Northern Shenandoah Valley Audubon Society

06/09/2026

Snaps from our evening Purple Martin walk last week! A large group gathered at Blandy Experimental Farm to meander down to the Purple Martin colony located there. Led by Dr. David Carr, director of Blandy (and a highly skilled and experienced birder), the group traversed a variety of habitats, pausing first at the Quarters to observe some of the Chimney Swifts that reside there. Other species observed along the way included both Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Cedar Waxwings, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, and Eastern Meadowlarks. Upon arrival at the Purple Martin colony, participants observed the colony in full activity - the martins were busy! Darting and diving in pursuit of food, perched and preening their feathers, ducking in and out of the nesting gourds as they tended their nests.

A huge thank you to Dr. Carr for lending his time and expertise, as well as all the birders and photographers who joined us. While birding is a wonderful pursuit to enjoy on your own, there's nothing like a group of birders together to help you get the most out of your experience!

Would you like join us for future walks and activities? Be sure to check out our events here on Facebook or over on our website:

https://www.nsvaudubon.org/events

06/04/2026

If you're looking for some free, family-friendly fun for this upcoming Saturday, look no further! Make plans to head over to the MSV for their National Trails Day Event! The weather looks fantastic, and there'll be all kinds of opportunities to explore the many things that make the "great outdoors" so great!

Looking for a fun, FREE way to spend this Saturday morning outdoors? Stop by—or ride a bike to—the MSV on June 6 for National Trails Day activities from 9 a.m. to noon! Get all the details here: www.theMSV.org/trails26

Celebrate the outdoors with free yoga sessions led by Jackie Dawson at the Standing Stone Circle: 9:30 a.m. for ages 18+ and 10:30 a.m. for families & kids. Plant a tree with MSV garden staff from 10–11 a.m. (while supplies last; families welcome), take an expert-led bird walk on the Trails (registration required), or visit a volunteer fair featuring more than a dozen area nonprofits from 10 a.m.–noon.

Enjoy hands-on nature activities on the Trails, including planting sunflower seeds, making bird feeders, and participating in a scavenger hunt. The Apple House Fork'd food truck will be at the MSV with apple cider donuts, BBQ, and more available for purchase.

BikeWalk Wi******er will offer free bicycle valet services, Blue Ridge Bicycles will provide bike checkups, and Wi******er VA Parks and Recreation will host a kids activity.

Spread the word and join us for a great morning on the Trails—we hope to see you there!

The MSV is located at 901 Amherst St. in Wi******er, VA.

05/23/2026

🌧 Please note that our Bird and Nature Walk scheduled at Abrams Creek today (May 23) has been cancelled due to inclement weather 🌧

05/15/2026

Another outdoor opportunity to add to your June calendar, happening on June 8 in nearby Harper's Ferry WV! See the event link for further details:

Join us for a leisurely stroll through Harpers Ferry as we search for our feathered friends during our Birding Walk event.

05/15/2026

June is just around the corner and there's all kinds of great opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature! We hope you'll join us, along with Dr. David Carr, at Blandy Experimental Farm on June 4 for an evening bird walk! Please see our event for further details:

https://www.facebook.com/share/18qn5tr3Wj/

05/08/2026

💐Have you been out enjoying some of these beautiful spring days we've had? The Purple Martins who've taken up residence at the NSVAS colony sure have! This video, taken recently at Blandy Experimental Farm, shows the purple martins actively preparing to nest!

Purple Martins are seasonal migrants here in Virginia, arriving in spring for their breeding season and leaving for South America in the fall, where they overwinter.

Read more about our Purple Martin Colony here: https://www.nsvaudubon.org/purple-martin-project

Want to learn more about the Purple Martin species? Check out Cornell's All About Birds page: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Martin/overview

04/30/2026

Did you join us for our most recent Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve walk? Held on Saturday, April 25, it was a stunning spring morning on the trail!

We were treated to a wide variety of bird sightings, including a bald eagle soaring overhead. The bald eagle sighting got even more exciting when a crow began to interact with the bald eagle, harassing it and attempting to drive it away (typical behavior)!

A variety of birds serenaded us along the way, including an Eastern Warbling Vireo, Orchard Oriole, Palm Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, as well as a large group of very vocal Red-Winged Blackbirds.

Want to join us for a future walk? We have two more left at Abrams Creek for this spring migration season, Saturday May 9 and Saturday May 23. See our Events tab for full details!