In what proved to be a challenging year in most facets of life, birding was never more exciting in Virginia Beach than it was during 2020! Another calendar year has reached its end, and with it, so too have the year lists that many of us worked so hard to build. That task now begins anew, though first, it is time to close out the year with a quick recap, and an extensive December report! Weatherwise, December was basically a spot-on, average month (55°F/38°F for daily highs/lows), when looking at the prior ten-year average temperatures (55°F/39°F). Throughout the month, we ranged from a high of 71°F on 24 Dec to a low of 26°F on 26 Dec (a remarkable 45° drop in less than 48 hours). The last time we felt a temperature this cold in Virginia Beach was back on 22 Feb when we hit 25°F, which also happened to be the lowest temperature we saw here in 2020. Bird-wise, over the course of its thirty-one days, a total of 182 species produced accepted records in eBird during December. This proved to be a surprise increase from the 172 species logged here during November, probably thanks to Christmas Bird Count efforts, folks out trying their best to finish out personal 2020 calendar year lists, and a few late arriving species. This mark of 182 species was also a bit higher than our counts in other recent Decembers, like the 179 species logged in each 2019 and 2018. Virginia Beach finished up 2020 with an incredible 312 species, our highest total in any year so far submitted to eBird. This beats out the prior high mark of 307 species set last year and frankly, it obliterates the 290 we logged in 2018! Remarkably, 303 of the 312 species were photo-documented in eBird, and one additional species, Chuck-will’s-widow, had a voice recording (Redhead, Dovekie, Arctic Tern, Black-legged Kittiwake, Manx Shearwater, Black-capped Petrel, Cliff Swallow and Louisiana Waterthrush were the only species we observed, but were not able to document by media). So, we finished the year up with 304 species being media-documented! While we were unable to best the 10,061 complete checklists submitted in 2019, we finished up December strong, and hit a grand total of 9,969 checklist for 2020. Simply put, anyone who put time into eBirding in Virginia Beach this year should be quite excited by this community’s efforts! Highlights for December included: Ross’s Goose, Brant, Blue-winged Teal, King Eider, Common Merganser, Western Grebe, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red Knot, Western Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Great Cormorant, American White Pelican, Snowy Owl, Ash-throated Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Evening Grosbeak, Snow Bunting, Clay-colored Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Bullock’s Oriole, Rusty Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak & Painted Bunting. Please note that a listing of which species qualify for the highlights section can be found here. Additionally, December provided the city with first-of-season records for expected fall arrivals which, in order of arrival date, included: Horned Lark, Canvasback, American Woodcock, Razorbill, Common Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck & Redhead. A full list of regularly-occurring species and their expected fall arrival dates can be found here… Click Here to Continue Reading!
November 2020
Another exciting entry to the calendar year, November couldn’t quite match the overall variety of species that October provided, but diversity of rarities & unexpected finds still remained quite high. Beautiful fall foliage set in this month and was especially breathtaking around bodies of freshwater like Stumpy Lake. By month’s end, one could feel a change in the weather though, with the bird species present, the leaves rapidly falling from trees and the temperatures starting to indicate that the winter season was starting to settle in. Weather-wise, November was an exceptionally warm month, with average temperatures (68°F/49°F for daily highs/lows) considerably higher than the prior ten-year average temperatures (61°F/44°F). Of the prior ten years, the 66°F average daily high from 2011 was the closest match. Throughout the month, we ranged from a high of 85°F on 11 Nov (topping the highest temperature of 84°F we saw here in October!) to a low of 33°F on 19 Nov following a very strong cold front’s passage (the cold temperature we’ve felt since 31°F on 8 Mar). Bird-wise, over the course of its thirty days, a total of 172 species produced accepted records in eBird during November. This proved to be an expected decline from the incredible 220 species logged here during October but was surprising also a bit below other recent Novembers, like the 177 species logged in 2019 and the 184 in 2018. Perhaps this was due to so many great rarities being found on the nearby Eastern Shore (first state records for Gray Heron & Couch’s Kingbird as well as other rarities like Rough-legged Hawk, White-winged Crossbill, Evening Grosbeaks, etc.) and many local birders venturing outside our borders to twitch lifers? Alas, whatever the reasons were, for the calendar year we now stand at 306 species, which is four higher than the 302 species logged through the same period last year, and also matches our highest tally in any calendar year with regards to eBird reporting! Incredibly, 295 of those species have photographic records accompanying them in eBird, which continues to raise the high mark for the city after eclipsing the 287 species photographed in 2019 back in October. Collectively, eBirders have now submitted a total of 8,901 complete checklists for the calendar year which has us slightly behind the pace required to match the 10,061 checklists submitted in 2019. Locals have certainly been putting in lots of lists, but we’re likely seeing a drop this year due to less visiting birders in response to COVID-19. But, we need a good effort from the entire eBirding community in December to finish up the calendar year in strong fashion! Highlights for November included: King Eider, Harlequin Duck, Wild Turkey, Red-necked Grebe, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Hummingbird sp., Clapper Rail, American Avocet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Jaeger sp., Red-throated Loon, American White Pelican, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus sp., Red-eyed Vireo, Barn Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Clay-colored Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Western Tanager, Painted Bunting & Dickcissel. Please note that a listing of which species qualify for the highlights section can be found here . Additionally, November provided the city with first-of-season records for expected fall arrivals which, in order of arrival date, included: Horned Grebe, Purple Sandpiper, Brant & Fox Sparrow. A full list of regularly-occurring species and their expected fall arrival dates can be found here… Click Here to Continue Reading!
October 2020
Virginia's Warbler, Photographed by Steve Keith / Marshview Park / 9 Oct
The good passerine fortunes provided by the final week of September spilled over into October, and that momentum kept things truly exciting here throughout the month. Bolstered by not just one, but two new state firsts, a couple of strong cold front movements, a pair of pelagic outings led by Rudee Tours, and an explosion in waterfowl at month’s end thanks to former-Hurricane Zeta, this proved to be our best October thus far in terms of diversity of species entered to eBird. Weather-wise, October was right about an average month (74°F/59°F for daily highs/lows), when looking at the prior ten-year average temperatures (73°F/56°F), and we never even approached last October’s high of 93°F, fortunately! Throughout the month, we ranged from a high of 84°F on 1, 7, 24 & 29 Oct (the latest of which was a new record high temperature at Norfolk International Airport) to a low of 47°F on the final day of the month as strong northwesterly winds on the backside of Zeta funneled towards the coast. The last time we felt a matching temperature in Virginia Beach was back on the morning of 13 May, and one needs to go back to 9 May for a colder measurement (43°F). Bird-wise, over the course of its thirty-one days, a total of 220 species produced accepted records in eBird during October. This proved to be an almost shocking improvement over the 201 species logged here in September, as well as to other recent Octobers, like the 199 species logged in 2019 and the 201 in 2018. This was clearly our most successful October ever in terms of eBird reporting. For the calendar year, we now stand at 304 species, which is five higher than the 299 species logged through the same period last year. Amazingly, 292 of those species have photographic records accompanying them in eBird, which sets a new high mark for the city after eclipsing the 287 species photographed in 2019. Also notable, as an eBird community, we have now photographed more species this year than we logged in total during 2018! Collectively, eBirders have now submitted a total of 8,152 complete checklists for the calendar year which, has us slightly behind the pace required to match the 10,061 checklists submitted in 2019. Highlights for October included: Harlequin Duck, White-winged Scoter, Wild Turkey, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Virginia Rail, Common Gallinule, American Golden-Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Long-billed Dowitcher, Red-throated Loon, Masked Booby, Great Cormorant, American White Pelican, Alder Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Clay-colored Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Nelson’s Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Northern Waterthrush, Tennessee Warbler, Virginia’s Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Northern Parula, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Canada Warbler, Western Tanager, Painted Bunting, Dickcissel. Please note that a listing of which species qualify for the highlights section can be found here . Additionally, October provided the city with first-of-season records for expected fall arrivals which, in order of arrival date, included: American Coot, Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Worm-eating Warbler, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, White-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Nelson’s Sparrow, American Bittern, Dark-eyed Junco, Black Scoter, Northern Gannet, Surf Scoter, Sora, Red-throated Loon, Bonaparte’s Gull, Hooded Merganser, Tundra Swan, Snow Goose, Lesser Scaup, White-winged Scoter, Common Eider, Bufflehead, Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser. A full list of regularly-occurring species and their expected fall arrival dates can be found here… Click Here to Continue Reading!
September 2020
A long period of northeasterly flow, and strong onshore winds finally gave way to our first major migration movement this season on the night of 22/23 September. After what had been a very quiet first three weeks to the month, reports exploded on the morning of the 23rd, and rarities and first-of-seasons alike abounded. Temperature-wise, we began just as August finished, above normal, though the latter third of the month finally brought us some cooler temperatures. Specifically, September was just about, or slight below average (80°F/69°F for daily highs/lows), when compared to the prior ten-year average temperatures (82°F/68°F). Throughout the month, we ranged from a high of 96°F on 3 Sep (the highest September temperature since we hit 99°F on 2 Sep 2014) to a low of 56°F on 23 Sep following the overnight passage of a critical cold front. Bird-wise, over the course of its thirty days, a total of 201 species produced accepted records in eBird during September. A massive improvement on the 157 species logged here in August, as well as to recent Septembers like the 183 species logged in 2019 and the 177 in 2018, this was clearly our most successful September ever in terms of eBird reporting. Miraculously, from the morning of 23 Sep to the end of the month, we logged a total of 187 species, in just one week of birding! For the calendar year, we now stand at 299 species, which is eight higher than the 291 species logged through the same period last year. Collectively, eBirders have now submitted a total of 7,267 complete checklists for the calendar year which, has us slightly behind the pace required to match the 10,061 checklists submitted in 2019. Highlights for September included: Ring-necked Duck, Eared Grebe, Black-billed Cuckoo, American Golden-Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Parasitic Jaeger, Common Loon, Black-capped Petrel, Great Shearwater, Mississippi Kite, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Horned Lark, Sedge Wren, American Pipit, Pine Siskin, Clay-colored Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Blue-winged Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Canada Warbler & Dickcissel. Please note that a listing of which species qualify for the highlights section can be found here . Additionally, September provided the city with first-of-season records for expected fall arrivals which, in order of arrival date, included: Red-breasted Nuthatch, Magnolia Warbler, Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe, Merlin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Ring-necked Duck, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Black-throated Green Warbler, Northern Harrier, Common Loon, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Palm Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Northern Shoveler, Blue-headed Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Veery, Savannah Sparrow, Wilson’s Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Virginia Rail, American Wigeon, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ruddy Duck, Sedge Wren & Pine Siskin. A full list of regularly-occurring species and their expected fall arrival dates can be found here… Click Here to Continue Reading!
August 2020
August 2020 will be remembered for the excessive amount of rainfall that occurred during the first two-thirds of the month, assisted by the passage of Tropical Storm Isaias on 4 Aug (see this page for more information specific to that event), and with almost continual rainfall for the following two weeks. In terms of temperatures, August was another scorcher (89°F/75°F for daily highs/lows), far exceeding the prior ten-year average temperatures (86°F/72°F). Throughout the month, we ranged from a low of 72°F on 16, 17, 18 & 31 Aug to a high of 98°F on 2 Aug, a temperature which wasn’t felt here during any of the prior ten Augusts (2010-2019). Bird-wise, over the course of its thirty-one days, a total of 157 species produced accepted records in eBird during August. A slight improvements on the 150 species logged here in July, compared to recent Augusts this number proved to also be an increase from the 154 species logged in 2019 as well as the 152 in 2018, making for our most successful August ever in terms of eBird reporting. For the calendar year, we now stand at 290 species, which is a dozen higher than the 278 species logged through the same period last year. Collectively, eBirders have now submitted a total of 6,689 complete checklists for the calendar year which, for the first time this year, actually has us ever-so-slightly behind the pace required to match the 10,061 submitted in 2019. Hopefully as the coastal heat starts to die off a bit in September, the number of checklist being submitted gets back to higher levels. Highlights for August included: Wild Turkey, Clapper Rail, MARBLED GODWIT, SOOTY TERN, Gull-billed Tern, Sandwich Tern, ANHINGA, Least Bittern, Mississippi Kite, Peregrine Falcon, WESTERN KINGBIRD, CLIFF SWALLOW, LARK SPARROW, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER & Yellow-throated Warbler. Please note that those species marked by all capital letters are species which are considered rare anywhere in Virginia Beach, and at any time of year, while those in lower case may be seasonally rare, or rare at a specific location/habitat. A listing of which species qualify for the highlights section can be found here. Additionally, August provided the city with first-of-season records for expected fall arrivals which, in order of arrival date, included: Bank Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, American Redstart, Peregrine Falcon, Bobolink, Common Nighthawk, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal & Baltimore Oriole. A full list of regularly-occurring species and their expected fall arrival dates can be found here… Click Here to Continue Reading!
July 2020
On average, the hottest month of the year, July is yet another difficult month for birding in Virginia Beach. We certainly shine during the fall through spring, but summer is just a very different beast altogether here in the city. Typically, the species counts are comparable between it and June, but July has one firm benefit. While expected species diversity drops as June progresses and as later spring migrants finish passing through early in the month, July begins the reverse trend as the early fall arrivals begin to show up by mid-month and an increase in diversity accelerates towards month’s end. Providing a bit of birding momentum moving forward, July starts us down the exciting fall migration path that will continue into October. A true scorcher of a month, this July was the hottest month ever recorded here (94°F/76°F for daily highs/lows), far exceeding the prior ten-year average temperatures (89°F/74°F). Throughout the month, we ranged from a low of 87°F on 2, 4 & 9 Jul to a high of 102°F on 19, 21 & 28 Jul. This was the first time we have ever seen four days in a row with temperatures at or above 100°F, after 2019 and 2010 each held a three day span of that value. Over the course of its thirty-one days, a total of 150 species produced accepted records in eBird during July, of which a healthy cross section are covered in either the write-up or in the photographs below. While narrowly missing the mark of 154 species logged here in June, compared to recent Julys this number proved to be quite an increase from both the 143 species logged in 2019 as well as the matching 143 in 2018, making for our most lucrative July ever in terms of eBird reporting. For the calendar year, we now stand at 287 species, which is a whopping fifteen higher than the 272 species logged through the same period last year. Collectively, eBirders have now submitted a total of 6,029 complete checklists for the calendar year which, like last month, keeps us on a pace to eclipse the 10,061 submitted in 2019. Highlights for July included: Pied-billed Grebe, Common Gallinule, American Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Great Shearwater, Anhinga, Least Bittern, Mississippi Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Horned Lark, Cliff Swallow, Grasshopper Sparrow, American Redstart & Dickcissel. Additionally, July provided the city with first-of-season records for expected fall arrivals which, in order of arrival date, included: Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Short-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Gull-billed Tern, Piping Plover, Solitary Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, American Black Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Red Knot, Black Tern, Western Sandpiper… Click Here to Continue Reading!
June 2020
After experiencing the highs of peak migration each May, June tends to be our most difficult month in terms of species diversity here in Virginia Beach. A combination of quite a few expected species departures throughout the month but no expected arrivals means that the number of species expected to occur becomes less and less as each day passes. The early portion of the month can produce some lingering spring migrants, like Blackpoll Warbler, or a few species of shorebirds like Spotted Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover and White-rumped Sandpiper, but by about the second week the only species present typically are the annual breeders (save for anything truly rare/unexpected). With the summer heat beginning to set in, and exhaustion taking its toll after the culmination of spring migration in May, birders also just tend to be out scouring the landscape less in June than in other months. Overall, temperatures in June were slightly lower (85°F/69°F for daily highs/lows) than the prior ten-year average (86°F/69°F). Throughout the month, we ranged from a low of 56°F on 1 Jun to a high of 95°F on 4 Jun, which marked the highest value for the calendar year thus far (dethroning the 93°F set the previous day). Over the course of its thirty days, a total of 154 species produced accepted records in eBird during June, of which a good cross section are covered in either the write-up or in the photographs below. While an expectedly significant drop from the record-breaking 221 species logged here in May, compared to recent Junes this number proved to be an increase from both the 148 species logged in 2019 as well as the 141 in 2018. For the calendar year, we now stand at 284 species, which is fourteen higher than the 270 species logged through the same period last year. Collectively, eBirders have now submitted a total of 5,554 complete checklists for the calendar year which, like last month, keeps us on a pace to eclipse the 10,061 submitted in 2019. Highlights for June included: Mute Swan, Red-breasted Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Nighthawk, Common Gallinule, Bonaparte’s Gull, Glaucous Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Roseate Tern, Red-throated Loon, Wood Stork, Brown Booby, Anhinga, Great Cormorant, American Bittern, Mississippi Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Warbling Vireo, Horned Lark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-throated Warbler & Dickcissel… Click Here to Continue Reading!
March 2020
March was our first month of birding to be impacted by COVID-19, as global case numbers rose drastically throughout the month, and we started to experience the impacts closer to home in the latter third of March. However, the natural world continued to transition from winter into spring, with flowers blossoming, vegetation greening, and the birds singing. Many birders found at least some time to be out, with proper respect to the physical distancing protocols outlined at the time. For those who did spend time outdoors, March was a lovely month, showing off vast blooms of Bradford Pears, Eastern Redbuds, Cherry Blossoms, Tulip Trees & Dogwoods. The reddish Swamp Maples cast a beautiful contrast to the lush greenery that started to pop this month in forested areas of the city (perhaps no more evident than at Stumpy Lake). Overall, temperatures in March were higher (65°F/49°F for daily highs/lows) than the prior ten-year average (59°F/41°F). Though, of the prior ten years, 2012 & 2016 both featured higher highs, but only 2012 held higher lows. We ranged from a low of 31°F on 8 Mar to a high of 88°F on 20 Mar, which marked the highest value for the calendar year thus far (dethroning the 83°F set the previous day). As with February, the avifauna observed throughout the month seemed very reflective of these higher than normal temperatures. Continuing the pattern set throughout the winter season, waterfowl numbers were abysmal, and Aythya were essentially missed altogether this month. Though, we were blessed with some solid waterfowl rarities, which helped to make up for the lack of diversity and quantity. A major pulse of fresh spring arrivals bolstered overall numbers near month’s end, and also produced some very early first-of-season records. Over the course of its thirty-one days, a total of 178 species produced accepted records in eBird during March, which was a significant boost from the 164 species logged here in February. Compared to recent Marches, this number proved to be a strong increase from both the 167 species logged in 2019 as well as the 170 in 2018. For the calendar year, we now stand at 199 species, which is eight higher than the 191 species logged through the same period last year. Collectively, eBirders have now submitted a total of 3,180 complete checklists for the calendar year which, like last month, keeps us on a pace to eclipse the 10,061 submitted in 2019. Highlights for March included: Mute Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, Harlequin Duck, Western Grebe, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Iceland Gull, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Western Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Sedge Wren, Pine Siskin, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Rusty Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Cape May Warbler & Painted Bunting… Click Here to Continue Reading!
February 2020
While we did receive our first & likely our only snowfall of season overnight 20-21 Feb, and we also hit our lowest temperature of 25°F for the winter season on 22 Feb, temperatures in February mostly followed the trend set forth in January as being above normal. Bradford Pear trees were in full bloom along many roads in the city during mid-February, which seemed quite remarkable given this doesn’t typically occur until March. Overall, temperatures in February were higher (58.0°F/39.9°F for daily highs/lows) than the prior ten-year average (53.1°F/35.2°F), with both highs & lows being the highest since February 2018 (61.6°F/40.8°F). The avifauna observed throughout the month seemed very reflective of these temperatures. Waterfowl numbers were very low compared to what we’ve experienced in recent Februaries, but the quality of species observed still managed to be quite high. Over the course of its twenty-nine days (as we were gifted with an extra Leap Day), a total of 164 species produced accepted records in eBird during February, which was a significant but not unexpected drop from the 176 species logged in January. Compared to recent Februaries, this number proved to be a slight decrease from the 168 species logged in 2019 but a good increase over the 155 in 2018. Collectively, eBirders have now submitted a total of 2,272 complete checklists for the calendar year which, like last month, keeps us on a pace to eclipse the 10,061 complete checklists submitted in Virginia Beach during the record-setting 2019. Highlights for February included: Mute Swan, Blue-winged Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Harlequin Duck, Common Merganser, Hummingbird sp., Piping Plover, Dovekie, Laughing Gull, Iceland Gull, Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull, Glaucous Gull, Royal Tern, Red-throated Loon, Manx Shearwater, Great Cormorant, American White Pelican, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Pine Siskin, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Rusty Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Western Tanager & Painted Bunting… Click Here to Continue Reading!
January 2020
The first month of the new year (and new decade) provided fantastic birding to both visiting & local Virginia Beach birders alike. Temperatures in January were higher than the prior ten-year average (49.6°F/ 33.3°F for daily highs/lows). Average daily highs (55.5°F) were the highest we’ve seen since January 2012 (56.4°F) while average daily lows (39.7°F) exceeded those of each of the prior ten Januaries. The avifauna observed throughout the month seemed very reflective of these temperatures. Waterfowl numbers were very low compared to what we’ve experienced in recent Januaries, but the quality of species observed still managed to be quite high. This month also featured perhaps the greatest diversity of waders ever found here in January, and lingering passerines also caused excitement throughout the month. Over the course of its thirty-one days, a total of 176 species produced accepted records in eBird during January, which was an ever-so-slight drop from the 177 species logged in December. Compared to recent Januaries, this number proved to be a healthy boost from the 170 species logged in 2019 and to the 167 in 2018. Collectively, eBirders submitted a total of 1,241 complete checklists in Virginia Beach, which puts us on an initial pace to eclipse the 10,061 complete checklists submitted in 2019. Highlights for January included: Cackling Goose, Mute Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, Harlequin Duck, Parasitic Jaeger, Black-headed Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Caspian Tern, Wood Stork, Great Cormorant, American White Pelican, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Glossy Ibis, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Pine Siskin, Clay-colored Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow (both Dark-lored & Gambel’s race), Lincoln’s Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Rusty Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler & Painted Bunting… Click Here to Continue Reading!