January 2021
Letter from the President
Happy New Year! Like you, I’m looking forward to getting a corona vaccine in the next several months so I can get out and enjoy the natural world again with friends and volunteers. Until then, we all need to be vigilant – wear your mask, social distance, wash your hands.

CVWO is pleased to welcome Martina Coker to the Board! Martina lives on the Eastern Shore and actively volunteers in numerous community groups.
She was instrumental in the restoration of the Seaside Walkway at the Northampton County Preserve in 2019 and is working to facilitate the construction of two observation platforms at the Preserve. Read more about Martina below. Welcome, Martina!

Winter months are for report writing and preparation of our Annual Field Research Report. Look for the Report of our 2020 efforts in a few months – online and in your mailbox.

Our eNewsletter has a new, fresher look! Let us know what you think. And let us know if you have topics you would like to see in the newsletter. You can drop me an email with your feedback and suggestions. We would love to hear from you.
 
Thanks as always for your support.

Brian Taber, President
Take a Virtual Tour of Kiptopeke State Park's Big Water Visitor Center
When you visit Kiptopeke State Park in the spring, you may able to enjoy their new Big Water Visitor Center at the Park entrance. Finishing touches are underway. Meanwhile take this virtual tour of the Park and the Center with Park Volunteer Bill Dyas and Park Ranger Josh in this 13 minute virtual tour.
Martina Coker, New CVWO Board Member
Active Volunteer on the Eastern Shore
Martina Coker and her husband retired to the Eastern Shore in 2006 from New Jersey. Volunteer opportunities abound on the Eastern Shore, and she quickly got involved as a Board member of Citizens for a Better Eastern Shore, Northampton Medical Services Foundation, and New Roots Youth Garden and served for six years on the Northampton County Planning Commission. 

Martina says, "My certification as a Master Naturalist in 2018 connects me to many volunteer and educational opportunities in the natural world. I am co-founder and Board Member of Eastern Shore of Virginia Birding and Wildlife programs, Inc., which created the Birding Eastern Shore website, along with social media platforms to highlight the birding opportunities on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I have assisted in the education of children about nature topics at schools, at the Nature Conservancy and at events such as Outdoor Exploration Day."
"I am especially proud of facilitating the restoration of the Seaside Walkway at the Northampton County Preserve in 2019. This project was funded by Virginia Coastal Zone Management and the actual work completed in a collaboration between Northampton County Public Works Department and the Virginia Master Naturalists. A stewardship program was established to assure that this asset is maintained. I am now working on having two observation platforms built at the edge of the lake."
Get Ready for Great Backyard Bird Count
February 12 – 15, 2021
National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology want to know what’s in your backyard in mid-February.

Join with thousands of participants from around the world and share birds from YOUR backyard, your neighborhood, or a nearby park you enjoy exploring. For these 4 days in February, all eBird entries contribute to the Great Backyard Bird Count.


All you need is a free Cornell Lab account to participate. With this account you can access eBird, Project FeederWatch, and other projects at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Then you can share your observations on eBird which you can access from your desktop computer, your smart phone (eBird Mobile App), or with the Merlin Bird Id app.

Here's the link to record YOUR birds.
Here are instructions. Three easy steps.
  1. Count birds anywhere you like for at LEAST 15 minutes—or for as long as you wish. Keep track of the kinds of birds you see and how long you watched.
  2. Make your best estimate of how many birds you saw of each species. For example, 5 Northern Cardinals, 3 American Crows. Huge flocks may be a challenge, but your best guess is still valuable.
  3. Enter your list(s) online
Overwintering Monarchs
A Wide-angle View to Help Monarchs
Ellen Sharp of Journey North Reports from a Monarch sanctuary, Macheros, Ejido El Capulin, State of Mexico!

"Ideas for helping the monarch migration can’t stop at the border any more than the monarch migration does. Figuring out ways to address the economic desperation of the people who share the forest with the butterflies has to be a part of this discussion. Otherwise, there won’t be any migration left to help.

HMANA Lunch and Learn – Jan 21, 12 noon
Join us Thursday, January 21, at 12 pm ET, live from Colombia!
Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) presents its first international Lunch & Learn program, coming to you live from Colombia!

Featuring Esther Viviana Vallejo Santamari, the program focuses on the recent establishment of the Tolima Raptor Count, located near the city of Ibagué.
Red-shouldered Hawk by Steve Thornhill.
Esther will speak briefly about the launch of the site, information from autumn 2020 counts, and their plans for spring 2021.

This session is FREE and will be available via Zoom or Facebook LIVE.

CVWO Cafe Press
Check out CVWO's Cafe Press store to see a variety of cool weather shirts and items with Anna Stunkel's eye-catching image of a Prothonotary Warbler, and Megan Massa's colorful 25th anniversary logo. Thanks, Anna and Megan! A small portion of each sale comes back to support CVWO.
CVWO's Website and Blog
Visit and Share CVWO's New Website! 

You'll find information on raptor, butterfly, songbird and waterbird research as well as beautiful photos and rich stories from the field!

And remember to support our nonprofit work with your tax-deductible donation!
Check out the January 2021 Blog Posts to learn about some of the rare birds seen so far. You'll see stunning photos of the Green-tailed Towhee and Buff-bellied Hummingbird. And be sure to check the December 2020 Blog Post to learn about the first ever Western Meadowlark recorded in Virginia – found by our own Brian Taber. His photo from December 18, 2020 is above. The meadowlark is still being seen in mid-January.
757-243-3489
CVWObservatory@gmail.com
www.VAWildlifeResearch.org