Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Sat. Dec 19, 2015. All water areas
(impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 5 hour survey. All individuals
are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on the survey are
followed by a dash.
We had a typical winter Shorebird Survey at Chincoteague NWR. Cool temps with
strong winds and deep water in impoundments were good for wintering waterfowl
but any remaining shorebirds and the land birds were hunkered down. We counted
391 shorebirds of 7 species. Surprisingly, Greater Yellowlegs were the most
common (143) beating out Dunlin (129), Sanderling (58) and Black-bellied Plover
(56). Two Semipalmated Plovers were seen on Tom's Cove which is late for this
species. Interesting, a few semipalmated plovers were also seen on our
shorebird on last year's survey almost on the same date.
We found the previously reported male Eurasian Wigeon on Swans Pool but not the
Black-headed Gull that was being reported earlier this month. Most interesting
for us was a 'flock' of 16 adult and sub adult Bald Eagles on Wild Beach, over
the ocean and moving inland over the Refuge impoundments. This is more
individual eagles 'together' in this area than we have seen before this We did
not note an obvious source of food that would attract this number of eagles to
the same general area though we did see just offshore a pod of dolphins
surrounded by many feeding and resting gulls.Joelle Buffa and Clyde Morris
| Snow Goose | -- |
| Canada Goose | -- |
| Tundra Swan | -- |
| Gadwall | -- |
| Eurasian Wigeon | 1 |
| American Wigeon | -- |
| American Black Duck | -- |
| Mallard | -- |
| Northern Shoveler | -- |
| Northern Pintail | -- |
| Green-winged Teal | -- |
| Surf Scoter | -- |
| scoter sp. | -- |
| Long-tailed Duck | -- |
| Bufflehead | -- |
| Hooded Merganser | -- |
| Red-breasted Merganser | -- |
| Red-throated Loon | 3 |
| Common Loon | 20 |
| Pied-billed Grebe | 1 |
| Horned Grebe | 51 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 3 |
| Great Blue Heron | -- |
| Great Egret | -- |
| Turkey Vulture | -- |
| Northern Harrier | -- |
| Bald Eagle | 16 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | -- |
| Black-bellied Plover | 56 |
| Semipalmated Plover | 2 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 143 |
| Sanderling | 58 |
| Dunlin | 129 |
| Western Sandpiper | 1 |
| Short-/Long-billed Dowitcher | 2 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 180 |
| Herring Gull | 200 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 41 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 12 |
| Forster's Tern | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | -- |
| American Crow | -- |
| crow sp. | -- |
| Brown-headed Nuthatch | -- |
| American Robin | -- |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | -- |
| Dark-eyed Junco | -- |
| White-throated Sparrow | -- |
| Northern Cardinal | -- |
| Red-winged Blackbird | -- |
| Snow Goose |
| Canada Goose |
| Tundra Swan |
| Gadwall |
| Eurasian Wigeon |
| American Wigeon |
| American Black Duck |
| Mallard |
| Northern Shoveler |
| Northern Pintail |
| Green-winged Teal |
| Surf Scoter |
| scoter sp. |
| Long-tailed Duck |
| Bufflehead |
| Hooded Merganser |
| Red-breasted Merganser |
| Red-throated Loon |
| Common Loon |
| Pied-billed Grebe |
| Horned Grebe |
| Double-crested Cormorant |
| Great Blue Heron |
| Great Egret |
| Turkey Vulture |
| Northern Harrier |
| Bald Eagle |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
| Black-bellied Plover |
| Semipalmated Plover |
| Greater Yellowlegs |
| Sanderling |
| Dunlin |
| Western Sandpiper |
| Short-/Long-billed Dowitcher |
| Ring-billed Gull |
| Herring Gull |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull |
| Great Black-backed Gull |
| Forster's Tern |
| Belted Kingfisher |
| American Crow |
| crow sp. |
| Brown-headed Nuthatch |
| American Robin |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler |
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| White-throated Sparrow |
| Northern Cardinal |
| Red-winged Blackbird |
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