March 14-15: Chincoteague Birding Weekend

White Ibis photo courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Registration is open! All reservations will be confirmed via email. No cancellations after March 1, 2026. Trips are subject to weather cancellations.

We are very excited about our March 14 – 15 field trips in Chincoteague, VA! We’re planning a special Saturday morning field trip by bus to the restricted Wallops Flight Facility, followed by a Saturday afternoon boat trip with Daisey’s Island Cruises and a Sunday morning field trip to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. We may run an additional trip to the Wallops Flight Facility on Sunday afternoon.

Scroll down to learn more and register for your field trips!

SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 14

Wallops Flight Facility (BUS TRIP/BEACH HIKE)
Time: 7:30 – 11:30 am
Cost: $65/person (includes $5 tip for the bus drivers)
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

Update (posted 4:00 pm on Jan. 22): The Saturday, March 14, 7:30 – 11:30 am trip to the Wallops Flight Facility is sold out.

We have been approved to run another trip to the Wallops Flight Facility on Sunday afternoon, March 15 from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. We need 12 participants to run this trip. If you want to add your name to the interest list for the March 15 field trip, please email dmvbirds@gmail.com with your name and the number in your party. We’ll notify you when registration opens.

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 Feb. 14, 2026 (~four weeks before March 14). Please note that 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.
  • 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.
  • Participants are not permitted to take photos of Wallops Flight Facility buildings and infrastructure.
  • 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.
  • If the Wallops Flight Facility is closed on March 14, 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 in November. The CBFS bus sill stop at authorized areas on Wallops for scoping the marshes and water for ducks, wading birds 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.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON BOAT TOUR, MARCH 14

Chincoteague Island Birding by Boat
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm (sunset is 4:50 pm)
Cost: $65/person (includes $5 tip for the First Mate)
Guides: Russ Kovach and Jim Rapp
Meeting Location: Daisey’s Island Cruises, located at 2246 Curtis Merritt Harbor Dr, Chincoteague, VA 23336. GPS Coordinates: 37.902351, -75.405152

Registration is open! Click here to register for the March 14 Chincoteague Island Birding by Boat cruise.

On this birding cruise, you get to experience Assateague and Chincoteague Island in a way that is simply not possible from land. We’ll be boating with Daisey’s Island Cruises aboard a comfortable pontoon boat. The boat has a canopy but is not enclosed, so please dress for the weather. This two-hour guided trip is great for adding ducks and shorebirds to your checklist, such as Black Scoter, American Oystercatcher, and Black-bellied Plover. And don’t forget the Chincoteague ponies!

We’ll end our boating adventure at 4:00 pm, just in time for our 4:30 pm Tally Rally.

SATURDAY EVENING TALLY RALLY, MARCH 14

Tally Rally
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Cost: free, but RSVP is required at dmvbirds@gmail.com
Meeting Location: Steamers Restaurant, located at 6251 Maddox Blvd, Chincoteague Island, Virginia. There is a large parking lot in the back.

Delmarva Birding Weekends are more than great opportunities to see unique local birds…it is also a time to meet unique local birders! Help our guides tally species observed during the field trips, and learn about local birding hotspots. Food and drink costs are the responsibility of those in attendance.

SUNDAY MORNING FIELD TRIP, MARCH 15

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (DRIVING/HIKING)
Time: 8:30 – 11:30 am
Cost: $30/person
Guides: Russ Kovach and Jim Rapp
Meeting Location: the parking lot of the Wildlife Loop Trail at Chincoteague NWR, located at 8231 Beach Rd, Chincoteague, VA 23336. GPS coordinates: 37.91091, -75.3495

Please note: Cost does not include the day pass for Chincoteague NWR. Day passes provide access to refuge trails and the beach. The $10 pass covers a non-commercial vehicle and all occupants. Entry is also permitted with an annual pass or Federal Duck Stamp. Click here for more information about entrance fees and annual passes.

Registration is open! Click here to register for the March 15 Chincoteague NWR field trip.

Short-billed Dowitcher. Photo courtesy of Dr. Frode Jacobsen.

Located on the Indigenous homelands of the Pocomoke and Occohannock people, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge protects beach, dune, marsh, and maritime forest habitats. Originally established in 1943 to protect migratory birds, this refuge is now one of the most visited in the United States. Chincoteague NWR is also home to cultural treasures such as the Assateague Lighthouse and the world-famous Chincoteague ponies. The trip will involve some easy walking on the Wildlife Loop and the beach near Tom’s Cove. Total estimated hiking distance is 2.5 miles. 

Check out our Google Map of sites and meeting locations:

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

  • Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for March weather near the ocean!
  • Carry sunscreen, sunglasses and/or a hat to protect yourself from the sun.
  • 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.
  • There are restroom facilities on most trips, but there may not be restrooms available at all stops. Please use the facilities when they are available to you!

Please note:

  • No cancellations are accepted after March 1, 2026. For a further explanation of our refund policy, please click here.
  • Food and drink are not included in the cost for trips and tally rallies.
  • 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.