With the governor restricting gatherings to less than 10 folks, suspending birdwalks seems like the logical next step. With that in mind, Bird Watching can be the one thing to help us all get through these days.

Everybody is stressful right now with all the unknown. One way to combat this sense of unease and discomfort is to get outside and bird. Birding by yourself is not as much fun as birding with others, but is really relaxing and healing to be outside. So please don't shut yourselves inside.

Speaking of Birding opportunities, how about looking into the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas (VABBA2)

There you find the information necessary to assist in what is being done. This is the final season of the VABBA2. Look at it as an opportunity to radically enhance your birding ability. Learn about the breeding habits of local birds and then discover them first hand. See that little Chickadee carrying food, could only mean they are feeding young. This is important, not because they don't think Chickadees nest here. They are looking for the evidence of nesting, state wide to see where they nest and when they nest.

Handbooks and materials can be found here

http://amjv.org/vabba/handbooks-and-materials/

Data is simply put into the VABBA2 through eBird.

In the eBird App Settings there is a Portal selection,

choose Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas. You will need to become familiar with breeding codes, choose the highest one that applies. So if you see and hear 10 chickadees singing and see one more carrying food, choose the carrying food code. I am certainly happy to answer any questions. The PRIORITY BLOCKS are the SE Blocks in each block.

https://ebird.org/atlasva/effortmap

Look over the Breeding Data, if the bird is known to breed in the Canadian Tundra, selecting in appropriate habitat is not valid.

I hope you all stay safe and stay sane by getting outside and birding!

Joe Cooney