Wild bird populations in the continental United States and Canada have declined by almost 30% since 1970, representing a loss of...


** November 2019
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** In This Newsletter
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* Conservation Counts
* Volunteer Needed, Bird-Safe Buildings
* Three Billion Birds
* President's Corner
* President's Corner (continued)
* New Partnership
* Bird Walk at Walker Nature Center
* Upcoming Classes and Events
* Birdathon Winners Visit Oak Spring
* ASNV Accepting Applications Now for Educator Scholarship
* Wolf Trap First-Time Campers Program offers Birding
 
*  
* Youth Education Mini-Grants
* Take Action – VOTE!
* Bird & Butterfly Walks
* Recurring Bird Walks
* Other News

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**
Conservation Counts
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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. From April through October, surveys are conducted primarily for butterflies and dragonflies at those two locations and two others—Occoquan Regional Park and Julie J. Metz Memorial Wetlands Preserve.

More information is available on the ASNV website ([link removed]) .

Questions? Contact Jim ([link removed]) for more details.


**
Meadowood on Mason Neck
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(7:30 a.m. - noon)
* November 13
* December 4


** Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
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(7:30 a.m - noon)
* November 27
* December 18


** Butterfly and Dragonfly Surveys
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(Will resume in April 2020)

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** Volunteer Needed, Bird-Safe Buildings
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National Audubon has asked its members to advocate for the federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act NAS Bird Safe Windows, and ASNV wants to address the issue on a local level. If you have expertise in architecture, city planning or bird-safe building measures, the Advocacy Committee would like to hear from you. If you can help, please contact Connie Ericson at [link removed].


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** Make a Difference!
Speak Up!
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** E-Activist Network
Volunteers Needed
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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.


** Advocate Against Climate Change
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We need passionate volunteers across Virginia who can help persuade elected officials to support actions designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If you would like to help make a difference with climate change and other important issues, please contact Glenda Booth ([link removed]) .


** Sign Up for the 38th Annual Manassas-Bull Run Christmas Bird Count!
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The Manassas-Bull Run Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will be on Sunday, December 15. The center of the 15-mile diameter count circle is near the intersection of Routes 28 & 29 in Centreville. Birders of all skill levels are needed. A complimentary hot lunch will be available to participants.

If you participated last year, your sector or route leader should to be in touch soon. If you don’t hear from anyone, or if you’d like to be in a different sector, contact Phil Silas at [email protected] (mailto:mailto:[email protected]) .

We’ll also be offering an opportunity for feeder watchers. If you or someone you know lives within the count circle and cannot go out in the field, he or she can observe from inside, counting the birds that come to a feeder or yard on December 15 as an alternate way to participate.

Signing up is easy! Just contact Phil Silas ([link removed]) with your phone, email, and birder level (B=Beginner, I=Intermediate, E=Expert), and any notes or comments.


** Three Billion Birds
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** Lisa Mackem
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Wild bird populations in the continental United States and Canada have declined by almost 30% since 1970, representing a loss of nearly 3 billion birds. This loss astounded Cornell Lab of Ornithology conservation scientist, Ken Rosenberg. Rosenberg led an international team of scientists from seven institutions in the analysis of population trends for 529 bird species. The journal Science published the study results in September.

The scale of loss is unlike anything recorded in modern natural history. It includes hundreds of bird species across the continent. The research confirming these losses represents the most robust synthesis of long-term population monitoring data ever assembled for animals, said Adam Smith, a study coauthor and biostatistician for Environment and Climate Change Canada. “It’s safe to say that in the natural world, birds are the best studied group of wildlife species,” Smith said. “The data that exist for birds are just so incredible, from 50 years of the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Christmas Bird Counters from 100 years ago, on to the eBirders of today,” said Smith.

The study authors say that their work shows a pervasive loss in every North American biome. Forests have lost 1 billion birds and grasslands have lost 700 million, or 50% of their birds. The study authors identify habitat loss as a likely driving factor in these declines. More than 90% of the total bird losses (over 2.5 billion birds) come from 12 avian families, including common birds like sparrows, blackbirds, and finches. A Red-winged Blackbird was the subject of the winning 2019 Audubon photography contest photo. In the last 50 years, Red-winged Blackbirds lost 33% of their population – a severe and unsustainable loss.

Birds are indicator species, serving as acutely sensitive barometers of environmental health. Their mass declines signal that the earth’s biological systems are in trouble. Other studies have documented similar losses in populations of insects, amphibians, and fish. A 2019 United Nations report warned that approximately 1 million animal and plant species face extinction – more than ever before in human history.

Fortunately, there is also good news. North American duck and geese populations have grown by 56% since 1970, largely due to U.S. and Canadian laws protecting wetlands and collaboration with Mexico to safeguard migrating waterfowl. Conservation management became increasingly science-driven. Private philanthropy, especially by Ducks Unlimited, generated significant financial support for wetlands acquisitions. Raptor and turkey populations also have been restored. A current bipartisan measure in the U.S. House of Representatives – the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act – would direct $1.4 billion in federal dollars to invigorate underfunded state and tribal wildlife conservation programs. Bird populations that have suffered devastating losses have enough remaining birds to spur a recovery if conservation measures are implemented soon.

3 billion birds, co-sponsored by American Bird Conservancy, Audubon, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Georgetown University, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute published 7 Simple Steps ([link removed]) to help birds:
1. Make windows safer
2. Keep cats indoor
3. Reduce lawn by planting native species
4. Avoid pesticides
5. Drink bird-friendly coffee
6. Reduce use of plastics
7. Participate in birdwatching citizen science.

Rosenberg warned that in 10 years, the current losses could be irreversible. The passenger pigeon was once the world’s most abundant bird, but people did not realize how quickly it was vanishing until it was too late. Meaningful action must start now.

You can participate in birdwatching citizen science by attending ASNV’s Project FeederWatch and Christmas Bird Count workshops this November – ASNV Workshops ([link removed]) .


** Sources:
[link removed] [link removed] [link removed]
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** President's Corner
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**
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** By Tom Blackburn, ASNV President
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Each November I look forward to seeing some of my favorite birds – Tundra Swans. More than 100,000 of these birds are just finishing their three-month migration from north of Hudson Bay in Canada to the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay and the coast of North Carolina, where they spend their winters. A sizeable flock usually winters from November through February at the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Sanctuary just south of Lorton. You can see them from the Great Marsh and Marsh View trails but you’ll probably hear them before you see them. Their high, whooping calls are haunting and unforgettable.

Tundra Swans eat submerged aquatic vegetation and soft-shelled clams. 2018’s extreme precipitation led to a significant decrease in the amount of submerged aquatic vegetation last winter. Faced with reduced food supplies, many Tundra Swans moved further south to find more to eat. I hope more of them will spend this winter in our area.

November is also the time to prepare for the Christmas Bird Count, our nation’s longest-running citizen science bird survey. ASNV has conducted the count in the Manassas-Bull Run circle for 37 years. In 2018, 115 volunteers counted over 13,000 birds. This year’s count will take place on December 15 and we need birders of all skill levels to help out.

If you’re interested in the 2019 CBC, please join Phil Silas, our CBC compiler, who will lead a workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. on November 24 at the National Wildlife Federation Building,



** President's Corner (continued)
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11100 Wildlife Center Drive in Reston. The workshop is free, but registration is required. You can register, learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, and sign up to participate in the count at [link removed].

Don’t forget that November 5 is Election Day. All seats in the Virginia legislature are up for re-election, as well as other state-wide and county offices, including school board and county supervisor positions. Bond initiatives are also on the ballot. Be sure to vote – critical issues are at stake. Our planet depends on you.


** New Partnership
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The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia is happy to highlight a new partnership: Green Muslims ([link removed]) is a volunteer-driven 501(C)3 headquartered in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area that is working to connect Muslims everywhere to nature and environmental activism. Green Muslims hosts educational, service, and outdoor recreational events and strives to serve as a bridge connecting the Muslim community with local climate action organizations. ASNV and Green Muslims will celebrate the partnership with a November bird walk.


** Bird Walk at Walker Nature Center
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Please join Green Muslims and the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia on a bird walk at Walker Nature Center in Reston, Virginia, on Saturday, November 23. The bird walk will be led by Audubon Society's Robin Duska. It will start at 8:00 a.m. and will end at 10:00 a.m. The walk will be about 1.5 miles so please wear appropriate footwear in the case of slippery or muddy trails.

Due to the nature of the bird walk, adults and children 7+ who are able to walk quietly and listen to the leader are welcome to join.

Date: Saturday, November 23, 2019
Time: 8 to 10 a.m.
Location: Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Dr, Reston, Virginia 20191
Info: [link removed]


** Upcoming Classes and Events
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**
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Project FeederWatch Workshop
Date: Saturday, November 9
Time: 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Locaton: National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston 20190

Project FeederWatch is the easiest citizen science you will ever do! From the comfort of your home, you simply count the winter birds that visit your feeders and report your data to Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

This FREE workshop will cover a bit of the history of Project FeederWatch, its purpose, tips for identifying birds, and the protocols to be followed while counting. We’ll spend some time practicing with the birds at the ASNV feeders. Light refreshments will be served.

Instructor: Carol Hadlock, volunteer extraordinaire and pioneer with the Audubon at Home program, will instruct this workshop.

Although the workshop is FREE, registration ([link removed]) is required.


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Christmas Bird Count Workshop
Date: Sunday, November 24
Time: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Location: National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive Reston, VA 20190

Join Phil Silas, the Manassas-Bull Run Christmas Bird Count compiler, to learn about this long-running citizen science bird survey. Phil will cover its purpose, and scope, explain how we organize our CBC and show where the data goes and how it is used. The workshop offers tips on preparing for a winter bird count and will review how to identify many of the birds seen in our area in winter. Light refreshments will be served.

Instructor: Phil Silas is a popular field trip leader and volunteers on many counts and surveys in the area.

This workshop is FREE, but registration ([link removed]) is required.


**
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** Birdathon Winners Visit Oak Spring
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Winning Birdathon teams traveled out to the Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) in Upperville, Virginia on September 17 to view some rare books, including a John James Audubon folio, and the grounds of the estate of Rachel "Bunny" Mellon, who designed the White House Rose Garden. The 700 acres of Foundation grounds were certified as an Audubon at Home (AAH) Wildlife Sanctuary on July 25 by AAH County Coordinator Leslie Paulson. OSGF Project Development Coordinator T.J. Sherman, who led the Birdathon teams around the grounds, indicated that nearly all AAH Sanctuary Species have been seen on the property.

Species are selected as AAH Sanctuary Species because they breed in Northern Virginia, have a reasonable chance of being found on and/or attracted to a suburban property, are considered a beneficial and/or desirable species, and are a population in decline OR at risk of being in decline (in the Northern Virginia area) due to typical suburban land use issues (pesticides, habitat destruction, etc.).


** ASNV Accepting Applications Now for Educator Scholarship
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Each summer Audubon Society of Northern Virginia offers a full scholarship and transportation to “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” at National Audubon Society’s Hog Island Camp in Maine. Next year’s session is July 12-17, 2020 and will feature workshops on educational techniques, a boat trip to the restored Atlantic Puffin and Tern colony on Eastern Egg Rock, intertidal explorations, and hiking through Hog Island's unspoiled spruce-fir forest.

Applicants must be a public classroom teacher, specialist or school administrator in the ASNV chapter territory. Counties: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford. Independent cities: Alexandria, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park.

Application Deadline: February 14, 2020

Scholarship Announcement: March 16, 2020

Link to scholarship application: [link removed]

Questions: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . For further information about this session at Hog Island, visit [link removed].


** Wolf Trap First-Time Campers Program offers Birding

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Each spring and fall Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts hosts two campouts for Fairfax County 5th and 6th grade students sponsored by Friends of Wolf Trap. The campouts give young people an opportunity to develop meaningful connections to the natural world, learn outdoor skills, make new friends, and have fun. Scout youth leaders organize the camping while other partners teach activities such as archery, fly casting, pollinators, gardening, birding, and more.

For the past five years, ASNV volunteers have led an introduction to birding class which teaches birding basics and how to use binoculars, followed by bird hikes. The class is based on bird data and knowledge of the park’s trails compiled during ASNV’s two-year bird survey. Between 2013 and 2015, survey teams visited the park 270 times and identified 128 species. Now, thanks to the Friends’ generous gift of 20 pairs of binoculars, campers and others can try to find those species.

Ten to twelve-year-olds have sharp eyes and acute hearing! This year’s young campers helped find Barred Owls, 4 hawk species, both vultures, warblers, Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, 3 wren species, 3 sparrow species, lots of migrants, and many year-round woodland birds including 5 woodpecker species, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Northern Cardinal.

If you are a birder and would like to help with this enriching program, watch our newsletter and website for a volunteer request in 2020.


**
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** Youth Education Mini-Grants
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The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia is pleased to announce the 2020 youth education mini-grant program. This program aims to help teachers, schools, and non-profit organizations educate youth about birds and the environment. ASNV anticipates awarding three mini-grants, up to $500 each. Applications will be available in February 2020 and due March 15, 2020. Please contact [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) with questions.


**
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** Take Action – VOTE!
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** “As important as it is to change the light bulb, it’s much more important to change the policies.”
Former Vice President Al Gore, MSNBC, September 19, 2019
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** Elected Officials, the Key to Conservation
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A September study found that since 1970, bird populations in the United States and Canada have plummeted by 29 percent, almost three billion birds. There are several causes of this decline, but to save birds, we have to save and restore habitat.

Virginians will elect the entire state legislature and many local officials on November 5. Between now and November 5 is the time to ask candidates at the state and local level questions like,
* How will you conserve and restore native habitat and biodiversity?
* How will you curb stormwater runoff pollution?
* What steps will you propose and support to curb greenhouse gas emissions locally?
* How will you reduce air pollution so that Northern Virginia meets the federal ozone standard?

For Virginia election information, including who’s on your ballot, visit Elections VA ([link removed]) .



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** Let’s Elevate Conservation in Virginia
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The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) VCNVA ([link removed]) has published their annual environmental briefing book titled, “Our Common Agenda,” which outlines state conservation priorities for the coming year, especially issues anticipated in the 2020 session of the Virginia General Assembly. Topics include clean energy, conserving landscapes, and restoring rivers and streams. You can find it here common-agenda ([link removed]) .

VCN is a partnership of over 100 organizations, including ASNV.


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** Get Ready for the New Virginia General Assembly

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The Virginia Conservation Network will have a preview of the 2020 General Assembly on December 7 at 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at a meeting in Richmond with satellite locations around the state including Northern Virginia.

Coffee and light breakfast will be served. All attendees will receive a copy of the 2020 Environmental Briefing Book, which displays the breadth of conservation issues our community is prioritizing in the coming year. Attendees at all locations will have the opportunity to ask questions at the conclusion of each panel. Check VCNVA ([link removed]) for updates and information.


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** Make Your Voice Heard in Richmond
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The Virginia Conservation Network will hold Conservation Lobby Day in Richmond on January 28, 2020 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, only a block from the state Capitol. Our state legislators need to hear from you before and during the session. Visit VCNVA ([link removed]) for more information.


** WE NEED YOUR HELP!
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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] (mailto:[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.

Public Events Representative: ASNV attends festivals and conferences, where we set up a table with information about our organization and items to purchase such as hats and books. We also have a wide variety of children’s activities. You would pick up materials for the event from the National Wildlife Federation building in Reston and be our representative to the public, discussing ASNV’s mission and current activities and encouraging people to join.

Thanks!
Tom Blackburn


** Bird & Butterfly Walks
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**
Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park, Bristow, VA
Sunday, November 3, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
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Toby Hardwick leads this walk sponsored by ASNV.

Getting there: From I-66, take Route 234 south (exit 44). Travel 4.5 miles and turn right onto Route 28 (Nokesville Road). Travel 1.5 miles and turn left onto Route 619 (Bristow Road). Travel 0.25 mile and turn right onto Iron Brigade Unit Avenue. The parking lot is located on the left at the traffic circle. 10708 Bristow Road, Bristow VA 20136.


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** Meadowood Recreation Area, Lorton VA
Sunday, November 10, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
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Larry Cartwright leads this walk sponsored by ASNV.

Getting there: Go South on I-95 to exit 163 to Lorton. Turn left onto Lorton Road at the end of exit ramp. Go under second overpass and turn right onto Lorton Market Street. (You will see Shoppers Food Warehouse). Go about 1.5 miles to traffic light at Route 1. Go straight through light (road name changes to Gunston Road) and go about 1 mile to entrance on the right.


**
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** Lower Glade Stream Valley, Reston VA
Sunday, November 17, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
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Joanne and David Bauer lead this walk sponsored by the Reston Association, The Bird Feeder of Reston, and ASNV.

Getting there: From I-66 west, take exit 60 to go north on Route 123. Turn left on Hunters Mill Road/ Route 674. Turn left on Lawyers Road, Route 673. Turn right on Twin Branches Road. Park near intersection with Glade Drive and meet leaders at the corner.


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** Dyke Marsh, Alexandria, VA
Wednesday, November 20, 8:30 to 11:00 a.m.
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Dixie Sommers and Tom Nardone lead this walk sponsored by the Northern Virginia Bird Club.

Getting there: From Alexandria, take GW Parkway south. Cross I-495; continue 1.2 miles to Belle Haven Park entrance on the left. Meet at the south parking lot. 6401 George Washington Memorial Parkway, Alexandria, 22307.


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** Walker Nature Center, Reston, VA
Saturday, November 23, 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.
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Please join Green Muslims and the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia ([link removed]) on a bird walk at Walker Nature Center in Reston, Virginia, on Saturday, November 23. The bird walk will be led by Audubon Society's Robin Duska. It will start at 8:00 a.m. and will end at 10:00 a.m. The walk will be about 1.5 miles so please wear appropriate footwear in the case of slippery or muddy trails.

Due to the nature of the bird walk, adults and children 7+ who are able to walk quietly and listen to the leader are welcome to join.

Getting there: Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Dr, Reston, Virginia 20191. Directions are available on the Facebook event site. [link removed]


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** Silver Lake Regional Park, Haymarket, VA
Sunday, December 8, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
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As winter begins, Toby Hardwick leads this walk sponsored by ASNV.

Getting there: Exit 40 (Route 15) from I-66 24 miles west of I-495. Go south on Route 15 (toward Haymarket) for 0.3 miles to Route 55. Turn right on Route 55 and then after 0.9 miles turn right onto Antioch Road. At 1.3 miles turn right on Silver Lake Road to park entrance at 16198. Continue to end of park drive; meet at parking lot near the lake.



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** Laurel Hill Equestrian Center, Lorton, VA
Tuesday, December 10, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
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Check for all those sparrows with Phil Silas, who leads this walk sponsored by the Northern Virginia Bird Club.

Getting there: From I-495, take I-95 south about 13 miles to exit 163 (Lorton Road). Continue 1.4 west on Route 642 (Lorton Road). Turn left on Route 611 (Furnace Road) and then immediately right onto Dairy Road. Proceed to the parking lot where we’ll meet.


**
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** Recurring Bird Walks
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Several parks in the area have established year-round weekly bird walks. These walks are not run by ASNV, but may be of interest to ASNV members. They can be found here ([link removed]) .

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Other News

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, Ste J, Reston, VA 20194. (703) 437-3335
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