Field Trip Report: Chincoteague 2021

Photos, clockwise from top left: Snowy Egret - Lee Bell, Birders -Shirley Devan, Marbled Godwit - Carl Huang, Clapper Rail - Dennis Utterback

Thumbnail Photo: American Oystercatchers - David Clark

Meredith Bell, VSO Field Trips Co-Chair

The weather was perfect for the VSO field trip to Chincoteague on September 10-12, and we had breezes or winds that kept the mosquitoes at bay most days. We tallied 141 species, which included birds found on the Causeway, Chincoteague Island and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. It was exciting to return after missing last year. There were many first-timers among the 115 registrants, and several got multiple life birds.

This year we experimented with two events that were so successful they will now be standard practice for future VSO weekend field trips.

We had a Zoom call the Monday evening before the weekend to preview the trip since we couldn’t gather indoors for the normal Friday evening. We recorded the call so those who couldn’t attend live were able to watch the recording. Jerry Via gave an excellent presentation on shorebird and tern identification, and a few attendees said they watched it multiple times!

We held a Meet-and-Greet Happy Hour outdoors on the back lawn of the Refuge Inn from 5:00-6:00pm, and 75 people attended. This provided an excellent opportunity for newcomers to meet other members and have familiar faces before the first trips on Saturday. Some folks were having such a good time that they stayed until 7:00!

There are many details that could be reported about the weekend. Here are highlights…

The two boat trips Saturday and Sunday AM held a variety of shorebirds and raptors, unexpected waterfowl (2 Eared Grebes), and drama (a Bald Eagle swooped down and snatched a Laughing Gull from the water). No wonder the birds take flight en masse when they sense an Eagle nearby!

Wildlife Loop held far fewer mosquitoes and far more ducks (both in numbers and species) than in recent years. We also had Pectoral Sandpipers and lots of Yellowlegs, both Greater and Lesser. 13 species of warblers, the largest number we’ve had since 2015. Most were seen on the Island Nature Trail and Woodland Trail, with several species we don’t often see: Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted and Northern Waterthrush. Island Nature Trail also had rarities like Olive-sided Flycatcher and Philadelphia Vireo.

The causeway had 3 White Pelicans, Black-necked Stilts and even a Wilson’s Phalarope, seen and photographed by Seth Honig.

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

We’ve already locked in the 2022 dates, September 9-11. Mark your calendar now and plan to join us for spectacular birding at a remarkable place!

Complete list of species for the weekend is below.

Canada Goose

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Mallard

American Black Duck

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Surf Scoter

Eared Grebe

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Chimney Swift

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Clapper Rail

Black-necked Stilt

American Avocet

American Oystercatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Kildeer

Semipalmated Plover

Piping Plover

Whimbrel

Marbled Godwit

Ruddy Turnstone

Red Knot

Stilt Sandpiper

Sanderling

Dunlin

Least Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher

Spotted Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

Willet

Greater Yellowlegs

Wilson’s Phalarope

Wilson’s Phalarope Photo by Seth Honig

Laughing Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Caspian Tern

Common Tern

Forster’s Tern

Royal Tern

Sandwich Tern

Black Skimmer

Double-crested Cormorant

White Pelican

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican - Photo by Carl Huang

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron

Tricolored Heron

Cattle Egret

Green Heron

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

White Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Northern Harrier

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Belted Kingfisher

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel

Merlin

Peregrine Falcon

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Eastern Wood-Pewee

White-eyed Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Fish Crow

Tree Swallow

Purple Martin

Barn Swallow

Carolina Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown-headed Nuthatch

House Wren

Carolina Wren

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

Northern Mockingbird

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

House Sparrow

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Seaside Sparrow

Saltmarsh Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Eastern Towhee

Bobolink

Eastern Meadowlark

Baltimore Oriole

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Common Grackle

Boat-tailed Grackle

Worm-eating Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

Black-and-white Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

American Redstart

Northern Parula

Bay-breasted Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Palm Warbler

Pine Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Summer Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Blue Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting