Pea Island and Chincoteague Trip - part 4

[Rowe, Richard A, 'Dick']

After leaving Chinoteague, I drove to Nags Head and visited a few birding spots on the way.  In Norfolk I went to Lynhaven Cove and Rudee Inlet.  At Lynhaven, there were no birds to be seen in the harbor/cove, but there was a raft of Greater Scaup, a Red-throated Loon, and a few Red-breasted Mergansers just off the beach.  Again, it was so windy that it was difficult to take photos.  Rudee Inlet was very quiet with respect to birds - a few Bufflehead, 6 Brants, and one Purple Sandpiper.

I spent a day and a half birding around Nags Head and Pea Island NWR.  After speaking with a few local birders it seems that many of the waterfowl hade moved either inland or mainly north by mid-February.  There were still a number of waterfowl but the large numbers (1500 Pintails) were elsewhere.  I stopped at as many hotspots as I could heading south on Pea Island to Rodanthe.  There are large water impoundments and unfortunately the birds were far off.  I did see about 100 Tundra Swans, 53 Am White Pelicans, about 50 Am Avocets in a large cluster, Am Wigeons, a few N. Pintails and Shovelers, Gadwalls, Ring-billed Gulls, one Wilson's Snipe, a Long-tailed Duck, one Horned Grebe, DC Cormorants, more Yellow-rumped Warblers, a few White Ibis, Am Kestrel, an Am Bittern, and 2 Tri-colored Herons.

The most exciting birding/photography was on Jennette's Pier in Nags Head.  At the end of the pier there were 3 Razorbill with one up close, Black Scoters, Horned Grebes, N Gannets, and one Dovekie.  The Dovekie was feeding just off the beach near the pier.  The are so tiny that even though it was close in, it was difficult to get photos.

Here are some photos if your are interested.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vmibiology

Dick

[Richards, Wendy]

Dick, These are wonderful photos! Thanks for the armchair birding adventure.

Wendy Richards

On Feb 19, 2026, at 8:24 PM, Rowe, Richard A, 'Dick' <Row...@vmi.edu> wrote:



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[Rowe, Richard A, 'Dick']

Thanks, Wendy

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From: 'Richards, Wendy' via Rockbridge Birds <rockbri...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2026 9:21 AM
To: rockbri...@googlegroups.com <rockbri...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Pea Island and Chincoteague Trip - part 4

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