adversely affect natural resources. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has conducted a two-year effort, in which ASNV participated, to prepare a salt “toolkit” to guide those who apply salt for winter snow and ice events. DEQ is holding a public meeting on the toolkit on January 21, 6:30 PM followed by a 30-day comment period until February 22, 2021. For the meeting, register here ([link removed]) . DEQ needs to know that people care, so join the meeting and send in comments. For more information, contact Will Isenberg at (804) 698-4228 orhere ([link removed]) .

Attention Alexandrians

You might want to check in with the Environmental Policy Commission. They consider policies like stormwater management, stream restoration, recycling, climate change and more. You’ll find their membership and schedule here ([link removed]) .


** A Trailblazer in the Forest Service
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** Lisa Mackem
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The first Black woman professional forester in the agency’s history, Melody Mobley, recently joined Audubon Society of Northern Virginia. Melody is a 28-year veteran of the Forest Service and loves its ethos of “delivering the greatest good to the greatest number of people for the longest time.” ([link removed]) Her experience, however, revealed that the Forest Service often fails that ethos. Rather than caring for land and serving people, Melody sees the Forest Service leaning toward commodity protection. “Timber and range rule the agency and logging and growing cows are the priority. They get more funding than staff that deal with endangered species and forest protection,” says Melody, expressing concern that environmentally conscious people do not manage the Forest Service. “We have to use our voices to change that.”

Melody wrote about her experiences with the Forest Service in the article ([link removed]) , “A Black Woman Who Tried to Survive in the Dark, White Forest,” published in the Mountain Journal on August 1, 2018. A film documentary about her, “The Starya Project,” is in progress. Melody is part Cherokee and “Starya,” which means “Stay strong,” is her Cherokee name.

The US Department of Agriculture, a mostly white male organization that Melody calls the last plantation, oversees the Forest Service. It recently refused to comply with Melody’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the Forestry Service’s number of Black foresters, although the information is public. After enlisting VA Senator Kaine’s help, Melody found only six Black woman foresters. Melody herself recruited the first Hispanic head of Law Enforcement and first female Law Enforcement special agent, although it was not her job. “I did it just by meeting people and knowing they had the qualifications to do a good job, and by talking about that position in the Forest Service and the benefits,” said Melody. “If I could do that on my own, surely the hiring personnel could do better. But the Forest Service doesn’t welcome everyone, and people leave because they get treated so badly.”

Melody takes pride in her large-scale projects and career achievements. She mended the relationship between the Forest Service and Hopi Tribe, worked with large-scale watershed restoration and wrote the first threatened and endangered species survey for the Ocala National Forest. She also experienced racism and sexism, much of which she detailed in the Mountain Journal article. The Forest Service retaliated against her for filing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint by taking away her work and giving it to white men. She endured job-related physical and verbal abuse and even rape by a fellow employee. Melody retired from the Forest Service at age 46. Her doctor certified that her toxic work environment caused her depression and severe low back pain.

Today, Melody is passionate about working with young people and promoting environmental causes. She volunteer-teaches science and math at two elementary schools, and leads two schools’ science clubs. She wants children to go into the field and learn about trees and native vegetation. “The outdoors must be a welcoming place,” says Melody, who has felt unwelcome in some outdoor settings. “We need to get the word out that recreational places exist. A lot of minorities don’t realize those places are there, and people can have fun in them.” Melody hopes to participate in nature walks, learn about birds and write letters to her representatives to promote environmental causes. “The Forest Service could be a wonderful place to work, and the majority of its people are good,” she says. She plans to continue pressuring her congressional representatives to prioritize environmental policies in funding, and hopes that the Forest Service’s culture will become welcoming and inclusive for everyone.


** Methane Flaring – A Hidden Killer for Birds of Prey
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** Jessica Bigger
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As some landfills pile up with trash, building excessive amounts of methane, carbon dioxide (CO2), and other greenhouse gases, some landfill owners have installed methane gas burners to reduce the amount of methane entering the atmosphere. However, the downside to methane flaring is that the flame is colorless and fatal for birds flying in the area, especially birds of prey.

Methane gas is one of the major greenhouse gases causing the planet to warm; more so than CO2. So, by burning off methane, the gas is converted to a CO2, and other minor greenhouse gases that aren’t as harmful to the atmosphere.

Trash produces 50% methane, 50% CO2, and a small percentage of other gases that enter into the atmosphere, which is why flaring has been used to help reduce the amount of methane gas from entering the atmosphere.

Many landfills are near telephone poles and other tall structures, where hawks and falcons sit. So, when a hawk ta kes flight near a garbage dump, it may fly too close to the colorless flame, not feeling the heat until it’s too late. Wildlife monitors and rescuers have found numerous birds of prey singed by these flames. In most cases the burns are fatal.

Some garbage dump owners have worked with wildlife advocates to find solutions to the problem. A few have put cages around their methane burners so the birds can see the cage and avoid the methane flare stack. Unfortunately, the winds from a major storm can knock over the cage. This happened at the Kingsland Landfill in New Jersey; it took a while for the cage to be repaired. One way to solve this problem is for owners to check the burner after a storm and fix the cage immediately if it has been damaged.

Although there are some landfill owners willing to mitigate the situation, many are unlikely to install a cage. The cost of installing and maintaining the cage may be one of the reasons many landfill owners choose not to install one.

Wildlife experts have also suggested other solutions, like burying electrical lines so birds can’t perch on telephone poles near landfills, or building taller structures so birds can lift off well above the burners.

In many cases these solutions require cooperation from landowners, but also commitments from local government. As in many situations, even though the changes seem impossible, many conservationist and bird advocates will continue to reach out to landfill owners and local government officials to find a win-win solution for owners and birds of prey.



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** Tom Blackburn Op Ed published
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On December 9, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an op-ed article by ASNV President Tom Blackburn urging Virginia members of the U.S. House of Representatives to co-sponsor the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, H.R. 3742. The bill would provide $1.4 billion a year in new funding to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. The funds would go to every state in the nation to support on-the-ground habitat protection, scientific research and wildlife restoration. Tom’s article pointed out the importance of protecting wildlife to reduce disruptions to the nation’s ecosystems and the emotional benefits that we all derive from being able to interact with nature.

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Support for the Recovering America's Wildlife Act helps everyone
By Tom Blackburn

The brook trout, among Virginia's most iconic wildlife, has been identified by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources as one of 883 species "of greatest conservation need." ANGELA WILHELM/THE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES VIA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By Tom Blackburn
Virginia’s outdoor heritage is vitally important. Our Virginia congressional delegation joined a bipartisan majority in recently enacting legislation to shore up our nation’s threatened natural resources by fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

We urge them to take the additional step of joining U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, in co-sponsoring the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742). Support for this legislation is vitally important to protecting and supporting wildlife.

Whether it’s the squirrel in your backyard or a black bear in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, wildlife plays a critical role in our shared environment. Diversity in animal life helps to maintain nature’s equilibrium.

However, we should not take wildlife for granted. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has identified 883 wildlife species as in decline — “of greatest conservation need” — and has designated 136 of those species as threatened or endangered. Some of Virginia’s most iconic wildlife, like the brook trout, the northern bobwhite quail and the Shenandoah salamander, are imperiled.

Wildlife and our natural environment provide us a place of reassurance and solace. Health professionals recognize that even a few minutes outdoors can recharge our spirits. Getting outdoors for some bird-watching, kayaking or a walk in a local park can help all of us get through tough times. In the past several months, millions of people turned to our parks and open spaces for respite from the pressures of the pandemic
.
There is bipartisan support for wildlife and nature. During a year of political gridlock, our federal elected officials have accomplished some real wins for conservation in 2020.

The Great American Outdoors Act provides billions of dollars in funding for the preservation of natural places, recreational areas and wildlife habitat, along with billions to fund maintenance improvements in our national parks.

The American Conservation Enhancement Act creates new federal programs to protect wetlands, clean up the Chesapeake Bay and tackle wildlife diseases, among other measures. Both bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. The new laws will have a great impact on wildlife and habitat for decades ahead.

There is another great conservation bill out there that can bring us together: the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742). This bill would provide $1.4 billion a year in new funding to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. The funds would go to every state in the nation to support on-the-ground habitat protection, scientific research and wildlife restoration. In Virginia, the funds would help the Department of Wildlife Resources take action to protect and restore some our most iconic — and imperiled — fish and wildlife.

Protecting our nation’s wildlife is important to us in several ways. The loss of 3 billion birds — 29% of the population of North American birds — in the past 50 years, as documented in Science magazine in September 2019, is evidence of the profound disruption to our country’s ecosystems. Declines and extinctions in one species can have a domino effect that leads to harm to other species, as the natural food web becomes damaged. We need to protect and restore wildlife by rehabilitating the ecosystems that support them.

Restoring wildlife also will contribute to our personal well-being. Wildlife can provide countless hours of enjoyment. Watching a brook trout leap for a fly, catching a glimpse of a red fox as it slips into the underbrush and spying a scarlet tanager high in the tree canopy can give us a sense of wonder and peace that cannot be replaced by the sterile world of the internet and television.

Saving wildlife has economic implications, too. Outdoor recreation generates $18 billion in economic activity a year in Virginia. Wildlife watching supports more than 23,000 Virginia jobs. Investing in wildlife is both an environmental and an economic investment.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act has 185 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. However, only one Virginia representative is a co-sponsor: Wittman.

We urge all Virginia members of the House of Representatives to join him in this bipartisan effort and co-sponsor the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. By supporting this bill, they can show us that they can work together and help heal both our natural and political landscapes.

Tom Blackburn is president of the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia. Contact him at: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])


** Audubon at Home Invites Applications for Small Grants to Beautify Neighborhood Entrances with Native Landscaping
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We are very pleased to announce that ASNV’s Audubon at Home Program, in partnership with the Plant NOVA Natives campaign, has been awarded a grant of $15,000 from the Environmental Education and Stewardship Grants Program of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation to demonstrate the concept that native plants, so critical to wildlife hab itat, can fit nicely into a conventional suburban aesthetic, including formal or semi-formal settings.

The Audubon at Home program invites homeowners’ and civic associations to apply for funds to beautify their neighborhood entrances using low maintenance native plants. Six one-to-one matching grants of $2,350 apiece will be given to cover costs of a landscape designer to create a design and recommend native plants, prepare the site including removing any invasive plants present such as English Ivy, Periwinkle, and others, purchase and install the plants. The terms of the grant will require matching funds or sweat equity from the applicant. Funds will be granted contingent on the community association conducting educational outreach on the value of native plants to their residents. Completed installations will receive a high-quality sign that says, “Native plants support birds and other wildlife.” Community associations are expected to commit to maintaining the plantings for 5 years.

Applications are due May 31, 2020. For more information, go here ([link removed]) .

Do you live in a community that would benefit from these funds? You are welcome to pass this information along. Questions? Contact Audubon at Home ([link removed]) .


**
Arlington Birder Brothers – The Chippers
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If you’ve visited any of the South Arlington parks recently you may have encountered two engaging teen birders “The Chippers,” as they are known on their website ([link removed]) . Max and Danté are brothers, two years apart in age but entirely in sync about birds.

As a Christmas present in 2018, Max and Dante’s uncle gave them a birdfeeder. As soon as they put it up in their Arlington yard the brothers were hooked. Soon they were outside, beyond their backyard, scouting the l ocal parks for birds. Four months later in April they described finding their first warblers – a Yellow-rumped and a Black-and-white – as, “Absolutely Incredible!”

Since then, the brothers have gone on to develop a website about birding in South Arlington Parks which includes their recent sightings with excellent photographs by Max and ingenious drawings by Dante. Far more ambitious than a checklist, “The Birding Guide to Southwest Arlington” documents birds with photographs, voice and behavior recordings, field notes and when and where to find the birds.

It’s an impressive undertaking by two young people. We wondered why they took this project on. According to Max and Danté, their parents are “into fitness” and “raised us to be outside.” It also sounds like their parents also encouraged them to use their natural curiosity while giving them the confidence and space to explore the world around them. And thanks to their own gregarious natures, they encountered other mentors.

In the early days of the pandemic the brothers began each morning with three-hour bird walks around their local parks where they made friends with people they encountered such as “The Owl Guy,” who showed them where the resident Barred Owl roosts and encouraged them “…to publish some of the stuff you do.”

In the future, the brothers want to expand their website to include all of Arlington and generate interest in habitat restoration projects at their schools and parks. Stay tuned.

“This is my life’s passion and work.” Danté

“I want to go out in the environment and make a difference.” Max


** Bird of the Month:
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** A Rare Sighting: Clapper Rail Spotted in Northern Virginia
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** Jessica Bigger
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In December, local birders spotted a Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) sleuthing in the marsh at Huntley Meadows Park. They recorded the sighting on eBird ([link removed]) . Rarely does this bird end up in Virginia, especially inland. But sometimes birds get blown in by tropical storms, or just get lost and end up in the wrong place. This past summer several Clapper Rails were blown in by tropical storms. In Mississippi, over 1,000 Clapper Rails ended up on the sandy beaches after Tropical Storm Cristobal blew over. In Roanoke, Virginia, a Clapper Rail was found injured by a car. How did this bird end up in Roanoke? Wildlife rescuers believe Hurricane Laura was the culprit.

According to All About Birds ([link removed]) , Clapper Rails breed on the coasts of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The birds tend to spend their winters down in Central America and the Caribbean. However, they seem to be showing up more often on the coasts of Mississippi, Alabama and even North Carolina during the summer.

These elusive birds are rarely seen, but often heard. A Clapper Rail’s distinct and raucous chock, chock, chock call ([link removed]) , which can last for 20 to 25 notes, can help a birder zero in on its location. However, you might be able to spot one at dawn or dusk if you have a keen eye, a good ear and plenty of patience. These birds tend to hide in tall grasses in salt marshes or in vegetation in mangrove swamps. They rarely fly, and keep their tail and head up as they walk in an irregular pattern. If threatened, they may run, continuing to hold up their head and tail.

Clapper Rails eat almost anything, but they prefer crabs and crayfish. They also have salt glands that enable them to ingest salt water.

During their breeding season, mom and dad raise their chicks together. If there is a predator nearby, one of them will pretend to have a broken wing to distract and lure the predator away from the nest.

Currently, the Clapper Rail is listed as a bird of moderate concern, according to the North American Waterb ird Conservation Plan. However, it is very difficult to know how many Clapper Rails there are, because they are so elusive. Populations are at risk of pollution and habitat loss due to development and storms which can destroy marshlands.

Wildlife ecologists are currently studying how marsh birds adapt to tropical storms and hurricanes along the coasts of Alabama and Mississippi. They are using the Clapper Rail as one of the species in their study. To figure out the population size in the area, scientists will play pre-recorded calls and then zero in on the birds that call back.

Clapper Rails are considered to be an indicator species for scientists to assess the health of the surrounding coastal environment. During a tropical storm, birds move up to higher areas of the marsh to ride out the storm. Within a year or two after a storm, ecologists have found that the Clapper Rail population tends to recover, which shows how resilient these birds are.

Resources:


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** Bird Walks
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All of our ASNV sponsored Bird Walks have been cancelled until further notice because of Covid. Please visit our website ([link removed]) to find out what other organizations might have to offer.


** Monday Nature Mystery
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We are pleased to announce the winner of our Monday Nature Mystery from December 21, 2020; the aptly named, Karen Brandt!

Congratulations to Karen for correctly identifying both Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and Barnacle G oose (Branta leucopsis). The Barnacle Goose is a rare treat for our area. Smaller than the familiar Canada Goose, it nests on Arctic coasts and usually overwinters in northwestern Europe. To see more photos click here ([link removed]) .

Each Monday, beginning again on January 4, 2021, we’ll post a new mystery and identify the previous winner. They’ll receive an ASNV hat or tote bag. Post your guess on our Facebook page (@AudubonVA) under Monday Nature Mystery.

Please remember to write the common name, being mindful of hyphens, uppercase and lowercase letters and always include the Latin name in parentheses. To learn more about bird names click here ([link removed]) .

Good luck!

All entries are date and time-stamped. We review each correct answer to see who commented first. If someone 'likes' your comment, it would move it up on the list, making it look like the first post. Winners are limited to one prize every 90 days.


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Other News

E-Activist Network
Volunteers Needed

The National Audubon Society invites all Auduboners to join its ** e-activist 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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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR ASNV FINANCE COMMITTEE

The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) is looking for additional members for its Finance Committee to help advise the Board on investment allocations. The Finance Committee meets quarterly to review financial holdings and create recommendations to the ASNV Board for allocating/reallocating investment funds based on the organization's cash needs, financial goals and risk tolerance. The Finance Committee prepares a report to the Board twice per year. Prospective Finance Committee members should be familiar with evaluating risks and returns of securities but do not need to have a professional background in a financial field. Contact ** Eli Garduño ([link removed])
.
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Bird Feeder in Reston

This store offers a 10% discount to current ASNV members, good on all purchases excluding optics and sale merchandise. When you visit, just tell them you are a member of ASNV and ask for the discount.

1675 Reston Pkwy, Suite J, Reston, VA 20194. (703) 437-3335

New Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Closed Sunday
Curbside service available, call the store at 703-437-3335
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