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Especially for any of you who live near the Arlington/Falls Church area and
ever bird along the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail, please consider
attending the meeting described in Mary Ann Lawler's post below and adding your
voices. The right-of-way is important bird habitat along the Four Mile Run
corridor. The current clearing activities will not help the birds but will
advance the spread of exotic invasive plants. As we toured the site this
morning, I
saw much low cover along the banks of the old railroad bed that had been
mowed down. Yet, in one little remnant that had been left (perhaps
capriciously) I
observed dozens of White-throated Sparrows. On the flip side, invasive
Bittersweet had been left in place, and what did I see in one patch but about
two
dozen House Sparrows feasting on the berries and presumably contributing to the
plant's spread.
I would like to see the birding community join with the native plants people,
watershed folks, and many others in advocating an approach that respects the
legitimate issues of protecting the power lines but produces new, native
plantings that have habitat values and are sustainable over long periods. The
birds
in our area need all the help they can get!
Cheers,
Steve Young
Arlington, Virginia
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