Chincoteague

Snow geese at Tom's Cove, Chincoteague

This week I will spend a little closer to home and begin with one of my very favorite places to visit, Chincoteague, Virginia. This island came to fame due to Marguerite Henry's writings and the annual pony swim is known around the world with the population of this small island swelling by tens of thousands of people who come to view the swim and see the auction. While I have attended this a couple of times I much prefer to visit the island during the off season. While it is always an added bonus to see the ponies out in the marshes there is so much more to see here. Chincoteague and Assateague are a popular destination for bird photographers, and is a rest stop on the Atlantic migration fly way, you will always be rewarded with bird activity here anytime you visit!. The marshes are always filled with many varieties of ducks, geese, swans, egrets and herons as well as more unusual migrating species.
During my trip to Chincoteague this year I also stopped at the Maryland end of Assateague near Berlin, Maryland and found many ponies sheltering in the trees away from the high winds at the time. I also spent some time in Cape May, NJ, where I was treated to many viewings of various raptors and Bombay Hook, DE for the huge flocks of snow geese (I was treated to my first snowy owl sighting here last year but was not as lucky this year) as well as a mesmerizing murmuration of blackbirds (truly a sight to see!) and Conowingo Dam for some Bald Eagle shots.

Pretty mare in the marshes during our boat trip.

During my visit to Chincoteague we took a boat tour with Captain Carlton and were treated to a good morning on the water. We saw several bands of ponies as well as the lone stallion Copper Moose. This pretty mare was especially photogenic and she looks well prepared for winter! To see more photos from this trip please check this gallery. For anyone who enjoys various bird life and the relaxed pace of island life put Chincoteague on your list of places to visit, you will not be disappointed!