Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Monday July 14, 2014. All water areas
(impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 8 hour survey. All individuals
are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on the survey are
followed by a dash.
Southbound migration has hit the Refuge. We had 2,946 individual shorebirds of
15 species. Willets were the most common with a high number of 900 counted on
the survey. This is a huge number for the Refuge surveys. Dowitcher sp. (494),
least sandpiper (408), semi-palmated sandpiper (210) and yellowlegs (mostly
lesser with some greater and many yellowlegs sp) (416) were all in increased
numbers over the past few weeks. The 19 marbled godwits using Tom's Cove was
the most we have seen this summer. Our first pectoral sandpiper of the season
was a joy to find. The black tern flying low over the waves on the Hook was a
surprise.
Since the impoundments are mostly dry, who knows how many more shorebirds would
be using the Refuge if we get some more rain thereby improving their habitat on
the Refuge?
The best place to see shorebirds right now on the Refuge is F Pond across from
the NPS Visitor Center and the North Wash Flats impoundments. The latter
requires a hike up the Service Road north of the Visitors Loop. Good numbers
and variety of species of terns can be seen on the Beaches as well as F Pond.
Our next survey is July 21. Joelle Buffa and Clyde Morris
Canada Goose --
Gadwall --
American Black Duck --
Mallard --
Black Scoter --
Brown Pelican 114
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Snowy Egret --
Little Blue Heron --
Tricolored Heron --
Cattle Egret --
Green Heron --
Glossy Ibis --
Black Vulture --
Turkey Vulture --
Osprey --
Bald Eagle --
American Oystercatcher 37
Black-bellied Plover 37
Semipalmated Plover 34
Piping Plover 58
Killdeer 12
Greater Yellowlegs 86
Willet 900
Lesser Yellowlegs 154
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs 176
Whimbrel 33
Marbled Godwit 19
Ruddy Turnstone 7
Red Knot 29
Sanderling 63
Least Sandpiper 408
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper 210
peep sp. 188
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 494
Laughing Gull 114
Ring-billed Gull 12
Herring Gull 147
Lesser Black-backed Gull 53
Great Black-backed Gull 15
Least Tern 85
Gull-billed Tern 2
Black Tern 1
Common Tern 40
Royal Tern 1
Sandwich Tern 1
Black Skimmer 2
Mourning Dove --
Red-headed Woodpecker --
Downy Woodpecker --
Northern Flicker --
Eastern Wood-Pewee --
Great Crested Flycatcher --
Eastern Kingbird --
White-eyed Vireo --
American Crow --
Fish Crow --
crow sp. --
Purple Martin --
Tree Swallow --
Barn Swallow --
Carolina Chickadee --
Brown-headed Nuthatch --
House Wren --
Carolina Wren --
American Robin --
Gray Catbird --
Brown Thrasher --
Northern Mockingbird --
European Starling --
Common Yellowthroat --
Pine Warbler --
Eastern Towhee --
Field Sparrow --
Song Sparrow --
Summer Tanager --
Northern Cardinal --
Blue Grosbeak --
Indigo Bunting --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Eastern Meadowlark --
Common Grackle --
Brown-headed Cowbird --
Orchard Oriole --
House Finch --
American Goldfinch --
