Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Monday July 21, 2014. All water areas
(impoundments and beach areas) were covered in an 8 hour survey. All
individuals are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on
the survey are followed by a dash.
Though many of the impoundments were dry, a few have a mixture of mud and
shallow water that is perfect habitat for a select number of species. With fall
migration picking up, this produced almost twice the number of shorebirds seen
compared to last week. We counted 5,804 shorebirds of 20 species. Semi-palmated
sandpipers led the way with 962, followed by least sandpiper (695), dowitcher
sp. (mainly short-billed)(662), lesser yellowlegs (558), willet (527), and
sanderling (434). There were 1,009 peeps (small shorebirds most likely
semi-palmated or least sandpipers) which were so far out in our larger
impoundments, we could not identify them. There were also 433 yellowleg sp.
recorded which are yellowlegs that are too far away to separate between lesser
and greater yellowlegs. With all these birds being too far away to identify,
this means the numbers of semi-palmated and least sandpipers and lesser
yellowlegs we reported is a conservative estimate.
The other highlight of the count were 62 piping plovers which is a high count
on the Refuge for us. This is no doubt due to Sophia being along who has been
monitoring them all summer and can see them a mile away. The other noteworthy
sighting was a fledgling Wilson's plover on the Hook, a first of season
sighting for us, but the nest was monitored by Refuge staff.
Next week's survey will be done on 7/30/14. Clyde Morris and Joelle Buffa
Canada Goose --
American Black Duck --
Mallard --
Black Scoter --
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Brown Pelican 211
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Snowy Egret --
Little Blue Heron --
Tricolored Heron --
Cattle Egret --
Green Heron --
Black-crowned Night-Heron --
White Ibis --
Glossy Ibis --
Turkey Vulture --
Osprey --
Bald Eagle --
Clapper Rail --
American Oystercatcher 47
Black-bellied Plover 6
Wilson's Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 236
Piping Plover 62
Killdeer 16
Spotted Sandpiper 5
Greater Yellowlegs 104
Willet 527
Lesser Yellowlegs 558
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs 433
Whimbrel 28
Marbled Godwit 15
Ruddy Turnstone 12
Red Knot 37
Sanderling 434
Least Sandpiper 695
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper 962
peep sp. 1,009
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 662
Wilson's Phalarope 1
Laughing Gull 366
Ring-billed Gull 35
Herring Gull 172
Lesser Black-backed Gull 95
Great Black-backed Gull 60
Least Tern 198
Gull-billed Tern 2
Common Tern 54
Forster's Tern 82
Royal Tern 69
Sandwich Tern 12
Black Skimmer 31
Mourning Dove --
Yellow-billed Cuckoo --
Chimney Swift --
Red-headed Woodpecker --
Red-bellied Woodpecker --
Northern Flicker --
Peregrine Falcon --
Eastern Wood-Pewee --
Eastern Kingbird --
White-eyed Vireo --
Fish Crow --
Purple Martin --
Tree Swallow --
Barn Swallow --
Brown-headed Nuthatch --
House Wren --
Carolina Wren --
American Robin --
Gray Catbird --
European Starling --
Cedar Waxwing --
Common Yellowthroat --
Eastern Towhee --
Field Sparrow --
Song Sparrow --
Northern Cardinal --
Blue Grosbeak --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Eastern Meadowlark --
Common Grackle --
Brown-headed Cowbird --
House Finch --
American Goldfinch --
