Eastern Shore Migration Update: November 4, 2026

 Light east winds continued on this calm and beautiful blue day. Migration was slower as expected, though a few species were still moving in light numbers. Totals of 27 species and 1424 individuals were counted.

Today was fairly similar to yesterday in terms of species compositions. Passerines were quite similar overall, and a steady trickle of southbound migrants early on was primarily comprised of 743 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 603 Red-winged Blackbirds. Finches were again moving in number, today led by 90 American Goldfinch followed by 65 Pine Siskin and 50 House Finches. The Chesapeake Bay was again very calm, and regular common migrants were observed in smaller numbers.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

The calm conditions carried over to the hawkwatch, which was very slow. The four raptors counted were two Cooper’s Hawks, one Red-tailed Hawk, and one Peregrine Falcon. Passerine migrants were slower at the hawkwatch as well, and the most numerous species were 400 Red-winged Blackbird, 89 Yellow-rumped Warbler, and 74 Pine Siskin.

There are changes ahead in the weather, though tomorrow may be another slower day with south winds. Friday is currently looking quite rainy though northwest winds arrive Saturday following the rain, and hopefully a surge of migration will follow.

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/3748/20261104

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: November 3, 2026

Winds were very calm and the air was quite still on this warm, clear day on the Eastern Shore. The lack of wind did not inspire many birds to migrate today, and things were generally quite slow. At Sunset Beach, totals of 27 species and 1424 individuals were counted.

Most of the movement this morning was early on, as 563 Yellow-rumped Warblers were counted moving south. Red-winged Blackbirds were the only other species reaching triple digits, today tallying 262 southbound with many landing in the pines around the count site to feed on cones. Finches continue to trickle south, today represented by 24 House Finch, 26 American Goldfinch, and 64 Pine Siskin. The Chesapeake Bay was glassy calm, and the day’s bay-watching activity reflected that stillness. Northern Gannets were slow with only 24 moving south and a few others milling around, two Surf Scoters moved north, and 20 Black Scoters were counted southbound.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-winged Blackbirds

The calm conditions also made for slow going at the hawkwatch, where 22 raptors were counted. Fish Crows continue to move in very strong numbers compared to previous seasons, and they were the most numerous migrants of the day at the hawkwatch totaling 488.

Tomorrow is forecasted to be another beautiful day, though the light southeast winds will probably make for slow counting again. There are signs of changing conditions by the weekend, and until then we’ll be out in the nice weather seeing what birds are enjoying it 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/3748/20261103

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: November 2, 2026

Light northeasterly winds continued this morning with a cool gray overcast ceiling. Sunset Beach totaled 36 species 2501 individuals.

Overnight migration was on the weaker side last night, and diversity this morning was generally low despite a couple nice highlights. At 7:37, 11 Sandhill Cranes passed the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch, and just four minutes later they were passing Sunset Beach out over the bay! Sandhill Cranes are a rare migrant on the Eastern Shore, though more or less annual at some point in the later season. Shortly after a northbound Snow Bunting passed over Sunset calling high as it moved over, a scarce migrant and winter resident in the area mostly on the barrier islands. Both these species represent firsts for the count and the site!

Sandhill Crane

The rest of the flight was a bit slower, mostly dominated by southbound forward migrants. Most of these were Red-winged Blackbirds which totaled 1143 southbound. American Goldfinches are slowly building in numbers, but still generally trailing Pine Siskins today with 41 and 51 respectively. Fish Crows also continue to move in good numbers, today totaling 86.

Not much was happening out over the Chesapeake Bay, though an adult light Parasitic Jaeger moving north was the first seen at Sunset in over a month. Scoters were fairly slow, and 63 Black and 12 Surf counted. Two Wood Ducks and a Greater Scaup rounded out the waterfowl.

Aside from the cranes, the hawkwatch remained on the slower side as not many raptors inspired to move on the cool cloudy day. Of the 40 raptors, 12 Red-tailed were moving, the high count for the season so far. A late Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was a nice late passerine highlight for the slow day.

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/3748/20261102

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 30, 2026

Calm westerly winds brought warm weather under clear skies today on the Eastern Shore. Though the day was very slow for raptors, there was a solid push of waterfowl, finches and a few reorienting migrants. Totals of 37 species and 1540 individuals were counted.

At Sunset Beach, finches had a good day with 164 House Finches and 154 Pine Siskin alongside smaller numbers of 15 American Goldfinch and two Purple Finches. The majority of House Finches were turning around at the point and moving north, while most siskins were continuing southbound. Yellow-rumped Warblers had another relatively moderate flight with 394 counted, mostly moving south in the first hour. A touch of late season warbler diversity was achieved through five Blackpoll, four Palm, two Cape May, and one Nashville Warbler. A Dickcissel was heard well calling as it moved north unseen.

Blackpoll Warbler

Red-winged Blackbird

Waterfowl were moving south in good numbers over the Chesapeake Bay led by 163 Black Scoters, with small numbers of 27 Green-winged Teal, nine Northern Shovelers, and three American Wigeon mixed in. The second hour featured a trickle of 164 Northern Gannets moving south out of the bay, a movement that has been fairly predictable the past couple days.

Raptors were very slow at the hawkwatch, with 13 total counted for the day. The hawkwatch platform had a surprise mammalian visitor in the form of an Eastern Cottontail that had wandered onto the platform but was clearly disoriented by its new surroundings and spent most of the day hiding under a bench. Thankfully, experts from TNC and VA DWR were able to work with the hawkwatch crew to safely encourage the cottontail to hop down the ramp and back to its habitat.

Eastern Cottontail

Winds from the north come in tonight and tomorrow will be much cooler. A Golden Eagle was spotted moving north over Cheriton today, and hopefully it and other raptors will be inspired to move down the 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/3748/20261030

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 29, 2026

Light northeasterlies continued this morning under partly cloudy skies. Forward morning flight was again active, with strong pushes of blackbirds and finches. At Sunset Beach, totals of 44 species and 2492 individuals were counted.

There was a solid push of forward passerine migrants this morning, mostly carried by blackbirds including 434 Red-winged Blackbirds, 121 Brown-headed Cowbirds, 48 Common Grackles, 7 and Rusty Blackbirds. Finches were also moving in decent numbers including 130 Pine Siskins. Other typical forward migrants such as American Robin were slower by comparison, and only 112 robins were counted. Most of the morning’s 820 Yellow-rumped Warblers were also southbound, primarily in the first hour.

Waterfowl were moving in decent numbers, though most of the flocks over the bay were frustratingly distant on the horizon line and not identifiable. Three American Black Ducks, four Surf Scoters, 101 Black Scoters, and a pair of Bufflehead were in countable range.

American Black Ducks

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch remained fairly slow, totaling 44 raptors for the day. The passerine migrant composition was quite different at the hawkwatch compared to Sunset, with the hawkwatch logging fewer blackbirds and more robins and Blue Jays. Highlights on the ground included an Orange-crowned and a Prairie Warbler.

Migration will probably be generally slow tonight, though more westerly winds overnight switching to northwest tomorrow hold some promise for some more late season movement. 

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/3748/20261029

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 28, 2026

Today saw northeast winds and clearing partly cloudy skies, cool in the morning but warming up nicely. At Sunset Beach, totals of 42 species and 4342 individuals were counted.

Many forward migrants seemed to be taking advantage of the northeast tailwinds and moving with the wind this morning, possibly continuing their nocturnal migration and crossing the Chesapeake Bay. Most of the day’s 981 Yellow-rumped Warblers were doing just that, moving south in small groups. Warbler diversity has continued to dwindle as October draws to a close, and only two Blackpoll and two Cape May were in the mix today. Most of the other passerine migrants counted today were 991 southbound and 491 northbound American Robins, and good numbers of southbound blackbirds; 630 Red-winged Blackbirds, 194 Brown-headed Cowbirds, and 70 Common Grackles.

Several flocks of Northern Pintail totaled 41, including a lone drake that made a nice overhead pass. Common Loons were moving in their best numbers so far this season totaling 17. One local loon fishing off the beach caught a small flounder but seemed confused what to do with the flatfish, repeatedly dropping it in the water and picking it up again for several minutes. Other waterbird diversity included four Killdeer, two Dunlin, and a Wilson’s Snipe.

Northern Pintail

Dunlin

Common Loon

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch had another light flight of 76 raptors. As is typical, the hawkwatch logged even higher totals of southbound passerines including 2310 American Robins, 218 Pine Siskins, and 2109 Yellow-rumped Warblers. A nice surprise at the hawkwatch was a flyover Red Crossbill, the first and hopefully not the last on the Eastern Shore this fall. Audio recordings support this individual being a type 2 or “ponderosa pine” Red Crossbill, a primarily western type currently undergoing an immense irruption in unprecedented numbers in the western Great Lakes region. Hopefully this singleton is a sign of more to come!

Light northeasterlies diminish overnight and tomorrow may be another good day for forward migrant passerines with the calm conditions.

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/3748/20261028

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 27, 2026

Light winds shifting northwest overnight brought a somewhat more active day of migration to the Eastern Shore. The Sunset Beach Morning Flight Count logged totals of 61 species and 2388 individuals.

 Warblers had a decent showing for the date, likely owing to the southwest-northwest switch overnight. Two Cape May, one Northern Parula, five Blackpoll, 13 Palm, one Pine, and a slightly late Black-throated Green Warbler were counted alongside 526 of their Yellow-rumped Warbler cousins, the majority of which were northbound. Two northbound Red-breasted Nuthatches continued their consistent trickle of a movement.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Pine Siskins

A fleeting glimpse was caught of a northbound hummingbird that was likely a Ruby-throated, though by this date rarer options are increasingly likely. Waterfowl were moving in solid numbers out over the Chesapeake Bay including 56 Northern Pintail, a White-winged Scoter, and the season’s first two Bufflehead. Many ducks were frustratingly distant in the shimmer making identification impossible.

 Things picked up a bit at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch after winds shifted to the northeast in the afternoon, and 77 raptors were counted today. Accipitrines made up a good chunk of the flight, with 24 Sharp-shinned and 20 Cooper’s Hawks counted. Southbound passerine migrants were moving in good numbers including 593 Blue Jays, 368 Fish Crows, 1109 American Robins, 306 Pine Siskins, 391 Red-winged Blackbirds, and 981 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Fish Crows

Northeast winds continue overnight and through tomorrow, and hopefully there will be some more good movement of diurnal migrants 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/3748/20261027

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 26, 2026

Today’s morning flight count at Sunset Beach featured calm north-northwest winds and clear skies. Movement was light for the conditions, and totals of 44 species and 1250 individuals were counted.

Passerine totals were on the low side following a quiet night of migration. Yellow-rumped Warblers were even somewhat subdued, with 178 northbound and 90 southbound counted. There were decent totals of a few southbound migrants including 144 Blue Jays, 134 American Robins, and 65 Pine Siskins. A cooperative Ruby-crowned Kinglet showed well for several minutes as it foraged around the count area.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Bay watching yielded a good total of 114 southbound Northern Gannets, and a few more were milling around feeding out on the horizon. The duck flight was slow but steady, represented by totals of 72 Black Scoter, 11 Surf Scoter, and three Northern Pintail inserted in a line of scoters. Seven Dunlin were also spotted moving north slightly offshore.

Raptors were slow again at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch on the very light winds, and only nine raptors were counted. The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch recorded the highest numbers of Pine Siskins so far this season, with 340 southbound individuals counted throughout the day. Siskins are now a common sight throughout the Eastern Shore, and their nasal flight calls may be heard anywhere as small groups stream over the peninsula.

Southwest winds overnight shift to light west and northwest by dawn, and tomorrow could be a better day for passerine visible 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/3748/20261026

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 22, 2026

Lighter north-northwest winds brought another active morning to Sunset Beach, where totals of 60 species and 2129 individuals were counted.

Flight dynamics remained similar to previous days overall, with most morning flight occurring close to or over the main counting area at the parking lot. Yellow-rumped Warblers continue to dominate totaling 628, the lowest total recorded over the past couple of days. Blackpolls accounted for most of the other warbler diversity totaling 8. Other passerine diversity was strong out of the gate in the first hour likely owing to the slight westerly element to the winds, including a majority of the day’s 23 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 10 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and 11 Brown Creepers.

Primarily northbound finch movement continued including 71 House Finches and 40 Pine Siskins. Fish Crows were moving south in impressive large flocks that added up to 239, and Blue Jays were streaming by as well totaling 150 southbound and 70 northbound. Waterbird movement was largely limited to 118 Black Scoters and 94 Double-crested Cormorants, though 74 Brown Pelicans moving steadily south in small grounds indicated they were on the move today as well.

Blackpoll Warbler

Monarch

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Things were slow again at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch, where 29 raptors were counted. Passerine numbers at the platform were strong however, and 171 Pine Siskins were counted, mostly in the morning hours. Purple Finches hit double digits for the first time this season with 11. Corvid numbers were strong at the hawkwatch as well, represented by 256 Blue Jays and 222 Fish Crows.

Steady north winds continuing overnight will gradually give way to northeasterlies by the afternoon. Though radar indicates there is lighter nocturnal migration, tomorrow morning will likely remain fairly birdy, more or less comparable 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/3748/20261022

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 21, 2026

steady north winds continued today, bringing another active morning to the Eastern Shore. Totals of 63 species and 3062 individuals were counted.

Today was generally similar to yesterday in terms of passerines, and most of the 1685 Yellow-rumped Warblers moving north were on the main flightline over the parking lot, though with slightly lighter winds there was a higher proportion moving higher out to the east. Other songbirds were a touch lower in numbers, with the exception being 93 Pine Siskins, another notable bump for this boreal irruptive! Included in the total were several small flocks in classic bouncing ball formation, one of which dropped in to feed in the pines and included a pale “green morph” male siskin. Green morph Pine Siskins are a poorly understood variant, but likely represent brighter adult males that show paler underparts with fainter streaking with yellow-washed highlights and brighter yellow wing patterning. Forward migrant passerines accounted for a somewhat greater proportion of the total than yesterday, largely comprised of 255 Brown-headed Cowbirds and 90 Red-winged Blackbirds.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Pine Siskins

Pine Siskin (green morph)

Waterbirds were moving more than yesterday as well, starting off strong with a Western Cattle Egret moving north low over the highway at Sunrise recalling the hawkwatch’s observation of this species from two days prior. Two Brant, 20 Canada Goose, one American Black Duck, two Green-winged Teal, nine Black Scoter and 71 Black Scoter rounded out the waterfowl. Double-crested Cormorants were on the move again after a lull yesterday, totaling 127.

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch remained on the slow side today with 92 raptors counted before the flight died shortly after noon. Highlights included nine Red-shouldered Hawks, a later season migrant that should see building numbers from here on out. Pine Siskins were moving in force at the hawkwatch as well tallying 146, and two Brant were a nice sight from the platform over the bay.

Northerly winds continue through tomorrow associated with the low pressure of the newly-named subtropical depression Josephine passing well offshore. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some more good morning flight and an increase in the raptor activity.

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/3748/20261021

 

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 20, 2026

Steady north winds following a strong night of nocturnal migration made for an active morning flight of reverse migrants at Sunset Beach, were totals of 61 species and 4196 individuals were counted.

Passerine flights this time of year are inevitably dominated by Yellow-rumped Warblers, though their flights are dynamic and vary considerably depending on the weather conditions. Today, essentially all 3114 of them were northbound low over the parking lot on the main morning flight line, with few other warblers mixed in including seven Cape May, six Palm, four Northern Parula, one Blackpoll, and one Common Yellowthroat. Tree Swallows were also streaming north in good numbers with 588 counted, and many more surely went uncounted far to the east over the refuge.

 There was a fair bit of other passerine diversity including 27 Pine Siskins in ones and twos mixed with the Yellow-rumps, a notable uptick in these irruptive finches’ numbers. Two first-of-season Purple Finches were also counted, along with eight Red-breasted Nuthatches for a nice little flight of boreal irruptives. Today also saw the first good sparrow flight of the season, represented by 10 Chipping, four Field, six Dark-eyed Juncos, 16 White-throated, one Savannah, eight Song, three Swamp, and four Eastern Towhees. Rounding out the winter songbird roster was a first-of-season Hermit Thrush, seven Eastern Phoebes, 10 Brown Creepers, and eight Golden-crowned Kinglets.

Pine Siskin

Swamp Sparrow

Northern Flicker

Larger birds were in shorter supply today, though there were still a handful of waterbirds migrating including 10 Surf Scoters and 43 Black Scoters moving south over the bay, one Common Loon, one Northern Gannet, twelve Double-crested Cormorants, and 27 Brown Pelicans. Up at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch, a total of 83 raptors were counted, on the slower side for a clear day with strong northerlies. The slower day did not stop the first Golden Eagle of the season, an immature moving back north in the afternoon.

Similar conditions continue tomorrow, and it will be interesting to see how both morning flight and the raptor flight differ from 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/3748/20261020

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 19, 2026

North-northeast winds continued today and brought another good day of migration to the Eastern Shore. At Sunset Beach, totals of 49 species and 4463 individuals were counted.

Today featured another nice blend of landbird and waterbird migrants, though reorientation morning flight was slower given the low overnight migration. The vast majority of this morning’s reverse migrants were 321 northbound Yellow-rumped Warblers, with a sprinkle of six Cape May and two each Blackpoll Warbler and Northern Parula mixed in. High House Finch numbers continue to move north over the refuge, today totaling 140. Forward migrant passerines were moving in solid numbers including 318 Blue Jays, 96 Fish Crows, 119 Red-winged Blackbirds, and 178 Brown-headed Cowbirds. Tree Swallows were streaming south high all morning with a total of 2729 counted before their swirling movements became incomprehensible.

Waterbirds were on the slower side today at Sunset, and most of the scoters moving today were extremely distant in bad shimmer rendering the majority unidentifiable. An exception was a relatively close flock of six White-winged Scoters moving north that put down on the water for a couple minutes out past the pylons, a good count of this uncommon sea duck for this early in the season. Three Brant also made a nice close pass as they worked their way up the bay. Three Northern Gannets appeared for the first time this season, a juvenile in close and two adults way out in the shimmer.

Brant

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch was slower today but still recorded a solid flight of 235 raptors. It was another good day for Cooper’s Hawks totaling 107, beating out the 80 Sharp-shinned. Fourteen Northern Harriers were also nice. Nine Pine Siskins included a flock of seven dropping in to the shrubs bordering the platform. A bizarre highlight was a Western Cattle Egret that came in low from the south between the t-pole and the platform just over the field, zipping over the north tree line and out of sight! Cattle Egrets are scarce migrants on the Eastern Shore, and only a few are seen each fall these days.

Northern Harrier

Strong north-northeasterlies continue tomorrow, and a strong liftoff of nocturnal migrants tonight across the northeast should make for an exciting day 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/3748/20261019

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 18, 2026

Strong north-northeast winds following the passage of the major cold front were excellent conditions for nocturnal and diurnal migrants alike on the Eastern Shore, and both of our counts had exciting flights with skies full of migrants and a few surprises. Totals of 79 species and 3052 individuals were counted.

The day's major excitement came at 9:22 am when hawk counter Sage Church made the call that a Swainson’s Hawk had just passed the hawkwatch moving south, and just six minutes later it appeared out to the east of Sunset Beach! This light juvenile individual was later seen moving back north towards the end of the count. The Swainson’s made no fewer than four passes at the hawkwatch today including an excellent view moving back north at 3:30 pm, suggesting this bird could still be around tomorrow.  

Swainson's Hawk

Waterbirds had a strong at Sunset Beach showing including three first-of-seasons for the count; seven Brant, eleven Northern Shovelers, and one American Wigeon. Double-crested Cormorants were streaming by in flocks throughout the morning totaling 291. Shorebirds displayed some nice late season diversity including three Black-bellied Plovers, two Greater and one Lesser Yellowlegs and 43 Dunlin, a good count for this site.

Common Loon

Dunlin

Wood Ducks

Landbird diversity was also excellent, including both a Yellow-billed and a sneaky Black-billed Cuckoo moving north. A steady northbound stream of Yellow-rumped Warblers totaled 809, with a few other typical late-season warblers mixed in. A few large flocks of House Finches out to the east totaled 192. Other passerine diversity included 45 Fish Crows, an American Pipit, two Eastern Meadowlarks, two Pine Siskins, and seven first-of-season Rusty Blackbirds. 

Pine Siskin

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch saw an amazing flight for mid-October of 1039 raptors, an impressive total well past peak migration for the site. This flight was heavily dominated by Accipitrines with Sharp-shinned Hawks taking a commanding lead of 511, many of which moved through in the early hours of the morning, and Cooper’s Hawks had their best day of the season with 328 counted, ranking in the top five flights of this species in the history of the hawkwatch.

Strong northeast winds continue tonight, and many of today’s arrivals will be able to depart. Morning flight will probably be a bit slower tomorrow, though it could be another good day at the hawkwatch with the continuing northerlies. The rest of the week's forecast will depend heavily on the track of an offshore low pressure system moving towards the Carolinas. 

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/3748/20261018

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 17, 2026

Cold wind and rain defined today on the Eastern Shore, though conditions were still countable at Sunset Beach where totals of 22 individuals and 169 individuals were counted.

The Sunset Beach count site is reasonably sheltered from due north winds coming down the peninsula, and conditions were reasonable for most of the count before the rain picked up. More passerines were moving than expected, most of which were taking the shrub highway north in the rainy conditions. Gray Catbirds saw a bit of a resurgence in numbers totaling 31, often with several of the morning’s 11 White-throated Sparrows mixed in. There was still a bit of warbler diversity with 35 Yellow-rumped, seven Cape May, three Palm, two Blackpoll, two Northern Parula, and singles of Pine, Black-throated Green, and American Redstart counted. A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk briefly landed on one of the picnic area grills as it attempted hunting on the rainy day.

Red-shouldered Hawk

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch was largely rained out, though a few raptors were counted on and off from the morning through the mid-afternoon. Osprey dominated the rainy raptor numbers totaling 25, followed by nine Merlin and eight Cooper’s Hawk. A strong crowd of attendees braved the weather for the World Migratory Bird Day at Kiptopeke State Park festival, where CVWO Vice President Nancy Barnhart presented a talk alongside other Eastern Shore conservation organizations such as the Nature Conservancy while bird walks were lead around the park.

Rain is projected to clear out this evening while north winds roar all night. A significant flight of migrants is anticipated tonight in the wake of the strong cold front, and tomorrow should be an active day of migration in the cold wind.

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/3748/20261017

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 16, 2026

Moderate southwest winds combined with overcast skies made for a slower morning than the past couple days, lacking the strong southbound movements of passerines and raptors. Totals of 34 species and 652 individuals were counted at Sunset Beach.

Warblers were flying all around this morning at Sunset Beach, lacking much in the way of directionality in their movements as evidenced by comparable numbers of northbound and southbound Yellow-rumped Warblers, 186 and 181 respectively. Other warblers included seven Palm, three Blackpoll, two Black-and-white, one Northern Parula, and four Cape May Warblers, one of which dropped into the wax myrtle bushes and gave good views for a while as it foraged.

Cape May Warbler

The biggest surprise of the morning came when the continuing Hudsonian Godwit that has been frequenting the beaches around Kiptopeke State Park made a fast low pass over the parking lot and down to the beach! The godwit did not hang around and could not be re-found elsewhere along the beaches today. Not much else was moving at Sunset, though it was nice to see a late Baltimore Oriole moving north in with Yellow-rumps. Low numbers of waterfowl included eight Green-winged Teal mixed in with a southbound flock of scoters. Three of the morning’s six Peregrine Falcons were departing across the bay from farther north on the peninsula, perhaps jumping off from near the fishing pier.

Things were likewise fairly slow at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch with the exception of Peregrine Falcons, which accounted for 48 of the day’s 133 raptors. Osprey were moving a bit as well, totaling 32. A few non-raptor highlights included two Northern Rough-winged Swallows and a Yellow-breasted Chat.

Though temperatures soared to the upper 70’s this afternoon when the sun came out, tomorrow will be a shock to the system after a strong cold front moves in overnight bringing howling north winds, plunging temperatures, and rain. Tomorrow will likely be a weather day for one or both of our counts depending on how miserable the conditions truly are. We should hopefully see a surge of migration following the front after the rain clears out on Sunday.

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/3748/20261016

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 15, 2026

Winds spiked just after sunrise at Sunset Beach bringing howling northeast gusts after a calm night of active migration. The high winds seemed to subdue songbirds in morning flight, though plenty of other birds were blasting over including waterbirds and raptors. Totals of 57 species and 3826 individuals were counted at Sunset Beach.

The strong tailwind seemed to drift the southbound flightline overhead to the western bay shore. Yellow-rumped Warblers were streaming steadily south totaling 1504 south and 201 north. Few other warblers were in the mix, the runner up being 13 Blackpoll Warblers of which most were northbound. Typically northeasterly winds mean a more easterly flightline given that birds in morning flight tend to tack into the wind, though today a fair number of reorienting migrants were also on the overhead flightline as they battled the winds.

Waterfowl movements were fairly slow today, though were highlighted by the season’s first Greater Scaup. Other waterbirds were moving in much greater numbers, including a nice later season push of southbound White Ibis totaling 333, and Double-crested Cormorants moving steadily as well with 153. Small flocks of Great Blue Herons were moving over very high as well tallying 58. The hen Common Eider also continued by the northern pound nets. A Common Nighthawk up over the campground at sunrise was a late surprise.

The northeast winds brought an excellent flight of 909 raptors to the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch, highlighted by a very strong movement of 303 Cooper’s Hawks. This is the sixth highest day record for Cooper’s Hawks at this site. Sharp-shinned Hawks put up a respectable fight but took home a rare loss to their larger cousins with a total of 239. Merlins took third for the day with 119. A total of 152 was also a good day for Great Blue Herons at the hawkwatch. After a weeklong absence, an adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird was a nice surprise, as males typically migrate before females and immature hummingbirds.

Southwest winds and warm temperatures return tomorrow before a major weather shift over the weekend bringing cold, strong wind, and rain chances. Pre-frontal days like tomorrow are sometimes slow, though on occasion the southwesterlies trigger interesting movements ahead of the arriving 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/3748/20261015

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 14, 2026

Southwest winds brought a very active southbound flight today at Sunset Beach, and good numbers of raptors were moving into the light winds at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch. Totals of 49 species and 5317 individuals were counted.

Passerines were streaming into the wind all morning, heavily dominated by 3260 southbound Yellow-rumped Warblers. The flight picked up very quickly out to the east over the refuge and highway and continued throughout the first hour, trailing off in the second hour. As Yellow-rumped numbers slowed, warbler diversity picked up, and other species including 13 Blackpoll, 11 Cape May, five Northern Parula, four Black-and-white, two Black-throated Blue, and singles of American Redstart and Palm were also predominately southbound. Blue Jays and House Finches also featured prominently in the southbound movement, totaling 753 and 230 respectively. Woodpecker numbers were subdued overall, with 20 Northern Flickers being the most numerous.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Peregrine Falcon

The Chesapeake Bay also produced southbound migrants, the most numerous of which were 122 Black Scoters, a good count for this site. Surf Scoters totaled 20, and two Northern Pintail were the only other ducks counted. A Common Eider was a nice surprise bobbing in the waves to the north of the count site, possibly the same individual found in Cape Charles several days prior. The early eider was nicely juxtaposed with the now record late Mississippi Kite that appeared out to the east in the fourth hour as it kettled up with seven Broad-winged Hawks and other raptor miscellanea. Audrey’s detection of the kite later on at the Kiptopeke Royal Farms suggests that it once again declined to set off across the bay.

Black and Surf Scoters

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch had a good flight totaling 443 raptors. The southerly element to the winds kept birds lower for the first part of the day before the flightline shifted east in the afternoon. Accipitrine hawks ruled the count, with 141 Sharp-shinned and 119 Cooper’s Hawks.  The Hudsonian Godwit continued today on the beach on both the south and north side of the fishing pier.

Southwest winds tonight shift more northerly by dawn and will be out of the northeast throughout the day under overcast skies, which should make for a hopefully interesting morning flight and good day at the 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/3748/20261014

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 13, 2026

Light northwest winds overnight brought a significant flight of migrants to the Eastern Shore. Diversity and numbers alike were strong today, and totals of 69 species and 3276 individuals were counted.

The light winds made for a hectic start to the morning, and warblers were swirling overhead calling high as they descended from high, making counting a challenge. The typical overhead northbound flightline slowly materialized throughout the flight as birds gained their bearings. Yellow-rumped Warblers were the exception as is typical, and 508 were southbound throughout the day in small groups and only 208 were northbound with the other warblers, mostly in the first two hours. Northern Parulas made a solid later season push with 126, alongside more modest numbers of 40 Cape May, 27 Palm, and 19 Blackpoll Warblers.

Other diversity at Sunset was also quite good, including 32 Ruby and nine Golden-crowned Kinglets, the best numbers for the season so far. Red-breasted Nuthatches continued to trickle north with five, and Blue Jays were a constant presence totaling 952 southbound. Woodpeckers had a good showing today with 164 Northern Flickers, 26 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, six Red-headed Woodpeckers, four Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and a high-flying Downy Woodpecker moving south. The season’s first six Surf Scoters were counted, all in a single southbound flock. Three Dickcissels was also a good count.

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch had a nice flight today as well, including a solid later season push of 48 Osprey. The lingering Mississippi Kite miraculously continued as well.  A few non-raptor highlights included the largest Blue Jay flight of the season so far with 1314 southbound individuals counted. A Dickcissel dropping in to the gap was also a treat.

We always expect the unexpected on the Eastern Shore, but nobody anticipated a Hudsonian Godwit hanging out on the Kiptopeke SP Beach! This juvenile may well have never seen humans before, and it seemed perfectly content to feast on mole crabs within just a couple feet of observers. The clear, calm conditions are not typically associated with an offshore migrant like this away from regular stopover sites, and it seems possible this individual came in off the ocean yesterday with the strong easterly winds.

Hudsonian Godwit

Hudsonian Godwit

Monarch CVWO-Sage

Southwest winds return tomorrow along with warmer temperatures, and migration will surely slow as a result. These winds could keep birds from today in place, or bring in more unexpected visitors.

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/3748/20261013

Eastern Shore Migration Update: October 12, 2026

Winds were roaring out of the northwest this morning, but southwesterlies all night stifled overnight migration and made for a slow morning. Totals of 24 species and 209 individuals were counted. 

Despite the strong northwesterlies, the lack of overnight liftoff made for very light morning flight overall for the date. Most birds were northbound into the wind as expected, including the majority of the day’s 51 Yellow-rumped Warblers, nine Blackpoll Warblers, four Northern Parulas and one Cape May Warbler. An Eastern Meadowlark was also nice to see moving north, the second sighting this season. A few raptors were moving around including 12 Cooper’s Hawks and 10 Osprey. Five Great Blue Herons were seen moving south high up.

Blackpoll Warbler

The Kiptopeke Hawkwatch was likewise slow with 74 raptors counted, and 18 Sharp-shinned Hawks being the most numerous species followed closely by 14 Cooper’s. A high flock of 45 scoters far out to the east of the count site over the seaside was a first-of-season for any of the three scoter species.

Up in Cape Charles, two early north Atlantic waterbird species have frequented the harbor over the past two days, a Common Eider and up to two Great Cormorants. Both of these species are scarce away from their usual wintering areas around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel islands at the mouth of the bay. The strong easterlies may have brought them farther up the bay yesterday, and it will be interesting to see how long they hang around.

Great Cormorant

Tomorrow holds much more promise following a strong liftoff tonight and light northwesterlies overnight and into the morning. Tomorrow could be one of the last days of some modest warbler diversity in morning flight before the truly staggering Yellow-rumped Warblers drown out the others. Hawkwatching will probably also be good given the lighter winds and clearer skies.

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/3748/20261012