We’ve already had our first snowfall of the season, and it’s getting colder, but that’s not a reason to stop going out to see birds.


** January 2020
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** Quick Links
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* Visit our website ([link removed])
* Contact us ([link removed])
* Join us on Facebook ([link removed])
* View our Flicker album ([link removed])
* Join ASNV ([link removed])
* Donate to ASNV ([link removed])

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** In This Newsletter
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* Conservation Counts
* Volunteer Needed, Bird-Safe Buildings
* President's Corner January 2020
* Call to Action – Save Virginia’s Largest Seabird Nesting Colony!
* New Year’s Resolutions for the Birds
* Upcoming Events, Workshops and Classes  
* National Audubon Photography Award Winners Show comes to Northern Virginia
* Bringing Peregrine Falcons Back to Virginia’s Mountains
* ASNV Accepting Applications Now for Educator Scholarship
* Youth Education Mini-Grants
* Lecture and Book Signing with Dr. Doug Tallamy
* TAKE ACTION! If You Want Stronger Conservation Policies, Get Involved!
* ASNV Advocacy Actions
* Bird Walks
* Recurring Bird Walks
* WE NEED YOUR HELP!
* 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)
* January 15
* February 12


** Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
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(7:30 a.m - noon)
* January 29
* February 26


** 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.


** Take Action on Climate Change
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How concerned are you about the impact of climate change on our environment? Are you willing to help fight climate change? ASNV is establishing a volunteer working group that will work with local and state officials to urge action on the issue. If you would like to help, email us at [email protected] (mailto:mailto:[email protected]) with the subject line “Help Fight Climate Change” and let us know what county and supervisor district you live in. We’ll be in touch soon!

You can learn more about the National Audubon Society’s concerns about the impact of climate change on birds at [link removed].


** President's Corner January 2020
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**
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** By Tom Blackburn, ASNV President
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We’ve already had our first snowfall of the season, and it’s getting colder, but that’s not a reason to stop going out to see birds. This is a great time to look for the winter waterfowl that are migrating to our area from colder areas to the north and west.

Waterfowl are one bright spot among all the disturbing news about the loss of bird populations. Waterfowl populations have increased by 50% over the last 50 years, thanks to funding under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and matching grants from conservation groups. 98 percent of the purchase price of Federal Duck Stamps is used to help acquire and protect wetland habitat and purchase conservation easements for the National Wildlife Refuge system.

What can you see if you venture out to the Potomac River, wetlands such as Huntley Meadows or sheltered areas like Pohick Bay Regional Park? Look for Northern Pintails, the most elegant of all ducks, with long necks, pointed upturned tails and beautiful gray, white and brown coloring. Male Ruddy Ducks are easy to spot, with blue bills and chestnut-colored bodies. Northern Shovelers, named for their broad, spade-shaped bills, are distinctive with green heads, black backs, white chests and reddish-brown flanks. The large white patch on the head of the male Bufflehead, plus its dark back and white lower body, make this small duck easy to see. Female Common Mergansers and Hooded Mergansers look like they’re having a bad hair day, with ragged red or brown crests.
Lots of other waterfowl spend their winters here. You can find American Black Ducks, Redheads (the birds, not the humans!), Canvasbacks and Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeons, Green-winged Teal, Gadwalls and scaup.

Tundra Swans are wintering in the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, and you can see thousands of Snow Geese at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and other areas along the Chesapeake. Watching a huge flock of Snow Geese fly up from the marsh and circle, as they do every 20 or 30 minutes, is simply awe-inspiring.

Do you want to learn more about the waterfowl that you can see this winter? Come to “Winter Waterfowl of the Potomac,” our next Audubon Afternoon, at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 12, 2020. Take a look at our website for more information about this Audubon Afternoon and our free Winter Waterfowl Workshop and field trip.


** Call to Action – Save Virginia’s Largest Seabird Nesting Colony!
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** Your letters can help save 25,000 imperiled shore birds in coastal Virginia.
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The Commonwealth of Virginia’s expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel will pave over the South Island, an artificial island that is home to the largest seabird nesting colony in Virginia. South Island hosts 25,000 gulls, skimmers and terns, including the state-threatened Gull-billed Tern, and it’s the only nesting site in Virginia for Royal Terns and Sandwich Terns. For more background, read the recent New York Times’ article about the problem at NYT Trump Admin. Bird Deaths ([link removed]) .
ASNV, the Virginia Society of Ornithology and two local Audubon chapters have urged the Commonwealth ([link removed]) to create a new artificial island as a nesting place for the birds. Virginia now is considering doing just that. However, it is no means certain that the Commonwealth will follow through, since VDOT’s letter ([link removed]) states that the financing, permitting and timing of a new island are yet to be determined.

It’s important to keep the pressure on! You can help save these imperiled birds by writing to the Governor, VDOT and the Virginia Department of Natural Resources urging them to take action immediately. The shorebirds will be returning to the Hampton Roads area in March, and they will need new nesting grounds when they arrive. Send your letters now to:

The Honorable Ralph S. Northam, Governor
Post Office Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218

Matthew J, Strickler
Secretary of Natural Resources
Post Office Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Stephen C. Brich
Commissioner, Department of Transportation
1401 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219


** New Year’s Resolutions for the Birds
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** By Lisa Mackem
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For the past few months, the Potomac Flier has featured several articles on the immense loss of North American wild birds and how individuals can take steps to reverse this trend. The November Potomac Flier article “Three Billion Birds,” shared 7 Simple Steps ([link removed]) to help birds published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute. The 7th step, “Watch Birds, Share What You See” encourages birdwatching and citizen science. Data collected through simple observation can have profound results.

The National Audubon Society counts acting locally to save birds as one of its top wins for 2019. Audubon California protected 90% of threatened tri-colored blackbird colonies after Audubon Society members and their partners found nesting colonies in 15 different farms and four counties in the central valley. As a result, 2019 became a life-saving season for the species.
* Locally, ASNV provides many meaningful citizen science opportunities and welcomes participation from everyone. People who have never participated in a count or survey will be matched with more experienced volunteers who can teach tricks of the trade and help build skills that will increase bird-watching knowledge and enjoyment. January events ([link removed]) include an Audubon Afternoon about winter waterfowl followed by a waterfowl count workshop later in the month. In early February, volunteer teams will survey the Potomac River and several inland ponds, lakes and marshes for the “Rally for a Tally” waterfowl count. For those interested in birding but looking for a place to start, ASNV and other bird-friendly organizations offer bird walks ([link removed]) in local parks where beginners are always welcome.

If you want to explore further, try one of Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s programs like eBird ([link removed]) , Project FeederWatch ([link removed]) , Christmas Bird Count ([link removed]) , Breeding Bird Survey ([link removed]) , or the International Shorebird Survey ([link removed]) to record your own bird observations. Cornell also provides a free course ([link removed]) in using eBird.

Bird populations need to be located, documented and protected. Fortunately, numerous opportunities to do that are easily accessible so everyone can help. Take advantage of them and make resolutions for the birds in 2020!


** Upcoming Events, Workshops and Classes
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Audubon Afternoon: “Winter Waterfowl of the Potomac River”
Date: Sunday, January 12, 2020
Time: 2:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Location: National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190

Join us for our post-holiday gathering. Greg Butcher, ASNV Vice-President and MigratorySpecies Coordinator for the US Forest Service, will be our guest speaker. We’ll learn about waterfowl that visit our area in winter. Please bring a dish to share. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Greg Butcher first became an Audubon member when he was 11 and his grandfather bought him a membership. He has been birdwatching ever since, the last 16 years in the D.C. area. During weekdays, he is the Migratory Species Coordinator for U.S. Forest Service International Programs, working with birds, bats, monarch butterflies, and dragonflies. Greg has previously worked for National Audubon Society, American Birding Association, Partners in Flight, Birder’s World magazine, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He studied ecology in Costa Rica with Organization for Tropical Studies and has worked closely with BirdLife International over the past 16 years. He is a Fellow of the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) and a 2010 TogetherGreen Fellow.


** ___
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ASNV Winter Waterfowl Count Workshop
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2020
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Location: National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Field Trip: Saturday, January 25, TBD

We’ll learn about waterfowl that visit our area in winter. Please bring a dish to share. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Join Greg Butcher, ASNV board member and migratory species coordinator for U.S. Forest Service International Programs, for an introduction to waterfowl identification. Get to know many of the species that winter in the open waters of our region. You’ll learn how to tell a Bufflehead from a Hooded Merganser, and, with luck, you will see the beautiful Tundra Swans that winter in our area. Strategies will include identification by shape and color pattern. This workshop will include an outdoor field trip and bird walk on Saturday, January 25—details will be given in class. After the workshop and field trip, you’ll be ready to rally for a tally during our 12th Annual Waterfowl Count, Saturday, February 8, and Sunday, February 9.

Limit: 30
Fee: FREE

RSVP here ([link removed]) .


** ___
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Rally for a Tally: Waterfowl Count
Dates: February 8 & 9, 2020

Volunteer teams will survey the Potomac River from Algonkian Regional Park in Loudoun County south to Quantico Marine Base in Prince William County. Several important inland ponds, lakes, and marshes are included in the survey. To register contact Larry Cartwright: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .



** ___
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Winter Birds with Larry Meade
Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Location: National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Field Trip: Saturday, March 7, TBD
Cost: $30 member / $40 non-member

March can offer spectacular birding, marking a transition between winter and spring. Many of our winter birds, such as waterfowl and sparrows, are still around, but they are joined by early migrants returning to breeding territories. In this workshop, we will discuss birds that occur here at this time of year, with a special focus on species that are migrating into our region and their arrival dates. An ancillary field trip offers a chance to encounter many of these birds in their natural settings.

Larry Meade, ASNV Education Committee and President of Northern Virginia Bird Club, will lead.

Register here. ([link removed])


** National Audubon Photography Award Winners Show comes to Northern Virginia
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Join ASNV at Walker Nature Center in February and Huntley Meadows Park in March for the best avian photography of 2019.

In celebration of the natural connection between birding and photography, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia will co-host the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards Traveling Exhibition with Walker Nature Center in Reston between February 5 and February 26, 2020 and again with Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria between March 4 and March 25, 2020. Visitors of all ages will enjoy a display of the winning photos and learn more about our local birdlife in Northern Virginia.

In the 10th year of the contest, winning photos and honorable mentions were selected from 2,253 entrants from all 50 states, Washington D.C. and 10 Canadian provinces and territories. The 2019 Grand Prize Winner is a photograph of a Red-winged Blackbird taken by Kathrin Swoboda in Huntley Meadows Park.

New this year, the judges introduced the Plants for Birds Prize and the Fisher Prize. The Plants for Birds Prize was awarded to the highest scoring photograph submitted in the Plants for Birds Division, featuring birds and plants native to the area the photo was taken. The Fisher Prize was awarded to the photograph depicting the most creative approach to bird photography across all divisions: Professional, Amateur, Youth and Plants for Birds.
Walker Nature Center ([link removed]) will host an Open House on Sunday, February 9, 2020 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Visitors can view the exhibition, watch birds from inside the nature house or outside on guided bird walks and take part in bird-related activities for all ages. The center will also host an environmental film on Friday, February 21, 2020 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Huntley Meadows Park ([link removed]) will host an Open House on Sunday, March 8, 2020 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. with activities in the Visitor’s Center and guided bird walks in the park.


** Bringing Peregrine Falcons Back to Virginia’s Mountains
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National Park Service biologist, Rolf Gubler, will give a talk on March 1, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. about the Peregrine Falcon restoration project at Shenandoah National Park.

A team brings at-risk Peregrine Falcon chicks from bridge nest sites in eastern Virginia to Virginia’s mountains, once part of their historic range. They hope the birds will imprint on the park's cliffs and return as breeding adults. This project boosts mountain peregrine populations and aids in the survival of bridge nest peregrine chicks where fledging is often difficult due to insufficient updrafts.

Peregrine Falcons were used for hunting or falconry as early as 2000 B.C. in China and Egypt and in World War II, both the British/U.S. and the German armies had a falcon corps to intercept their opponent’s homing pigeons. Peregrines are found in rural and urban environments and on every continent except Antarctica.

This free, public meeting will be at the Mount Vernon Government Center ([link removed]) 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, near U.S. 1 and a mile from the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The Friends of Dyke Marsh are sponsoring the program. Cosponsors are the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and the Northern Virginia Bird Club. This is a free program and registration is not required.


** 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 classroom teachers, specialists, or school administrators working in: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, or Stafford counties, or Alexandria, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park cities.

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].


** Youth Education Mini-Grants
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The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) is sponsoring a mini-grant program in 2020 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.

Funding may be used to support Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs), professional development, field trips, speakers and admission fees, equipment, transportation, trees, plants, etc. All projects must include an educational component.

You must complete the project and submit a one-paragraph summary and photos by December 31, 2020. Your summary and photos will be used in the ASNV newsletter, blog and on the website.

Click here for more information. ([link removed])


** Lecture and Book Signing with Dr. Doug Tallamy
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Along with the Prince William Wildflower Society ([link removed]) , a chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society ([link removed]) , Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and Audubon at Home will be sponsoring an author lecture by renowned entomologist and ecologist Dr. Doug Tallamy on Sunday, February 23, 2020 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Manassas Park Community Center ([link removed]) . Dr. Tallamy, the author of Bringing Nature Home, will have his new book available for signing. Entitled Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard, it will be available from Timber Press as of February 4, 2020.

To read more about Dr. Tallamy, click here ([link removed]) .


** TAKE ACTION! If You Want Stronger Conservation Policies, Get Involved!
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** Local Hearing to Prepare for 2020 Virginia State Legislative Session
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The Fairfax County delegation to the Virginia General Assembly will hold a hearing to receive suggestions for legislation in the 2020 session. It will be on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. in the boardroom of the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. If you are a Fairfax County resident and wish to speak at the hearing, you must sign up in advance. You can sign up and find more information here: [link removed].



** Virginia Legislature to Convene in January
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The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) invites everyone to go to Richmond on January 28, 2020 for the Conservation Lobby Day. VCN’s 125+ environmental organizations band together to have a strong conservation voice in the General Assembly. Lawmakers will kick off the day, a keynoter will speak at lunch and experts will brief all attendees on conservation bills, in preparation for visits with legislators. You can visit with a partner, if you wish.

VCN welcomes all levels of experience. If you care about preserving and restoring habitat, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing trash and other conservation issues, join in.

Logistics: Amtrak has frequent trains to Richmond from Alexandria. Registration Tickets $25. Click here ([link removed]) for more information and to register.


** Fairfax County’s Environmental Priorities
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The Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) will hold a hearing on January 8, 2020, 7:30 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Conference Rooms 2/3, Fairfax.

You can read the annual report here: [link removed].

EQAC accepts written, oral and video testimony. Fairfax County has a new Board of Supervisors, sworn in on December 16, 2019. This presents an opportunity for ASNVers to develop new relationships and strengthen the county’s environmental policies.


** Natural Landscaping, Fairfax County Properties
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The Fairfax County Planning Commission is preparing a comprehensive plan amendment to support natural landscaping on county properties. Commissioners will hold a hearing in early 2020. This is an ASNV initiative begun by then-Chairman Gerry Connolly in 2006.



** U.S. 1 Changes Bring Environmental Opportunities
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Two historic development projects are underway on U.S. 1 (called Richmond Highway there) in the Mount Vernon area of Fairfax County; the widening of the highway and a redevelopment called “Embark.” These projects will make major changes to the corridor.

Draft design guidelines now posted offer an opportunity to make this redevelopment more environmentally friendly. Possible examples: more daylighting of streams, improved stream buffers, more connectivity or conservation corridors, more native plants and trees, natural landscaping, bird-safe windows and reduced impervious surfaces.

You can comment on the draft guidelines before January 20, 2020 and read them here: [link removed].

Background from the County: With the adoption of the Embark Comprehensive Plan in March 2018, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff to develop urban design guidelines for the Richmond Highway corridor. The guidelines complement the Embark Plan by providing detailed urban design and streetscape guidance. Citizens, developers, county staff, Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will consult the guidelines when designing or reviewing development projects. The guidance presented in the document is not “one size fits all" requirements but is designed to be adaptable to site-specific conditions and to encourage revitalization through innovative solutions.

Over the past year, the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development has invited stakeholders to participate in the creation of guidelines for the Richmond Highway corridor in a variety of ways. A kick-off design workshop was held in December 2018. A series of pop-up events to seek input on initial concepts were held this past spring in the Mount Vernon Plaza, combined with an online survey that recorded additional feedback. In November and December, presentations were made on the draft guidelines to nearly a dozen community association groups and at local organization meetings. Throughout the process, an Advisory Group comprised of community members, local organization leaders and property owners met periodically to discuss and evaluate ideas.

Next Steps: Where appropriate, the guidelines will be revised based upon community input received on this draft. The revised document will be presented for endorsement to the Board of Supervisors in early 2020. It will then be made available online for use during the development process.


** ASNV Advocacy Actions
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**

Bike Paths Through Huntley Meadows Park
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On December 4, 2019 Fairfax County’s Department of Transportation (DOT) held a community workshop to discuss alternatives to proposed bike paths in Huntley Meadows Park that were removed from the Fairfax County’s plans earlier in the year. Some of the workshop participants proposed new paths through Huntley Meadows Park that were inconsistent with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisor’s decision to not place bike paths through the park. ASNV wrote to DOT urging them to respect the Board of Supervisor’s decision and the environmental sensitivity of the park. You can read our letter here ([link removed]) . DOT responded, stating that no new bike paths through the park would be considered.


**
Spraying for Fall Cankerworms
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ASNV has for years opposed Fairfax County’s program of spraying by helicopter and truck to kill fall cankerworms, often called inchworms, on the ground that they are critical food source for migrating and breeding birds, and that any damage the cankerworms cause by eating the leaves of trees is only temporary. Dr. Doug Tallamy, a nationally-known entomologist, has written a letter explaining that fall cankerworms are a native insect that has existed for many thousands of years; that absent severe defoliation over more than two years, fall cankerworms do not cause long-term damage to trees; and that spraying should be done only on a tree-by-tree basis. You can read Dr. Tallamy’s letter here ([link removed]) . ASNV is currently working with the office of Virginia Delegate Kathy Tran on proposed legislation concerning spraying for fall cankerworms and intends to raise the issue with Fairfax County.


**
Bird-Safe Windows
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ASNV testified at a hearing by the Arlington County Board at which the Board approved Amazon’s proposal to construct its HQ2 building complex. ASNV complimented Amazon for incorporating some architectural features that are intended to reduce the likelihood of bird collisions with windows into the design of its building and expressed hope that other companies would follow Amazon’s example. This testimony is part of ASNV’s continuing efforts to reduce bird mortality from collisions with commercial and residential buildings.


**
Bird Walks
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** Burke Lake, Fairfax, VA
Tuesday, January 14, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
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See what winter waterfowl have arrived at the lake, with Phil Silas leading this walk sponsored by the Northern Virginia Bird Club.

Getting there: Entrance is off Route 123, south of Burke Lake Road. Follow signs to Park, turning left at second traffic light. Take an immediate left in the park, then meet at the lot on the right (near the mini golf course). 7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station, 22039.


** ___
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** Bles Park, Sterling, VA
Sunday, January 19, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
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Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy on this new regular bird walk at Bles Park, located along the Potomac River in eastern Loudoun. More than 175 different species of birds have been observed at Bles in a great mix of habitat. Birders of all levels are welcome. Meet in the parking lot.

Getting there: From the intersection of VA Route 28 and VA Route 7, travel west on Route 7 for 1.3 miles and turn right onto Loudoun County Parkway. Turn right on George Washington Boulevard, then left on Riverside Parkway. Bles Park will be on your right at the end of Riverside Parkway.


** ___
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** Reston Lakes Tour, Reston, VA
Sunday, February 9, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Weather permitting (i.e., the lakes are not all frozen!)
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We’ll meet and then drive to the various Reston lakes to check for waterfowl at a number of locations. Let’s hope for open water this year! Sponsored by The Reston Association, the Bird Feeder of Reston and ASNV.

Getting there: Take Reston Parkway north from the Dulles Toll Road and turn right on Baron Cameron Avenue. Meet in the parking lot for the tennis courts on Village Road, north of Baron Cameron Avenue.


** ___
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** Clark’s Crossing, near W&OD Trail, Vienna, VA
Sunday, February 23, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
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Kris Lansing leads this walk sponsored by ASNV. The trail has good sparrow habitat and is along easy terrain.

Getting there: From I-66, exit to Nutley Street, North (Route 243). Go about 1 mile and turn right to go north/east on Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) toward Vienna. In 1.3 miles turn left onto Beulah Road. In 1.6 miles turn left onto Clarks Crossing Road and meet in the parking lot at the end of the road.


** ___
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We Could Use Your Birding Skills!
Do you have a favorite spot to bird that you’d like to share with others? Consider leading a winter or spring walk there for ASNV. Leaders don’t have to be perfect birders—it’s a group effort. Prime responsibilities are setting the date and meeting place, guiding the route, and helping new birders locate the sightings. Call or email to discuss:

Contact Jean Tatalias at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or 703-281-6099.


**

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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]) .


** 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

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