News

Every spring, FODMers welcome the spring return of the ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) to Dyke Marsh and the Potomac River shoreline where these magnificent raptors build and refurbish their nests and raise their young.   In recent years, there have been approximately 10 to 12 active osprey nests within FODM’s breeding bird survey tract, a three-mile area that extends from the Porto Vecchio condominiums near Hunting Creek to south of Morningside Lane.  

Despite the rebound in the osprey population, threats still exist. 

On the morning of April 29, 2016, 24 students and three teachers from Alexandria’s T.C. Williams High School’s International Academy visited Dyke Marsh to observe in action some of the lessons of their biology class and to try their hand at suppression of invasive plants. 

Volunteers began lepidoptera and odonata surveys in Dyke Marsh on April 20, 2016, led by Jim Waggener. On the 20th, surveyors identified five butterfly species in a brief span.  The peak time for surveys is May through September. This work helps identify and save critical habitat that preserves biodiversity in our region. 

Under a steady drizzle, a steady stream of raptor fans attended the annual Raptor Rapture in Belle Haven Park on April 23, 2016, sponsored by FODM, the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia and the National Park Service.

Kent Knowles (pictured) and Gabby Hrycyshyn of the Conservancy brought an Eastern screech owl (gray morph), an American kestrel, peregrine falcon (photo), red-tailed hawk, barn owl and Harris’s hawk.  These birds cannot live on their own in the wild. 

As the weather warms, birds are busy breeding in the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve.  In April, FODMers observed red-bellied woodpeckers and northern flickers investigating potential nest cavities, despite facing stiff competition from European starlings.  Observers have seen Carolina chickadees and fish crows carrying nesting material in the Belle Haven picnic area and along the Haul Road.