Absolutely Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Birding on the Atlantic Islands of Assateague and Chincoteague
off the Coast of Virginia*
 - Henry Mallard, Birding Critic -

haven't yet spotted all 300 species of birds that others have seen on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Mallards, of course, are my favorites, but I also like the others that stay around all year - like the Canada Geese - so they can be spotted whenever you're in the mood.

The Eastern Shore and the islands of Chincoteague and Assateague are located along the busy Atlantic flyway (a sort of avian Interstate) for shorebirds, waterfowl, and others that nest in the north and head south for their winter holidays. The salt marshes, the pine woods, and the specially-developed, freshwater impoundments on the refuge are also nesting places for a variety of birds including species of plovers, gulls, terns, geese, herons, and ducks. 

I've seen many birds in the marshes on either side of the causeway (just beyond the colorful billboards) that leads to the islands; and even on Chincoteague, I've spotted egrets and mallards near the water and occasionally in yards. And often mallards and other ducks insist on crossing the streets during heavy traffic (they do this to protest the presence of cars on the island - most people stop in order to avoid further provoking them). But some of the best bird spotting, of course, is on the refuge, either in the marshes along the main road or in the freshwater impoundments accessible on the three-mile Wildlife Loop (open to vehicles after 3 p.m). 

Here are some handy birding tools so you can see what's up:

Search - Search for spotting information for a particular bird sighted on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Photos of birds common or abundant all year are included.
List All - Obtain a printable listing of spotting information for all birds sighted on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

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*Nearly Absolutely! I'm still jotting it all down! - Henry