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MISSION
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society is the primary partner and Friends group of the the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
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Gain new experiences and meet new people while helping to advance wildlife conservation. Preserve and protect habitat and wildlife.
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There are no dues required for Society membership. The Society depends on donations to fund programs and projects.
Learn MoreOsprey banding June 10, 2026
Osprey banding June 10, 2026
By: Reese Lukei, Jr., Board Member emeritus, Back Bay NWR Society and Keriann Spiewak, Spiewak, senior trainer of animal ambassadors at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Photographs by: Reese Lukei, Jr., Board Member emeritus, Back Bay NWR Society and Mallory Dillion, Board member, Back Bay NWR Society
This is a preliminary report on the banding of Osprey nestling at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge on June 10, 2026. The survey was conducted by Keriann Spiewak, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Reese F. Lukei, Jr, the Center for Conservation Biology at William & Mary (and BBNWR volunteer), Charlie Ellin boat captain and BBNWR volunteer, Mallory Dillon, BBNWR Society and four interns from BBNWR.
There are three more nests with Osprey nestlings too young to band today, and we may consider returning to band those chicks in two weeks.
There were a total of 15 nestlings in six nests. We placed bands on five of them as detailed below. Three nests had seven nestling too young to band, and one nest too tall and unstable to band with three nestling. Three nests with eggs on April 24 had no nestlings today. There were no remaining unhatched eggs.
Nestlings Banded:
Nest P3 #7162 – Purple band VW, USGS #1088-04774, weight 1080 grams, crop 3/4 full
Purple band WK, USGS #1088-04775, weight 1010 grams, crop empty
Nest P1 #7161 – Purple band WV, USGS #1088-04776, weight 1462 grams, crop 1/2 full
Purple band WX, USGS #1088-04777, weight 1640 grams, crop full
Purple band ZD, USGS #1088-04778, weight 1430 grams, crop 1/4 full
We took oral and cloacal swabs today from the banded nestlings to be tested by Virginia Aquarium veterinarians for avian flu and other possible health issues.
Special “Thank you” to Charlie Ellin for providing our boat transportation and leading the effort over the past few years to make necessary repairs to several of the Osprey nest platforms.
Projects
CHRONOLOGY
A citizen science project with the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Refuge visitors upload photographs from their phones at four designated locations. Photographs contribute to scientific documentation of the refuge habitats. By automatically appearing in time-lapse videos that are available online.
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Gardens
Monarch garden a safe habitat for migrating monarch butterflies
Monarch butterflies have suffered a drastic reduction in population in the last 30 years. Some estimates indicate a population decline of 90%. The most common reason cited for this dramatic decline is loss of habitat. Given the success of the pollinator garden and the fact that Back Bay is on the Monarch’s eastern migratory flyway, it was decided to put in a monarch specific garden at the Refuge.
Pollinator & Monarch garden updates
Pollinator garden an aesthetically pleasing addition to the Visitor Center entrance ways
Volunteers removed and pruned old vegetation, cultivated and amended soil, and filled beds with native plants supporting pollinators and wildlife Garden beds are maintained by volunteers throughout the year. Signage and visitor outreach is being planned
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National recreation trails
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge trails designated National recreation trails
The 2.7 miles of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Trail System consists of seven, interconnected trails that provide opportunities to observe the wildlife and vegetation of the refuge’s seven distinct habitats- ocean, beach, marsh, shrubs, grassland, maritime forest and freshwater bay. Trail surfaces vary from boardwalk, crushed stone, sand and gravel.
LEARN MOREBack Bay NWR Society
1324 Sandbridge Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23456
