Tag: wildlife
Bowhunting in parks starts tomorrow
Bowhunters will be allowed in Fairfax County parks to kill deer beginning on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Leave that fawn alone
If you find a baby deer resting motionless in your yard or in tall grass, leave it alone. The Fairfax County Animal Protection Police and wildlife management specialist get lots of calls every spring from people who think white-tailed deer fawns have been orphaned or abandoned by their mothers. In most cases, these fawns are healthy and … Continued
Deer hunting season starts Sept. 9
Deer hunting season in Fairfax County parks starts Saturday, Sept. 9, and runs through Feb. 17, 2024. The deer management program enlists qualified bowhunters to cull deer in 19 clusters throughout Fairfax County. Parks in the Annandale/Mason District area where deer hunting is allowed include the following. In the Accotink Stream Valley cluster: In … Continued
Don’t mess with fawns
The rehabilitation of deer fawns in Fairfax County will be prohibited, as of May 1, the Fairfax County Police Department announced April 20. This rule, administered and enforced by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, is being implemented to reduce the transmission and spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) among deer populations. CWD is … Continued
Deer hunting in parks starts Sept. 10
Deer hunting season starts in Fairfax County parks on Sept. 10 and will run through Feb. 18, 2023. The county’s deer management program allows qualified hunters to use archery to reduce the deer population in designated parks. The 2022-23 deer program allows archery in these parks in the Annandale/Mason District area: • Accotink Stream Valley … Continued
Police kill coyote at Lake Accotink
A Fairfax County police officer shot and killed a coyote that bit three adults and two dogs at Lake Accotink Park this weekend. Police had received a call 8 a.m. on June 5 about the coyote attack, said Lt. Dan Spital in a video posted on Twitter. Police and animal control officers searched the area … Continued
Otters sighted in Annandale
A river otter in Long Branch Stream. Annandale has otters – or at least it did when a local resident took these photos. Three river otters were sighted this fall in Long Branch Stream near Woodland Way and Canterbury Woods Elementary School, according to the Friends of Long Branch Stream Valley.
Rabid raccoon found at Luria Park
A rabid raccoon who has been chasing people and pets in Luria Park has been confirmed to have rabies, the Fairfax County Health Department reported Oct. 27. Anyone who has been in contact with the animal – or whose pet might have been exposed to rabies – should contact the Health Department Rabies Program at 703-246-6004.
A spotted lanternfly, a dangerous invasive, spotted in Annandale
An adult spotted lanternfly. [Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture] If you see a spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that has made its way to Virginia, the Fairfax County government wants you to kill it immediately. A “hitchhiker” adult spotted lanternfly was recently found in a shipment of produce at a grocery store in Annandale. There have … Continued
Deer hunting allowed in parks, beginning this Saturday
Signs like this are posted on trees in parks where deer hunting is allowed. Deer season in Fairfax County parks begins this Saturday, Sept. 11, and runs through Feb. 19, 2022. During this period, qualified groups of hunters are authorized to use archery to kill deer in designated areas across the county.
Public urged to stop feeding birds
A sick bluejay found in the D.C. area. [Belinda Burwell] Wildlife officials don’t yet know why so many birds are sick and dying, but they urge residents to stop feeding birds until there are answers. Wildlife managers in Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and West Virginia began receiving reports of sick and dying birds with eye … Continued
Cicada lessons at Belvedere featured on TV news
Belvedere students examine a cicada. [Photos: FCPS] By the time the cicadas from Brood X started emerging earlier this month, students at Belvedere Elementary School in Annandale were ready and eager to study them up close. Two environmental educators, a librarian, and a resource teacher have been educating students about the 17-year cicadas for weeks, … Continued
Local photographer turns cicadas into media stars
Many people think of cicadas as creepy and annoying – but they can also be cute, fun, and talented. That’s the positive side of the Brood X invasion highlighted by photographer Oxana Ware of North Arlington.
First cicadas spotted in Annandale
Cicada sighting in Annandale backyard. The first cicadas from Brood X are beginning to emerge from the ground where they’ve spent the last 17 years. If you’re lucky, you might see a cicada or two in your yard now, but in a week or so, a wide swath of the Eastern United States will be … Continued
Ill raccoon spotted near nature center
If you’re planning to walk near the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale, watch out for a potentially rabid raccoon. A sign at the Nature Center urges people to watch out for a “raccoon displaying symptoms of illness seen near the trail and stream April 12 and 13.” That stream backs up to the Lafayette … Continued