Field Trip Report: 2026 Outer Banks
Photo: Bodie Island by Anne Beckley
Thumbnail Photo: Wilson’s Snipe by Sarah Bender-Prouty
Mother Nature delivered brisk winds and chilly temperatures for the 2026 VSO trip to the Outer Banks, but those conditions did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of our 75 hardy participants. By the end of the trip, we had identified 155 species—tying the record set in 2017.
Friday’s clear skies made for a strong start. The group at Lake Mattamuskeet enjoyed the expected abundance of waterfowl, along with notable sightings of Yellow-breasted Chat, Sora, and Common Gallinule. Meanwhile, the group covering areas around Nags Head added Long-tailed Duck, Common Eider, and several Surf Scoters to the tally.
Other weekend highlights included four owl species—Great Horned, Barred, Short-eared, and Northern Saw-whet—as well as a variety of shorebirds, including Least and Western Sandpipers and both Dowitcher species. American Bitterns were reported from multiple locations, including one seen right along NC-12. All three scoter species were well represented, and we were especially pleased to record a Common Merganser (an UNcommon find for this trip). One attendee was able to add Baltimore Oriole and Western Tanager to our list at a residence In Kitty Hawk.
Several participants visited the Duck Boardwalk and nearby sites where Painted Buntings had been reported. Although only two observers caught a glimpse of one, the boardwalk offered a rewarding mix of water and land birds, highlighted by a Black-headed Gull. This productive stop will likely become a regular feature of future itineraries.
Heartfelt thanks go to our dedicated trip leaders—Bill Akers, Jerry Via, Lee Adams, Pete and Charm Peterman, and Meredith Bell—who worked tirelessly to help participants see and identify as many species as possible.
Be sure to visit the VSO Facebook Page to view an album of beautiful images captured by our many talented photographers. And mark your calendar now for next year’s trip, February 5–7, 2027. No matter what the weather brings, the Outer Banks weekend always delivers memorable birding and great camaraderie.
The complete list of the 155 species recorded during the Outer Banks weekend follows.
By Meredith Bell, VSO Field Trip Co-chair
Trip Species List
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Northern Bobwhite
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Clapper Rail
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
American Avocet
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Piping Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Wilson's Snipe
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
Dovekie
Razorbill
Bonaparte's Gull
Black-headed Gull
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Forster’s Tern
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Great-horned Owl
Barred Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Yellow-breasted Chat
Eastern Meadowlark
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Western Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
