Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

This past March, the first ever State of the Birds Report was published and it’s well worth a download. You can also watch a State of the Birds video (6 minutes) that gives a summary of the findings. The report looks at over 800 species of birds across the United States in habitats that range from forests to wetlands to coastlines and oceans to grasslands to deserts. It looks at 40 years of bird population data, assesses the current state of birds and talks about their future. As the narrator of the video states, the results are sobering…..but birds also have some degree of resilience so we have the opportunity now to change the course. 

In addition to the excellent information provided in this report, I wanted to point out a bit about how it was produced.  The effort was led through the partnership of both non-profit and government organizations, but the work wasn’t just done by paid staff. Citizen Science Volunteers (like you and me) played a key role in gathering and reporting data that was used.

This highlights the importance of the efforts that so many of you are involved in with our International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) Counts, our Bird Atlas and our Christmas Bird Count and it also highlights a wonderful cycle. Data that we gather locally here in Loudoun is fed up into the databases that scientists as well as decision-makers within our government can use to make policies and set direction for restoring and protecting our environment. But, it is also used to create reports like this that enables each of us to see the big picture and turn data into action: restoring habitats, employing well planned habitat management practices (like mowing fields after grassland birds have nested), putting conservation easements in place on properties, letting our backyards be wild places, and so on.

Included here is a photo of a Prairie Warbler by Laura Weidner from the IMBD Count, just one of well over 100 species of birds that were identified through our bird counts and birdathon.

“Birds are the bellwether, not only of their own populations and habitats; they are indicators of the health of the environment that all humans depend upon.”

So, it’s a little weird to blog about myself but we wanted to pass on the news about the Loudoun County Outstanding Environmental Volunteer Award. It was quite an honor to receive it and I’m very thankful for the recognition. Below is the press release.
 
Volunteer Loudoun recognized Nicole Hamilton and named her the Loudoun County Outstanding Environmental Volunteer at the April 21st Board of Supervisors meeting.  Remarks by Master of Ceremonies Tim Jon during the award presentation follow:
 
. . . Nicole Hamilton, our Outstanding Environmental Volunteer is being honored today for her countless hours to The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and has served in many leadership roles for over 10 years.  With her initiative, many of the conservancy’s popular programs have grown in scope, volunteers, and positive outcomes.  She served as president from 2004-2008 and increased programs and communication with members, volunteers and the public substantially.
 
Programs that Nicole began or enhanced include the “Citizen Science” or wildlife monitoring programs, the Bluebird Monitoring program in partnership with the Virginia Bluebird Society, the Loudoun Amphibian Monitoring Program with support from local experts, and she coordinated the 2008 Butterfly Count with 48 participants who counted nearly 3,000 total butterflies and over 50 species.
 
As president of the LWC, Nicole increased membership fourfold to 616, strengthening its capability to accomplish its mission.  In addition, Nicole works with property owners and local government officials to increase awareness of vernal pools threatened by development which resulted in plans to protect these pools with increased buffer areas and habitat restoration projects.
 
Nicole also serves as webmaster of the LWC website, www.loudounwildlife.org, writes an almost daily blog, and has introduced new technologies including podcasts and Twitter to communicate with a broader audience.  She generates a monthly e-mail announcement and writes articles for LWC’s quarterly publication the Habitat Herald.

When nature has work to be done,
she creates a genius to do it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our Ruby-throated hummingbirds are here and they’re so much fun to watch throughout the spring and summer! Here are just a few things to remember or do to enjoy your neighborhood hummingbirds:

1. Keep your feeder clean. In the heat of the summer an awful black mold can grow in the sugar solution and its not good for birds. So, be sure to clean your feeder every time you fill it – when its hot, the sugar solution will go bad quickly so you’ll want to clean and fill your feeder every few days to keep it fresh. Use a brush and be sure to clean those little ports that the hummingbird feeds from too.

2. Use plain white sugar for your sugar solution. One part sugar to four parts water is the proper mixture. Do not add any red dyes or other substances as they’re not good for the birds. As long as your feeder has red on it, that’s all the red you’ll need to attract them.

3. If bees are coming to your feeder and you’d rather they not, you can dilute the sugar solution to one part sugar, five parts water and they should loose interest in the feeder.

4. Male hummingbirds will adopt a feeder as their territory and defend it aggressively.  This is just what they do. You can set up several feeders which will give other birds a chance to drink too.

5. If ants are getting into your feeders, you can get one of those plastic ant barriers which keep them out. They generally hang right above the hummingbird feeder so the ants encounter the barrier before making their trek down to the feeder itself. Some use a water moat that the ants can’t cross while others have a citronella disk that deters the ants from proceeding.  I’ve used both and they work great.

6. Protect feeders from cats and other predators by making sure that the feeder is high enough off the ground that the hummingbirds won’t be surprised by a pouncing cat.

7. Keep a pair of binoculars handy so you can get close up views of your hummingbirds. Viewing that ruby throat and that emerald green and the detail of their feathers is a special treat and while they sit on the feeder, they’ll actually be slowed down enough for you to focus . You can also identify the juveniles by the streaking on their throats.

8. For the full benefit of the birds and your yard, provide native nectar plants in addition to your feeder. This provides the hummingbirds with the varied food sources that they need to stay healthy. While hummingbirds love their nectar, they also need the protein that they get from eating insects and a healthy native garden free of pesticides can provide this for them. Some real favorites include columbine, cardinal flower, bee balm, trumpet vine and others with a tube-like shape. Check our gardening for wildlife plant list for more ideas.

9. Another fun feeder to set up is one that has aging fruit (like bananas and oranges).  The fruit will attract fruit flies which the hummingbirds will gobble up, as well as butterflies which will come for the fructose.

10. Try sitting outside near your feeder. It’s fun to have a hummingbird buzz close by you. As you sit outside near the feeder, they’ll not only get used to you but also curious about who or what you are. I have a special shirt with a red geometric shape on it and the hummingbirds get very interested in seeing if it’s a flower. Sometimes they come so close that I can barely focus my eyes on them before they’ve dashed off to a tree limb to sit and preen.

Earth is here so kind,
that tickle her with a hoe,
and she laughs with a harvest.

- Douglas Jerrold

The EPA has created an absolutely amazing little video called “Wetlands and Wonder: Reconnecting Children with Nearby Nature.” Click on the link here to view the video. It’s really terrific.

In the video you get to hear great naturalists like Robert Michael Pyle, Richard Louv and others talk about wetlands and the great opportunities they give us for exploring nature.  They talk about the importance of wetlands in our ecosystem and ways that kids (of all ages…me too)  can connect with nature through wetlands.

Wetlands are one of our richest habitats in terms of diversity of life and they’re so much fun to explore! From birds to amphibians to turtles and snakes to insects to fish to bats to really interesting plants – they’ve got it all. Some even have beavers! They serve as nurseries, water filter systems, safe havens and places to rest or fuel up if you’re a migrating bird. 

Where are the nearest wetlands near where you live? Is there a steam, a swamp, a pond, a flooded field or marsh? With all the rain we’ve gotten over the past few days, the wetland near you will likely be teaming with live. Take a few minutes to check out the Wetlands and Wonder video and then go out exploring!

The best part about going out to explore nature is that we already carry with us all the gear we need to get out there and have fun….carry with you all your senses – your eyes, your ears, your nose, your sense of touch, and of course, your imagination. Touch the water, feel the plants, get mud between your toes! Yeah! It’s simply wild out there!

This coming Saturday (May 9th) is International Migratory Bird Day!  To celebrate this great day, we have twelve (yes you read that right!) excellent bird walks planned in places across Loudoun, and they’re prefect for people who are new to birding as well as those who have been bitten by the bug already.

A few years back I was in Peru and was on a bird walk with a local group. I was wearing my IMBD t-shirt from the year before and the woman leading the trip asked me what it was all about. 

I’d never been asked that before, but it’s always been a special day for me.  My answer was a quick, knee-jerk response: “It’s a day when we celebrate the connections between our countries, between North America and South America, through our birds.” She was intrigued and we talked further about the birds we were seeing there in her home town, the perilous journey that many of them would soon make back towards our area, and the places that I would then enjoy watching them through the summer. It was a really neat discussion and probably the first time that I had really connected with someone who was my counterpart, thousands of miles away from home, sharing in both the love of birds and the responsibility of caring for their habitat.

So, IMBD has a variety of facets to it. It’s a wonderful day to get outside, enjoy nature and see some beautiful spring arrivals. It’s a time to witness the amazing journeys birds make between countries and continents. It’s a time to look at our habitat from a bird’s eye view and consider what is here and what has disappeared. And, it’s a time to think about the places and the people in the countries to whom these birds connect us.

We encourage all of you to come on out and join us for one of our walks this weekend, see some of these wonderful birds, enjoy the springtime with us….and bring your friends!

You can sign up for our walks online on our IMBD Signup page and also learn more about IMBD (and download some free materials) by visiting the Partners in Flight website. 

As part of this event, some of us are also participating in the Birdathon to raise money for the development of the Loudoun County Bird Atlas – this Atlas will, for the first time, provide a reference on the birds that rely on Loudoun for habitat. Having this data will enable us to better engage in conservation efforts to preserve (or restore) wildlife habitats. If you’d like to make a pledge to one of our teams, you can do so online: Make a pledge.  Every bit helps!

I hope to see you out along the trails!

Wetlands Awareness Month was started in 1991 (19 years ago!) by the EPA to not only celebrate our local wetlands but also bring their importance back to the forefront.

In just 200 years, we have lost over 42% of our wetlands here in Virginia; and while our rate of loss has slowed over the past 20 years we’re still loosing these vital natural resources.

So in celebration of May and all the great signs of renewal that it offers, lets learn about wetlands:

The EPA has a page set up with all sorts of information about wetlands: http://www.epa.gov/wetlands/awm/ as well as a number of wetland fact sheets that can be used to learn and teach others.

For educators, there’s a great resource called WOW: The Wonders of Wetlands. But even if you’re not a teacher (well, we’re all teachers of some sort, aren’t we?) there are lots of activities and information on these pages. Check out Wetlands 101 to learn about these really important habitats.

Ever been out for a walk and heard a cat-like call coming from the shrubbery or tangles? Then a bird pops up and scolds you for entering its territory? Well this was quite likely our spunky Catbird. We have them throughout Loudoun and they are a wonderful songbird.

Test your knowledge of catbird behaviors by trying out our latest crossword puzzle. You can download the Catbird crossword and get some hints and tips for the answers by reading our Catbird article from the Habitat Herald which I’ve also included in the file.

More crosswords on Loudoun nature and wildlife can be found on our Educational Resources page.