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Please Donate to the Second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas (VABBA2)

The Second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas (VABBA2) is wrapping up its final year of field data collection. More than 1,400 volunteers and scientists, including many of you, have reported on the breeding activity of over 200 bird species throughout Virginia!
The Atlas project will soon enter its next phase: data analysis and compilation into readily usable information. Although its final form is still being determined, the VABBA2 will provide accessible science-based information on avian population and habitat distributions, species maps and accounts, and a range of other topics. This data will support positive environmental regulation and species conservation, rural land preservation, public lands acquisition and management, climate change actions, and much more.
 
To make this possible, we need your help! Your gift to the VABBA2 will help support completion of this essential body of scientific knowledge whose time has come.
Please donate at www.virginiabirds.org. Thank you!
 
The VABBA2 is a project of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Virginia Tech, and the Virginia Society of Ornithology. The VSO is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.
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The Williamsburg Bird Club was organized with the purpose of promoting interest in the study of wild birds; protecting birds and their habitat; and sharing the joy of birding with others. To do so, the Club supports the goals of many birding partners, including these listed on our website under links: Virginia Society of Ornithology, Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, The Center for Conservation Biology, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Recently the Virginia Society of Ornithology posted the following statement which the Williamsburg Bird Club also endorses:

The Virginia Society of Ornithology recognizes the unique challenges people of color can face in all aspects of society, and that includes birding and other outdoor pursuits. Enjoyment of birds and all facets of the natural world is everyone’s right, equally and without bias. As our ongoing commitment, we will continue to promote participation from people of all backgrounds and ethnicities in our field trips, youth programs, and all other VSO activities. Through diversity we are stronger, wiser and better able to face the challenges of declining bird populations and environmental degradation.

Check out this article which highlights Black Birders Week, with insightful comments from Dr. Drew Lanham, Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University:
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/06/05/black-birders-week

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Global Big Day May 9th

On Saturday May 9th, eBird is hosting a Global Big Day for birders all around the world. The goal is to collect as many eBird checklists as possible in 24 hours. In last year’s Global Big Day a total of 92,284 checklists were submitted. Team eBird is hoping to surpass 100,000 checklists this year!
 
Since many of our activities needed to be canceled this Spring, the Global Big Day is a great opportunity for us to come together (virtually) and collect bird data as a replacement for the Williamsburg Bird Club’s annual Spring Bird Count. Everyone can participate and we’ll compile and publish the results from all of the checklists submitted between Williamsburg Bird Club members, Historic River Master Naturalists, and other community members who’d like to contribute. The event will work as follows:
  1. Count birds at home or in your neighborhood following safe, social distancing guidelines. Count anytime, or multiple times, from midnight to midnight on Saturday May 9th. Multiple checklists are encouraged if you plan to spend several short periods of time watching birds throughout the day.
  2. Create a checklist(s) using your personal eBird account.
  3. Share your checklist(s) with the bird club’s eBird account. Our username is “W Bird Club”.
Instructions for creating an eBird account and sharing checklists will be forthcoming by e-mail for those who don’t have accounts or previous experience sharing checklists. If you’d rather not create an eBird account, then you can send your data to me (Jim Corliss), and I will create a checklist for you using the bird club’s account.
 
I will compile all of the checklists submitted May 9th and publish those results. We’re hoping we can collectively find at least 100 species, and also contribute at least 100 checklists to help eBird meet their 100,000 goal! The WBC will award a “special prize” to the individual or family who submits the most eBird checklists. Be sure also to upload photos of any interesting sightings when you submit your checklists so we can share those with other WBC and HRCVMN members.
 
Time participating in the Global Big Day is considered as VMN volunteer hours under Project C2b, Global Big Day / Spring Bird Count. More information about eBird’s Global Big Day can be found at the following web site.
 
 
This will be a great opportunity to “get together” for a worthwhile cause. Please contact me with any questions.
 
Jim Corliss
WBC Bird Walks and Counts
HRCVMN Cohort VI
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All Bird Club Activities Suspended through June 10, 2020

Dear Club Members:  I do hope that all of you are continuing to stay well and safe!  Your good health is an upmost priority to me and as President of your club I feel it is my responsibility to do everything I can to minimize any risk to our members.  I also feel a grave responsibility to your family and our community.  I am sure you are  aware of the  Stay-at-Home directive issued by the Governor yesterday. 

I have pasted a section of that order below as it pertains to what activities we are allowed.  
 
1. All individuals in Virginia shall remain at their place of residence, except [that they may leave when] … obtaining food, beverages or goods…seeking medical attention…or essential services…or
e. Engaging in outdoor activity, including exercise, provided individuals comply with social distancing requirements;
 
Based on this order and my belief that it is nearly impossible to engage in a birding activity that involves more than one person and still comply with social distancing, I am canceling all bird club activities scheduled until the order expires.  That date as of now is June 10th. This includes meetings, field trips, and all other club activities.  I believe we must set an example to our community that we understand the importance of complying in order to reduce deaths and that we are willing to make a sacrfice of our own enjoyment in order to do so.  
 
Of course nature, in all its glory, is still available to enjoy so do go outdoors and take it all in but in a safe and responsible manner. I look forward to when we can get together and share our love of birds and nature.  I know that day will come.  In the mean time feel good in that we are going above the call of duty to take care of ourselves, our families, and our community.  
 
Best
Cheryl Jacobson  
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2020 VSO Cancelled

From Williamsburg Bird Club President Cheryl Jacobson:


First of all I want to say that I hope you’re taking extra care to stay safe and healthy, for yourself, your loved ones, and those around you. I know It is a stressful and emotional experience as our daily routines change. However, we have one thing in common: an enduring love of birds. And at times like this, birds can bring us joy and provide a connection to the natural world. This will pass and we will be together in person to share this love. 
Also, this email is to let you know that we have canceled the VSO 2020 Annual Meeting.  I want to give a special thanks to all the volunteers who stepped up when asked. Also, a special thanks to Rexanne Bruno who has been a tremendous leader and to all the members on the planning committee.  

In an email to the committee Rexanne recently wrote, ” I regret having to cancel this meeting  as I know it would have been one of the best VSO meetings ever. You all contributed so much to this being a successful meeting and then the coronavirus pandemic happened and threw us into a tailspin. I have been so impressed with the effort each of you has made and the way you each stepped up to accept responsibilities to make this meeting happen. ”  The Committee could not have succeeded without you and so I extend these same comments to all our volunteers, exhibitors, field trip leaders, raffle donators, etc.  

I will say again…this will pass and we will gather to share our love of birds.   Best  Cheryl Jacobson  

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Cancellation of Events

Hello Everyone:  I hope this email finds you all well!  I feel a grave responsibility to you, your families, and our community at this time.  I have been communicating with the Master Naturalist Historic Rivers Chapter and our Board and we have made the decision that it is best to suspend all WBC  group activities for the present. That includes our monthly meetings, bird walks, and field trips. The news reflects that the Coronavirus is very much present in our local community and we needed to respond to that news. HRC has also communicated with the Master Gardeners so that we can try to be consistent in our messages given our common memberships.

The Birds are singing, many parks are open, and nesting season is beginning so I encourage you to get out in nature and enjoy.  This is a great way to relieve some of the stress we all are experiencing.  However we need to be sure that we minimize any possible risk of exposure for our members. There is plenty to do to satisfy your natural cravings and love of birds. The magnolias and camellias are beautiful right now. You can still watch your feeders. Read a book. Take a bird hike. Enter what you see on eBird.  For now we recommend that you keep contact with the public down to a critical, only as needed minimum.

As the HRC President said, as things improve and return to normal, which they surely will, I will let you know  when we will return to our normal monthly activities. Until then stay in touch. Take care of each other. Stay informed with accurate, reliable information and when we meet again as a group we look forward to seeing all of you. 

Stay Well My Friends Cheryl Jacobson, President WBC

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March 28th Bird Walk Cancelled

New Quarter Park has cancelled all their events through April 12th due to coronavirus concerns. This includes the Williamsburg Bird Club walk scheduled for March 28th.

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Saturday’s walk is NOT cancelled

UPDATE: We are not canceling the bird walk scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday). Since it is out doors we believe your risk is lower. However, please implement everything you have heard about social distancing for the sake of yourself, your family, and the community. Refrain from hugging or handshaking. Welcome one another verbally or by a non contact gesture.

If you’re not feeling well (for whatever reason), stay home. You will be missed. We know there is excitement about this new location for bird walks. However, we promise you we will provide many more opportunities to go there.

It is not required to carpool to Kittiewan Plantation if you prefer to drive yourself. There is plenty of parking at the location. However, we still encourage everyone to meet in the parking lot at Colony Square at 7:30 AM and caravan from there so we all make it to the correct location.

This Saturday, March 14, we will hold our bird walk at a new location – Kittiewan Plantation in Charles City. Thank you to Sara Lewis for helping us gain access to this unique property. The plantation grounds are adjacent to Kittiewan Creek which flows out to the James River. A quick visit to the plantation this morning yielded 5 Bald Eagles, ten Green-winged Teal, two Belted Kingfishers, dozens of sparrows and juncos, House Finches, Northern Flickers, and on and on….

The walk will consist of some birding around the grounds of the manor house and its outbuildings that are situated amongst wooded areas and farm fields. Sparrows, juncos, finches, robins, cardinals, and flickers are plentiful in this area. We’ll then walk about 1/2 mile down to Kittiewan Creek looking for waterfowl, kingfishers, and eagles. There is an active eagle’s nest on the far end of the creek that was being watched over by two adults this morning.

The plantation is an easy 30 minute drive straight out Route 5 from Williamsburg. To reduce the number of cars and also make sure everyone finds their way to the correct location, we’ll carpool from our usual spot in the northeast corner of the Colony Square parking lot (where the Restore and Carrot Tree are located) near the intersection of Jamestown Road and Route 199. Please be at the carpool location and ready to leave by 7:30 AM.

If for some reason you don’t make the carpool and would like to drive yourself to the plantation, the address is:
12106 Weyanoke Rd.
Charles City, VA 23030
We will start the bird walk at 8:00 AM

We will be met by Myron Rolston, a volunteer at the plantation, who will accompany us on our walk. Wear good shoes for the walk down to Kittiewan Creek along a small and slightly rocky/rutted road. The area around the creek may also be wet, so shoes that can handle a little mud may also be a good choice. Please bring a spotting scope if you have it, which will help us identify waterfowl on the creek. We’ll plan to head back to Williamsburg at 10AM.

The plantation is also the home of the Archeological Society of Virginia. Please visit this web site for more information about this interesting property.
https://www.virginiaarcheology.org/kittiewan-home-of-the-asv/

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March meeting has been canceled

The March meeting has been cancelled. Our speaker has decided to not come because of the Coronavirus.  Also, William and Mary will only be holding classes on line and our meeting room is not available. 

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A Balanced Solution for Virginia’s Birds, Bridges and Tunnels

From the website of the Virginia Society of Ornithology, prepared by Andrew Rapp and Terri Cuthriell:
 
The Challenge: The expansion of the Hampton-Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) will result in the loss of nesting habitat for more than 25,000 seabird adults and chicks. The South Island of the HRBT is an elevated artificial island that currently supports the largest seabird nesting colony in Virginia.  The colony is comprised of the state threatened Gull-Billed Tern as well as Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, Common Terns, Black Skimmers and a variety of gull species. Several historic colony sites in Virginia have been completely lost and numbers of all of these birds in Virginia have been declining for years.  Without proactive conservation action, there currently is no available habitat for these numbers and this diversity of seabirds in Virginia. The loss of the HRBT South Island nesting colony may result in long-term population declines in all these birds if suitable replacement habitat is not created. The loss of this nesting site is especially urgent for populations of Royal and Sandwich Terns as Virginia is the northernmost extent of their range and HRBT South Island is their primary nesting site.
 
The Solution:  A science-based solution exists: build a sand-topped island to which the displaced birds may be attracted. Nearby states of Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina have successfully built and managed islands for colonial seabirds and, in some cases, also have improved fish habitat. Across the U.S. and around the world, partnerships between states and federal agencies have built bird islands to successfully mitigate other actions, such as bridge or road expansion, and channel dredging. In the face of the current lack of federal protection under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act, state-level leadership will be required to implement this conservation solution. Construction of a suitable predator-free island in a fish-rich area that is designed to also improve fish habitat will result in a win-win-win solution for Virginia’s largest-ever transportation project, its seabirds, and its essential fish habitat.
 
A Showcase for Coastal Resilience: Virginia is proactively developing a master plan for encouraging coastal resilience.  Successful construction of an island to benefit natural resources at the same time as the state is improving critical transportation infrastructure will be a resilience showcase. Ongoing dredging of shipping channels and activities related to expansion of the Port of Virginia and the HRBT itself could provide the sources of sand and federal partnerships needed to complete this project.
 
From Cheryl Jacobson, President of the Williamsburg Bird Club:
 
Public comment can make a difference. Please consider writing Virginia state officials (Governor, Secretary of Natural Resources, and Secretary of Transportation) to express support for building a replacement island for this seabird colony that will otherwise be lost due to inaction.

The terns’ nesting site has already been destroyed without a solution in place.
 
The links below are helpful orientation about the situation:

The Honorable Ralph S. Northam
Governor of Virginia
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218

Matthew J. Strickler
Secretary of Natural Resources
Patrick Henry Building
1111 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Ryan Brown, Executive Director
VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
P.O. Box 90778,
Henrico, VA 23228-0778

Ms. Shannon Valentine, Secretary
Virginia Department of Transportation
1401 E. Broad St.
Richmond, Virginia 23219