These are the latest Chincoteague Island and Chincoteague Pony calendars.

Chincoteague Ponies calendar

Chincoteague Island calendar

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 many species of birds.

Song birds

Virginia is home to large numbers of song birds. Along the coast, marshes, wildflowers, fields and areas of brush provide ideal nesting and feeding habitat. Other songbirds inhabit the tall pine forests there. Warblers, nut hatches, sparrows, red wing blackbirds and others nest near the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coast in the summer, while cardinals, jays, woodpeckers and finches reside there during the winter months.

Shore Birds

Herons, egrets, ibises, oyster crackers, march hens and other shorebirds are frequently spotted along the marshes in places like Chincoteague, Assateague and the other barrier islands. On the beaches, dozens of species of sandpipers, plovers, gulls and terns feed, nest and raise chicks.

Birds of Prey

A number of birds of prey visit Virginia. Ospreys arrive in the spring to raise young and feed on the abundant fish stocks. As seasons change, some ospreys migrate south while other birds of prey arrive. American eagles, red tailed hawks and other large hunters are present in the fall thru spring. Other hawks such as sparrow hawks may be found year round.

Waterfowl

Ducks, geese, brant and swans all make stops in Virginia. In the refuge, 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.

The following are some of the seafood delicacies that you might find during your fishing adventure to Virginia.

Clam Chowder - a rich soup using clams, vegetables and either a tomato based or dairy based broth.

Flounder - these fish are the heart of Virginia's inshore fishery. They range from 3-10 lbs and are flat, brown fish which lay on the bottom waiting to ambush prey. The flesh is white, mild and very highly prized by seafood lovers.

Sea Bass - this fish has white meat and a delicate flavor. Catfish are easily farm raised.

Calamari - squid, prepared a variety of ways. Calamari is popular in several cuisines.

Clams - The most popular are hard clams which are eaten raw, steamed or in dishes such as chowders.

Lobsters - large crustaceans, highly prized as a seafood delicacy. Northern or American lobsters are caught off the coast of Virginia and are sometimes sold locally.

Mahi-mahi - dolphinfish; a brightly colored pelagic fish found in the open ocean of the Virginia coast. Mahi mahi is a white fish with a distinctive flavor. The meat is high in Omega 3 oil. Mahi mahi is often grilled or broiled.

Mussels - small shellfish, popular in restaurants.

Oysters - shellfish, often served raw or steamed in the shell. Virginia oysters are widely recognized as being among the best oysters on the USA east coast.

Shrimp - a term for several species of small crustaceans. Wild American shrimp include white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum), royal red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus or Hymenopenaeus robustus) and rock shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris). Shrimp are caught in nearby North Carolina and immediately trucked to Chincoteague Island.

Fishermen and seafood lovers can also visit www.fresh-seafood.net for a wide range of articles, news, recipes and suppliers of top quality fresh seafood that is available locally or shipped to your door.

Virginia creeks offer a different experience for fishermen, nature lovers and explorers. Some of the most breathtaking and dramatic landscapes in the area include places such as Onancock Creek.

The lower areas of these rivers can contain more saltwater and may hold trout, red drum, black drum, croakers, Norfolk spot, bluefish, striped bass, flounder, perch, eels, channel catfish and other fish. Fishing the lower reaches of the larger Eastern shore rivers can be very productive during certain periods of the year. Late winter and early spring give cool weather anglers opportunities to locate and fish dense schools of yellow and white perch that have congregated prior to spawning. Again the fall, fish such as rockfish and croaker school up to feed before leaving the rivers.