Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Monday March 24, 2014. 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.
It was a slower then expected shorebird survey on the CNWR. While we have seen
recent spring arrivals in the area such as tree swallow, osprey and laughing
gulls, we did not find them on this survey. However, piping plovers (12) are
back and the American oystercatchers (16) have moved closer to the beaches
where they nest. Total shorebird numbers were 572 with the dunlin being the
most common at 313. The northern gannet flight offshore of the refuge was
wonderful with at least 666 seen. The lingering of 4 red-necked grebes was also
noteworthy as they are not usually that easy to see at the Refuge.
Our next survey will be April 1st (we're not fooling!) when we start our once a
week survey schedule to closely monitor the shorebird use of the Refuge during
spring migration.
Clyde Morris and Joelle Buffa
Snow Goose --
Canada Goose --
Tundra Swan --
Gadwall --
American Wigeon --
American Black Duck --
Mallard --
Northern Shoveler --
Northern Pintail --
Green-winged Teal --
Surf Scoter --
Black Scoter --
Bufflehead --
Red-breasted Merganser --
Common Loon 9
Horned Grebe 23
Red-necked Grebe 3
Northern Gannet 696
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Turkey Vulture --
Northern Harrier --
Bald Eagle --
Red-tailed Hawk --
American Oystercatcher 6
Black-bellied Plover 44
Piping Plover 6
Greater Yellowlegs 34
Willet 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 3
Sanderling 113
Dunlin 111
Ring-billed Gull 65
Herring Gull 292
Lesser Black-backed Gull 11
Great Black-backed Gull 29
Forster's Tern 5
Mourning Dove --
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker --
Northern Flicker --
Eastern Phoebe --
crow sp. --
American Robin --
European Starling --
Yellow-rumped Warbler --
Chipping Sparrow --
Savannah Sparrow --
Dark-eyed Junco --
Northern Cardinal --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Eastern Meadowlark --
Boat-tailed Grackle --
