Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

A large, beautifully pink-plumaged wader of southern wetlands, the Roseate Spoonbill was unknown in Virginia until a single individual was found and photograph 12 Jun 1996 at Back Bay NWR by Florence James, records for this species have exploded in recent years. With two additional records in 2009, the state list sat at three confirmed until the invasion year of 2017 occurred. During a major incursion of the species into the Mid-Atlantic region, potentially as many as 12 separate individuals were logged in the state. Not to be outdone, the following year of 2018 provided yet another invasion, this time with perhaps as many as 16 different individuals being logged at eight sites from seven separate municipalities. Accepted records for Virginia are as follows:

2018

Eight records of potentially 16 separate individuals (recorded 31 May-10 Oct): 1, Back Bay NWR (Virginia Beach), 31 May (ph. Charlie Bruggemann); 2, Pleasure House Point NA (Virginia Beach), 3 Jun (ph. Hugh Davenhill); 1, Old Mill Park (Fredericksburg), 4-6 Jun (ph. Jim Goehring); 1, Christiansburg (Montgomery), 8-11 Jun (vis. Boyne Key); 2, Stonhouse Lake Park (Amherst), 8-9 Jun (initially found and ph. Unknown; 9 Jun ph. Bob Epperson, Matt Hosmer & Emily Seawell); 1, AMTRAK Railside (Prince William), 17 Jun (vis. Brian Turner); 1-6, Craney Island DA (Portsmouth), 22 Jun-10 Oct (ph. Edward Brinkley, Alex Minarik, Lee Schuster & Bill Williams); 1-2, Hog Island WMA (Surry), 25 Jul-4 Aug (ph. Nancy Barnhart).

2017

Eight records of potentially 12 separate individuals (recorded 16 Jul-17 Oct): 2, Shirley Plantation (Charles City), 16 Jul-12 Aug (ph. Arun Bose); 1, Plum Tree Island NWR (Poquoson), 18 Jul (ph. Forrest Short); 1, Chippokes Plantation SP (Surry), 24 Aug (ph. Kevin Koons); 2, Pleasure House Point NA (Virginia Beach), 25 Aug (vis. Eric & James Marcum, later ph. Rob Bielawski); 1, Back Bay NWR (Virginia Beach), 3-5 Sep (ph. Timothy Burnett); 1, Hog Island WMA (Surry), 16 Sep (ph. Janice Frye); 1, Kiptopeke SP (Northampton), 1 Oct (vis. Anna Stunkel); 2, Chincoteague NWR (Accomack), 7 Oct (vis. Victor Klein & Joanne Laskowski).

2009

Two records: 1, Waynesboro Nursery (Augusta), 15-19 Jun (ph. Andy McGann); 1, Craney Island DA (Portsmouth), 28 Jul-17 Sep (vis. Shirley Devan, Alex Minarik, Brian Taber & Bill Williams).

1996

One record: 1, Back Bay NWR (Virginia Beach), 12 Jun (ph. Florence James).