April 2021

The SISKIN
Newsletter of the Northern Virginia Bird Club
Vol. 66, No. 2
Inside
Calendar of NVBC field trips
April 14 – June 19, 2021
Favorite Spring Birding Spot Monticello Park
Birding and Photography:
Applying photography skills to
birding
Osprey Killing a Crow
In Alexandria, Virginia
Carol Stalun, who is a skilled and
talented nature photographer, took
photos of an Osprey killing a crow. This
is probably the first incident,
documented with photographs, of an
Osprey killing a wild bird.
On Saturday, March 6, 2021, Stalun
saw an Osprey along the Potomac River
in Old Town Alexandria. Stalun was in
an area where there is an Osprey nest
from previous years on a platform on
pilings in the river. She had seen a male
Osprey in the same area the previous
day (the first one she had seen in 2021),
and she was checking to see if he was
still there.
At 8:33 am, Stalun saw a male
Osprey on a piling not far from the
platform with the nest. At first, she
thought the Osprey had a fish in his
talons. When she looked more closely,
she saw that the Osprey had a crow.
Fish Crows were mobbing the Osprey,
and Stalun assumed from the
vocalizations of the other crows and the
location on the river that the Osprey’s
victim was also a Fish Crow. After
being harassed by the other crows, the
Osprey flew off with the crow in his
talons, did a circle, and returned to the
April 2021
www.nvabc.org
NVBC GENERAL MEETING—Thursday, April 15, 8 PM
Colonial Waterbird Conservation
In the Hampton Roads:
Reflections on birds, bridges, politics,
journalism and environmental activism
Speaker: Dr. Sarah Karpanty is a Professor of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia
Tech. She will speak to us about the history of colonial waterbirds
nesting on the South Island of the Hampton Roads Bridge tunnel, their
temporary re-homing to Fort Wool/Rip-Rap Island and barges, and what the
future may hold. She will also emphasize the important role that bird
conservation groups played in the successful interim resolution and
hopefully will play in the successful long-term resolution. She has also been
studying shorebirds on the Eastern Shore barrier islands since 2005 so
would be happy to talk about that as well and field any questions that arise!
The April virtual meeting will be held using Zoom starting as early as
7:30 pm with the featured speaker at 8 pm. Please register in advance by
clicking on the registration link found at the upper right at the Northern
Virginia Bird Club website (nvabc.org). Upon registering, an email
automatically will be sent with a link to click on to join the meeting. There
will be ample time to take questions from the audience.
Waterbirds in Hampton Roads, Virginia photographed by Sarah Karpanty
Presidential Peenti
Spring is in the air and so are migrating birds. The
down and watch the birds as they interact with each other
Northern Virginia Bird Club walks have been on
and as they go about their daily lives When I was atlasing
hiatus since the fall, but we are returning to the field just
for the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas 2 during the past five
in time for spring migration and the return of many of our
years, I learned to focus much more on what the birds
local breeding birds. I truly
were doing and not just on what
appreciate the enthusiasm and
species they happened to be. I feel
curiosity of the birders who attend
that this really helped me gain a
our field trips. I would also say that
deeper understanding of them.
our bird walk leaders, some of the
Spring is the perfect time to both see
best birders in the area, exhibit
a wide variety of birds and to
admirable knowledge and even more
observe the most interesting avian
importantly, extraordinary kindness
behaviors such as singing, courting,
and patience. I always say that our
nest building, feeding young and
walks are a team effort and together
defending territories. I hope that
we usually compile a decent list of
many of you can join us in the field
the birds that we see.
for the spectacle of spring.
While trying to see a lot of birds
in a morning is rewarding in its own
way, it’s also worthwhile to slow Magnolia Warbler at Hillandale Park,
—Larry Meade
Harrisonburg photographed by Larry Meade
Favorite Spring Birding Spot in Northern Virginia: Monticello Park
My favorite birding hotspot in
northern Virginia is Monticello Park
in Alexandria. It is at its best in
spring migration, especially in May.
This is the best place to see up close
and photograph the beautiful avian
jewels of North America — the
American Wood Warblers. If you’re
not an early bird, you’ll be happy to
know it is not necessary to be there at
dawn. Wait until 8 or 9 a.m. when the
sun is high enough over the ravine to
put heat on the trees and raise the
insect activity. Climb up the small
trails high enough on the edges of the
park to look across the park and into
the trees to see the warblers as they
feed high in the trees. Look for
multiple species of thrushes along the
fence line on the east side of the
park. In the middle of the park along
the western fence line, stand near the
ravine that goes up beyond the fence
and in between the houses; this is an
excellent location to find the more
skulking species of warblers. By late
morning to noonish, the birds start to
come down to the stream to bathe
and drink. Either at the north end of
the park (the Beverley Drive
entrance) or at mid-park, you can
find an opening in the trees where the
sun now casts its beams onto the
stream. This is where the birds tend
to gather and take baths, giving you
the ideal combination of conditions
2
to see and photograph the warblers in
their finest spring plumage.
—Elton Morel
Photographs taken at Monticello Park
by Elton Morel from top left:
Gray-cheeked Thrush, May 11, 2019
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, April 30,
2018
Bay-breasted Warbler, May 4, 2019
Below:
Ovenbird, April 28, 2019
Occoquan Bay National Wildlife
Refuge Bird Banding Station
Due to the pandemic, the bird
banding site will not be open to
visitors this season (late March to
late May), but plan to visit in
2022.
Northern Virginia Bird Club . www.nvabc.org
Osprey killing Crow continued from p. 1
piling. He continued to peck at the crow, who was still
alive. The Osprey pecked at the crow a bit longer before
flying with it to the platform with the nest, dunking the
crow in the river along the way. At 8:45 a.m., the Osprey
arrived at the nest and dropped the crow into it. Because the
nest is deep, the crow was no longer visible after the Osprey
dropped it. Stalun had not seen the Osprey initially grab the
crow.
The incident is exceptionally unusual for many reasons.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of
the World, almost every published account says that 99
percent of the diet of Ospreys consists of live fish, with
a wide variety of fish species taken. Fish captured
generally measure 25–35 centimeters (10-14 inches)
and weigh 150–300 grams (5-10 ounces), although fish
up to 2,000 grams (4.4 pounds) have been reported.
According to The Sibley Guide to Birds (2nd edition),
a Fish Crow weighs 280 grams (about 10 ounces), so it
is in the normal weight range of fish Ospreys normally
catch. A Fish Crow measures 38 centimeters (15
inches), so its body is only slightly above the size range
of normal Osprey prey.
Ospreys are one of the most widely-distributed birds in
the world. They are found on all continents except
Antarctica. Unlike most bird species who conceal their
nests, Ospreys build huge nests, usually in open areas.
The nests are easy to monitor and study. Some nests are
equipped with webcams so that researchers can see
exactly what prey is being captured. There is believed
to be no documented evidence of an Osprey bringing
bird prey to its nest.
According to Birds of the World, there are anecdotal
observations of Ospreys catching non-fish prey,
including birds, snakes, voles, squirrels, muskrats,
salamanders, mollusks, and even a small
alligator. There is a documented report of an Osprey
attacking a lure pigeon used by hawk banders at Cape
May, New Jersey. A lure bird is placed in a small
harness, and its flapping induces hawks or falcons to
fly into a nearby net. The lures are captive birds who
are not wild.
An Osprey usually will not bother other birds unless it
feels threatened. I spent many hours shooting footage
of an Osprey nest at the Belle Haven Marina in
Alexandria for my videos Osprey Love Nest and
Osprey Love Nest 2: Feeding and Fledging. The Belle
Haven nest was on a piling in the river, near a boat
ramp. The Ospreys at that nest were not bothered when
ducks, geese, and grebes swam directly under the nest,
and they never showed any interest in attacking these
birds. The Ospreys also paid no notice to House
Sparrows who built a nest among the sticks of the
Osprey nest. Only large birds flying above the nest
caused the Ospreys to become alarmed.
The crow was not scavenged, because it was clearly
alive in some of Stalun’s photos. Had it been injured
and flapping around in the water, it is unlikely that the
Osprey would go after it. Ospreys often see uninjured
birds swimming and flapping in the water, and they
The Siskin . Vol. 66, No. 2 . April 2021
normally leave them alone. I don’t know if a certain
type of thrashing in the water might trigger a different
response than an uninjured bird swimming. I am
unaware of any reports of this happening.
Crows do not often attack Ospreys. The corvid expert
Dr. John Marzluff, from the University of Washington,
sent me an article that he co-authored about the
mobbing of Ospreys by American Crows. The article
said that American Crows aggressively mob a variety
of natural predators and learn to recognize unique
threats. Because mobbing is a costly and risky
behavior, Marzluff and the other authors hypothesized
that crows would selectively ignore benign members of
other species that look similar to predators, perhaps
even learning to do so. Through a series of natural
observations and experiments, they found that
American Crows were more likely to mob Red-tailed
Hawks and Bald Eagles than Ospreys. Mobbing
intensity was higher toward a taxidermic mount of a
Red-tailed Hawk than toward a mount of an Osprey,
indicating that mobbing increases with the risk posed
by the predator. However, the authors also found that
Ospreys were more likely to be mobbed in locations
where they rarely occur, suggesting that crow
populations that frequently encounter Ospreys
habituate to this benign raptor. For the incident that
Stalun witnessed, the Osprey was in a location where it
regularly occurs, and it is possible that the mobbing
behavior by the Fish Crows began only after the
Osprey had seized its victim.
An Osprey expert with whom I communicated
suggested that the crow might have been trying to get
at a fish the Osprey had caught. This is improbable,
because had the Osprey been flying with the fish, the
crow would not have been able to carry it, even had the
Osprey let go of it. Also, it is unlikely that an Osprey
with a fish (its normal food) would drop it and grab a
crow (not its normal food).
The most likely explanation might be that a Fish Crow
was harassing the Osprey and got a bit too close.
Smaller birds tend to attack a larger bird in groups
rather than as individuals because there is safety in
numbers, and the larger bird will have more difficulty
grabbing any one of them. Osprey’s have very strong
legs and feet, and if the one Stalun saw managed to
grab the crow’s back, the crow would not have had
much of a chance to escape. When the Osprey took the
crow to the piling, it pecked at it, perhaps to kill it and
make it easier to carry. It is not known whether the
Osprey ever ate the crow.
Photographs of the Osprey with the crow can be seen at
Stalun’s website at https://www.caroljeanstalun.com/
Osprey-Crow/. The 60 photographs show the encounter in
chronological order, starting with the Osprey holding the
crow on the first piling and ending with the Osprey
dropping the crow into the nest. Stalun’s photographic
documentation of this event is an example of how citizen
science can produce an important contribution to
ornithological research.
—William Young
Photographs on p.7
3
Upcoming Trips and Events
Compiled by Elton Morel
Note:
Beginning birders are welcome on all trips.
When reservations are required, please call one of the trip leaders. Phone numbers are below.
If in doubt about a trip because of weather, please call one of the leaders.
Check the NVBC website for updated information about trips: http://www.nvabc.org/updated-field-trips/.
•To receive email notices, join the NVBC eMail Exchange. For sign-up directions see back page of The Siskin.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
April 14
8:30 AM
Burke Lake
Trip Leaders
Jeremy Beck
Larry Cartwright
Kurt Gaskill
Toby Hardwick
Ken Hunt
Larry Meade
Tom Nardone
Elton Morel
Phil Silas
703-517-1816
703-941-3142
703-768-2172
703-201-1517
319-354-1079
571-275-2523
703-946-7738
703-907-9951
703-987-0817
Bird Walks at Local Parks
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve,
second Saturdays, 8 am. Meet at
the parking lot. Visit the Loudoun
Wildlife web site,
www.loudounwildlife.org/events/
Blue Ridge Center for
Environmental Stewardship,
fourth Saturday, 8 am Meet at
Education Center. www.loudoun
wildlife.org/events/
Dyke Marsh, Sundays, 8 am Visit
the Friends of Dyke Marsh web site,
www.fodm.org
Eakin Park, Mondays, 7:30 am
Meet at Prosperity Ave parking lot.
Leader: Carolyn Williams
Great Falls National Park,
Sundays, 8 am Meet in the main
parking lot, closest to the Park
Visitor Center.
Huntley Meadows Park,
Mondays, 7 am (Apr-Sep)
8
am (Oct-Mar) Meet in parking lot.
Leader: Harry Glasgow
Merrimac Farm, last Sunday, 8
am Meet at Merrimac Farm Stone
House. www.pwconserve
.org/eventsindex.html#birds
Riverbend Park, first and third
Fridays, 8 am, March 6-October
Meet at Nature Center parking
lot. No charge but call Riverbend
Park to register at 703-759-9018.
4
Phil Silas
Thursday
15
NVBC
Meeting
8 PM
21
Friday
Saturday
17
7:30 AM
Occoquan Bay NWR
Phil Silas
Larry Cartwright
24
8:30AM
Meadowood
Recreation Area
7:30 AM
Huntley Meadows
Hike/Bike Trail
Larry Cartwright
Ken Hunt
Larry Meade
28
May 1
7:30 AM
Leesylvania SP
8:30 AM
Fort C.F. Smith
Phil Silas
Ken Hunt
Tom Nardone
Jeremy Beck
8
5
7:30 AM
Trillium Trail
8:30 AM
Long Branch
Elton Morel
Ken Hunt
Elton Morel
12
15
8:30 AM
Fort C. F. Smith
7:30 AM
Aquia Landing
Beach Park
Jeremy Beck
Kurt Gaskill
Larry Meade
19
22
8:30 AM
Meadowood
Recreation Area
7:30 AM
Occoquan Bay NWR
Ken Hunt
Phil Silas
Larry Cartwright
27
8:30 AM
Laurel Hill
Equestrian
Center
Phil Silas
June 2
8:30 AM
Long Branch
Tom Nardone
Jeremy Beck
29
7:30 AM
Conway-Robinson
State Forest
Toby Hardwick
Larry Meade
5
7:30 AM
Bristow Station
Battlefield Park
Toby Hardwick
Phil Silas
Northern Virginia Bird Club . www.nvabc.org
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
12
June
7:30 AM
Leopold’s Preserve
Toby Hardwick
Phil Silas
19
8 AM
Bluebird Trail
Larry Meade
DIRECTIONS
Aquia Landing Beach Park (5/15)
2846 Brooke Rd, Stafford 22554 From
southbound I-95 towards Stafford, take
exit 140 to Stafford, then left (east) on
Courthouse Rd (Rt 630), go 3.5 mi.
and turn right on Andrew Chapel Rd
(Rt 629), go 0.9 mi. and under the
railroad bridge to a slight left onto
Brooke Rd (Rt 608) go 4.4 mi. to the
park entrance, continue past park
entrance gate to the parking lot at the
end of the road. Meet in the parking
lot.
Bluebird Trail (6/19) From I-495, exit
onto Chain Bridge Rd (Rt 123) toward
Vienna. Continue on Maple Avenue
(still Rt 123) in Vienna, turn onto
Beulah Rd. Continue for about 1 mile
until left turn onto Clark’s Crossing
Road. Continue to the end of Clark’s
Crossing and park at the parking lot
overlooking the W&OD Trail.
Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage
Park (6/5) 10708 Bristow Rd,
Bristow, VA 20136. From I-95: Take
Rt 234 north (exit 152B), travel 7.5
mi. and make a left onto Independent
Hill Dr. Then make immediate right
onto Rt 619 (Bristow Rd). Travel 7 mi.
and turn left onto Iron Brigade Unit
Ave. The parking lot is located on the
left at the traffic circle. From I-66:
Take Rt 234 south (Exit 44). Travel 4.5
mi. and turn right onto Rt 28
(Nokesville Rd). Travel 1.5 mi. and
turn left onto Rt 619 (Bristow Rd).
Travel 0.25 mi., turn right onto Iron
Brigade Unit Ave and continue to
parking lot. Meet in parking lot.
Burke Lake Park (4/14) 7315 Ox Rd,
Fairfax Station 22039 From I-495,
take exit 54 west (Braddock Rd). Stay
in right lane of exit if you are coming
from the north. On Braddock Rd, go
1.5 mi. and turn left onto Burke Lake
Rd. Go 4.7 mi. and turn left onto Rt
123 (Ox Rd). Turn left at second
traffic light (big park signs), and turn
left immediately after the entrance
The Siskin . Vol. 66, No. 2 . April 2021
booth. Park in the first lot on the right
(by the mini-golf course).
Conway Robinson State Forest
(5/29) 12816 Lee Hwy, Gainesville
20155 From I-495, take I-66 west 27.6
mi. to exit 43B, US-29 North in
Gainesville. Continue on US-29 for .4
mi, turn left into access road to
parking area. There is a small parking
area adjacent Route 29-S which can
accommodate approximately 10 cars.
Additional parking is permitted along
the entrance/exit road unless it restricts
through traffic.
Fort C. F. Smith (4/28, 5/12) 2411
24th St N, Arlington 22207 From I-66
east, take exit 72 (Spout Run Pkwy).
At traffic light, turn right on Lee Hwy.
At successive traffic lights, turn left
onto Spout Run Pkwy, then left onto
Lorcom Ln, then right onto Fillmore
St. Go one block on Fillmore, turn
right onto N. 24th St (watch for speed
humps), and continue to park on left.
Meet in parking lot at east end of park.
Huntley Meadows Hike and Bike
Trail (4/24) From I-495, take Rt 1
south 0.5 mi to Rt 633 (S. King Hwy).
Turn right (west), go 2.5 miles to park
entrance and lot on left (just before
Telegraph Rd).
Laurel Hill Equestrian Centre (5/27)
Lorton From I-495, take I-95 south
about 13 mi. to exit 163 (Lorton Rd).
Continue 1.4 mi. west on Rt 642/
Lorton Rd, then turn left on Rt 611/
Furnace Rd then an immediate right
onto Dairy Rd. Proceed to and meet in
the parking lot.
Leesylvania State Park (5/1) 2001
Daniel K Ludwig Dr, Woodbridge
22191 From I-495, take I-95 south
about 14 mi. to exit 156 (Dale City/
Rippon Landing/Rt 784). Following
the posted highway signs for
Leesylvania State Park, exit east on Rt
Proceed eastward 1.1 mi. to Rt 1.
Turn right (south) on Rt 1 and go 0.9
mi. to Neabsco Rd. Immediately past
the Wawa service station, turn left
(east) on Neabsco Rd and proceed 2
mi. to park entrance on right. After
passing through the park entrance gate,
go 2.2 mi. to end of paved road and
park in “Picnic Area” parking lot,
immediately before turn-around circle
at fishing pier. State fee area.
Leopold’s Preserve (6/12) 6283
Thoroughfare Rd, Haymarket 20169
From I-66 west, take exit 40 to Rt 15
toward Haymarket/Leesburg. Turn left
onto Rt 15 south. Turn right onto Rt 55
and go 1.7 mi. to Thoroughfare Rd.
Turn left onto Thoroughfare and go 0.3
mi. There are parking lots on both
sides of the road. Meet in the right
hand (west) parking lot. The left hand
(east) parking lot can be used for
overflow parking.
Long Branch Nature Area (5/5, 6/2)
625 S Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington
22204 Take Rt 50, east from Fairfax or
west from Rosslyn to Carlin Springs
exit. Go south on Carlin Springs 0.5
mi. to Nature Center on left, just south
of N. Va Community Hospital on left.
Meet at Nature Center parking lot.
Meadowood Recreation Area (4/21,
5/19) 10406 Gunston Rd, Lorton
22079 From I-495, take I-95 south 7
mi. to Lorton exit. Left on Rt 642.
Immediately after passing under
railroad tracks (0.25 mi.) turn right on
Lorton Market Rd, which soon
becomes Gunston Cove Rd. After
crossing Rt 1, road becomes Gunston
Rd. Go 1.8 miles to Meadowood on
right. (BLM, Lower Potomac Station
Office). Park on right next to horse
barns just before field station building.
Occoquan Bay National Wildlife
Refuge (4/17, 5/22) 13950 Dawson
Beach Rd, Woodbridge 22192 From
I-495, take I-95 south 9 mi. to (left)
exit 161 (Woodbridge). Go south on Rt
1 about 2 mi. to left turn onto Dawson
Beach Rd. Continue on Dawson Beach
0.7 mi. to entrance gate. Meet at the
parking lot.
Continued at bottom of p. 7
5
Birding and Photography: Applying photography skills to birding
When I was taking a walk back in 2014, I encountered
the Monday morning bird walk at Eakin Park. They invited
me to join them (birders are the friendliest group!), and
I’ve been birding ever since. For me, photography has been
a tool to learn about birds, both from the standpoint of
identification and behaviors. I took
the adage of “shoot first and ask
questions later” and started to
photograph birds and then look
them up in field guides and later
online sources. In the process of
looking through a book to ID one
bird, I learned about other birds in
that family. Also, on birdwalks, by
taking photos of a distant or
uncooperative bird I would not
only be able to aid the group in
identification, but would learn
about field marks at the same
time.
I have been photographing
since grade school, mostly natural
landscapes. I started out using a
Pentax, (film of course), primarily
black and white, which I
developed and printed myself.
Some of those prints still hang on
my walls. Later I started using a
view camera, and took my time
composing the photograph,
sometimes 15 minutes getting the
angle and light just so. That, by
the way, is one of the most
important things to be mindful of
when photographing: light. I
personally prefer softer light, as
one has on a partly cloudy day, as
opposed to a cloudless day. Harsh
light gives harsh shadows. One
must consider the direction of the
light, and if possible, move to a
vantage point that has even
illumination. One does not often
get a choice about those factors, of
course. If I can get to a vantage
point without disturbing the bird,
the natural surroundings or other
birders, I will shift position to get
a better photo.
As film became nearly
obsolete, I switched to digital.
When I discovered birds, I was on
my second digital camera, which I
am still using, a Nikon 1 V2. It
was and still is an adjustment for
me to be quick about taking the
photograph, but I’ve adapted. As it
happens, the V2 was a lucky
choice: I’d gotten it because it was small and light. As it
turns out, it’s great for birding, because its small sensor
6
multiplies the magnification of the lens by a factor of
2.7X. With a lens that goes to 600mm, I have an effective
magnification of 32X. This allows me to get visually close
without being physically close, which is great for seeing
and photographing sensitive species. (It’s also great if a
smaller bird is farther off.) It’s far
from the finest camera now that
things have advanced in terms of
resolution (14 megapixels, versus
the newer cameras with 60), but a
number of times I have been glad
of the reach it has. I was, for
example, able to photograph a
Snowy Owl at Fowler’s Beach
during the irruption three years
ago without disturbing it. It was
just resting on the dunes, half
asleep. (Photograph on the right
column) Sadly, some other people
got too close, and it flew off and
hid, (giving me a flight photo, but
it would have been much better if
it had stayed undisturbed). I try
very hard to be respectful and
keep my distance, and this camera
allows me to do that.
I rarely set my camera to take
multiple photos per second,
instead paying attention to what
the bird is doing or is about to do.
Frequently a bird will “telegraph”
what it is about to do, such as
taking flight, and I think my not
just taking bursts has improved
my observational skills.
On occasion I capture a
moment of competition, courtship/
mating or feeding that’s both fun
and an eyeopener. For example,
there’s something many have seen;
competition that results in nobody
getting the food item, in this case a
seed neither of these two Carolina
Chickadees got to eat.
Photographs from the top: Snowy Owl
at rest and in flight at Fowler’s Beach
Red-headed Woodpecker in flight
photographed at Sky Meadows State
Park
Carolina Chickadees photographed at
Great Falls Park, Virginia
Continued on p. 7
Northern Virginia Bird Club . www.nvabc.org
Birding and Photography continued from p.6
Another revelation (impossible without the photograph
and careful study of it afterwards) was when I
photographed a Hooded
Merganser eating an acorn at the
Ashby Pond Conservancy in
Fairfax City. I thought she had a
small fish, but on examining the
photo saw it was an acorn. I had to
look it up to read that they do
consume vegetable matter.
One of my favorite
observations was the courtship
ritual of a pair of Least Terns at
Chincoteague. I watched as the
male attempted to interest the
shell fragments underwater! It was swallowed very
quickly; I might not have realized just what he was eating
without the photo. Yes, I could have looked it up in a book
or online, but to me the photograph led to knowledge,
rather than someone telling me
about it. To me, that discovery is
one of the rewards of
photographing birds, plus
preserving my memories.
female in a nuptial gift of a small
fish. He waggled it in front of her
for six minutes before she
accepted it, and immediately
mated with her:
Sometimes photographing will
lead to knowledge about the bird;
as an example, at Kiptopeke we
were watching Black and White-winged Scoters. Astonishing to me
was learning that Scoters swallow
shellfish whole, grind up the shell
in their gizzards and spit out the
Directions continued from p. 5
Tr i l l i u m Tr a i l – G . R i c h a r d
Thompson Wildlife Management
Area (5/8) (Fauquier Co) From I-495,
take I-66 west 51 mi. to Linden exit
—Seth Honig
Author and Photographer
Photographs from top:
Hooded Merganser photographed
at Ashby Pond Conservancy,
Fairfax
Least Terns photographed at
Chincoteague
White-winged Scoter
photographed at Kiptopeke State
Park, Cape Charles
(Rt 79). Go left (south) from exit
ramp on Rt 79 approx. 1000 ft. to Rt
Turn left (east) onto Rt 55; go 1.2
mi. to Rt 638 (Freezeland Rd). Turn
left (north) onto Rt 638. Follow Rt
638, as it bears right, 5.3 mi. to
Trillium Trail Parking Area on right—
look for sign on kiosk. (Parking Area
is just before radio towers.) Note:
participant must have an access
permit issued by VA Department of
Game and Inland Fisheries,
www.dgif.virginia.gov,
1-866-721-6911.
3 out of 60-Series Photographs of Osprey Killing Crow in Alexandria, Virginia by Carol Stalun
The Siskin . Vol. 66, No. 2 . April 2021
7
NORTHERN VIRGINIA BIRD CLUB
P.O. BOX 5812
ARLINGTON, VA 22205-0812
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Arlington, VA
Permit No. 490
DATED
MATERIAL
JOIN THE NORTHERN
VIRGINIA BIRD CLUB
Northern Virginia Bird Club dues for
2021 are $10 for Individual and $15
for Family Membership. Members
receive our quarterly newsletter, The
Siskin. Checks for dues should be sent
to Northern Virginia Bird Club, Attn:
M e m b e r s h i p , P. O . B o x 5 8 1 2 ,
Arlington, VA 22205-0812. Or join or
renew online at the club’s web site,
http://www.nvabc.org/join/.
If you miss an issue of The Siskin or
need to report an address or ZIP Code
change, please send an email message
to lgmeade@gmail.com or leave a
message for Elizabeth Fenton
at
703-533-0851.
Please note: NVBC does not
exchange, give away, or sell its
membership lists.
NVBC ON THE WEB
Current information and special
notices about NVBC meetings, field
trips, and other activities, along with
a printable membership form, are
posted on the club’s website,
www.nvabc.org.
If you have information or pictures
you would like to see on the website,
please email the webmaster, Jeremy
Beck at jghyll+nvabc@gmail.com.
NVBC eMail Exchange
By participating in the club’s email
exchange, you can get email notices
of late updates to The Siskin and the
field trip schedule. To join the
exchange, send
an
email
to
lgmeade@gmail.com. Put
“EXCHANGE” in the subject field
and your full name in the message
area. You will receive a response
from nvbc-exchange@googlegroups
.com. The list is for NVBC members’
use only.
General Meeting Dates: April 15,
September (tbd), and November
(tbd), 2021.
Next Board Meeting: Thursday, June
3, 2021, 7:30 pm. To join the Zoom
board meeting or to have items put on
the agenda, please email
lgmeade@gmail.com.
Thanks to the mailing crew: Many
thanks to the February mail out
crew: Elizabeth Fenton and Joanna
Taylor.
Deadline for next issue of The
Siskin: The August issue will include
activities through October 2021.
Please send items for publication by
July 1, 2021 to the editors at
nvbcsiskineditor@gmail.com.
CLUB CONTACTS
President: Larry Meade, 571-275-2523
Vice President, Programs: Phil Silas,
703-987-0817
Vice President, Field Activities: Elton
Morel, 703-907-9951
Secretary: Diane Marton,
703-527-7360
Treasurer: Jean Tatalias, 703-281-6099
Directors: Jeremy Beck, 703-517-1816
Joan Mashburn, 703-209-8678
Joanna Taylor, 703-243-5989
Directors Emeritus: Len Alfredson,
Charlotte Friend, Don Wiesnet
Membership: Elizabeth Fenton,
703-533-0851
Webmaster, www.nvabc.org: Jeremy
Beck, jghyll+nvabc@gmail.com
Editors, The Siskin: Pat and Neal
Gause, 703-476-3903
Administrator, NVBC Facebook
Group: Allie Guidry (please contact
through Facebook page)
NVBC email: lgmeade@gmail.com