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

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 13, 2026

Light west-southwesterly winds made for a calmer morning at Sunset Beach. Some forward migrants were taking advantage of the more favorable conditions, and totals of 35 species and 396 individuals were counted.

Swallows were back on the move today, with 102 Purple Martins and 51 Barn Swallows counted. Other forward migrant passerines also had a good day, including 55 Eastern Kingbirds and 26 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. There was very little in the way of nocturnal migration last night with precipitation to the north snuffing out the flight, and today’s reverse migration reflected that. For warblers, only three American Redstarts, one Prairie and one Pine Warbler, and one each Northern and Louisiana Waterthrush were counted.

Eastern Kingbird

In terms of waterbirds, there was a sprinkling of shorebird diversity including three unidentified dowitchers, two Least Sandpipers, and a Solitary Sandpiper. Brown Pelicans seemed to be on the move with 53 counted. Two Wilson’s Storm-Petrels made a nice northbound pass out over the bay following a long slick on the water.

Southerly winds return tomorrow, and it will be interesting to see if this shift is accompanied by an uptick in forward migrants such as swallows that sometimes move into the wind or creates any waterbird activity out over the Chesapeake Bay. As is typically the case with southerly winds, overall morning flight activity will probably be on the low side. A frontal boundary passes tomorrow night followed by northeast winds on Saturday, which could kickstart some more migratory action.

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/3748/20260813

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 12, 2026

Light northwest winds finally reached Sunset Beach this morning and provided the first notable reverse migration flight of the season. Totals of 40 species and 862 individuals were counted.

Mornings with northwesterlies generally concentrate morning flight along the western bay shore of the peninsula. That was the case today, and the majority of morning flight took place overhead across the parking lot allowing for good views of migrants. Warblers had a good morning, the vast majority being 98 American Redstarts. There was a fair bit of early diversity sprinkled in with eight Black-and-white Warblers, four Northern Waterthrushes, three Northern Yellow Warblers and a shockingly early Yellow-rumped Warbler, an apparent “molt migrant” that dispersing a solid month and a half before the first few of its conspecifics typically reach the Shore. 

American Redstart

Northern Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Today also marked the first notable reverse Blue-gray Gnatcatcher flight with 93 of the 111 counted being reverse northbound migrants, likely to avoid the risk of westerly wind drift during their diurnal migration. Other songbird migrants included 230 Red-winged Blackbirds, 127 Barn Swallows, and the season’s first vireo, a White-eyed sneaking through the bushes mid-morning. A Northern Mockingbird returned to a favored spotting scope perch, and found it a nice place to relieve itself.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Northern Mockingbird

Calmer winds made for less productive bay watching overall, though hordes of Brown Pelicans, American Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls were attracted to trawling vessels hauling in their catch. Tern activity overall was low, though three Gull-billed Terns moving south over the highway early on were a clear highlight. 

Southwest winds overnight with precipitation overnight to the north will likely limit nocturnal migration, though lighter westerlies by morning could well bring over any migrants that are moving through the area. Assessing the impact of multiple weather variables on migration without a strong event like a cold front is a challenge, so we’ll see what ends up happening!

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/3748/20260812

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 11, 2026

 Winds this morning at Sunset Beach were lighter from the west shifting more west-southwesterly. Overnight migration was limited and precipitation in the area and low cloud limited forward migration, though as usual there were still plenty of birds to see at Sunset Beach. Totals of 39 species and 320 individuals were counted.

Waterbirds played a more significant role in this morning’s migration. Brown Pelicans passed by in several good-sized flocks throughout the morning, totaling 83. A single low westbound flock of Common Terns contributed significantly to the total of 45. A tight flock of 22 Least Sandpipers also shot low through the parking lot. The Chesapeake Bay offered several more nice sightings including four Black Terns, one Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, and the season’s first Parasitic Jaeger, a fairly rare visitor to the Chesapeake Bay. The two adult Brown Boobies also appeared this morning, offering much closer views this morning than in previous days as they moved south over the bay.

Caspian Tern

Least Sandpipers

There was still a fair amount of diversity of other migrants, though generally fewer in number overall. Swallows were slow, with only 21 Barn and seven Northern Rough-winged. Fifteen Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were counted, including the season’s first northbound individual. Warblers remained slow, with eight American Redstart, two Northern Waterthrush, and one Northern Yellow Warbler. A Merlin also shot by over the campground, continuing the trend of early raptors on the count over the past few days.

Merlin

Winds shift more northerly overnight and are forecasted to be blowing north-northwest by morning. Northwest winds are typically the most productive winds for overnight migration on the Eastern Shore, though precipitation to the north may keep the flight a bit calmer overall.

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/3748/20260810

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 10, 2026

Slightly calmer winds with a more westerly component made for a more interesting day today at Sunset Beach. More migrants were able to make headway across the lighter crosswinds, with improved diversity and numbers of migrants overall. Totals of 41 species and 701 individuals were counted.

The bulk of today’s diverse flight was still comprised by swallows, of which Barn Swallows had their best day so far with 326, followed by 74 Purple Martin. Eastern Kingbirds had their first notable push of the season so far with 51 today and many more to come. Red-winged Blackbirds also were on the move, totaling 78. Warblers remained slow overall, with only three American Redstarts alongside one Louisiana Waterthrush and a handful of other unidentified waterthrushes.

There were a few uncommon highlights today including an early first-of-season Northern Harrier, a beautiful adult male “gray ghost” that floated overhead in the early morning light. Shorebirds included four distant dowitchers and five Stilt Sandpipers out over Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR. Three Black Terns also made a closer pass this morning, and four Least Terns were counted farther out over the bay. A juvenile American Oystercatcher flying directly overhead headed inland to the northeast was also an unusual sight, with most detections of this beach-nesting shorebird here being far out over the Chesapeake Bay.

Northern Harrier

American Oystercatcher

Osprey

More variety in wind direction is expected in the coming days, which should make for a welcome change of pace in terms of migration. Tonight’s lighter westerlies could deliver another more interesting day tomorrow as nocturnal migrants are drifted to the Eastern Shore from the interior.

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/3748/20260810

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 9, 2026

Southwesterly winds continue their reign at Sunset Beach, though a few birds were still moving around despite overnight migration once again being negligible. Birds today were more scattered with more movement occurring farther out to the east of the count site making for backlit viewing. Totals of 41 species and 398 individuals were counted.

In keeping with the previous week of the count so far, the flight today was dominated by forward migrants. Barn Swallows led with 147, followed by 65 Red-winged Blackbirds, and 45 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Interestingly, Purple Martins were essentially nonexistent with only a single bird counted northbound compared to the 124 yesterday, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were not detected yesterday at all. These discrepancies are interesting given the generally similar conditions between yesterday and today. Eleven American Redstarts were the only identified warblers this morning, with a few warbler and waterthrush sp. as high and backlit specks out to the east.

Barn Swallow

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

There was still a bit of diversity with the first waterfowl of the season being three southbound Mallards, an early Broad-winged Hawk out to the east, a handful of shorebirds including two Hudsonian Whimbrel, a Solitary Sandpiper and a Greater Yellowlegs, and one Caspian and three Gull-billed Terns moving south out over the Chesapeake Bay. The biggest excitement of the morning was when two Brown Boobies made another appearance over the Chesapeake Bay circling and diving on the horizon. Black Terns also continued their presence with four seen foraging around the bay.

There are signs that a break in the warm and humid southwesterly flow is coming, though there seems to be at least a couple days of more of the same in store. We are far enough along into the season where any break in the pattern could allow a significant overnight migratory movement and an exciting morning flight to follow. Until then, we will keep documenting what migrants are pushing on into the southwesterlies.

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/3748/20260807

Eastern Shore Migration Update: August 7, 2026

The trend of southwesterly winds continued this morning at Sunset Beach. Forward migrants continued to press on into the wind, but reverse migration was negligible with the winds again shutting down overnight migration.  Totals of 26 species and 272 individuals were counted.

Swallows and gnatcatchers again comprised the majority of the flight today, with Blue-gray Gnatcatchers making an impressive southbound push of 60 in the early portion of the morning. Barn Swallows took the lead in the swallow category with 83, Purple Martins followed with 55, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows continue to steadily move through with 8 counted.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

The trickle of warblers were largely southbound this morning with three American Redstarts, two Northern Waterthrushes, one Yellow-throated Warbler counted, while a northbound unidentified waterthrush was northbound. One Eastern Kingbird moving north was a reminder of the masses of this species that are to still come in just a few weeks. Mourning Doves seemed to be moving around today, though as always distinguishing migrants from the locals of this species is a challenge.

Mourning Doves

Yellow-throated Warbler

Feeding activity in the bay continued today, though with a much-increased number of Laughing Gulls and fewer terns overall. One Black Tern joined the activity for a bit and seemed to be hanging around the area. Three southbound Least Terns were nice to see, a seldom-seen species at this site despite nesting in numbers just two miles away at Fisherman Island. With this year’s young mostly fledged at this point in the season, the tiny Leasts will be one of the first local breeding species to depart the area.

Tomorrow’s outlook seems likely to be quite similar to today in terms of weather conditions, though with the notable personnel change of CVWO's “middle management” Andrew Rapp making his solo debut for the season. Andrew will be well-positioned to spot something to remind the main counter not to abandon his post even for a day of southerly winds in the early season!

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/3748/20260807