The 18th annual Northern Virginia Bird Survey (NVBS), ASNV’s comprehensive breeding bird count, took place last June. Many thanks to the forty-three volunteers (nine new to the NVBS) who collected data at 643 grid points located at more than twenty-five sites and counted 9,931 birds representing 99 species. Since the survey began, 175,141 birds have been counted. With the addition of 5,780 new Excel records this year, the database now contains 96,115 records each with detailed count information about a single species at a single survey point.

Virginia's rivers and streams are seriously impaired according to a March Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) report. This annual assessment offers a good basis for asking your elected officials what they plan to do about it.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's analysis of the report, 71% of Virginia's streams violate state water quality standards along with 94% of all estuaries. Some of the streams in the Potomac and Shenandoah River basins that are on the list, for example, are Bull Run, Little Pimmit Run, Hunting Creek/Cameron Run, Little Hunting Creek and the Occoquan and Potomac Rivers.

• Join Jim Waggener for the annual International Migratory Bird Count at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, May 12th, 6:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Contact Jim via email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone (703-567-3555) if you can participate.
• ASNV has published a report on Trends in the Bird Population in Northern Virginia. Links to the report can be found here.
• A report on the 2012 Winter Waterfowl Bird Count along with links to the raw data for this and past years can be found here. There are also some photographs taken during the bird count by ASNV member Sheryl Pollock on the page.
• A report on the 2011 Christmas Bird Count along with links to the raw data for this and past years can be found here.
• Check out the ASNV Facebook page by clicking the the Facebook link on the right. Show your support by clicking the "Like" button.
• A workshop on the vulnerability of Virginia's Species of Greatest Conservation Need to Climate Change will be held June 12-14. More information can be found here.
• Last year an attempt to establish a "Pollinator" license plate didn't pass but deserves another shot. More information can be found here.
• Check out the Virginia Conservation Network's Citizen Advocate's Toolbox at the lower right side of this web page.

• A list of Audubon at Home demonstration sites can be found here.

• Northern Virginia Birds is a new ASNV project to encourage active participation in outdoor and environmental learning through the "entry point" of bird watching.
• We've added some new banners to the web site. The new photos are by ASNV members Marilyn Gaizband and Sam Schaen

See the calendar (at right) for more events.

The table below has links to various counts and surveys in which ASNV participants participate along with upcoming dates. The links on the left point pages with additional information about the count—often including links to compiled data from previously held counts.