August 29: Wallops Flight Facility

Brown Pelican and Least Sandpiper. Photos courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Update (posted 8:45 pm on June 7): Both of the Wallops Flight Facility tours on August 29 are sold out.

Participants sometimes request a cancellation. If this occurs, we may be able to add you. If you are interested in adding your name to the waitlist for the 8:30 am – 12:30 pm tour or the 1:30 – 5:30 pm tour — or both tours — please email dmvbirds@gmail.com with your name and the number of participants in your group. We will contact you if something opens up.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29

Wallops Flight Facility (BUS TRIP/BEACH HIKE)
Time: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm and 1:30 – 5:30 pm
Cost: $65/person
Guides: Russ Kovach, Jim Rapp and an interpreter from the Chincoteague Bay Field Station
Meeting Location: the Chincoteague Bay Field Station (CBFS), located at 34001 Mill Dam Rd, Wallops Island, VA 23337. We will leave our vehicles at the CBFS and board their bus for the ~15-minute drive to the Wallops Flight Facility. GPS coordinates: 37.93538, -75.48267

Please note: The Wallops Flight Facility is a restricted area. You must follow these rules and guidelines in order to participate:

  • All guests and guides will need to provide their legal first, middle and last name as it appears on their Real ID before July 17, 2026. Access to the Wallops Flight Facility is only open to U.S. citizens and green card holders. Participants who are not U.S. citizens require a special NASA escort, and we have been informed that an escort will not be made available for this tour. Please note: You will be sharing your legal first, middle and last name via email with Delmarva Birding, and this information will then be shared via email with the Chincoteague Bay Field Station and NASA. If you do not wish to share your legal first, middle and last name via email (not through a secure website), then please do not register for this trip.
  • All guests and guides must bring their Real ID with them during the trip. If someone doesn’t have a Real ID they can bring their license and passport. Those who do not have their Real ID or license and passport will not be permitted to enter the Wallops Flight Facility. Click here for more information about the Real ID.
  • No cancellations after July 17, 2026.
  • Participants are not permitted to take photos of Wallops Flight Facility buildings and infrastructure. Photos of birds and nature are fine as long as they don’t accidentally include any buildings in the background. NASA security is strict about this policy.
  • Participants must remain with the group at all times, and follow the instructions of the guides and bus drivers. Participants are not permitted to access restricted areas.
  • The trip will go rain or shine, unless weather conditions are predicted to be dangerous.
  • Do not “tag” the Wallops Flight Facility in posts on social media.
  • If the Wallops Flight Facility is closed on August 29, the trip will be canceled.
  • If the trip is canceled due to dangerous weather or a Wallops Flight Facility closure, Delmarva Birding Weekends will notify all guests via email and full refunds will be provided.
Surf Scoter. Photo courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Meet us at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station (CBFS) to board a bus for this very special opportunity to go birding at the Wallops Flight Facility!

This NASA facility provides flight and launch range services to meet government and commercial sector needs for accessing flight regimes worldwide from the Earth’s surface to the moon and beyond. Surrounding the NASA infrastructure at Wallops Island are salt marshes, beaches and bays that are teeming with birds. The CBFS bus will stop at authorized areas on Wallops for scoping the marshes and water for wading birds, seabirds and shorebirds. We will also visit the beach for a ~1.5-mile roundtrip hike on the sand.

Please make certain to read through the rules and guidelines posted above before registering for this field trip. You must follow all rules in order to participate.

Semipalmated Plover. Photo courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.
Black-crowned Night-Heron. Photo courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Check out our Google Map, which includes our meeting location and birding sites on Wallops:

Some common sense approaches to make your birding trip more enjoyable:

  • Wear appropriate clothing for August weather near the ocean. Wear appropriate shoes for hiking on the beach.
  • Carry sunscreen, sunglasses and/or a hat to protect yourself from the sun. Prepare for mosquitoes and biting flies.
  • Bring rain gear as all events are rain or shine.
  • Try to arrive a little before the scheduled trip departs.
  • Most trips are not appropriate for young children. Please use your discretion when registering.
  • Be courteous to your fellow birders. Speak quietly and turn off cell phones during trips.
  • Restroom facilities are only available at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station before and after the tour.

Please note:

  • No cancellations after July 17, 2026. For a further explanation of our refund policy, please click here.
  • Trips will go in the rain or fog, unless torrential downpours prevent us from viewing wildlife.
  • If the trip is canceled due to dangerous conditions (typically storms or strong, gusting winds), we will notify you via email. Please note that the email will be sent to all participants BCC, so you may need to check your email spam folder. A full refund will be provided within 15 days.