Below are the results for the shorebird and gull survey for Chincoteague
NWR. All of the impoundments and beaches were included in this 6 hour
survey. Birds that were not counted are indicated by presence only (--).
There is something exhilarating about the change of season and viewing our
winter visitors! Skies were clear, winds were from the NNW and temp was a
steady 45 F. A snowflake or two would have made it perfect! (Can you tell
I'm from Cleveland!?)
Shorebird stragglers included: black-bellied plover, semi-palmated plover
and ruddy turnstone. Western Willets (subspecies) are replacing our
Eastern Willets (subspecies) who have left for the West Indies and Central
America. Dunlin are arriving and their numbers should continue to rise.
2 Western sandpipers were easy to pick out when observed with Dunlin on the
Hook.
Ring-billed gulls have replaced our summer Laughing gulls (only 1 observed
on public beach). Common Loons and Red-throated Loons are here with 79
Red-throated loons off Wild Beach actively feeding in the ocean with
Northern Gannets above. 11 Horned Grebes were in Tom's Cove. And last,
the dainty Bonaparte's Gulls were found in F pool, NWF and Wild Beach.
Snow Goose --
Canada Goose --
Tundra Swan --
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler --
Gadwall --
American Wigeon --
Mallard --
American Black Duck --
Northern Pintail --
Green-winged Teal --
Surf Scoter --
Black Scoter --
Bufflehead --
Hooded Merganser --
Red-breasted Merganser --
Red-throated Loon 79
Common Loon 9
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Horned Grebe 12
Northern Gannet 5
Double-crested Cormorant 37
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Snowy Egret --
Little Blue Heron --
Tricolored Heron --
Black Vulture --
Turkey Vulture --
Northern Harrier --
Cooper's Hawk --
Bald Eagle --
Red-tailed Hawk --
American Coot 125
Black-bellied Plover 2
Semipalmated Plover 9
Ruddy Turnstone 3
Sanderling 149
Dunlin 316
Western Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 6
Willet 48
Lesser Yellowlegs 3
Bonaparte's Gull 8
Laughing Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull 234
Herring Gull 190
Lesser Black-backed Gull 34
Great Black-backed Gull 33
Forster's Tern 56
Belted Kingfisher --
Northern Flicker --
Merlin 1
Tree Swallow --
Carolina Chickadee --
Brown-headed Nuthatch --
Carolina Wren --
European Starling --
Yellow-rumped Warbler --
Dark-eyed Junco --
Song Sparrow --
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal --
Red-winged Blackbird --
