Waterfowl - Ducks, Geese, Brant, Swans

Virginia is among the premier bird watching spots in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA. Virginia has a wide variety of environments and is visited by several species of ducks, geese and swans.

In some wildlife refuges, geese and swans take up residence year round. Other full time residents include black ducks, wood ducks and mallards which raise their young on the marshes of Chincoteague Island, Wallops Island and much of the Chesapeake.

As autumn arrives, ducks and geese migrate into the refuges and surrounding areas of Virginia. Shoveler ducks, pintails, mallards, widgeons, teal, rudy ducks, canvasbacks, redheads, ring necked ducks, bluebills, and others fly in.

Mergansers, buffleheads, goldeneyes and other diving ducks show up in the bay waters as cold weather sets in. Off the coast, rafts of sea ducks and small groups of oldsquaw ducks forage along the shoals over the winter.

Bird watchers, photographers and nature lovers pour into Virginia during National Waterfowl Week at Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge. Chincoteague and Assateague Islands are along the Atlantic flyway, on the eastern shore of Virginia.

The islands are popular summer vacation spots, but are year round attractions for bird watchers and nature lovers. Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge, Assateague National Seashore and Chincoteague Island are located within a few hours of Baltimore Maryland, Washington DC, and Hampton Roads Virginia.

The annual event is extremely popular among birders and travelers to the area. The star attractions are the snow geese, which arrive by the thousands just in time for the event.

Visitors drive, bike or walk onto the wildlife loop, where a road encircles a large lagoon. Vehicles are quickly abandoned as camera tripods go up, and families find the trumpeting and antics of the geese too irresistible to remain inside.

During the late fall the refuge is also visited by Canadian geese, swans, brant, ducks, herons, egrets, oyster catchers, loons, grebes, plovers and other birds. Much of the waterfowl remain at Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge throughout the winter.

Photographers take pictures by the hundreds during this dramatic event. The refuge layout allows photographers of all skill levels to have an opportunity to capture wildlife on film or digital media.

The snow geese and many of the visiting ducks migrate north in early spring. A few ducks and a sizeable population of Canada geese remain and raise young on the island.

Other year round residents include egrets and herons which occupy every stretch of canal, pond and marsh.

In addition to the wildlife loop, naturalists can spot birds and other wildlife along the beaches, around the hiking trails. The island has a nice array of sites to see and photograph in addition to waterfowl.