Field Trip Report: Chincoteague 2023

Photo: Birders on Boat by Laura Mae

Thumbnail Photo: Piping Plover by Kristi DeCourcy

Report By: Meredith Bell, VSO Field Trips Co-chair

The weather was hot and humid for the VSO annual Chincoteague weekend field trip September 8-10, but that did not deter the record 114 enthusiastic participants from having a fabulous time! Between the beaches, trails, and boat trips we tallied 131 species. Many have already marked their calendar for next year’s trip, Sept. 6-8, 2024!

We kicked things off the Tuesday evening before the weekend with a Zoom call, where Jerry Via gave an excellent presentation on identifying the various species we might see, and Meredith Bell previewed the field trip locations.

The Meet-and-Greet Happy Hour late Friday afternoon on the back lawn of the Refuge Inn has become a favorite event, welcoming first-timers and renewing friendships from past field trips.

The two boat trips continue to grow in popularity, with participants being able to get up-close views of a great variety of shorebirds, wading birds, terns, and raptors. Several people signed up for both trips because this has become their favorite part of the weekend. Andrew Rapp led these trips and did a superb job of spotting and identifying birds.

And speaking of Andrew, he was a rockstar in another way by spotting a Roseate Tern early Saturday afternoon at Swan Cove, and he guided lots of participants to see it. A lifer for many!

Much has changed with the Wildlife Loop over the years. It was totally dry this year, so there were no shorebirds or ducks to be seen. The Loop was closed Thursday and Friday due to aerial spraying to kill the invasive phragmites that have taken over much of the area. Several species of woodland birds were seen by those who explored the fields and wooded areas around the Loop.

We appreciate so much the dedication of ALL the field trip leaders—Jerry Via, Bill Akers, Lee Adams, Andrew Rapp, and Meredith and Lee Bell—who worked hard to ensure everyone had a great experience.

Complete list of 131 species for the weekend is below.

Canada Goose

Muscovy Duck

Wood Duck

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Mallard

American Black Duck

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Clapper Rail

Clapper Rail by Seth Honig

Virginia Rail

Black-necked Stilt

American Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Black-bellied Plover by JoAnn Dalley

Kildeer

Semipalmated Plover

Piping Plover

Whimbrel

Marbled Godwit

Ruddy Turnstone

Red Knot

Sanderling

Least Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher

Spotted Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

Willet

Willet by Seth Honig

Greater Yellowlegs

Laughing Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Least Tern

Caspian Tern

Black Tern

Roseate Tern

Common Tern

Forster's Tern

Royal Tern

Sandwich Tern

Black Skimmer

Northern Gannet

Double-crested Cormorant

Brown Pelican

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron

Tricolored Heron

Cattle Egret

Green Heron

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

White Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Eastern Screech-Owl

Great Horned Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel

Merlin

Peregrine Falcon

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Traill’s Flycatcher

White-eyed Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Fish Crow

Carolina Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Tree Swallow

Purple Martin

Barn Swallow

Cedar Waxwing

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Carolina Wren

House Wren

Gray Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

European Starling

American Robin

House Sparrow

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Chipping Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Seaside Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Eastern Towhee

Eastern Meadowlark

Baltimore Oriole

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Common Grackle

Boat-tailed Grackle

Black-and-white Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

American Redstart

Northern Parula

Yellow Warbler

Pine Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Northern Cardinal

Blue Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting