February 2024
To view the full PDF, click the newsletter image below.
The SISKIN
Newsletter of the Northern Virginia Bird Club
Vol. 69, No. 1
February 2024
Inside
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www.nvabc.org
NVBC GENERAL MEETING—THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 8 PM
Calendar of NVBC field trips,
February 14 – May 4, 2024
Occoquan Bird Banding Station
Report
Way Out – Off Wi-Fi
Unexpected Birding in Taiwan
A reminder to pay your 2024 dues
If not paid, this will be the last issue
you receive. The Siskin mailing label
shows the year through which your
dues are current or “CO” for
complimentary. Thanks!
Battlefields for Birds
Speaker: Megan Massa
birder, artist and scientist Megan Massa will present on her recently
Local
completed master’s degree in Applied Ecology and Conservation
Biology from Frostburg State University/University of Maryland Center
for Environmental Science Appalachian Lab. Our local National Battlefield
Parks such as Manassas and Harpers Ferry are managed for historical and
cultural heritage, not necessarily for wildlife. Megan will share the results
of her research on how well these parks conserve Grasshopper Sparrows
and Eastern Meadowlarks, and how populations are doing in parklands
compared to privately owned lands in the region. The results may surprise
you!
Chincoteague Spring
Weekend Trip
Chincoteague Spring weekend is
Thescheduled
for May 17 through 19,
2024 (Friday to Sunday). The trip is
limited to 24 people and sign up
procedures are detailed below. NVBC
membership is required for this trip and
all tour participants will need to declare
that they are vaccinated for COVID
when they sign up.
Mid-May is an excellent time to
visit the Chincoteague National
Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Spring
shorebird migration is in full swing
with most birds in breeding plumage.
Historically, the club’s trips tally about
100 species including such Eastern
Shore specialties as Black-necked
Stilts, American Oystercatchers, Piping
Plovers, Whimbrels, Marbled Godwits,
Red Knots, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Western Cattle Egrets,
Glossy and White Ibis, Least, Royal,
and Common Terns, Black Skimmers,
Continued on p.2
Eastern Meadowlark artwork by
Megan Massa
Megan’s fascination with birds
started with the Bird Club of William &
Mary, where she developed a Bird of the
Week illustration project as a way to
share the identification and natural
history of local species. Much of her
artwork focuses on depicting everyday
birds in a compelling light, drawing
inspiration from her experiences not
only as a birder but as a researcher. In
2019, she was honored as the American
Birding Association’s Bird of the Year
Artist.
She has also done various hands-on
avian technician work including
following Red-backed Fairywrens
around in Australia, monitoring Redcockaded Woodpeckers, and being an
Interpretive Naturalist during peak fall
migration at Cape May. Her artwork can
be found at MeganMassa.com.
Early bird refreshments start at 7:30 pm. Any contributions of food or
beverage will be most gratefully received. There will be a drawing for door
prizes. Northern Virginia Bird Club pins will be available for members who
would like to buy them ($5 each).
MEETING PLACE: St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 4000 Lorcom Lane,
Arlington, 22207. Directions are on page 5.
Presidential Peenting
When I first started birding about twenty years ago,
the first two things I bought were a decent pair of
binoculars and the National Geographic Field Guide to the
Birds of North America. I began to peruse my new field
guide and found a variety of birds in our region that I
never even knew existed. There were others that I had
known of, but had never seen. It’s been said that birds you
have not seen can be like movie stars. You know they exist
because you have seen pictures of them, but they don’t
seem real until you actually see
them in real life. Since I love books
in addition to birds, I went on to buy
several more field guides. The one
that ended up being my favorite is
the Sibley Guide to Birds. Since
then, I have also acquired field
guides for butterflies, dragonflies,
damselflies and moths.
Field guides are one of the best
ways to learn the birds in your area.
You can see which birds are in your
region and during which seasons
you can find them. You can also
compare birds that are similar and
become familiar with the field
marks that will help when you are outside birding and
seeing them in person. For example, what’s the difference
between a Savannah Sparrow and a Song Sparrow? If you
have studied a field guide ahead of time, you can be more
confident in your identification skills when you actually
see these species in your local park. If you are going on a
trip, especially to another country, having a field guide for
the area you are visiting can help you take a more active
role in your birding trip and not just depend on the guide
to point everything out.
Many people are depending more on technology these
days to help them with bird identification. The Merlin and
Google photo ID apps are fine as tools to aid in
identifications, but using them does not really improve
your birding skills as much as a field guide will. Also, they
are not always accurate. Sometimes they will claim that
you are seeing a bird that is very
unlikely to be there because it is out
of range or out of season. Unlike
the apps, a field guide has maps
that will tell when and where
various bird species are likely to
o c c u r. K n o w i n g w h a t b i r d s
commonly are seen will help you
recognize a rarity when you see
one. I do use my phone in the field
since I have a Sibley field guide on
it. However, it’s more of a reference
and does not automatically identify
birds for me like the other apps do.
When I have a mystery bird that I
am having trouble identifying, I still
like to go to my old-fashioned paper field guide. It’s got
the most information in one place and has never done me
wrong.
Chincoteague Spring Weekend from p. 1
time stamp order. The 24 slots are likely to fill up very fast
and therefore, a waiting list will be started with those who
respond in the first hour. Any club member who sends an
email after 7 a.m. on March 13 will not be given the higher
priority over those in the first hour but will be considered
for any available slot or waitlisted in order of the time
stamp. When signing up, please affirm that you are
vaccinated for COVID-19 virus and indicate whether you
are interested in the group dinner on Saturday night and
the boat trip (which has an estimated $35 fee) on Sunday
morning. Please do not make your hotel reservations until
your trip registration has been confirmed.
We have obtained a special rate of $135.00 per night,
including tax, on twenty rooms for Friday and Saturday
nights at the Best Western Chincoteague Island Hotel on
Maddox Boulevard. A two-night stay is usually required.
Hotel reservations must be made by April 19 to get this
special group rate. Confirmed participants should make
their own reservations by calling 800-553-6117 and be
sure to say you are with the Northern Virginia Bird Club.
Check-in time is 3 p.m. on Friday, May 17, and a 48-hour
cancellation notice is required. Also note that
Chincoteague NWR has an entrance fee per car.
Clapper Rails, Chuck-will’s-widow, Brown-headed
Nuthatches and Boat-tailed Grackles.
Plans for the weekend include birding the Chincoteague NWR on Friday afternoon starting at 3:15 p.m.
(optional) or on Saturday starting at 7:30 a.m. Activities on
Saturday morning include birding along Beach Road,
Swan Cove and Tom’s Cove. We will also visit
Chincoteague Island Park Trail looking for land bird
migrants as well as visiting Queens Sound Flats and
Mariner’s Point. On Sunday morning, we will board a
pontoon boat and travel along Chincoteague Inlet then to
Fishing Point at the end of Tom’s Cove and finally Black
Point Landing, all the while looking mostly for shorebirds
along the mudflats. The trip concludes at noon on Sunday.
Because the Chincoteague weekends are such popular
trips, we will continue with the new sign-up procedure
established last spring to enable wider member
participation. Registration will open on Wednesday,
March 13, 2024 at 6 a.m. To sign up for this trip, please
email Elton Morel at eltonlmorel@verizon.net. All
members who send an email between 6 and 7 a.m. will be
eligible to be put on the list. However, club members who
were not on the Spring 2023 or the Winter 2024 trip will
get a higher priority, in the order received. They will be
followed by those who have been on one of those trips, in
2
—Larry Meade
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker photographed by Larry Meade
during an NVBC trip to Blandy Farm
—Elton Morel
Northern Virginia Bird Club . www.nvabc.org
Occoquan Bay National
Wildlife Refuge Bird
Banding 2023
In 2023 Occoquan Bay’s 15
volunteers worked 1,130 hours at the
Potomac River NWR Complex to
band 559 birds of 56 bird species. No
new species were banded so the
station’s species total remained at 103.
The daily count ranged between 4 to
51 birds banded, and the 559 birds
banded was slightly above average.
April banding operations got off
to a slow start when the first day was
cancelled due to cold weather.
Highlights of April included banding
the second ever Fox Sparrow, the
season’s first recapture a Carolina
Chickadee banded in 2021, which was
also the first return in 2022, and the
oldest return recapture, a Northern
Cardinal first banded on April 1,
2016.
Only seven warblers were
banded in April and the month ended
with two days of rain (one day
breaking a 100-year record).
Migrating bird activity picked up
in May. On May 10 the most birds
(51) and the most species (19) were
banded. Mid-May had two more
outstanding days, but then migration
drew to a close.
Banding in 2023 was a mixture of
new records and contrasting low
numbers. Ruby-crowned Kinglets set
a record of 12 while woodpecker
numbers were minimal. Song
Sparrows were banded at double their
average (43 vs. 20); Swamp Sparrows
at triple (57 vs. 19) and American
Goldfinches at five times (48 vs. 9).
Thrushes were half their yearly
average of 20 individual birds with
only 1 Veery, 4 Gray-cheeks and 5
Swainson’s Thrushes captured. Oddly,
the first American Robin in five years
was captured and banded this season.
The only hatchling-year bird banded
was a blue-eyed fuzzy brown
Common Grackle on the last day.
Sixteen species of Warblers were
banded in 2023, which was two more
than average, but the 92 warblers
banded was half the usual total
banded. The first warbler was a
Yellow Palm on Palm Sunday. Almost
two weeks later a Common
Yellowthroat was banded and a week
after that a Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Warblers banded included Bluewinged, Chestnut- sided, Yellow-throated, Worm-eating, Northern
Wa t e r t h r u s h a n d P r o t h o n o t a r y
Warblers. However, there were no
Northern Parulas, Ovenbirds or Prairie
Warblers. The total included only two
Palm Warblers, one Blackpoll Warbler
and a single Yellow-rumped Warbler!
Past Yellow-rumped Warbler numbers
The first-ever returned Winter Wren
(banded on March 23, 2022) fueled by a
very good fat rating in the top 5%, and
ready to take off. Photographed by
Christopher Radermacher
have ranged from single digits to as
many as 158. Common Yellowthroat
numbers were only 60 percent of their
yearly average for the station. No
Cooper’s Hawks were caught, but they
tore holes through nets, and the only
Wild Turkey just strolled by.
The results of 2023 operations
did not change the order of
Way Out – Off Wi-Fi
Grouse, curlews, kites, and many warblers are likely to
be found way out in rural and mountain areas, where Wi-Fi
is intermittent or absent.
During my first Warbler Road trip, upon hearing about
two escaped convicts seen in the last hour within a mile
from me, I drove east and ended up on an unmarked Forest
Service Road for 45 minutes with no pull off spots. Then
later that month, driving from Briery Branch Gap to
Bramble Hill, I led Seth Honig into a large cattle field, with
our dirt road clearly in sight, but blocked by a cattle gate.
Wi-Fi was not available in either spot. I printed
directions for both trips, but secondary and service roads
The Siskin . Vol. 69, No. 1 . February 2024
Occoquan’s top five most numerous
species which remain the White-throated Sparrow, Common
Yellowthroat, Gray Catbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler ( Myrtle ) and
Northern Cardinal. However, the order
of the next five most numerous
species did change due to the increase
in sparrows to Swamp Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, Northern Waterthrush, Red-winged Blackbird, and Common
Grackle.
The banding station will be open
on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
from 7 a.m. to noon, weather
permitting, starting March 20, 2024,
and ending Sunday, May 26, 2024. It
is located near the gazebo on
Deephole Point Road overlooking
Marumsco Creek.
—Suzanne Miller
All banding, marking, and sampling is
being conducted under a federally
authorized Bird Banding Permit
issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s
Bird Banding Laboratory, a Virginia
license and National Wildlife Refuge
permit.
Prothonotary Warbler photographed by
Mary Scala
often lack road signs. I drove until I found access to the
internet.
With the help of Jeremy Beck and Kay Bushman, I
now have offline maps on my iPhone for the full state of
Virginia, Delaware, Warbler Road, Eastern Shore and
more. I tested the maps in airplane mode and successfully
drove to Kay’s house.
Google Maps
Use your cell phone or tablet from a Wi-Fi accessible spot.
Go to Google Maps, enter your destination, e.g., Arcadia
Boat Launch.
Zoom out to show larger area
Continued 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/ eld-trips-this-month.
To receive email notices, join the NVBC eMail Exchange. For sign-up directions see back page of The Siskin.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
February
Wednesday
Thursday
14
15
NVBC
Meeting
8 PM
8:30 AM
Dyke March
Bob Butterworth
Tom Nardone
Friday
17
8:30 AM
Mason Neck SP
Larry Meade
Bob Butterworth
21
24
8:30 AM
Huntley Meadows
8 AM
Leopold’s Preserve
Tom Nardone
25
Toby Hardwick
Ed LeGrand
March
28
8:30 AM
Burke Lake Park
5:00 PM
Woodcock Display
at Dusk Huntley Meadows
Hike/BikeTrail
Saturday
Tom Nardone
Bob Butterworth
2
8:30 AM
Blandy Farm
Elton Morel
Dave Boltz
Larry Cartwright
Joan Mashburn
6
9
8:30 AM
Long Branch
Trip Leaders
Dave Boltz
Bob Butterworth
Larry Cartwright
Toby Hardwick
Bert Harris
Ed LeGrand
Joan Mashburn
Larry Meade
Mer Mietzelfeld
Elton Morel
Tom Nardone
Cindy Nickerson
Phil Silas
Dixie Sommers
703-599-8305
703-343-0933
703-941-3142
703-201-1517
615-440-0666
908-268-6627
703-209-8678
571-275-2523
607-643-8307
703-907-9951
703-946-7738
917-825-5327
703-987-0817
703-969-7931
8 AM
Occoquan Bay
NWR
Tom Nardone
Bob Butterworth
Phil Silas
13
16
8:30 AM
Riverbend RP
8:15 AM
Widewater State
Park
Joan Mashburn
Cindy Nickerson
Elton Morel
Joan Mashburn
20
23
8:30 AM
Neabsco
Regional Park Boardwalk
8 AM
Manassas
Battle eld Park Brawner Farm
Bob Butterworth
Joan Mashburn
Toby Hardwick
Ed LeGrand
27
30
8:30 AM
Huntley Meadows
8 AM
Aquia Landing
Beach Park
Bob Butterworth
Tom Nardone
April
Elton Morel
Bob Butterworth
3
6
8:30 AM
Long Branch
7:30 AM
Silver Lake RP
Tom Nardone
Northern Virginia Bird Club . www.nvabc.org
fi
fi
4
Toby Hardwick
Ed LeGrand
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
April
Wednesday
Thursday
10
7:30 AM
Occoquan Bay
NWR
Phil Silas
Larry Meade
Dixie Sommers
Bob Butterworth
17
Bob Butterworth
18
NVBC
Meeting
8 PM
24
8:30 AM
Fort C. F. Smith
Tom Nardone
Joan Mashburn
May 1
8:30 AM
Long Branch
Bob Butterworth
DIRECTIONS
NVBC Meeting (2/15, 4/18) St.
Andrews Episcopal Church, 4000
Lorcom Ln, Arlington 22207, at the
intersection of Lorcom Ln and
Military Rd. From the intersection of
Spout Run Pkwy and Lorcom Ln, go
about a half mile on Lorcom to the
second traffic light. Turn left onto
Military and enter the first driveway
on the right. There is some parking
near the Church’s back entrance and a
bigger lot up the driveway. There is
on-street parking. Enter at the back
door facing Military Rd which leads to
the Undercroft where the meeting is
held.
——
Aquia Landing Beach Park (3/30)
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 parking
lot.
Blandy Experimental Farm/State
Arboretum of Virginia (3/2) 400
Blandy Farm Ln, Boyce 22620 Take
The Siskin . Vol. 69, No. 1 . February 2024
Saturday
13
8:30 AM
Meadowood
Recreation Area
Lower Potomac
Field Station
8:30 AM
Dyke Marsh
Friday
I-66 west to Rt 17 north (Exit 23,
Delaplane/Paris). Follow Rt 17 north
to junction with Rt 50. Turn left at
traffic light onto Rt 50/17; go 7.8 mi.,
turn left onto Rt 750 to the Arboretum.
Meet in parking lot.
Burke Lake Park (2/28) 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 booth. Park in the first
lot on the right (by the mini-golf
course).
Clifton Institute (4/27) 6712 Blantyre
Rd, Warrenton 20187 Take 1-66 West
to exit 40, to merge onto US-15 south
towards Haymarket (0.4 mi), then turn
right onto VA-55 West. Drive 5 mi.
and turn left onto Blantyre Rd.
Proceed 5.6 mi. and then turn right on
to a dirt road. Drive northwest for
about 0.3 mi. to the first lake and park
in the parking lot on the left. Meet
your leader at this parking lot. Please
do not drive up to the house and park
there.
Dyke Marsh (2/14, 4/17) 6401
George Washington Memorial Pkwy,
Alexandria 22307 (Belle Haven Park
20
7:30 AM
Leopold’s
Preserve
Toby Hardwick
Ed LeGrand
27
7:30 AM
Clifton Institute
Bert Harris
Elton Morel
4
7:30 AM
Leesylvania SP
Bob Butterworth
Mer Mietzelfeld
and Marina). From Alexandria, take
George Washington Pkwy south.
Cross I-495, continue 1.2 mi. to Belle
Haven Park entrance on the left. Meet
at south parking lot.
Fort C.F. Smith (4/24) 2411 24th St
N, Arlington 22207 From I-66 east,
take exit 72 (Spout Run Pkwy). At
traffic light, turn right on ee 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. From Alexandria: take GW
Pkwy north, take left exit onto Spout
Run, then right exit onto Lorcom Ln,
and follow remaining directions
above.
Huntley Meadows Hike & Bike
Trail (2/25) From I-495, take Rt 1
south 0.5 mi to Rt 633 (S. King Hwy).
Turn right (west), go 2.5 mi. to park
entrance and lot on left (just before
Telegraph Rd).
Huntley Meadows Park (2/21, 3/27)
3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria
22306 From I-495, take Rt 1 south 3
mi. to Lockheed Blvd. Turn right on
Lockheed and go 0.5 mi. to Harrison
Ln to park entrance on left. Meet in
parking lot.
5
Directions
Leesylvania State Park (5/4) 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 (2/24, 4/20)
16283 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 (3/6, 4/3,
5/1)
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.
Manassas Battlefield Park Brawner Farm (3/23) Manassas
20109 From I-495 take I-66 west 21
mi. to exit 43B for US-29 N.
Continue on US 29 for 1.3 mi. Turn
left onto Pageland Ln. Continue 0.5
mi. then turn right into Brawner Farm.
Continue 0.3 mi. to Brawner Farm
parking lot (6501 Pageland Ln,
Gainesville 20155). Meet in the
parking lot.
Mason Neck State Park (2/17) 7301
High Point Rd, Lorton 22079 From
I-495, take I-95 south 7 mi. to Lorton
exit. Left on Rt 642 to Rt 1. Right on
Rt 1 to Rt 242 (Gunston Rd). Left on
Rt 242, go 4 mi. to Mason Neck
Management Area. Turn right, follow
paved road to end at Visitor Center.
State fee area.
Meadowood Recreation Area Lower Potomac Field Station (4/10)
6
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.
Neabsco Regional Park – Boardwalk
(3/20) 15125 Blackburn Rd,
Woodbridge 22191 From I-495, take
I-95 south about 14 mi. to exit 156
(Dale City/Rippon Landing/Rt. 784).
Take exit 156A for Rt 784 east toward
Rippon Landing.
Continue 0.7 mi.
cross Rt 1 where Dale Blvd becomes
Rippon Blvd and continue down the
hill another 0.4 mi. to a stop light and
turn right on Blackburn Rd. The park
parking lot is then 0.2 mi. away on the
left.
Occoquan Bay National Wildlife
Refuge (3/9, 4/13) 13950 Dawson
Beach Rd, Woodbridge 22191 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 in parking lot. US fee area.
Riverbend Park (Visitor Center)
(3/13) 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great
Falls 22066 From I-495, take Rt 193
west 5 mi. to Rt 603 (Riverbend Rd).
Turn right onto Rt 603, go 2 mi. to
Jeffery Rd. Turn right onto Jeffery and
go 0.8 mi. to main park entrance sign
on right. Turn right and continue 0.5
mi to Visitor Center parking lot. Meet
in front of Visitor Center.
Silver Lake Park (4/6) 16198 Silver
Lake Rd, Haymarket 20169 From
I-495, take I-66 west 24 mi. to exit 40
(Rt 15). Turn south onto Rt 15 (toward
Haymarket) and go 0.3 miles to Rt 55.
Turn right onto Rt 55 and go 0.9 miles
to Antioch Rd. Turn right onto
Antioch and go 1.3 miles to Silver
Lake Rd. Turn right and proceed to
park entrance and continue to parking
lot next to the lake. Meet in parking
lot.
Widewater State Park (3/16) 101
Widewater State Park Rd, Stafford
22554 From I-95, take exit 148 to
Quantico Marine Corps Base and
follow signs to Widewater State Park.
Left on Russell Rd. Right on Rt 1
South, go 1 mi. Left turn on Telegraph
Rd, go 0.5 mi. and turn left on
Widewater Rd. Widewater Rd. (Rt
611) turns into Arkendale Rd. (Rt 633)
after about four miles. Follow this
road for about 2 mi. and cross railroad
tracks. Entrance to park Visitor Center
entrance is about 2.5 mi. on
right. Meet at the Visitor Center. State
fee area.
Golden-crowned Kinglet at Occoquan Bay
NWR photographed by Larry Meade
Bird Walks at Local Parks
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve,
second Saturdays, 8 a.m. Meet at
the parking lot. Visit the Loudoun
Wildlife web site,
www.loudounwildlife.org/events/
Blue Ridge Center for
Environmental Stewardship,
fourth Saturday, 8 a.m. Meet at
Education Center.
www.loudounwildlife.org/events/
Dyke Marsh, Sundays, 8 a.m.
See directions. Visit the Friends of
Dyke Marsh web site,
www.fodm.org
Great Falls National Park,
Sundays, 8 a.m. Meet in the main
parking lot near the Park Visitor
Center.
Huntley Meadows Park,
Mondays, 7 a.m. (Apr-Sep) ) 8
a.m. (Oct-Mar) Meet in parking
lot. Leader: Harry Glasgow
Merrimac Farm, last Sunday, 8
a.m. Meet at Merrimac Farm
Stone House. www.pwconserve .
org/events/index.html#birds
Riverbend Park, first and third
Fridays, 8 a.m., beginning April
5 to October 18. Meet at the
Nature Center parking lot off
Jeffrey Road. No fee but call
Riverbend Park at 703-759-9018
to register. Leader: Robin Duska
Northern Virginia Bird Club . www.nvabc.org
Unexpected Birding in Taiwan
In 2018 I flew to Taiwan with my mother and brother
to attend my grandmother’s funeral. The funeral and
related services were a drawn-out affair. A ceremony after
the cremation was held in my grandmother’s church on the
ground floor of an old three-story building on a narrow
street in the outskirts of the (old) Taipei City. During the
lunch break before the service started, I sneaked out to the
park down the street.
Almost immediately I saw an odd-looking bird. It was
about the size of a skinny, tall chicken. It was strutting
about like it owned the small paved path. It pooped. I
asked a local what it was called. They called it a “night
heron”. Mind you, this was before I had an eBird account:
I was still struggling to identify backyard birds. I had yet
to encounter the Great Blue Heron at Huntley Meadows,
and I didn’t know that this bird was the size of a Green
Heron. Then there was a commotion up in a tree. A few of
these Malayan Night Herons had a bit of a dispute and
they flew from branch to branch over the lunch crowd
On the morning of our last day, I took a long walk to
Da’an Forest Park. This urban park is not that far from my
childhood home, but I had absolutely no memory of it.
Taipei seems a lot greener, with a lot more open spaces
than I remembered. My memories of Taipei were city
views from crowded buses that I took to and from school.
As I entered the park, I was immediately greeted by a
few Malayan Night Herons, the same crazy birds I met a
few days before. I continued walking, encountering more
night herons, before I stumbled upon the lake. In the
middle of the lake, there was a large island where egretlike birds lived almost in the same density as the people of
Taipei outside the park. The island seemed far away
without binoculars. I could see that there were many nests
with little fuzzballs. I furtively took a bunch of blurry
phone photos
I was able to identify Cattle Egrets and Snowy Egrets
via the Merlin app. Over the years, the Taiwan bird pack
got more complete; alas, most of my photos from Da’an
were still not good enough for Merlin Photo ID. I hope that
would not be my last trip to Taiwan: I’ve still got some
serious birding to do.
Way Out from p. 3
OsmAnd Maps and Travel
This App allows 7 free downloads. It offers car, bicycle,
pedestrian maps, terrain data but no Satellite images.
Download OsmAnd Maps and Travel from App Store
Open OsmAnd app.
Hit bars on left bottom to open the menu.
Select Maps and Resources.
Select, North American, US, then whatever State you
want.
App will indicate storage needed and available on your
device
Return to US map and see your selected state in green.
Zoom in as needed.
Use magnifying glass to select specific location for
directions.
Google Maps (continued).
In the search bar – remove the address, use X to delete.
Then see your photo or initial on the right and click this
button.
Select Offline maps.
Hit the down arrow entitled Select Your Own Map, then
adjust/enlarge image, if necessary, and hit download on
bottom right.
Map will be named with a number, just hit three dots,
rename, and save.
To access the offline map when you are Way Out, go to
Google Maps, hit your photo or initial button, select
Offline Maps and then specific map you need and you can
zoom in, drop a pin and get driving directions, add stops,
see all that Google Maps has to offer… stores & streets,
paths & ponds
—Karen Pao
Photographs by Karen Pao:
Da’an Forest Park panorama and Birds in trees (header
photographs) and Malayan Night Heron (above)
Both of these maps systems work with CarPlay. Get Way
Out and not lost.
—Joan Mashburn
The Siskin . Vol. 69, No. 1 . February 2024
7
NORTHERN VIRGINIA BIRD CLUB
P.O. BOX 5812
ARLINGTON, VA 22205-0812
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Dulles, VA
Permit No. 400
DATED
MATERIAL
JOIN THE NORTHERN
VIRGINIA BIRD CLUB
Northern Virginia Bird Club dues for
2024 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 send a
message for Elizabeth Fenton
at
emfenton@cox.net.
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
nvbcexchange@googlegroups.com. The
list is for NVBC members’ use only.
General Meeting Dates: February 15,
April 18, September (tbd), and Nov
(tbd) 2024..
Next Board Meeting: Thursday,
February 29, 2024, 7:30 p.m. To join
the Zoom board meeting or to have
items put on the agenda, please email
lgmeade@gmail.com.
Deadline for next issue of The
Siskin: The April issue will include
activities through June 2024. Please
send items for publication by March
15, 2024 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
Directors Emeritus: Charlotte Friend,
Joanna Taylor, Don Wiesnet
Membership: Elizabeth Fenton,
emfenton@cox.net
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@mail.com