Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Tues May 12, 2015. All water areas
(impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 9 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 an amazing shorebird survey, counting the highest number of individual
shorebirds (30,062) we have ever encountered during our 6 years of doing this
Chincoteague Refuge survey. Of the 21 species, about one-third (11,430) were
Semi-palmated Sandpipers. Also in the top three were Dunlin (8,529), followed
by Dowitchers (5,646). We suspect most (all?) of these were short-billed, as we
heard many calling, but the protocol calls for only identifying them to
"dowitcher spp." There were also good numbers of Semi-palmated Plovers (1,628).
We saw our first small flock of Red Knots (15) on the beach of the season; none
were banded. A few of the less common shorebirds we identified were
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (2 in NWF), and STILT SANDPIPER (15 in B-South close to
the Wildlife Loop Road).
The water levels were perfect in the impoundments for the many species looking
for food and rest in the spring migration. Tidal areas were also well used by
the species that prefer that habitat such as Sanderling and Whimbrel as well as
our nesting species such as American Oystercatcher, Piping Plovers, and Willets.
If visitors are looking to see a wonderful display of migration, tell them to
look for the shorebirds on the Wildlife Loop and North Wash Flats an
impoundment about 5 miles north of the Wildlife Loop on the Service Road. Our
next survey will be May 17th if we have recovered from this one by then.
Clyde Morris and Joelle Buffa
| Tundra Swan | 1 |
| American Wigeon | -- |
| American Black Duck | -- |
| Mallard | -- |
| Black Scoter | -- |
| Red-throated Loon | 1 |
| Common Loon | 1 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 231 |
| Brown Pelican | 1 |
| 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 | -- |
| Clapper Rail | -- |
| American Oystercatcher | 39 |
| Black-bellied Plover | 85 |
| Semipalmated Plover | 1,628 |
| Piping Plover | 26 |
| Killdeer | 2 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 4 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 100 |
| Willet | 70 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 7 |
| Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs | 16 |
| Whimbrel | 173 |
| Marbled Godwit | 4 |
| Ruddy Turnstone | 39 |
| Red Knot | 15 |
| Stilt Sandpiper | 15 |
| Sanderling | 927 |
| Dunlin | 8,529 |
| Least Sandpiper | 108 |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | 2 |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | 1 |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | 11,430 |
| peep sp. | 1,235 |
| Short/Long-billed Dowitcher | 5,646 |
| Laughing Gull | 47 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 12 |
| Herring Gull | 324 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 50 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 141 |
| Least Tern | 89 |
| Common Tern | 45 |
| Forster's Tern | 29 |
| Royal Tern | 5 |
| Black Skimmer | 4 |
| Mourning Dove | -- |
| Chuck-will's-widow | 1 |
| Belted Kingfisher | -- |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | -- |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | -- |
| Eastern Phoebe | -- |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | -- |
| Eastern Kingbird | -- |
| Fish Crow | -- |
| crow sp. | -- |
| Horned Lark | -- |
| Tree Swallow | -- |
| Barn Swallow | -- |
| Brown-headed Nuthatch | -- |
| House Wren | -- |
| Marsh Wren | -- |
| Carolina Wren | -- |
| American Robin | -- |
| Gray Catbird | -- |
| Brown Thrasher | -- |
| Northern Mockingbird | -- |
| European Starling | -- |
| Common Yellowthroat | -- |
| Pine Warbler | -- |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | -- |
| Prairie Warbler | -- |
| Eastern Towhee | -- |
| Northern Cardinal | -- |
| Blue Grosbeak | -- |
| Red-winged Blackbird | -- |
| Eastern Meadowlark | -- |
| Common Grackle | -- |
| Boat-tailed Grackle | -- |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | -- |
| Orchard Oriole | -- |
