The latest news and events from Audubon Society of Northern Virginia

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** February 2023 ASNV HOME ([link removed]) DONATE ([link removed]) JOIN ([link removed])
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** Board Notes
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** Judy Gallagher with Cobra Clubtail, Gary Myers
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Board Notes is a new feature, alternating with the President’s Corner, to introduce some of our board members, coordinators, and friends. This month, meet board member Judy Gallagher.
Read more > ([link removed])


** Report on Managing Free-roaming Cats
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Domestic cat killing a Ruffed Grouse, Navvvrisk

Fourteen members of a Virginia General Assembly workgroup appointed in 2021 to study problems associated with free-roaming cats have just released a comprehensive report detailing the negative impact of cats on wildlife and public health and recommending legislative solutions.

Read more > ([link removed])


** Partnerships Mean Success: Upton Hill Regional Park
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Planting hands, Lindsay Clark via Flickr

In November 2020, ASNV became part of an Upton Hill Regional Park support team that has worked together to improve both habitat restoration and activities welcoming to underserved groups.

Read more > ([link removed])


** Save a Sapling: Pull Invasives
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Rescued sapling, Laura Handley

One of the most satisfying moments of invasive plant management comes when you pull the last vine off a struggling native sapling, freeing it to claim its full share of sunlight and grow without restraint.

Read more > ([link removed])


** Upcoming Classes and Events
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We have some exciting classes and events coming up, both virtually and in-person! Click any event to learn more and register. You can also check our calendar ([link removed]) for our full schedule of events.


** Ducks and Waterfowl Identification with Greg Butcher
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** Hooded Merganser, Matt Felperin
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Join Greg Butcher, ASNV board member and recently retired migratory species coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, for an introduction to waterfowl identification.

When: Thursday, February 2, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Members: $10
Non-members: $15
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Ducks and Winter Waterfowl Field Trip
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** Bufflehead, Christopher Baker/Audubon Photography Awards
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Are you new to birding and would like to improve your waterfowl identification skills? Join Greg Butcher and Phil Silas at Pohick Bay Regional Park to view a wide assortment of waterfowl.

When: Saturday, February 4, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Pohick Bay Regional Park ([link removed])
Members: $15
Non-members: $25
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Winter Waterfowl Count
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** Birders, Judy Gallagher
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The Winter Waterfowl Count is a citizen science effort organized by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia to track data about winter waterfowl.

When: Saturday and Sunday, February 11-12, 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Where: To be Announced
Fee: FREE
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Sparrow Identification with Bill Young
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** Savannah Sparrow, Jon Boeckenstedt/Audubon Photography Awards
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Sparrows can be difficult to identify. This class will help you tell apart the sparrows you might see in northern Virginia and separate them from other small brown sparrow-like birds.

When: Wednesday, February 15, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Members: $15
Non-members: $25
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Outreach Volunteer Orientation and Training
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** Audubon Burke
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Do you enjoy speaking to people about your passion for birds and the environment? We need your help! Please join us for this volunteer orientation and training if you are interested in helping us and the birds this spring.

When: Saturday, February 18, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Where: National Wildlife Federation Building ([link removed])
Cost: FREE
Tickets: Limited to 30 participants
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Bird Photography with Matt Felperin
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** Belted Kingfisher, Matt Felperin
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Do you want to capture stunning shots of waterfowl and other birds this winter? Join photographer and naturalist Matt Felperin for a webinar on bird photography. The program will be most helpful for beginner and intermediate photographers who have a superzoom digital camera or DSLR with telephoto and/or wide-angle lens.

When: Thursday, February 21, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Member Ticket: $30
Non-member ticket: $40
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Bird Photography in the Field with Matt Felperin
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** Belted Kingfisher, Matt Felperin
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The best time to capture amazing photographs of birds and waterfowl is within the first two hours of sunlight. That’s why our field trip is scheduled so early. It may be cold, but will be worth it. Join Roving Naturalist and wildlife photographer Matt Felperin for this live photography workshop at one of the best birding hotspots in our region.

When: Saturday, February 25, 6:15 AM – 8:45 AM
Where: Huntley Meadows Park, 3701 Lockheed Boulevard, Alexandria, VA 22306
Member Ticket: $20
Non-member ticket: $30
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** A Birder's Garden: Habitat for Feathered Friends with Alyssa Morel
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** Native landscaping, Alyssa Morel
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Birders who want to see feathered friends without leaving the comforts of home can create a garden that attracts and supports them. This talk gives practical gardening advice for new gardeners as well as suggested plant species to help turn your bit of ground into an avian sanctuary.

When: Tuesday, February 28, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Ticket: $10
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Author Event: Slow Birding with Joan E. Strassman
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** Joan E. Strassman
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Join us for an engaging talk with author and evolutionary biologist, Joan E. Strassmann. Her book, Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard ([link removed]) , invites us to re-examine the birds closest to home. Professor Strassmann will share stories and facts about common birds and the scientists (professional and amateur alike) who study them. She will offer advice and guidance on what to look for when slow birding, so that you can uncover clues to the reasons behind specific bird behaviors.

When: Tuesday, March 7, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Member Ticket: $15
Non-member ticket: $25
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Spring Ornithology Course with Dr. Chris Haney
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** Bird Behaviors, Various
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This 12-part online course is designed and presented at an introductory, university level, with two one-hour sessions per week over 6 weeks.

When: Begins Monday, March 27, and Wednesday, March 29, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM; with subsequent classes April 3, 5, 17, 19, 24, and 26; and May 1, 3, 8 and 10, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Where: Virtual
Members: $150
Non-Members: $175
MORE INFO ([link removed])


** Bird Walks
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Birding, Camila Cerea


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


** ASNV News
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** Results of the 2022 Manassas-Bull Run Christmas Bird Count
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** Wilson's Snipe, John Troth/Audubon Photography Awards
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The results are in! On December 18, 2022, nearly 100 birders counted almost 20,000 birds of 82 species in this 15-mile diameter circle.

Read more > ([link removed])


** February is National Wild Bird Feeding Month
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** White-breasted Nuthatch, Pamela Brown/Audubon Photography Awards
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It’s February, which often has the most severe winter weather. For this reason, back in February 1994, Illinois Congressman John Porter read a resolution into the Congressional Record naming February National Wild Bird Feeding Month, now generally known as National Bird Feeding Month.

Read more > ([link removed])


** We Need Your Help to Engage Our Community!
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** Volunteer event, Audubon Burke
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Do you enjoy speaking to people about your passion for birds and the environment? We need your help!

Read more > ([link removed])


** It's Not Too Late to Enter the 2023 Audubon Photography Awards!
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** Western Grebes, Peter Shen/Audubon Photography Awards
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** You still have until Wednesday, March 1, at noon (Eastern Time) to enter your photographs or videos to Audubon’s 2023 Photography Awards Contest.
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** Read more > ([link removed])
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Monthly Features


** Observations from Meadowood
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** Marbled Orbweaver, Judy Gallagher
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Judy Gallagher is a long-time participant in the Meadowood Recreation Area survey. Here are some of her findings.

Read more > ([link removed])


** Monday Nature Mystery
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** American Tree Sparrow, Shari McCollough/Audubon Photography Awards
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**
Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery and see what this week's mystery holds.
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**
Read more > ([link removed])
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** Plant This, Not That: Replacing English Ivy
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Christmas Fern, Alyssa Morel

This series by Alyssa Ford Morel offers suggestions on replacing invasive non-native plants with northern Virginia Natives.

Read more > ([link removed])


** Conservation Counts
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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Rusty Moran

Join Jim Waggener in his ongoing natural resource surveys at two of Northern Virginia's best birding spots. Surveys alternate between Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area on Mason Neck.

Read more > ([link removed])

E-Activist Network: Volunteers Needed

The National Audubon Society invites all Auduboners to join its e-activist network. When you subscribe to the Society’s newsletter, you'll receive alerts about important congressional actions and information about how you can affect legislation by contacting your members of Congress. [link removed]
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** Maximize Your Impact
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Green Heron, Jay Stout/Audubon Photography Awards

Help ASNV build its nest egg through planned giving. Learn how here ([link removed]) .
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