Island National Seashore, Maryland and Virginia - this page excerpted from a brochure published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service

Assateague Island, Chincoteague lies between the Virginia mainland near Wallops Island and Assateague Island, which comes down along the Maryland Coast and ends next to Chincoteague Island.

by Cynthia Merritt, July 3, 1997. General description of crossing the bridge. If you write or call for a letter, you can get permission to stop on islands 2,3, and 4 to look for Purple Sandpiper, Great Cormorant, Oldsquaw and all three Scoters.

Trail will be a driving trail that will provide opportunities to see a wide variety of wildlife and have a quality recreational experience! Loop trails off the main driving trail will link some of Virginia’s best wildlife watching areas for visitors to enjoy, explore, hike, and observe wildlife. Working with other mid-Atlantic states, the Coastal Trail, phase I of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, could be a critical link in a larger Mid-Atlantic Coastal Birding Trail.

birding hotspot in central Virginia, near metropolitan Richmond.  It contains a marsh, hardwood bluff overlooking the James River, and extensive waterfront along the river.  It is home to a heron rookery, and has some of the best warbler habitat in the area; a boardwalk brings the birder eye to eye with prothonataries, black-and-white, yellow-throated and many other warblers.

Assateague, a windswept barrier island that offers many opportunities for seashore recreation and nature study.  Another website on Assateague. See also Information on the Plants and Animals of Assateague Island, Virginia

gives visitors the chance to enjoy the islands' wealth of over 300 species of migratory and resident birds. Birdwatchers know the Chincoteague National Wildlife refuge as one of America's finest places for Birdwatching along the East Coast. The US Fish & Wildlife Service Refuge at Assateague (Chincoteague NWR) is one of the richest birding regions in the US with outstanding year-round birding. Site includes a checklist for the Island.

Chincoteague NWR and a pelagic trip out of Virginia Beach with thousands of shearwaters, plenty of jaegers, and one lone common yellowthroat more than 65 miles out to sea.

Meadows Park is a rich, natural island in the suburban sea of Northern Virginia. Its 1,424 acres harbor majestic forests, wildflower-speckled meadows and vast wetlands bursting with life. Some of the best wildlife watching in the Washington metropolitan area is enjoyed here. From the ½ mile wetland boardwalk trail and observation tower, people have excellent views of beavers, frogs, dragonflies and herons. Huntley Meadows is well known as a prime birding spot, with over 200 species identified in the park. See also Jane Blumenthal's site for some photos of Huntley Meadows birds. 

Collins. Accotink Creek runs through one of the finest remaining wildlife corridors in Fairfax County. It is easily accessed from Wakefield, Eakin, and Lake Accotink Parks. There are miles of trails through good habitat that is excellent for bird watching, especially during migration.

tidal wetland consisting of 380 acres just south of Alexandria, Virginia, and north of historic Mt. Vernon. Located on the west bank of the Potomac River some 95 miles from the Chesapeake Bay, Dyke Marsh is owned by the U. S. Federal Government and is managed by the National Park Service as a part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It is an area of open water, cattail marsh, wetland shrubs and plants, and deciduous swamp forest. See also Jane Blumenthal's site.

Since December 1999, 200 species of birds have been spotted at the 142 acre preserve, located in the suburban Churchland are of Portsmouth.  Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve is designated as a Chesapeake Bay Gateways site by the National Park Service, as a Millennium Trail by the White House Millennium Council, and as an attraction on Virginia's Coastal Birding and Wildlife Trail by the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries.

Virginia Audubon Society - Hickory Hollow Nature Preserve is 254 acres of woodland trails, ravines, and swampy marshlands situated immediately behind Lancaster High School off the Regina Road. In 1971, county forester Henry Bashore created a system of trails through it, making it accessible to anyone seeking a pleasant hike or a picnic. 

Includes information on: 
• Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge
• Marumsco National Wildlife Refuge
• Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge
• Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
• Rappahannock National Wildlife Refuge
• Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman's Island National Wildlife Refuges
• Presquile National Wildlife Refuge
• James River National Wildlife Refuge
• Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge
• Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge
• Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
• Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

including:
• Alexander Berger Memorial Sanctuary
• Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve
• Clinch Valley Bioreserve
• Cumberland Marsh
• Falls Ridge Preserve
• Fernbrook Natural Areas
• Fraser Preserve
• Helena's Island Preserve
• North Landing River Preserve
• Virginia Coast Reserve
• Voorhees Nature Preserve
• Wildcat Mountain Natural Area

pelagic trips for birders since 1986. In 2001, Brian Patteson, Inc. is offering an extensive schedule of pelagic trips from North Carolina's Outer Banks as well as Virginia Beach, Virginia. Trips are scheduled at different seasons so as to see the fullest spectrum of pelagic birds and animals possible in the region.

....Chincoteague NWR International Migratory Bird Celebration - 

May 7-9, 1999 - Chincoteague, VA. Phone: 757-336-6122

Delmarva Peninsula, Virginia. Thousands of migrating shore birds, waterfowl and raptors, including Merlins and Peregrines. Canoe trips are also offered. Contact:Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce - P.O. Drawer R - Melfa, VA 23410 - Phone: 757-787-2460.

October 10-17, 1999 - Chincoteague, VA. Phone: 757-336-6122

Phone: 757-336-6122

....Virginia Birdline and Rare Bird Alert - from the Virginia Society of

Ornithology. You could also subscribe to the state-wide listserv now "up and running" for the reporting of bird sightings in Virgini