January 2025 Potomac Flier
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January 2025

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President's Corner

Piping Plovers, Melissa Groo/Audubon Photography Awards

On December 17, 2024 the NVBA board and staff were delighted to welcome Amanda Robinson as our new Executive Director! 
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It's Official: The Bald Eagle is Our National Bird

Bald Eagle, Cynthia Hansen/Audubon Photography Awards

On December 24 President Joe Biden signed S. 4610, making it official that the Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States.
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Native Americans and Birds

Whooping Cranes, Kristine Colburn/Audubon Photography Awards

U.S. laws to protect eagles and migratory birds include exceptions from bans on possessing bird feathers for Native Americans for cultural and religious activities. The exceptions strike a balance between protection of birds and protection of the cultural heritage of Native Americans.
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More News

Let Dead Plant Material Lie

Winterberry and Monarda in snow, Margaret Fisher

Dead native plant material is integral to a healthy ecosystem. An essential support for the populations of pollinators and other animals upon which we all depend, nothing comes close to replacing its role in the health of a diverse ecosystem. 

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Snowy Owl, an Occasional Winter Visitor

Snowy Owls, Grant Eldridge/Audubon Photography Awards

Although the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is no longer classified as in a separate genus (Nyctea) from typical owls, like the Great Horned Owl, there’s a lot about it that is unique.

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Help Us Write the Potomac Flier

American Crows, Marian Bodart/Audubon Photography Awards

Are you interested in writing about conservation and northern Virginia’s birds? We could use your help.

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Monthly Features

Observations from Meadowood

Aphids and Acrobat Ants on Black Locust, Judy Gallagher


Judy Gallagher is a long-time participant in the Meadowood Recreation Area survey. Here are some of her findings.   

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Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Sanctuary for Chickadees

Carolina Chickadee, Gary Robinette/Audubon Photography Awards


Chickadees need a yard full of native plants. How can that be? Chickadees eat seeds, so why do they need native plants?

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Upcoming Classes and Events

 
We have some exciting classes and events coming up, both virtually and in-person! Click any event to learn more and register. You can also check our calendar for our full schedule of events.
 

Alliance Afternoon: Glaciers to the Open Ocean, Using eBird to Study Rare Bird Behavior
Antarctic Shag, Sunil Singh/Audubon Photography Awards

Join us Sunday, January 12, for our quarterly Alliance Afternoon. We will gather informally starting at 2:30 PM in the cafeteria of the National Wildlife Federation Building, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, in Reston. We welcome you to bring snacks and drinks to share. All are welcome! At 3:00 PM our guest speaker, Will Brooks, will describe how he used eBird data to study birds on glaciers, an enigmatic ecosystem, and birds lost offshore, a rarely observed event. He also will provide tips on how you can make your eBirding more useful for science.

When: Sunday, January 12, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Where: National Wildlife Federation Building, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Fee: FREE

 

Vernal Pool Wildlife with Michael Hayslett
Vernal pool, Michael Hayslett

Join this talk with Michael Hayslett to learn about vernal pools, a form of temporary, freshwater wetland that contains water for a portion of the year, but is vital habitat for a fantastic array of wildlife and plants, some specially adapted for these habitats and rare in Virginia. 

When: Thursday, January 23, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Virtual
Fee: $15 member; $25 non-member

 

Bird Walks

Birding, Camila Cerea
 
Check this page for upcoming walks! Registration is no longer required for NVBA-sponsored walks.

Monday Nature Mystery

Northern Harrier, Aleksander Baba-Vulic/Audubon Photography Awards


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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Conservation Counts

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Rusty Moran

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

Read more >
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.  https://www.audubon.org/
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Northern Virginia Bird Alliance
11100 Wildlife Center Drive
Ste. 100
Reston, VA 20190

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View our full lineup of classes, events, bird walks and more on our calendar.