Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 4, 2026

The ongoing heatwave on the Eastern Shore saved the worst for last, and today’s temperatures reached 90 degrees with some of the highest humidity anywhere on the globe. The beating sun and southwest winds brought migration over the peninsula to a total standstill throughout the day, though there were still some notable movements over the Chesapeake Bay and a brief evening flurry of raptors at the Hawkwatch. At Sunset Beach, totals of 20 species and 784 individuals were counted.

Surprisingly, terns comprised the bulk of the flight today at Sunset Beach. With virtually nothing happening in the sky above the peninsula, a steady southbound flight of terns was a welcome diversion. Sandwich Terns were the most abundant species with 377 counted, followed by 139 Common as well as 17 Royal and 7 Black Terns. Loose groups were spread out across the bay throughout the morning and many individuals were in fairly close off the beach.

Migration otherwise was incredibly slow, though as in previous days a fair number of Eastern Kingbirds were still trickling through with 112 counted southbound and 88 northbound. Other songbird migrants were limited to six Barn Swallows, five Cedar Waxwings, and singles of Baltimore Oriole, American Redstart, and Summer Tanager.

 The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch fared no better, with several hours of complete inactivity during the day. A very light northeast wind started up in the evening, and a nice little flight of raptors immediately materialized with 24 Osprey, two American Kestrels, and one each of Bald Eagle and Northern Harrier counted.

Osprey

A cold front is forecasted to arrive in the area tomorrow morning, and conditions are favorable to our north for a significant liftoff of migrants. There are chances for heavy rainfall overnight as storms exit the area throughout the mid-Atlantic which could limit numbers overall, but there is strong potential for a significant morning flight tomorrow. Winds from the north shifting to northeasterlies in the afternoon should make for an active day at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch as well.

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/3748/20260904

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 3, 20

The heat wave continued this morning at Sunset Beach with clear skies and beating heat in the first two hours before low cloud cover rolled in in the last hour. Totals of 27 species and 629 individuals were counted.

The highlights today once again came from the Chesapeake Bay, where active feeding flocks twinkled far out on the horizon. Though views were distant, five likely continuing Brown Boobies were exciting to see feeding with distant Laughing Gulls before they put down on the water and disappeared. A Parasitic Jaeger also showed well for a few minutes displaying classic kleptoparasite behavior as it endlessly harassed a distant tern. Five Blue-winged Teal were also counted, a flock of four and a singleton late in the morning moving south fairly close in.

Caspian Tern

Eastern Kingbirds were by far the predominant migrant counted overall, totaling 492 mostly southbound individuals though as in previous days, many birds were swirling around the count site and not counted. Other forward migrants were slow with 25 each of Purple Martin and Barn Swallow, 11 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and six Bobolinks. Warblers remained incredibly slow with the lack of overnight migration.

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch was also very slow today under hot clear skies. Three Osprey and two Northern Harriers were the only raptors counted, and other migrants were likewise low in number, with the exception of the 335 Eastern Kingbirds counted.

Slightly north of Kiptopeke off Sandhill Drive, five Buff-breasted Sandpipers found by Paul Anderson showed very well in a harvested potato field off Sandhill Drive. Potato fields are a favorite stopover habitat for these unique arctic-breeding sandpipers, and it seems to be shaping up to be a good season for them in the area.

Tomorrow is the last day of the heat wave before a cold front tomorrow brings temperatures down over the weekend. Cold fronts almost always bring in significant movements of migrants, depending on the wind direction and precipitation in the area. We will be happy for slightly cooler weather for a few days as well.

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/3748/20260902

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 2, 2026

It was another hot, clear morning at Sunset Beach, with little more than a light west breeze off the bay to keep temperatures bearable. As the past few days have been, it was a slow day, though as always there were a few interesting highlights scattered throughout the morning. Totals of 32 species and 636 individuals were counted.

Eastern Kingbirds remain plentiful in the area, and the majority of the 480 counted this morning were southbound. A Merlin took advantage of the plentiful food supply and emerged from the picnic area pines with an unfortunate kingbird in its clutches. Freshly wary from their close brush with a raptorial death, a southbound Northern Harrier low over the count site later in the morning sent a cloud of kingbirds, robins, and starlings into the air.

Merlin with Eastern Kingbird prey

Eastern Kingbird

Reorientation morning flight was again slow as anticipated given the conditions, consisting of six American Redstarts, four Northern Yellow Warblers, and a handful of warbler sp. glimpsed zipping into the trees and out to the east. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are showing a bit of a resurgence in numbers with 19 counted. Other highlights included a rather low Gull-billed Tern moving south directly overhead, the season’s second Cape May Warbler, and a Baltimore Oriole loosely associating with three Eastern Bluebirds.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

A shift to a light northeast breeze this afternoon was all that was needed to kick the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch into gear. The best raptor numbers of the season so far were counted, with 45 American Kestrels, 32 Osprey, six Northern Harriers, two Broad-winged and two Red-shouldered Hawks, a Peregrine Falcon and a Mississippi Kite counted. Early in the morning a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was a nice highlight and first-of-season for either of our counts.

Conditions remain similar tomorrow, with stronger southwest winds and hot temperatures forecasted. The heat and unfavorable winds will continue through Friday, but a significant chance is anticipated by the weekend with a cold front passing Friday night. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can turn up before then!

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/3748/20260902

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 1, 2026

The slow trend continued this morning at Sunset Beach on southwest winds and clear skies on this first day of September in the middle of an unseasonable heatwave. Totals of 19 species and 493 individuals were counted.

Very few migrants were moving again today with the exception of mostly northbound Eastern Kingbirds, 440 of which were counted before they began to swirl around the count site. Warblers were slow, represented by seven American Redstarts, four Northern Yellow Warblers, one Black-and-white Warbler and a Yellow-throated Warbler that dropped in close for nice views. One Northern Harrier was counted moving south early on. Similarly to yesterday, a distant Brown Booby appeared feeding out in the Chesapeake Bay bringing some excitement to another slower morning, though today’s individual was an adult. In the absence of a notable flight of migrants, our local Sunset birds are always around to watch including the parking lot Northern Mockingbirds and Royal Terns out in the bay. 

Northern Mockingbird

Royal Tern

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch also remained slow. One Northern Harrier was counted alongside nine American Kestrels. There was a light southbound movement of forward migrants including 197 Barn Swallows and 23 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Another Striped Saddlebags appeared again today amid the ongoing irruption, and it will be interesting to see how long these southern dragonflies will continue to be detected this fall.

Looking forward to the coming days’ weather, tomorrow holds some potential for migratory activity with westerlies in the morning shifting around to northeast in the afternoon. Heavy rain over the mid-Atlantic states to our north will probably put an end to most overnight migration, though if the rain clears out before dawn a few birds may make it down the Eastern Shore. Northeasterlies in the afternoon could make for a better raptor flight too.

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/3748/20260901

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 31, 2026

Southwest winds and heavy rain to the north overnight once again brought overnight migration to a halt. The southwesterlies also seemed to stall out diurnal forward migration, with very little moving around overall under the hot clear skies. Totals of 22 species and 473 individuals were counted.

In keeping with the death of overnight movement, reorienting warblers were incredibly slow for the date and only three American Redstarts, two Northern Yellow Warblers and one Black-and-white Warbler were counted. Eastern Kingbirds were present in large flocks foraging in the trees around the count site, though they constantly swirled around making their movements and numbers difficult to assess. The masses of kingbirds periodically took flight and rose into the air covering the sky, making for an impressive spectacle in spite of their lack of directed migratory movements. A single flock of 122 Bobolinks rose up from somewhere to the south of the count and seemed indecisive before eventually continuing southbound.

Eastern Kingbird

The most interesting sightings of the day occurred out over the Chesapeake Bay, where an immature Brown Booby appeared close in in the early morning showing very well as it dove high over the water. A dark immature Parasitic Jaeger also made a very close pass right by the pylons in the last hour moving steadily south, the fifth jaeger for the count this year. It will be interesting to see how the jaeger flight shapes up this fall, as by this point last season only two Parasitic Jaegers had been counted.

It was also a slow one up at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch, where the raptor total for the day consisted of seven American Kestrels and four Osprey. Despite the slow day, two southbound Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks appeared out to the east of the platform, representing a first record for the hawkwatch! A pattern has yet to emerge from the few whistling-duck appearances on our counts so far this fall, but it will be interesting to continue to monitor their wanderings as the season progresses.

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/3748/20260828

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 29, 2026

Favorable winds and clear skies over states to our north allowed for the most significant nocturnal migration of the season so far, and in turn the most reorienting migrants so far at Sunset Beach. A fresh northeast breeze and partly cloudy skies made for a pleasant morning of viewing the new wave of arriving migrants, and totals of 54 species and 1415 individuals were counted. 

It was a good morning for songbird diversity and numbers in northbound morning flight, and many birds showed fairly close and well throughout the morning. American Redstarts remained dominant with 142 counted, and Black-and-white Warblers followed with a solid total of 44. Warbler first-of-seasons included four Black-throated Blue, one Worm-eating, and one Bay-breasted Warbler as well as three Common Yellowthroats. A late Louisiana Waterthrush was nice to see as well. Baltimore Orioles had a good morning with 17 counted including several low flyover groups. The season’s first Veery appeared briefly in the trees to the south of the count site. Three Traill’s and one compelling Alder Flycatcher were counted northbound today as well. Many eyes were working hard to spot high Bobolinks today, and the team effort produced a total of 404. 

Northern Yellow Warbler

Baltimore Oriole

Other migratory diversity included three northbound Blue-winged and one early Green-winged Teal out over the bay. Shorebirds had a reasonable showing including a nice low Lesser Yellowlegs and a first-of-season Spotted Sandpiper, an uncommon species to see in active migration. Two northbound Eastern Red Bats were also counted this morning, reminding us that these winged mammals are also a long distance migrant.

Lesser Yellowlegs

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch had the best raptor flight so far of 42 Osprey, 12 American Kestrels, four Northern Harriers, and one each Bald Eagle and Cooper’s Hawk. A very exciting development in CVWO’s Monarch research occurred today, the tagging of the first Monarch of the 2026 season! Monarch Specialist Audrey Anderson deployed a bluetooth tag on a butterfly named Brian in honor of our beloved late CVWO president Brian Taber. It was a special moment to watch this Monarch fly free after tagging and visit the butterfly garden created by its namesake. Brian’s migration will soon be visible on the free Project Monarch app, along with all the other Monarchs CVWO will be tagging this fall!

Monarch with radio transmitter

Winds shift towards the southeast tomorrow which could make for a good day for southbound diurnal migrants, and will be light enough that some raptor should continue to move as well. 

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/3748/20260829

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 28, 2026

Today’s Sunset Beach Morning Flight Count experienced light southwest winds and mostly overcast skies. Heavy overnight to the rain essentially halted overnight migration and made for a very slow morning, though the stalled frontal boundary over the Chesapeake Bay brought a few nice birds in. Totals of 23 species and 246 individuals were counted.

Diligent scans of the Chesapeake Bay with a few extra pairs of eyes yielded a few nice birds today. Black Terns were moving in their best numbers so far this season, with at least 12 individuals counted moving south and likely a few more hanging around to feed fairly close to shore. This species often appears in the area ahead of frontal boundaries and several were seen at other locations later in the day including over the Oyster marshes and at the Edward S. Brinkley Nature Preserve pond. A couple nice bay watch rarities included two Brown Boobies showing well as they actively dove way out on the horizon, and a southbound Parasitic Jaeger moving steadily south just past the pylons. Other bay birds included six Black Skimmers, four American Oystercatchers, the season’s first Common Loon, and a lone Black-bellied Plover.

Black Tern

The land bird flight was very slow by comparison. Reorientation morning flight was essentially nonexistent with only two northbound American Redstarts counted. Forward migrants were also very slow overall at both Sunset Beach and the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch also likely due to heavy rain to the north throughout the day, though 1005 Barn Swallows were tallied. Raptors were slow as well, with only three Osprey, four American Kestrels, and one Peregrine Falcon counted. A female Striped Saddlebags again brought a bit of insect diversity to the Hawkwatch.

Red-headed Woodpecker

The weather forecast for tonight into tomorrow holds a bit more migratory potential. Local rain mostly clears out overnight and the passing front pre-dawn brings stronger northeast winds to the area. While northeast winds limit the number of wind-drifted nocturnal migrants, light north winds in the northeast should facilitate an active night of migration and many of those birds will likely reach the Eastern Shore tomorrow.

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/3748/20260828

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 27, 2026

South winds continued at Sunset Beach this morning. Forward migrants had another good day, while reorienting migrants were very slow. Totals of 30 species and 1793 individuals were counted. 

The flight took a while to get moving, but once it did totals of 1010 Purple Martins, 500 Eastern Kingbirds, and 96 Barn Swallows were counted, with a few smaller groups of Bobolinks picked up in the morning totaling 63. Northbound morning flight was negligible with only 6 American Redstarts for the day and little else in the way of warblers. The Chesapeake Bay had a steady trickle of southbound terns dominated by 52 Commons.

Purple Martin

Barn Swallow

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch had another big flight of migrants throughout the day with a few nice raptors counted including three Peregrine Falcons and two Northern Harriers. Four Buff-breasted Sandpipers flying over together in the afternoon were a very nice surprise, and a rare sight from the platform. Impressive counts of forward migrants at the Hawkwatch included 3263 Barn Swallows, 2406 Purple Martins, 935 Eastern Kingbirds, and 247 Bobolink.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Peregrine Falcons

Cloudy conditions with light southwest winds tomorrow could make for another interesting day of forward migration, though a true shift in the weather will need to happen for nocturnal migration to kick into gear. That chance may develop on Friday night, though rain associated with the front could easily diminish the movement. Only time will tell how it will all play out.

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/3748/20260827

 

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 26, 2026

Light west-southwest winds allowed a large flight of forward migrants today, though reorientation migration remained slow. At the Sunset Beach Morning Flight Count, totals of 30 species and 1534 individuals were counted.

It was a good day to see large flocks of birds moving high overhead, and 46 Common Terns in a tight pack shooting southwest to the Chesapeake Bay before sunrise were a nice early highlight. Flocks of Bobolinks and Eastern Kingbirds soon began to stream over early on as well with totals of 444 and 333 counted respectively, and Purple Martins took first place for the morning with 640.

Bobolinks

Purple Martins

Reorientation morning flight remained slow with only 14 American Redstarts counted, though a male Cape May Warbler late in the morning was a nice first-of-season for the count. The Chesapeake Bay was calm overall, and conditions were ideal to spot two Wilson’s Storm-Petrels moving north a good way out. The new Sunset celebrity Bell’s Vireo continued for a second day and put on several nice appearances throughout the mid and late morning, still working the shrubs right around the bay view.

Bell's Vireo

An all-day effort at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch yielded a few nice raptors including 15 Osprey, one Red-shouldered Hawk and 5 Mississippi Kites, a good count for this uncommon early migrant. A surprise northbound American Bittern was unexpected and rather early. Forward passerine migrants stole the show at the hawkwatch today and staggering totals of 6323 Barn Swallow, 2575 Purple Martin, 2163 Bobolink, 1901 Eastern Kingbird, and 45 Bank Swallows were counted.

These impressive totals highlight the phenomenon of southbound diurnal migration into headwinds. While raptors and nocturnal migrants utilize favorable tailwinds for migration, many of these diurnal passerine species move in much higher volume during the day into light southerly headwinds as they reach the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula. Many flocks of kingbirds and Bobolinks were still streaming south towards Fisherman Island this evening at Ramp Road at Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR. 

Steady south winds continue into tomorrow with a chance of showers in the afternoon. It will be interesting to see how many more southbound migrants are still “in the pipeline” following today’s massive flight.

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: 

Sunset Beach: https://trektellen.nl/count/view/3748/20260826

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch: https://trektellen.nl/count/view/4022/20260826

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 25, 2026

Steady north-northeast winds were blowing at Sunset Beach today, yielding a diverse flight of low volume but with an awesome surprise rarity! Totals of 264 individuals and 40 species were counted.

Chaos broke loose at the count when visitor Roberta Kellam spotted a small passerine flitting around low in the shrubs just north of the count site, and the bird quickly revealed itself to be a Bell’s Vireo, a very rare midwestern vagrant! The Bell’s miraculously showed incredibly well for the next hour and a half, giving good views to arriving birders throughout the morning and even this evening as it preferred to actively forage with distinctive wing-flicking motion in the shrubs right next to the count site. There are four previous records of this species in the state, and needless to say, it is a first for Sunset Beach. Though the count was somewhat derailed by the excitement around the Bell’s, a few nice birds including the season’s first Dickcissel were counted amid a light reorientation flight dominated by 31 American Redstarts.

Bell's Vireo

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch had its first official day of the season, and a nice early season diversity of raptors were counted including three each of Osprey and Cooper’s Hawk, an early Sharp-shinned Hawk, one Peregrine Falcon and two American Kestrels. The Striped Saddlebags irruption made its way to the hawk platform when Sage spotted a nice female teed up behind the platform for most of the afternoon.

Striped Saddlebags

The day’s excitement concluded this evening over at the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR where all three of our counters were treated to great views of an immature Cerulean Warbler, a very rare migrant on the Eastern Shore!

Cerulean Warbler

Building south winds return tomorrow, and while migration will probably be slow, lighter winds in the morning could be conducive to a flight of swallows or other forward migrants.

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/3748/20260825

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 24, 2026

Winds were steady out of the west today with mostly clear skies at Sunset Beach. An average night of migration did not yield much in the way of reorientation morning flight, though there were a few nice birds in the mix as always. Totals of 34 species and 463 individuals were counted.

The westerly winds had a few birds up over the Chesapeake Bay throughout the morning including two southbound Parasitic Jaegers, one of which gave excellent views and made detours to harass Laughing Gulls. Sandwich Terns were moving in their highest numbers so far this season (21), and several more hung around off the beach to fish.

Sandwich Tern

Land bird migrants were generally slow, though the season’s third Olive-sided Flycatcher was seen briefly crossing the campground northbound later in the morning. Warblers were very slow with only six American Redstarts, three Northern Yellow, one Black-and-white and one Pine Warbler counted. All but two Bobolinks counted today were in a single distant flock of 110.  Other migrants included 82 Eastern Kingbirds, 53 Purple Martins, and 45 Barn Swallows.

A large liftoff of migrants in the Delmarva area is indicated by radar, though many of these will surely leapfrog the Eastern Shore come dawn without many birds lifting off farther north. However, tomorrow’s conditions appear ideal for an active day of migration with light north winds to kick of the first day of CVWO’s Kiptopeke Hawkwatch!

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/3748/20260824

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 23, 2026

Today’s Sunset Beach morning flight count experienced mostly clear skies and building southwest winds. Southwesterlies stifled overnight migration, and there were few migrants aloft to reorient come morning. There was a decent push of forward migrants, though the southwest winds pushed the flight east of the count site into backlighting for more challenging views. Totals of 32 species and 837 individuals were counted.

One nice first-of-season migrant new bird today came shortly after sunrise; a southbound Blue-winged Teal over the bay close off the beach. The rest of the flight took a little while to get going overall, and peak movement occurred in the second hour. Eastern Kingbirds were still moving following yesterday’s massive flight with 287 counted, and Barn Swallows trailed closely with 285.

Blue-winged Teal

Other diversity was a bit lacking, though the stronger winds had a few birds moving over the Chesapeake Bay including six Black Terns. Purple Martins and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were moving in small numbers overall, with 17 and 9 respectively. Warblers continue to move in very low numbers, and only four American Redstarts and two Pine Warblers were counted today.

There are some signs of change in the forecast with a weak cold front passing through the area tomorrow and into Tuesday, though subpar winds to our north combined with precipitation chances may once again limit the volume of migrants arriving in the area. Still, we should be poised to see a greater number of reorienting nocturnal migrants and hopefully some more new arrivals in the wake of this front before southerly winds return.

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/3748/20260823

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 22, 2026

This morning was remarkable at Sunset Beach. The skies were cloudy all morning with a high ceiling, there was a light but noticeable breeze from the east and scattered rain showers occurred throughout the morning. A total of 41 species and 3220 individuals were counted.

Female Striped Saddlebags

What started off initially as a slow morning jolted into high gear when the Eastern Kingbirds started flocking overhead. A total of 2162 Eastern Kingbirds flew overhead. Most flocks were high with individual flocks getting into the low hundreds. During the final hour well over 1000 individuals were counted. Today CVWO staff had the great fortune to survey Fisherman Island NWR which had a number around the island hawking insects over the shorter saltmarsh grasses. In the early evening, some of the mature oaks at Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR had several hundred individuals. The recipe for success of big kingbird movements seems to be a light east wind combined with a stalled front to the north and cloudy, scattered rain throughout the count period. When Sage Church counted the astounding high count of 13,824 Eastern Kingbirds there were very similar conditions. It seems the cloudy, scattered rain helps keep kingbirds mobilized while the brief clear, sunny periods during this morning and the record day all the kingbirds grounded for the period then picked back up when it was sunny again. An incredible spectacle to behold and hopefully won’t be the last big flight of kingbirds for the season.

Another Olive-sided Flycatcher passed over today below the treeline over the parking lot. Olive-sided Flycatchers are a rare migrant on the shore, but sightings on the shore and throughout the rest of the state have been coming in of late.

The aerial insectivores were also on the move. Perhaps aerial insectivores are similarly motivated to sustain migration on days when insects are not as active. Today 378 Purple Martins, 463 Barn Swallows, 3 Bank Swallows, and 1 Tree Swallow were tallied.

Male Striped Saddlebags

And now for the lead picture explanation. This is a Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini). Striped Saddlebags are a vagrant species of dragonfly that rarely shows up along the Atlantic coast. Most of the individuals of this species in the United States are from Texas. This species does not breed, at least sustainably, in Virginia. Earlier this August there was well over a week of persistent southwest winds that funneled this highly dispersive species east. Records in Virginia and other Atlantic states have been much higher this August due to the timing and strength of the southwest winds. This dragonfly needs conditions similar to what Cave Swallows need later in the season to be funneled and deposited along the Atlantic Coast. Today we found at least three individual Striped Saddlebags on Fisherman Island NWR including the individuals pictured in the blog.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s daily migration update on CVWO social media and the CVWO blog, and follow along with the count live every morning on Trektellen: https://trektellen.nl/count/view/3748/20260822

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 21, 2026

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!

Olive-sided Flycatcher

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.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Osprey with Croaker

Merlin

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

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 20, 2026

Clear skies and light southerly winds really allowed the forward migrants to run away with it this morning at Sunset Beach. Purple Martins, Eastern Kingbirds and Barn Swallows all saw record numbers for the count, and there was a bit of diversity to be had today as well. Totals of 39 species and 3987 individuals were counted.

Hordes of forward migrants were pouring over at Sunset Beach, including the new record counts of 2299 Purple Martin, 959 Eastern Kingbird, and 473 Barn Swallow. The sky was filled with rivers of these birds as pulses came and went throughout the morning, with kingbirds dominating early and martins picking up heavily later in the morning. Purple Martins and Barn Swallows could be seen crossing the bay overhead parallel to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel later in the morning, displaying the dedicated crossing these birds undertake on days with suitable conditions.

Though today featured more volume than diversity, singleton Bank, Cliff and Tree Swallows were picked out of the southbound flight, and occasional other southbound flyovers were swept up in the action including two Red-headed Woodpecker, two Great Crested Flycatchers, 13 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and three Summer Tanagers. American Yellow Warblers edged out American Redstarts on this slow warbler day with 8 and 6 respectively.

American Yellow Warbler

Great Crested Flycatcher

Purple Martin

Overnight migration is looking promising tonight, though local rain to the north may block migrants for a portion of the night. Hopefully the system clears out in time for north-northwesterly winds to work their magic tomorrow morning under overcast skies and cooler temperatures.

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/3748/20260820

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 19, 2026

Another day of clear skies and very calm north winds made for an active morning at Sunset Beach. Overnight radar indicated the largest nocturnal migration of the season so far in the Mid-Atlantic region. Though lack of westerly element limited numbers overall locally, numbers were slightly lower overall than yesterday, there was still a nice diversity of migrants, and 43 species and 381 individuals were counted.

The morning was off to an exciting start when four northbound Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks passed right overhead after announcing their presence with their whistling calls! It is hard to imagine that these were not the same individuals as Mario had moving south on the morning of the 16th, and it is interesting to ponder where these ducks spent the last two days. There is not much suitable habitat between Sunset Beach and the Chesapeake Bay, though it’s possible these individuals explored Fisherman Island for a couple days before returning to their regular haunts at the silos near Eastville.

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks

Warblers had another good day with 10 species counted including 42 American Redstarts, the season’s first Blackburnian Warbler, and another very early dispersing Yellow-rumped Warbler, the third for the season so far. The first four Bobolinks of the season were also counted, two of which were mercifully low and visible flyovers. Bobolinks often pass over flying very high while giving their distinctive “bink” flight calls, and their pale plumage is notoriously difficult to spot against a bright blue sky.

Bobolinks

Numbers of forward migrants were down again today, with many of the numerous typically southbound species moving north including a majority of the day’s 43 Eastern Kingbirds, 41 Purple Martins, and 20 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.  Watching the local birds also often provides interesting observations, and a Northern Mockingbird’s repeated attempts to catch an Obscure Bird Grasshopper in the parking lot were entertaining to watch.

Northern Mockingbird and Obscure Bird Grasshopper

Southerly winds return tomorrow and seem likely to put the brakes on migration once more, though forward migrants may see an increase compared to today.

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/3748/20260819

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 18, 2026

 Overnight rain cleared out completely before this morning, and a clear, calm day with light westerlies delivered a diverse flight of migrants this morning at Sunset Beach. Totals of 49 species and 514 individuals were counted this morning.

There was a solid push of overnight migration resulting in a moderate early season northbound morning flight. As expected for the early season, American Redstarts were the most numerous reorienting migrant with 64 counted alongside a fair bit of other warbler diversity including 13 Northern Yellow Warblers, five each Black-and-white Warbler and Pine, three Northern Waterthrushes, an early Tennessee Warbler, and another very early Yellow-rumped Warbler. As is typical with westerlies, the flight line this morning was largely overhead and continued late into the morning with lots of good warbler views throughout.

Black-and-white Warbler

American Redstart

Northern Yellow Warbler

Forward migrants had a strong start dominated by the majority of the 136 Eastern Kingbirds, though the flight fell out quickly, possibly due to the very calm winds. Purple Martins had their first significant northbound movement of the season; 88 of 96 counted were moving north. Other notable migrants included two Northern Harriers, an American Kestrel, three Red-headed Woodpeckers, one Traill’s Flycatcher, two Red-eyed Vireos, and the first Orchard Oriole in some time, typically one of the earliest migrants to depart the area. Three juvenile Eastern Bluebirds were also a first-of-season for the count, making a southbound pass before returning north shortly after.

Orchard Oriole

Eastern Bluebird

Tomorrow is forecasted to be another calm, clear day and light north winds could make for another active morning if they materialize overnight. Generally light westerly winds to the north could provide suitable conditions for another good night of migration.

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/3748/20260818

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 17, 2026

Southwest winds and overnight rain again stalled out overnight migration, and forward migrants were very slow with the strong west-southwest crosswinds under heavy overcast skies today at Sunset Beach. There were still a few birds moving with a couple interesting highlights, and totals of 23 species and 223 individuals were counted.

Osprey

Two southbound flocks of Brown Pelicans totaling 77 contributed the most to the day’s individual count. Barn Swallows were close behind with 71, trickling by in small groups throughout the morning though in numbers much reduced overall compared to previous days. Eleven of each Purple Martin and Eastern Kingbird emphasized the slow forward migration flight, though another southbound juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker was good to see. One southbound Pine Warbler was the only warbler counted today.

The Chesapeake Bay provided the most interesting sightings despite being slow overall. The highlight was a very distant northbound Brown Booby in the third hour utilizing the breezier conditions in keeping with the three previous detections of this rarity this season. Tern numbers were low but diversity was fairly high, including one each of the three uncommon species Caspian, Gull-billed, and Black. Three northbound Black-bellied Plovers and an unseen calling Solitary Sandpiper represented the only shorebird diversity today.

The potential of light westerlies forecasted tomorrow morning is diminished by the likelihood of heavier overnight rain to our north, so nocturnal migration may be limited. Regardless, it will likely be a very different day than today, and overnight precipitation occasionally yields interesting movements if birds are moving as we saw on Saturday’s shorebird flight.

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/3748/20260817 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 16, 2026

Winds shifted to the southeast this morning at Sunset Beach, providing a nice light headwind for another good flight of forward migrants. Totals of 35 species and 1752 individuals were counted.

Alternate counter Mario Balitbit was on duty today and brought the heat with the first count record of four Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in the first hour! These southern waterfowl have undergone a significant range expansion over the last decade, and are now localized summer residents on Virginia’s Eastern Shore following the state’s first breeding confirmation in fall 2024.

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks (photo by Mario Balitbit)

All five species of the predominant early season forward migrants broke triple digits today, with 492 Purple Martins, 435 Eastern Kingbirds, 367 Barn Swallows, 193 Red-winged Blackbirds, and 118 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Purple Martin numbers have vastly eclipsed last season’s total of 2346, with this year’s tally currently at 4142. Today’s gnatcatcher push also broke the 2025 season total of 622, and 2026 now sits at 725!

East winds overnight did not produce a significant flight of nocturnal migrants, and the majority of warblers today were continuing south into the breeze including two Northern Waterthrushes, seven American Redstarts, seven American Yellow Warblers, and two Prairie Warblers. Other neotropical migrant activity included the season’s first Baltimore Oriole and a northbound Traill’s (Willow/Alder) Flycatcher. The Chesapeake Bay was calm and quiet other than very distant feeding activity, though a Black Skimmer put in an appearance as well as a nice northbound Wilson’s Storm-Petrel.

South winds will build this afternoon through tonight along with the chance for some overnight rain showers, surely stalling out most overnight migration. Stronger southwest winds in the morning could produce more activity over the Chesapeake Bay, and it will be interesting to see what is trying to move into the headwinds.

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/3748/20260816

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 15, 2026

Light northeast winds brought Sunset Beach to life this morning under overcast skies following a significant overnight migration flight and localized downpours in the area. The low cloud cover and local precipitation gave way to a diverse morning highlighted by an impressive shorebird flight. Totals of 57 species and 1673 individuals counted.

The morning was off to a promising start when Mario called out a Clapper Rail dropping out of the sky, which landed nearly at our feet at the edge of the parking lot before dashing quickly into cover in the shrub line! This is a first for the count, and a reminder that these marsh birds are highly migratory. There was a phenomenal flight of shorebirds today including flocks totaling 117 Short-billed Dowitchers and 124 dowitcher sp. pouring south as well as five Long-billed Dowitchers moving north, a first for the count site! Other shorebirds included six Solitary Sandpipers, three Black-bellied Plovers, two Hudsonian Whimbrels, and the season’s first two White-rumped Sandpipers.

Short-billed Dowitchers

Other migrants were not overshadowed by the shorebirds. There was a fair bit of reorientation flight highlighted by the season’s high of four Louisiana Waterthrushes. One Northern Waterthrush, 22 American Redstarts, six Black-and-white, three American Yellow, and one Pine Warbler were also counted. A northbound Willow Flycatcher moving up the shrub line was carefully scrutinized, a scarce migrant on the Eastern Shore. The forward migrant composition today was very different with a mere four Purple Martins counted, and Red-winged Blackbirds took the lead with 732. Other miscellaneous highlights included107 White Ibis, a Northern Harrier, a Bank Swallow, and 110 Eastern Kingbirds.

Willow Flycatcher

American Kestrel

Easterlies tonight will allow more migrants from the interior to correct course and move back inland, though as any day with significant overnight migration, the potential exists for an interesting morning of movement, even on tomorrow’s forecasted southeast winds.

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/3748/20260815

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 14, 2026

Gentle southerly and south-southeasterly winds delivered an action-packed morning of forward migration at Sunset Beach. Totals of 32 species and 2713 individuals were counted.

The action started early with Blue-gray Gnatcatchers fighting the fighting the breeze, soon joined by a steady low stream of southbound Purple Martins, Barn Swallows, and Eastern Kingbirds, sometimes with all four species mixed together as they shot south. Purple Martins ran away with the totals for the day with 1510 counted throughout the morning, nearly double the highest count from last season! The pulses of Eastern Kingbirds brought them to their best day so far this season with 261, and Barn Swallows followed with159. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers totaled 89, another great day for this consistently numerous migrant.

There was a bit of interesting diversity interspersed with the southbound flow, including two Cliff, one Northern Rough-winged, and one Bank Swallow. Other passerines included the season’s first Red-eyed Vireo and a Summer Tanager. Warblers were represented only by two Pines. There was also a brief flurry of four Red-headed Woodpeckers late morning, all juvenile birds. Another seasonally early Merlin was seen migrating very low to the water of the Chesapeake Bay, and later on an American Kestrel rose up from the north. A local Yellow-billed Cuckoo also continues to make several trips across the parking lot each day carrying food to a nest.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Purple Martin

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Northeast winds are forecasted for tomorrow morning with favorable conditions for overnight migration with the exception of possible overnight rain locally. Though northeasterlies do not steer birds to the coast in the same way as northwest winds do, there was plenty of action last fall on northeast winds which featured prominently through the first half of the season.

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/3748/20260814