Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Wed May 23, 2012. All water areas
(impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 10-1/2 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, including the Ruff (reeve)
are in areas accessible to the public (Wildlife Loop, and water areas along
Beach Road). The Red Knots were on the beaches, pretty evenly distributed to
the North and South of the Beach Parking Lots. Note that only the Knots in the
area north of the parking lots are accesssible by walking. Joelle Buffa and
Clyde Morris
Canada Goose --
Wood Duck --
American Black Duck --
Mallard --
Northern Bobwhite --
Double-crested Cormorant 22
Brown Pelican 14
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 --
Black-bellied Plover 133
Semipalmated Plover 678
Piping Plover 6
Killdeer 6
American Oystercatcher 35
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 16
Willet 87
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Whimbrel 16
Marbled Godwit 8
Ruddy Turnstone 387
Red Knot 738
Sanderling 2,681
Semipalmated Sandpiper 6,114
Least Sandpiper 225
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 2,891
peep sp. 2,119
Ruff 1
Short-billed Dowitcher --
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 1,729
Laughing Gull 86
Ring-billed Gull 7
Herring Gull 181
Lesser Black-backed Gull 13
Great Black-backed Gull 62
Least Tern 54
Gull-billed Tern 1
Common Tern 12
Forster's Tern 31
Royal Tern 20
Black Skimmer 8
Mourning Dove --
Northern Flicker --
Eastern Wood-Pewee --
Great Crested Flycatcher --
Eastern Kingbird --
American Crow --
Horned Lark --
Tree Swallow --
Barn Swallow --
Carolina Chickadee --
Carolina Wren --
House Wren --
American Robin --
Gray Catbird --
Brown Thrasher --
European Starling --
Cedar Waxwing --
Common Yellowthroat --
Magnolia Warbler --
Pine Warbler --
Eastern Towhee --
Northern Cardinal --
Indigo Bunting --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Eastern Meadowlark --
Common Grackle --
Boat-tailed Grackle --
Brown-headed Cowbird --
Orchard Oriole --
House Finch --
The Ruff was a female (Reeve), perhaps the same individual as reported earlier
in the month in the same pond: The pond that is encircled by the Wildlife
Drive. The bird was standing on the south end of Snow Goose pond, shortly after
the pond becomes visible on your left after passing the gravel (employees only)
service road on your right. It was slightly smaller than the Dowitcher and
larger than the Dunlin standing on either side. The bird had an upright
posture. Its head was small and the face was grayish with no other markings.
The bill was straight and short - about as long as the width of the head and
was dark or gray in color. The upper breast and back were grayish; the lower
chest and belly dirty whitish. The legs were dull in color.
