Colonial Beach Wildlife

04/06/2026

We need some help!

We need any and all photos (this season) of Osprey with fish. Quality of the photos doesn’t matter. If you can get the fish’s tail in the photo, that would be great. We are trying to identify what species they are eating.

Every time you photograph one, please send it to us - the more the better. I promise I won’t get tired of seeing them. If you have multiple photos of the same fish, please note that they are same fish/different angle.

Photos can be posted in comments here (all spring and summer long), or sent in private message to us. I’m still working on trying to figure out how you all can post on this page vs just in comments.

Please spread the word to your photographer and birder/hobbyist friends who watch our local birds and take photos

No doubt most of you are aware that our Osprey population had taken a nosedive the past couple years. While we are happy to see many return and nests claimed, we cannot be sure the nests will be successful

I’m working with a group of researchers to understand what happened, is it continuing to happen, can we resolve it or prevent it from happening again.

We need to document as best as possible, please and thank you❤️

03/26/2026

***UPDATE: I have so much gratitude in my heart!! I woke up this morning to see that we met our goal in less than 2 days ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thank you so much to everyone who donated or shared and everyone who cares for our wildlife.

“We’re all just walking each other home” … and that includes our feathered and furry homies ❤️❤️❤️

This will help save so many little lives who lost their way 🥲❤️❤️

Thank you all so very much ❤️
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We need your help! As we enter our second year of rehab, I realize how important it is to have a proper incubator.

With limited resources, I’ve been paying out of pocket for formula, food and other necessary supplies (not to mention hundreds of hours, countless tanks of gas and no rest during baby season - this is all volunteer!)

In order to save money, I have been using a small plastic incubator with no ability to choose temperature and no humidity control, both so important - especially for babies.

I’ve been as creative and resourceful as I can in order to supply necessary humidity (including rigging a borrowed nebulizer into it). Overflow babies have been put in carriers on heating pads if able.

Baby Warm has a wonderful program where they help wildlife rehabbers obtain the incubators we so desperately need!

But we need your help! Colonial Beach Wildlife has been available
and responding to calls to help injured and orphaned wildlife from Colonial Beach and surrounding areas for quite some time, starting with years of rescue and now following through with rehab. We have responded to countless calls from good Samaritans as well as from town, county and state officials.

But we won’t be able to continue without help.

Please consider donating towards this - any amount helps! And please share this to help get the word out ❤️

Baby season has already begun, and this incubator would be so helpful in saving hundreds of
little lives ❤️❤️❤️

We are so grateful for everyone’s continued support and to anyone who will consider donating or sharing xoxoxo

I have been doing wildlife rescue for 7 or 8 years, and it became more and more difficult to find placement for our injured and orphaned wildlife without having to travel for hours. The natural progression was to step up and fill that gap.

02/18/2026

Colonial Beach: Please be aware of likely cases of bird flu (aka avian influenza or “AI”) in town.

We have had a few isolated suspicious cases this winter, but today 3 diving ducks were found dead and I was sent this video of a gull. The gulls head movement and constant circling is a neurological symptom we’ve seen in classic AI cases.

DWR officials and biologist have been made aware, but they do not test unless there are 10 or more.

By the gull’s behavior, we are pretty certain he is positive.

As a precaution, we suggest cleaning the bottoms of your shoes before entering your house after walking on the beaches.

It’s also advisable to refrain from walking your dogs on the beach for the time being, and please keep cats indoors. AI is particularly worrisome with cats.

Avian flu mostly affects waterfowl and the raptors that eat them (so ducks, geese, gulls, eagles, hawks, vultures, owls and even crows).

We rarely see cases in songbirds.

AI usually works very quickly, often killing a bird in a day or so, so the birds are often found deceased, but looking otherwise healthy as they don’t have time to lose weight or deteriorate.

Please let us know (here or via DM) if you see any dead waterfowl, sea birds, or raptors, or any odd behavior - particularly circling as in the video, so we can monitor the situation, document and make efforts to remove.

*** Key Facts on Airborne Risk from Dead Birds:
• Environmental Persistence: Bird flu virus can survive for extended periods in carcasses, f***s, and contaminated water.
• Aerosolization: Handling, moving, or disposing of dead birds can cause the virus to become aerosolized (airborne) from feathers or dry, infected f***s.
• Inhalation Risk: People can become infected by breathing in this virus-laden dust or droplets, particularly if they are in close proximity to the carcass.
• Handling Precautions: It is advised to avoid contact with dead birds and to wear personal protective equipment (mask, gloves) if disposal is necessary.

The risk is highest when handling or standing near dead birds and their habitats, as the virus remains infectious in the environment

11/15/2025

I really didn’t want to look at this either.

Those are the legs of a young herring gull found standing on the walking path along the main beach this evening. Both legs tightly wound with fishing line cutting into the bone.

Sadly, he had grown weak and hadn’t been eating (he was very thin) and he didn’t have the strength to hold on long enough for us to get the line off.

No doubt he suffered for what probably felt like an eternity to him.

Colonial Beach: Please clean up your fishing line.

Even if you’re not fishing and you see fishing line or any kind of string or plastic bag or anything that could cause our wildlife to suffer, please pick it up and throw it away.

Also: we are in desperate need of transporters. Please let us know if you can help. We cannot continue our effort without help. 😩

11/07/2025

Flocks of migrating brown pelicans have been around town this morning! (Adults have the white heads; juveniles have brown heads). Keep your eyes on the water and you may see them ❤️

09/22/2025

The babies had their first camp out last night ❤️😎. They were up late raiding the snacks and telling ghost stories, then up again before dawn 😵‍💫

They’ll stay in this enclosure for a couple weeks. I’ll then prop the door open so they can come and go for a little bit before cutting the apron strings entirely ❤️

08/31/2025

A young hummingbird waiting for her uber and reminding everyone that it’s migration season and to please keep non essential lighting off or to a minimum at night. Artificial lighting attracts and disorients migrating birds causing them to become exhausted or collide with buildings.

We have been getting so many calls about birds hitting buildings and windows this week, many in worse shape than this little girl (wing injury, possible fracture)

Besides needing to eat every 10-15 minutes during daylight, hummingbirds need very specialized care, so our little girl was sent to the Wildlife Center of Virginia where she is likely just getting checked in.

Thank you Bronwen Decker for finding her and getting her to us, and to Paula Van Alstine for driving the first leg of her trip ❤️

08/28/2025

Did you know that if you can catch the light coming through a hummingbird's wings at just the right angle, the wings display a rainbow effect? A hummingbird's wing feathers are made up of tiny parallel structures that refract the sunlight scattering it into the full spectrum of colors.

(Local photographers: It's migration season and we have so many hummingbirds all around. Consider this a challenge 😎)

08/26/2025

When my daughters were little, their grandmother sent them one of those window bird feeders with suction cups to stick to the glass. They put it in their bedroom window, but rather than attracting birds, a squirrel showed and monopolized the feeder every day, devouring all the seeds.

My girls insisted it was only one squirrel, and for reasons no one remembers, they named her May and she returned every day.

Two years later, we moved about 30 minutes away. My girls were so excited to look in the yard and see that May had followed us 😂

Years later, we moved hundreds of miles away to Virginia , and sure enough - May followed 😎

My daughters are now grown and have children of their own, and to this day, if I’m in the car with one of them and we see a squirrel in the road, I’ll be told “be careful! Don’t hit May!”

Meet this pile of heathens: May, May, May, May, May and May 😁

08/22/2025

To any opossum haters: Marie (the baguettes!) is here and determined to change your mind ❤️🥰

08/19/2025

I was so excited to see this guy around town for the past few days. He is a young Yellow Crowned Night Heron and the first one I've seen in town (ebird says one was seen in CB on August 19, 1986).

As a juvenile, he blended in pretty well with the rocks and was easy to miss. As an adult, he will be stunning with long white feathers extending from the back of his head during breeding season. For now, he has a few silly hairs on top that totally add to his character 😎

He could just be visiting while migrating, but our habitat could work for them and it's possible he is not alone and they could stay.

If you see him or others, please share photos! (we are working hard on trying to figure out how everyone can post to this page. Our settings say "anyone can post", but that doesn't seem to be true. Tech tips are appreciated 😩).. so for now, post in the comments :)

He's been seen on jetties eating small shellfish and bugs, walking on the beach in the shores or perching on pilings. If he's only visiting, I hope you get a chance to see him ❤️