Steady north winds and increasingly overcast skies made for an interesting day at Sunset Beach. While numbers were generally low, there was some diversity to be had with some different species moving compared to the past few days. Totals of 39 species and 480 individuals were counted.
One of the most notable birds of the day occurred when the
sun was barely up; an Olive-sided Flycatcher perched up on an exposed branch
north of the count site before departing north after a few minutes. This large boreal
flycatcher is a rare migrant on the Eastern Shore, with eastern birds typically
following the Appalachians during fall migration. Sunset Beach logged two
individuals last season, and we will be on the lookout for more in the coming
weeks!
Overcast skies with northeast winds and overnight rain seem
to be a fairly consistent recipe for viewing visible shorebird migration. That held
true today with another impressive flight of 176 southbound dowitchers
streaming by in fairly large flocks, of which 40 were close enough to identify
as the expected Short-billed. Three Lesser Yellowlegs, one Solitary and four
Least Sandpipers rounded out the shorebird diversity. Other highlights included
another early Merlin, one American Kestrel, a couple Broad-winged Hawks soaring
up to the east later in the morning. Warblers and other reverse migrants were
slower than anticipated after a moderate night of migration and generally favorable
winds, and only five American Redstarts and one Yellow-throated Warbler were counted.
Tomorrow’s forecast is questionable due to the chance for
heavy rain and storms throughout the morning, and the morning could well be the
first weather delay or cancellation of the 2026 season. If there are sufficient
gaps in the rain to count, it could be interesting to see if there are any
shorebird or other waterbird movements triggered by the passing system.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s daily migration update on CVWO
social media and the CVWO blog: https://vawildliferesearch.org/cvwo-blog
And follow along with the count live every morning on
Trektellen: https://trektellen.nl/count/view/3748/20260821
