BSCL met March 1 for its monthly meeting.
Mr. Larry Meade with the Northern Virginia Bird Club provided BSCL with a presentation on backyard birding as part of this Thursday’s meeting.
Minutes
President Chris Siple called the meeting to order at 7:30pm. The minutes of the
February meeting were approved as drafted.
Program
Our program was a presentation by Larry Meade on backyard birding. Mr. Meade is
President of the Northern Virginia Bird Club (with 400 membners) and a former board
member of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. He serves as a sector leader for several
Christmas Bird Counts and is an avid nature photographer. He often leads nature walks
for various conservation groups in our area and teaches workshops for the Audobon
Society of Northern Virginia.
Mr Meade showed photos and described a number of winter birds seen in Barcsroft and
vicinity. There are eagles along the Potomac and Peregrine Falcons on both Beltway
bridges. Owls nest across Four Mile Run from us and are heard in Barcroft. We have
many ducks in winter. We have seven kinds of woodpeckers in winter. We have a few
yellow bellied sapsuckers, who drill a pattern of small holes in a tree to let sap out with
insects in it. We have many "Little Brown Jobs" include sparrows, juncos, towhees, wrens, warblers, chicadees, titmouses, nuthatches, kinglets, brown creepers, thrushes, bluebirds, robins, crows, blue jays, blackbirds, grackles, cowbirds, finches, and herons.
There are many birdwalks in this area, and Mr. Meade shared links to a number bird
pages on the internet. One popular walk is on the first Wednesday of each month, and
starts from Long Branch Nature Center at 8:30am.
Announcements
Little Library: two applications have been submitted by Barcrofters for a Little Library
in front of their homes like the on in front of the Woman's Club.
Communications: Chris said the Communications Committee has been meeting and
will have some recommendations soon.
Tee Shirt Project: Elaine Squeri updated us on the tee shirt project.
Invasives Pull: Alyssa Morel invited all to participate in the next Invasive Pull, March
31 from 1 to 3:30pm starting at 9th St. S and the W&OD trail.
Audbon at Home: on May 1 Alyssa will present on this backyard habitat program at
the UU church at perhaps 730pm. Details will follow.
Civic Federation: Chris Hoh could not be at this meeting but will be reporting to the Civic Federation next week that Barcroft supports the "Reach for 100" initiative to declare a County goal of using 100% renewable-source electric energy by 2035.
Warming trays: Randy Swart showed an electric warming tray that the BSCL will
provide to renters to preclude the use of sterno warming trays. Although our rental
contract bans any open flames on the Community House property inside or outside the
building, caterers bring trays that require warming, and will use sterno if there is no
good option.
The meeting adjourned at 9pm.
Respectfully submitted
Randy Swart