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Springtime Bird Outing with the Bureau of Land Management and the NPS Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, April 25th

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Photo: Indigo Bunting, Randy Streufert – NVBA Photo Contest

Saturday, April 25, 2026
9:00 AM 11:00 AM

Meadwood Special Recreation Area
10702 Harley RoadLorton, VA, 22079United States (map)

FREE, but registration is requested

Join participants for a springtime bird walk with Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA) partners, National Park Service Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and the Bureau of Land Management, on National Go Birding Day! Together you will explore the diverse bird species that inhabit Meadowood Special Recreation Area. This event is also during the 2026 iNaturalist City Nature Challenge for those looking to participate in the observation period.

Plan to arrive by 9:00 A.M. to meet your guides at the Mustang Trailhead, located at 10702 Harley Road, Lorton, VA 22079. Together, everyone will hike and explore Mustang Meadow and the Thompson Creek Loop Trail. Please note that this outing will cover approximately one to three miles.

Getting There & Additional Site Information

Go south on I-95 to Exit 163 toward Lorton. Turn left onto Lorton Road at the end of the exit ramp. Pass under the second overpass and turn right onto Lorton Market Street (you will see Panera and Planet Fitness). Continue about 1.5 miles to the traffic light at Route 1. Go straight through the light (the road name changes to Gunston Road). In about 1.5 miles, you will pass the main entrance to Meadowood on the right. About half a mile later, you will see a large green pavilion—turn right onto Harley Road, then take the next right into the Mustang Trail Parking Lot.

The Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) offers 13.4 miles of hiking trails, 7 miles of horseback riding trails, and 6.6 miles of mountain biking trails. The site includes two fishing ponds (one of which is universally accessible), 800 acres of forest and meadow habitat, environmental education programs, equestrian facilities, geocaching opportunities, and birdwatching. Learn more on BLM’s Meadowood webpage.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) partners with Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA) volunteers to provide educational stewardship programs and guided events at Meadowood SRMA in Lorton, Virginia. For over 20 years, NVBA has supported the site through volunteer surveys, guided programs, stewardship projects, and educational activities focused on local species populations.

What should you bring?

Binoculars are helpful but not required for birding. There will be a limited number of loaner pairs available for participants to use. Guides will also be using the eBird app to record and report sightings during the outing; you are  encouraged to download the free app and set up an account ahead of time. Please note that trails can be muddy after heavy rain or snow. Organizers recommend wearing comfortable, closed-toe shoes with good traction, especially for the boardwalk sections. Strollers are not permitted on the boardwalk.

Cancellation Policies for NVBA Bird Outings

Everyone’s safety and enjoyment are top priorities. Occasionally, there may be a need to postpone or cancel an outing to protect the well-being of participants or guides. Whenever possible, you will be notified at least 48 hours in advance; however, last-minute changes may be necessary. Outings may be canceled or postponed for reasons such as:

  • Unsafe air quality

  • Guide illness

  • Extreme weather, including: Lightning within 10 miles of the event location, temperatures above 90°, heavy thunderstorms, snow, or hail.

If an outing must be canceled on the day of the event, organizers will do their best to email all registered participants as soon as possible and/or post the cancellation on their website. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility!

Questions? Contact NVBA’s Community Engagement Coordinator, McKenzie, at mckenzie@nvbirdalliance.org.

Celebrating Warblers: Yes, That’s a Warbler Too!, Webinar, May 20th

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Photo: Ovenbird by ABC

Tuesday, May 20, 2025
4 – 5 pm
Free webinar
Register here.

Did you know that North America is home to 53 species of warblers? While many are easily recognized by their name, other species like redstarts and waterthrushes might surprise you. These vibrant songbirds are not just beautiful to observe; they play crucial roles in our ecosystems.​

Unfortunately, warblers are among the many bird species facing significant declines, with some species even experiencing a loss of over 50% in population since 1970, according to the 2025 U.S. State of the Birds report. Habitat loss is a primary driver of these declines.

Join American Bird Conservancy (ABC) for a special “Warblinar” to learn more about warblers — whether by name or not, their songs are just as sweet! We’ll explore what defines them, their ecological importance, and the critical challenges they face. They’ll also discuss ABC’s conservation efforts and how you can take bold action to help conserve these remarkable birds.​

You’ll hear from ABC experts and partners, including:

Anne Mini, Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Science Coordinator
Linnea Rowse, Great Lakes Private Lands Director
Jordan E. Rutter, Director of Communications, American Bird Conservancy

If you can’t make the webinar live, RSVP now and they’ll send you a recording to enjoy when the time is right for you!

Backyard Bird ID Workshop, March 20th

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Photo: Cerulean Warbler by Matt Felperin

Thursday, March 20, 2025
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Virtual

Free – RSVP now and start birding!

Sign-up for this exciting backyard bird identification workshop, where you will dive into the fascinating world of local birds and seasonal visitors! Whether you’re watching from your window, patio, or garden, you’ll gain the confidence to identify and appreciate the birds around you.

During this workshop, we’ll cover:

  • Common backyard bird species you’re likely to see year-round

  • Migratory warblers that might pass through your yard this Spring

  • Essential birding tools—from field guides to apps and binoculars

  • How to use Merlin to identify unfamiliar birds

  • How to use e-bird to report birds you observe

  • Tips for creating a team and participating in Birdathon

This is also a great opportunity for Wildlife Sanctuary Program participants to brush up on how to identify the Sanctuary Species that visit their yards. You need to document 10 sanctuary species to get your certification! Board Member Betsy Martin will join workshop to speak about that program and how you can make your yards friendlier to birds.

SPARROW IDENTIFICATION WITH BILL YOUNG, February 15th

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Photo: Courtesy of ASNV Savannah Sparrow, Jon Boeckenstedt/Audubon Photography Awards

Wednesday, February 15, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 PM

This is a virtual event

ASNV Members-$15.00 (Non-members $25.00)

Click here for registration details.

Sparrows can be difficult to identify. They are small birds that often skulk in the underbrush, and their plumage shows a very limited palette of colors. This class will help you to tell apart the sparrows you might see in Northern Virginia and to separate them from other small brown sparrow-like birds.

Bill Young is a writer who lives in Arlington. He is the co-creator (with Ashley Bradford) of the MPNature.com website, and he has taught numerous classes for ASNV.

Great Backyard Bird Count Workshop and Kahoot!, February 3rd

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Thursday, February 3, 2022
7 – 8:30 pm
Online.
Register here.

Save the date! The next GBBC is February 18 – 21. Bird enthusiasts of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are ranging. Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time.

Now, hundreds of thousands of people, all ages and walks of life worldwide, join the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds.

This FREE workshop will cover the history of GBBC, its purpose, tips for identifying birds, and the protocols to be followed while counting.

After the presentation, theyll test your identification skills with a Kahoot!

Octobird Fest at The Clifton Institute, webinars October 16th and 30th

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Winter Bird Identification
Friday, October 16, 2020
7 – 8 pm
Register here.
$20 registers you for both webinars.

Every season brings its own challenges for birdwatching. In winter similar-looking sparrows can be hard to tell apart and birding by ear becomes more difficult as birds start singing less and calling more. Join the leaders of The Clifton Institute bimonthly bird walks, including Executive Director Bert Harris, to learn some tips for identifying winter birds. Managing Director Eleanor Harris will quiz them with tricky calls and pictures and you can play along as Bert talks through the identification process. And then come out for one of their bird walks and put your new skills to the test!

Evolution and Biology of Bird Song
Friday, October 30, 2020
7 – 8 pm
Register here.
$20 registers you for both webinars.

Bird songs are beautiful and diverse and they have played an important role in the evolution of birds. Bird songs also give us the opportunity to see animals learning and sexual selection in action. In this presentation Managing Director Eleanor Harris, Ph.D., will give an overview on the biology and evolution of bird songs. And she’ll highlight some of the questions about bird songs that scientists still don’t have answers for. Throughout the talk she’ll focus on local examples.