Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday May 31, 2012. All water areas
(impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 9-1/2 hour survey. All
individuals are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on
the survey are followed by a dash. Many shorebirds, are in areas accessible to
the public (Wildlife Loop, and water areas along Beach Road). Shorebird
migration has reached it's peak and is beginning to wind down, Still, large
numbers of semi-palmated sandpipers on the impoundments and even on the
beaches. The black-necked stilt is on the northernmost impoundment, closed to
the public.
Joelle Buffa and Clyde Morris
Canada Goose --
Wood Duck --
American Black Duck --
Mallard --
Northern Bobwhite --
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 39
Brown Pelican 13
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Snowy Egret --
Little Blue Heron --
Tricolored Heron --
Cattle Egret --
Green Heron --
White Ibis --
Glossy Ibis --
Black Vulture --
Turkey Vulture --
Osprey --
Bald Eagle --
Clapper Rail --
Black-bellied Plover 160
Semipalmated Plover 300
Piping Plover 23
Killdeer 9
American Oystercatcher 34
Black-necked Stilt 1
Greater Yellowlegs 9
Willet 46
Marbled Godwit 12
Ruddy Turnstone 225
Red Knot 570
Sanderling 1,585
Semipalmated Sandpiper 7,811
Least Sandpiper 38
White-rumped Sandpiper 3
Dunlin 99
peep sp. 5,041
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 1,141
Laughing Gull 304
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 169
Lesser Black-backed Gull 20
Great Black-backed Gull 52
Least Tern 70
Gull-billed Tern 1
Common Tern 6
Forster's Tern 40
Sandwich Tern 1
Black Skimmer 11
Mourning Dove --
Red-bellied Woodpecker --
Eastern Wood-Pewee --
Great Crested Flycatcher --
Eastern Kingbird --
Red-eyed Vireo --
American Crow --
Fish Crow --
Horned Lark --
Tree Swallow --
Barn Swallow --
Carolina Chickadee --
American Robin --
Gray Catbird --
European Starling --
Common Yellowthroat --
Pine Warbler --
Prairie Warbler --
Song Sparrow --
Northern Cardinal --
Blue Grosbeak --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Eastern Meadowlark --
Common Grackle --
Boat-tailed Grackle --
Brown-headed Cowbird --
Orchard Oriole --
House Finch --
--
Number of Species 80
Number of Individuals 17,837
