Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Monday July 7, 2014. All water areas
(impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 6-1/2 hour survey. All
individuals are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on
the survey are followed by a dash.
This survey was the first one this year where the impoundments were not covered
by ice, though it was just above freezing and there was a cold wind. We had 794
individual shorebirds of 9 species. Not bad for winter. 616 of them were dunlin
on tidal areas such a Toms Cove and the Bay.
Our next survey will be Monday July 14th
This shorebird survey was typical for early July when we have not had much rain
to create shorebird habitat in the Refuge's impoundments, and many birds are
still up north in their breeding areas. Total numbers of shorebirds were low
with most of the action being local nesting species which are beginning to have
young of the year out and about the Refuge (piping plover, American
oystercatcher, willet, gulls and least terns. Always good to see the results of
a successful nesting season. We had 883 individual shorebirds of 16 species.
An excellent variety of tern species is now present on the Refuge with seven
species. Brown Pelicans (124), some in beautiful breeding plumage, are now
showing up on the Refuge. Clyde Morris & Joelle Buffa
Canada Goose --
American Black Duck --
Mallard --
Black Scoter 16
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 28
Brown Pelican 124
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Snowy Egret --
Little Blue Heron --
Tricolored Heron --
Cattle Egret --
Green Heron --
White Ibis --
Glossy Ibis --
Turkey Vulture --
Osprey --
Bald Eagle --
Clapper Rail --
American Oystercatcher 33
Black-bellied Plover 25
Semipalmated Plover 9
Piping Plover 47
Killdeer 3
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 31
Willet 268
Lesser Yellowlegs 19
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs 32
Whimbrel 35
Marbled Godwit 1
Ruddy Turnstone 15
Red Knot 29
Sanderling 16
Dunlin 1
peep sp. 10
Short-/Long-billed Dowitcher 307
Laughing Gull 248
Ring-billed Gull 19
Herring Gull 255
Lesser Black-backed Gull 37
Great Black-backed Gull 30
Least Tern 165
Gull-billed Tern 2
Common Tern 49
Forster's Tern 69
Royal Tern 16
Sandwich Tern 2
Black Skimmer 11
Mourning Dove --
Yellow-billed Cuckoo --
Chimney Swift --
Red-headed Woodpecker --
Northern Flicker --
Peregrine Falcon --
Eastern Wood-Pewee --
Great Crested Flycatcher --
Eastern Kingbird --
Blue Jay --
Fish Crow --
Tree Swallow --
Barn Swallow --
Tufted Titmouse --
House Wren --
Carolina Wren --
American Robin --
Gray Catbird --
Brown Thrasher --
Northern Mockingbird --
European Starling --
Cedar Waxwing --
Common Yellowthroat --
Pine Warbler --
Grasshopper Sparrow --
Song Sparrow --
Summer Tanager --
Northern Cardinal --
Blue Grosbeak --
Indigo Bunting --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Eastern Meadowlark --
Common Grackle --
Boat-tailed Grackle --
Brown-headed Cowbird --
Orchard Oriole --
