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| Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Alligator River NWR June 2025 picture courtesy of Laura Mae |
PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY. Each club receives funds from the National society based on renewal funds.
RECURRING MONTHLY EVENTS
WEYANOKE
The September monthly Weyanoke bird walk is scheduled for September 20th (3rd Saturday) at 8am, lasting about an hour. We meet at the entrance to the Weyanoke Sanctuary at 1501 Armistead Bridge Road in the West Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk. This will be a good time of year to visit Weyanoke for migrants.
The October monthly Weyanoke bird walk is scheduled for October 18th (3rd Saturday) at 8am, lasting about an hour. We meet at the entrance to the Weyanoke Sanctuary at 1501 Armistead Bridge Road in the West Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk. This will be a good time of year to visit Weyanoke for migrants.
The November monthly Weyanoke bird walk is scheduled for November 15th (3rd Saturday) at 8am, lasting about an hour. We meet at the entrance to the Weyanoke Sanctuary at 1501 Armistead Bridge Road in the West Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk. Wintering bird species will be the focus of this walk.
The December monthly Weyanoke bird walk is scheduled for December 20th (3rd Saturday) at 8am, lasting about an hour. We meet at the entrance to the Weyanoke Sanctuary at 1501 Armistead Bridge Road in the West Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk. Wintering bird species will be the focus of this walk.
HOFFLER CREEK
There is a monthly walk on the second Saturday of the month, led by Dave Brown, a local birding leader. Each month, the walk is at 4510 Twins Pines Rd, Portsmouth, Virginia. The gates open at 7:45am and sometimes close at 8am (closing time varies, best to be there at 7:45am).
MONTHLY MEETING
Our September meeting will be at St. Pauls Episcopal Church, 201 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 on Wednesday, September 17th 7:30 PM.
Our speaker isValerie Kenyon Gaffney, a resident Woodbridge, VA. Retiring in 2018 after a 25-year career with The Washington Post she immediately stepped into her role as an Eastern Bluebird, native plant advocate. After serving five years as president of Virginia Bluebird Society she is currently serving as President Pro Tem. She is a member of Virginia Native Plant Society and serves as treasurer of Prince William Wildflower Society, a VNPS chapter. A Prince William Master Gardener and member of Centennial Garden Club, her yard is an Audubon at Home Wildlife Sanctuary.
The program:The Tale of the Bluebird — A one hour presentation on the lifecycle of the Eastern Bluebird, what led to their decline in population, and what role we play in promoting and protecting Bluebirds and other secondary native cavity nesters.
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| Reddish Egret, beach survey at Back Bay NWR July 2025 Courtesy of David Clark |
PREVIOUS FIELD TRIP: As usual, field trips were suspended for the summer and are re-starting this month.
UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS:
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge (ESVNWR)
Meet at 7:00 AM in the parking lot on the south side of Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel so those who wish can form carpools.
This is a walking excursion of trails and roadways within the Refuge. Target species include fall migrating warblers, raptors and the full complement of east coast waders. Habitat includes forested trails, marsh overlook, and paved roadway with both brushy grasses and wood clearings on the side. There are significant chances of flyover species to include Bobolink, various raptors and others.
The walk is approximately 3.2 miles roundtrip. As an option, we can go up to the observation deck above Battery Winslow, which requires climbing about 50 steps. A 24-hour restroom is available at Hwy 13 rest stop just before you turn on Seaside Road to NWR. A Porta-potti is available in NWR parking lot at the start of the walk before the Visitor Center opens. The Butterfly Trail portion is grassy so expect morning dew on your feet. Bug spray and sunscreen are always advised, and snacks and water bottle also come in handy. After the walk, we will drive 4 miles to Kiptopeke State Park and visit the hawk watch. Mid-to-late morning thermals tend to be peak times for raptor movements if the winds cooperate.
Special Optional Extension
This year, the date of our Eastern Shore field trip coincides with the date of the Coastal Virgina Birdathon (formerly known as the Kiptopeke Challenge). For more than 2 decades, Bob Ake and David Clark have participated in this event, which is a fundraiser for the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Organization. This year, an additional category for club teams will be permitted and the rules will be relaxed so that not everyone needs to see each species for the team to count it in the team total. Bob will again be captain for our team which will include all of us who attend this field trip. He will venture out earlier than our scheduled start but will be joining us for our walk at ESVNWR and Kiptopeke SP. After that, he’ll continue birding the rest of the day, seeking out as many species can be found. His current plan is to head north making a number of stops and ending the day at Chincoteague and Saxis. Bob is inviting anyone who is so inclined to continue along with him for as much or as little of the additional birding as they desire.
Saturday, October 18 - Merchants Millpond State Park, NC
Meet at 8:00 at the Visitor Center, 176 Millpond Rd, Gatesville NC 27938
Additional details to follow
Saturday, November 15 - Grandview Nature Preserve, Hampton
Meet at 8:00 at the preserve entrance at the end of State Park Drive, Hampton. Park along the right side of the road.
Additional details to follow.
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| Piping Plover and Roseate Tern Back Bay NWR beach survey July 2025 photos courtesy of David Clark |
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS YOU CAN USE
LIGHTS OUT
The fall "Lights Out" campaign started on August 15 and runs through November 15. As part of this voluntary program, we urge property managers, businesses, tenants, government agencies, and residents to join us in helping to prevent night-time bird collisions with building by turning off and/or blocking as many external and internal building lights at workplaces as possible at night to help prevent injury and death of migrating birds, especially from 11 pm to sunrise. Visit https://www.birdsafehr.org/ to learn how you can get involved.
VIRGINIA ZERO WASTE AWARENESS WEEK
The Virginia General Assembly has designated the first full week of September as Zero Waste Awareness Week, dedicating it to educating all Virginians about zero waste, its principles, practices and benefits for the state's environment and budget. Read more about it at
Follow these tips to maximize Zero Waste Awareness Week – The Virginian-Pilot
RED COCKADED WOODPECKERS HANGIN ON IN THE SWAMP
In June 2025 Center for Conservation Biology wrote "Once widespread across the southeastern U.S., red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCWs) have seen steep declines over the past century due to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation. In the 2010s, an effort was initiated to establish a second population in Virginia to bolster the species’ long-term viability in Virginia. (A few CHAS members helped.) This spring (2025), CCB, USFWS and volunteers checked three nesting sites used before. Two of the three were still active. A pair was incubating three eggs. "These signs offer a glimmer of hope. While the Virginia population remains vulnerable, its resilience makes a compelling case for revitalizing support for the effort. Reinvesting now could secure the future of this small, but tenacious, population." See the full article at Red-cockaded Woodpeckers Hanging on in the Swamp - The Center for Conservation Biology