Birdathon, Cinco de Mayo edition!
The Results Are In!
10 Intrepid birders, divided into 3 teams, scoured the fields, meadows, and wetlands of Huntley Meadows park, looking and listening to every bird possible. In the end, they tallied 89 species, a number slightly lower than average, possibly due to the strong southwesterly flow of wind, pushing migrants past our location. Who knows. In the end, everyone had a great time counting birds and raising money to help fund the interns at Huntley Meadows Park.
Friends of Huntley Meadows Park
Annual Meeting
Dear Friends of Huntley Meadows Park,
Please join the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park (FOHMP) at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Norma Hoffman Visitor Center auditorium, located at 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria, VA 22306.
We look forward to sharing how your support has helped the Park over the past year, voting on next year’s Board members, and hearing from our guest speaker, Dr. D. Kurt Gaskill.
The Board of FOHMP is grateful for the support of our members and Friends as we all work to protect, preserve, and enjoy Huntley Meadows Park, a regionally and globally significant resource-based nature sanctuary.
FOHMP ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA
- Annual Meeting
- Recap of FOHMP’s prior year accomplishments
- Election of FOHMP Board of Directors
- Recommendation: The FOHMP Board of Directors recommends a vote in favor of electing the candidates listed below to the FOHMP Board for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
- Other Business
- Remarks by Dr. D. Kurt Gaskill on Marsh birds - Analysis of Historical Huntley Meadows Park Avian Observations
- Adjourn
Following the meeting, an optional informal walk through the park with board members will be available. ********************************************************************
Marsh birds - Analysis of Historical Huntley Meadows Park Avian Observations
Kurt Gaskill
The federal government transferred land to Fairfax Co in April 1975 which subsequently became Huntley Meadows Park. In ca. 1980 development of the park began and a few years later a number of uncommon avian species were found to be breeding, i.e., King Rail, Common Gallinule, Least Bittern, American Bittern, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, and Pied-billed Grebe. Although a few people in this audience are aware of these breeder observations, most of us are unaware of the details. Fortunately, nearly all of the details are contained in paper records although these are not easily accessed.
Last summer, I started a project to document the uncommon breeding species into a public database by transferring the paper data to Ebird and incorporating breeding comments as appropriate. After data entry, I was able to identify some trends in the data that were not generally recognized but have significant implications on the current state for uncommon avian species in Huntley Meadows Park. In this presentation, I will describe the data entry process, the presence of uncommon species from 1984 to 2025 in HM Park, as well as some other uncommon avian species that have bred in Huntley Meadows Park.
Kurt Gaskill started birding ca. 1994 in Northern Virginia and has served on the boards of the Friends of Dyke Marsh and the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory. He was coordinator for the Northern Region of the recent Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas and for 25 years was the compiler of the Fort Belvoir CBC.
FY 2027 FOHMP Board Member Candidates
Elizabeth Train, President
Elena Ryan, Vice President
Sarah Moon, Secretary
Celia Boertlein, Treasurer
Allen Collins
Kes Domone
Ben Jesup
Dan Lagana
Suzanne Lepple
Doug Mason
Paula Posas
Julie Reames
Charles Smith
Nancy Vehrs
Dennis Wang
President's Message
From the Boardwalk
By Liz Train
Photo courtesy Ben Jesup
Spring has arrived in the Huntley Meadows wetlands with fits and starts. The parking lot fills up early, the board walk is full of photographers, families, and birdwatchers.
Since our last newsletter, the intrepid Monday Morning Bird Walk participants have hiked through snow and ice in freezing conditions in contrast with other balmy spring mornings. The weekly bird counts are up to over 50 species now as reported by Nancy Vehrs, who leads the group. The group noted first of season sightings of Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, Palm Warblers and Greater Yellowlegs as well as the arrival of two Great Horned Owlets. The weekly walks now begin at 0700 every Monday.
This long-running project dating back to the park’s establishment, has been contributing detailed bird observation data that supports numerous ongoing research including the impacts of climate change, habitat loss, insect decline and pesticides on bird migratory patterns, breeding success and other behaviors. No registration is required and participants meet up in the visitor center parking lot. We are grateful to Nancy Vehrs and all the regulars who come out early and faithfully record this important observation data. No registration is required and participants meet up in the visitor center parking lot.
Environment for the Americas Annual Bird Conservation Campaign. The 2026 theme for the Environment for the Americas campaign is “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!” It emphasizes the importance of public participation in bird conservation. From backyard counts to international surveys, community science provides critical data on migration, populations, habitat use, and threats to birds— helping guide conservation action across flyways. Learn more about World Migratory Bird Day at www.migratorybirdday.org. We are grateful to Nancy Vehrs, and our participating Monday morning bird walk participants for contributing Huntley Meadows data to this global effort.
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Monday Morning Birdwalks
Want to learn more about the birds in Huntley Meadows Park? Bring your binoculars and join our Friends of Huntley Meadows Park (FOHMP) weekly Monday Morning Bird Walks. Meet in the visitor center parking lot (3701 Lockheed Blvd (7 AM, April - September). No registration required. Keep checking our website for scheduled birding and wildlife program walks:
Huntley Meadows Park Events and Programs.
Wildlife Sanctuary Program
Photo Teri Genberg
Backyard habitats provide safe corridors for birds and other wildlife to move between the larger natural areas such as Huntley Meadows Park. Get involved and count the birds in your back yard to contribute to this community science data project. Then visit Huntley Meadows to see what other birds you can attract by improving your habitat. Need help getting started to improve your backyard habitat? Request a free visit by a trained Wildlife Sanctuary Program (WSP) Ambassador from our partner organization, Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (NVBA).
Second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas
The long-awaited day has finally arrived – the Second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas website is now live! You can find the link to a description of its current content and a peek at what is to come in this update.
You all will note many familiar names as contributors, compilers, and volunteers to include members of our Friends group and regular Monday Morning bird walk group: Kurt Gaskill, Larry Cartwright, Harry Glasgow, Joann and Powell Huitton, Ben Jesup, Cathy and George Ledec, Sally Lindfors, Betsy martin, Tom Nardone, Greg Butcher and Linda Fuller and others!
Celebrating 50 Years
Compiled by Carolyn Gamble
An interview project by Pax Linson
The Friends of Huntley Meadows Park Have Joined the Bird Safe NOVA Campaign
More than one billion birds die each year from human-made causes. Even though Huntley Meadows Park does not have lights and buildings that pose threats to birds, the threats that the birds face elsewhere in northern Virginia and beyond have a direct impact on our park’s population of birds. The FOHMP have joined the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Nature Forward, DarkSky NOVA, DarkSky Virginia, Friends of Dyke Marsh, and Friends of Little Hunting Creek in a partnership, Bird Safe NOVA, which will work to reduce the devastating toll that our built-up environment has on birds
Lights Out for Birds
Bird Safe NOVA Campaign
Who We Are
The Friends of Huntley Meadows Park was founded in 1985 and is a nonprofit organization of individuals dedicated to the protection of Fairfax County's premier wetland wildlife sanctuary.
FOHMP was organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes and operates under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Monday Morning Birdwalk
The Monday Morning Bird Walk is sponsored by the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park and takes place every Monday at 7 a.m. April-September and 8 a.m. October-March. Following the walk, members of the group gather at the nearby Denny's for breakfast and to compile the morning's bird list. All are welcome.
Recent Visits and EBird Lists of Birds
Birders meet in the parking lot at the Park's entrance at 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA. Questions should be directed to Park staff during normal business hours at (703) 768-2525.
Friends of Historic Huntley
Friends of Historic Huntley is a non-profit citizen group committed to working with the Fairfax County Park Authority to assure the preservation, restoration and appropriate use of Historic Huntley and to enhance the public’s knowledge of the site and the broader historic development of the neighborhood.
FOHH Website
Join FOHH
Newsletter
Huntley Meadows
Volunteer of the Year
At the Volunteer Recognition Ceremony, held on Saturday, October 25, and sponsored by the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park, our very own, Liz Train, President of FOHMP, was the recipient of the Annual Ken Howard Volunteer of the Year award.
