At last, the long anticipated first day of the Fall 2025 migration season is here on the Eastern Shore, and CVWO was out there to document it! Today was a special occasion as it also marks the first day of CVWO's new Morning Flight Count, which will be conducted daily at Sunset Beach through November 15th.
After a night of thunderstorms and heavy rain associated with a strong arriving cold front, conditions today on the Shore were starkly different than the past few days of south winds and oppressive heat and humidity. Temperatures today were way down in the upper 70's, aided by a light but building north wind and low cloud cover. A very brief shower passed through towards the end of the count, but we stayed dry otherwise. While the overnight rain likely stalled migration behind the passing front today, there were still plenty of birds moving around at Sunset Beach this morning and lots to keep us busy on the first day of the count.
Immature male Orchard Oriole flying past Sunset Beach
Several early season migrants were out in low numbers. Shorebirds trickled by in singles and small groups, highlighted by a nice flyover Whimbrel blasting southwest out over the Chesapeake. A tight flock of 35 Common Terns also appeared high over land early and shot off down towards the water, strongly suggesting active migratory behavior. Orchard Orioles, Barn Swallows, Purple Martins and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds kept us entertained as they moved past north and south of our position. Movements of these birds will likely become more direct and intentional as the season progresses. A single southbound Red-headed Woodpecker and four Bank Swallows were additional highlights throughout the morning. Common Grackles and American Robins were also on the move. Bringing a touch of herpetology to the count, Morning Flight Coordinator Andrew Rapp even spotted a large Loggerhead Sea Turtle as it surfaced out in the bay!
A crisp juvenile American Robin headed north
After concluding the first day of the Morning Flight Count, further birding yielded a nice diversity of birds around the southern area of the shore. As is typical out here, recently harvested potato fields are often used by shorebirds. We found several such fields to hold large flocks of Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers found with smaller numbers of Least and Pectoral Sandpipers mixed in. Exceptionally high tides today likely augmented shorebird numbers, and also yielded a notable flight of Willets and Whimbrels over the marshes at Indiantown Park following high tide.
Semipalmated Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers utilizing a harvested potato field
The day was not without a few uncommon species highlights. Small groups of juvenile and adult Gull-billed Terns were noted foraging inland at two locations, always an interesting species to see out over land. A Common Gallinule and Least Bittern were notable finds at Magothy Bay Natural Area Preserve. Early warbler migrants were very well represented at the swampy ponds of Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserve, with a Prothonotary Warbler and two Louisiana Waterthrushes providing some real excitement. Despite their regularity inland in Virginia, Louisiana Waterthrushes are rare migrants on the Eastern Shore, with the lack of flowing freshwater streams likely responsible.
Juvenile Gull-billed Tern, Magothy Bay Natural Area Preserve
Common Gallinule, Magothy Bay Natural Area Preserve
Prothonotary Warbler, Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserve
Louisiana Waterthrush, Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area Preserve
With strong northeast winds continuing to build throughout the week, more migrants will likely continue to trickle down the shore in the coming days. Temperatures are forecasted to stay down hopefully allowing for pleasant all-day birding experiences, certainly a rarity worth taking advantage of in early August. Early season arrivals including Yellow Warbler and American Redstart should make their first appearances at Sunset Beach very soon. The fall is off to a great start here on the Eastern Shore, and we can't wait to see what shows up next!
Stay tuned for tomorrow's daily migration update here on the CVWO Blog, and follow along with the Sunset Beach Morning Flight Count live at our
Trektellen page every morning.
-Baxter
