Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 12, 2026

 Low overcast skies and easterly winds kept activity fairly low overall this morning at Sunset Beach. Totals of 31 species and 1122 individuals were counted.

Easterly winds allowed migrants to move inland overnight, and morning flight activity this morning was very low, and most warblers were way out to the east moving into the wind. Flocks of Bobolinks were streaming over primarily southbound all morning with a total of 957 for the morning, the best flight of the species so far this season.

Notably, nine American Kestrels were moving north this morning, likely dissuaded from crossing the Chesapeake Bay on a strong crosswind with the low heavy clouds. A Black Tern moved south over the bay early on, likely one of the last few that will be counted this season. Unusual for this site, a flock of 29 peeps containing at least 26 Western Sandpipers moved south over the beach in the third hour, possibly local birds commuting to a roost or migrants in the area after showers the night before.

Western Sandpipers

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch was on the slower side as well, though there were still a handful of hawks counted with 26 Osprey still dominating the raptor numbers. Purple Martins continued their resurgence from yesterday with 390 counted. Their numbers will soon trail off for good as they continue on their way to  South America. The Hawkwatch also saw a good flight of 1016 Bobolinks. A southbound Palm Warbler was a first of season for either of our counts, a sure sign of mid-September on the Eastern Shore.

Purple Martin

Southeasterly winds build tomorrow along with rain overnight, continuing locally through the morning. The overnight precipitation and unfavorable winds will limit overnight migration, though could also lead to interesting shorebird flyovers in the morning.

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/3748/20260907

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 10, 2026

West-southwest winds were roaring off the Chesapeake Bay this morning, essentially shutting down all landbird activity at Sunset Beach. A handful of birds were moving out over the water, but overall migration was minimal. Totals of 13 species and 95 individuals were counted.

The stronger winds this morning suppressed landbird activity overall, and very little was happening over the peninsula even in terms of local songbirds, much less migrants. The wind off the bay created some activity, highlighted by several small flocks of Blue-winged Teal totaling 34 southbound individuals. A steady trickle of southbound gulls and terns were moving south into the wind, likely exiting the bay after coming in after last night’s strong south winds. Twenty-four Common Terns, 12 Royals and nine Sandwich were counted alongside four Lesser Black-backed Gulls, this season’s firsts. A Peregrine Falcon made a pass at an unidentified passerine and a Merlin buzzed overhead as well, but neither were counted as migrants.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Merlin

Peregrine Falcon

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch remained very slow with only 30 individual migrants were counted, and raptors were limited to seven Osprey and singles of Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, and American Kestrel. A northbound Common Nighthawk in the morning and a surprise southbound Buff-breasted Sandpiper in the mid-afternoon were bright spots on an otherwise slow, hot day. Many visitors kept spirits high and preserved our counters’ sanity as we stared into the empty blue!

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Changes are finally in the air tomorrow as a weak cold front approaches from the north. While overnight migration may be unremarkable as the front stalls out to our north in the morning, it’s possible some birds may get ahead of it and arrive on the peninsula with light northwesterlies. Slow-moving fronts also have the potential to make for interesting bay watching as overland seabird migrants drop in ahead of the weather 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/3748/20260907

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 9, 2026

West-southwest winds shut down overnight migration, and few forward migrants were moving against the crosswinds today. It was a very slow morning overall at Sunset Beach, with 20 species and 52 individuals counted.

Very few birds were moving at Sunset Beach overall. Sandwich Terns were the most numerous migrant of the morning totaling 17 southbound individuals out over the bay. Two American Redstarts and one Northern Yellow Warbler were the only warblers and five Osprey, one American Kestrel, and a Merlin were the only raptors. Diligent scans of the Chesapeake Bay yielded little other than gulls and pelicans surrounding the menhaden trawlers. The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch was fairly slow overall, though a few raptors were on the move including 43 Osprey. A brief evening watch at Ramp Road at Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR did not yield any migrants moving into stronger south winds at dusk, though 25 Boat-tailed Grackles were nice to see commuting to roost, typically an uncommon sight on the lower Eastern Shore this time of year away from the barrier island marshes where they go to molt.

Without much in the way of migration to update on, this slow day presents a good opportunity to compare a full month of August Sunset Beach data between 2025 and 2026. This year, many more total individual migrants have been counted, with 29,812 individuals counted in August 2026 compared to 17,345 in August 2025. Southbound migrants have pushed 2026 ahead, while reverse northbound migrants have trailed by 2,431 individuals compared to 2025. The top five migrants this August were Purple Martin (8878), Eastern Kingbird (7308), Barn Swallow (3454), Red-winged Blackbird (2100), and Bobolink (1229), all of which primarily behave as forward migrants at Sunset Beach.

Boat-tailed Grackles

Strong south-southwest winds overnight will certainly stall out most overnight migration. The windier conditions could make for good bay watching, but it is very unlikely that much in the way of visible active migration will be occurring 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/3748/20260909

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 8, 2026

Winds were very calm this morning, though there was a very gentle northeast breeze later in the morning. Few birds were motivated to move with the lack of wind this morning, though as always there were a few unexpected highlights. Totals of 26 species and 253 individuals were counted at Sunset Beach.

As with the past couple of days, only a small handful of migrants were engaging in morning flight today. The highlight was an Eastern Warbling Vireo working its way north through the “shrub highway” along the bay viewpoint, a scarce fall migrant on the Eastern Shore. A late Orchard Oriole was also notable, typically one of the earliest fall migrants to depart the Eastern Shore and seldom seen after August.

Forward migrants were significantly dominated by Bobolink, of which three flocks totaled 178. A lone Purple Martin was the only swallow counted today and only 14 Eastern Kingbirds further emphasized the transition towards the end of early fall migration. After some distant glimpses of two distant individuals, an adult Brown Booby put on a great show as it flew back and forth in front of the count site for the closest views of the season so far, even hitting a few steep dives as it foraged. A plausibly identifiable digi-scoped video was obtained in the absence of the counter’s camera memory card.

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch was very slow once more today, with a very brief afternoon Osprey movement bringing the day’s total to 18 being the only real action for the day. Raptor season will be ramping up very soon, and these slow, calm days will be just a distant memory.

Osprey

Southwest winds build tomorrow which will likely bring migration to a standstill once more. Warmer weather returns Thursday ahead of the next front, which will move through sometime closer to the weekend with a chance of precipitation.

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/3748/20260907

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 7, 2026

Northeast winds, clear skies, and lower humidity made for a day that felt like fall, even if morning flight was on the slow side. The Sunset Beach Morning Flight Count logged 26 species and 117 individuals.

Morning flight is back down to a trickle two mornings after Saturday’s cold front. Warblers were very slow, with eight American Redstarts being the most numerous species. A Yellow-throated Warbler and four Summer Tanagers gave good views as they worked the trees around the count site but were not counted as active migrants. Few forward migrants were counted overall, though 12 Great Blue Herons was the best count of the season so far, and a flyby Western Cattle-Egret was a first-of-season for this uncommon migrant. Sightings over the Chesapeake Bay included three northbound Black Terns early on, and three very distant Brown Boobies feeding on the horizon were exciting to see on this slower morning.

Yellow-throated Warbler

Western Cattle-Egret

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch had a moderate flight as the winds northeast winds shifted more to easterly throughout the afternoon. American Kestrels were the most numerous species with 36, while Osprey were much slower than the previous days with only 16. Purple Martins had a bit of an uptick with 135, hinting that there may still be some in the pipeline to our north.

American Kestrel

Tomorrow’s weather should be similar to today, though with lighter winds earlier on in the morning gradually shifting to southeast winds in the afternoon. Southwest winds return on Wednesday, building into Thursday. The return of light southerly winds in the afternoon could possibly lead to a later season swallow and martin 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/3748/20260907

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 6, 2026

Light north-northeast winds allowed for a massive liftoff of migrants last night as many of yesterday’s arrivals departed. The easterly component of the winds allowed for most migrants to stay inland off the coast. There was a light flight of reorienting migrants at Sunset Beach, and another good raptor flight at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch. Totals of 48 species and 562 individuals were counted.

Warblers were a bit more scattered today with a higher percentage southbound than yesterday, and while the flight peaked early, there were a handful of birds moving later in the morning as well. American Redstarts took the lead with 41, though Northern Waterthrushes accounted for a significant proportion as well with 20. Numbers of other passerine migrants were also modest, including 72 Eastern Kingbirds and 49 Bobolinks.

American Redstart

Red-headed Woodpecker

Eastern Red Bat

For a slower day, there was a fair bit of other diversity in morning flight. Three northbound Common Nighthawks were the first of season for the count. White Ibis had a good morning with several large southbound flocks totaling 214, one including a single Glossy Ibis. Two juvenile Red-headed Woodpeckers made a nice low northbound pass, and an Eastern Red Bat gave good views as it flew in off the bay. Two of the most notable sightings were not in morning flight: the season’s first Seaside Sparrow lurking in the grasses on the edge of the parking lot, and a Wood Thrush giving pit volley calls from the southern tree line, a surprisingly scarce migrant in the area with only one previous eBird record at Sunset Beach.

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch had another good morning of raptors, though many birds were very high up. Highlights included strong numbers of Osprey totaling 149, followed by 58 American Kestrels, a and a good showing of 16 Northern Harriers.

Tomorrow will likely be fairly similar to today on light northeast winds and clear skies. More southerly winds return mid-week, shifting to southwest on Thursday ahead of the next front.

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/3748/20260906

Eastern Shore Migration Update: September 5, 2026

Northwest winds overnight broke the dam of migration-stifling southerlies, and a massive push of migrants arrived on the Eastern Shore. Sunset Beach saw a significant reorientation morning flight following the large overnight movement, and 66 species and 2077 individuals were counted.

The most intense action of the day started early when a flood of northbound American Redstarts and Eastern Kingbirds shot over the parking lot as the sun rose. These two species were the most abundant reorienting migrants, with 871 kingbirds and 464 redstarts counted. The northwesterly winds kept the flight line more or less directly overhead, allowing for great views of warblers of 19 species throughout the morning including first-of-seasons Nashville and Black-throated Green Warbler. Northern Waterthrushes and Northern Yellow Warblers had especially good days with 62 and 66 counted respectively.

Northern Waterthrush

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Veery

Northern Parula

Songbird diversity was far from limited to warblers, and three of the day’s most uncommon migrants came from other families; singles of Olive-sided Flycatcher and Yellow-throated Vireo were seen well in the mix. Twenty-nine Red-eyed Vireos, nine Eastern Wood-Pewees, five Veeries, one Swainson’s Thrush, one Dickcissel, and the season’s first Scarlet Tanager provided additional passerine diversity.

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch also had a great day following the wind switch. Osprey were the bird of the day with 164 counted, many of which were actually in kettles and small groups dotting the sky, and some were even migrating before sunrise! Other raptor highlights included two Mississippi Kites, a Red-shouldered Hawk, 12 American Kestrels, and the Hawkwatch’s first four Merlins of the season. Migrant passerines also had some nice standouts at the Hawkwatch including a Cliff Swallow and yet another Olive-sided Flycatcher!

In a fairly typical cold front pattern, winds shifted throughout the day from northwest to a light northeast, allowing for a massive liftoff of migrants this evening as birds take advantage of the tailwind to move back inland. While northeasterlies typically limit morning flight numbers, there will still be plenty of birds to count tomorrow, especially at the Hawkwatch where northeast winds are the most favorable.

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/3748/20260905

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