Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Monday May 4, 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.
We enjoyed at great spring migration shorebird survey at CNWR. We counted over
100 species of birds (including all species of birds, not just those listed on
the shorebird survey form) which is a single-day record for us on the Refuge
survey route. It was a long one (9 hours) with the first mosquitos of the year
but well worth it. We counted 6,978 individuals (highest number so far this
year) of 19 shorebird species (highest diversity this year). Dunlin continue to
dominate the numbers with 3,467 followed by Semi-palmated Plovers (969),
Dowitcher (most if not all Short-billed) (669) and Semi-palmated Sandpiper
(574). Notable shorebird species were: One Western Sandpiper: which we don't
often see this time of year, One Spotted Sandpiper: which has seemed rare so
far this year, Two Red Knot: first of the spring migrants, Stilt Sandpiper (3),
and the usual May influx of Whimbrel (133 -most all of which were on Wild
Beach). Obviously, shorebird migration kicked into high gear this week and
should continue to climb over the next few weeks. We saw our first Gull-billed
Terns (in the Bay along the Service Rd, opposite of Wash Flats).
Land bird migration is also in full glory. Land birds of interest were three
species we have seen at other locations on the Eastern Shore of Virginia but
never on a shorebird survey on the Refuge: One Yellow-crowned Night Heron was
found in Tom's Cove marsh as seen from Beach Road just as you leave the trees
driving toward the beach. This is a species that is sometimes seen in the town
of Chincoteague but is a first for us on the Refuge. We saw and heard Bobolinks
for the first time on the Refuge near the Wash Flats impoundments off the
Service Road. A singing Baltimore Oriole was a delight not far from the more
common Orchard Orioles along the Service Road beside Wash Flats.
Our next survey is scheduled for Tues. May 12. Joelle Buffa & Clyde Morris
| Canada Goose | -- |
| Tundra Swan | 1 |
| American Black Duck | -- |
| Mallard | -- |
| Blue-winged Teal | -- |
| Black Scoter | -- |
| Bufflehead | 2 |
| Red-breasted Merganser | -- |
| Wild Turkey | -- |
| Common Loon | 4 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 330 |
| Brown Pelican | 6 |
| Great Blue Heron | -- |
| Great Egret | -- |
| Snowy Egret | -- |
| Little Blue Heron | -- |
| Tricolored Heron | -- |
| Cattle Egret | -- |
| Green Heron | -- |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | -- |
| White Ibis | -- |
| Glossy Ibis | -- |
| Black Vulture | -- |
| Turkey Vulture | -- |
| Osprey | -- |
| Bald Eagle | -- |
| Clapper Rail | -- |
| American Oystercatcher | 19 |
| Black-bellied Plover | 79 |
| Semipalmated Plover | 969 |
| Piping Plover | 48 |
| Killdeer | 3 |
| Spotted Sandpiper | 1 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 88 |
| Willet | 76 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 134 |
| Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs | 21 |
| Whimbrel | 133 |
| Ruddy Turnstone | 36 |
| Red Knot | 2 |
| Stilt Sandpiper | 3 |
| Sanderling | 468 |
| Dunlin | 3,467 |
| Least Sandpiper | 182 |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | 574 |
| Western Sandpiper | 1 |
| peep sp. | 24 |
| Short/Long-billed Dowitcher | 669 |
| Laughing Gull | 89 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 8 |
| Herring Gull | 223 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 53 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 80 |
| Least Tern | 127 |
| Gull-billed Tern | 5 |
| Common Tern | 13 |
| Forster's Tern | 72 |
| Royal Tern | 6 |
| Mourning Dove | -- |
| Chuck-will's-widow | -- |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | -- |
| Northern Flicker | -- |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | -- |
| Eastern Kingbird | -- |
| White-eyed Vireo | -- |
| Red-eyed Vireo | -- |
| American Crow | -- |
| Fish Crow | -- |
| Horned Lark | -- |
| Tree Swallow | -- |
| Barn Swallow | -- |
| Carolina Chickadee | -- |
| Tufted Titmouse | -- |
| House Wren | -- |
| Marsh Wren | -- |
| Carolina Wren | -- |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | -- |
| American Robin | -- |
| Gray Catbird | -- |
| Brown Thrasher | -- |
| Northern Mockingbird | -- |
| European Starling | -- |
| Common Yellowthroat | -- |
| Yellow Warbler | -- |
| Pine Warbler | -- |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | -- |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | -- |
| Prairie Warbler | -- |
| Eastern Towhee | -- |
| Chipping Sparrow | -- |
| Savannah Sparrow | -- |
| Northern Cardinal | -- |
| Blue Grosbeak | -- |
| Indigo Bunting | -- |
| Bobolink | -- |
| Red-winged Blackbird | -- |
| Eastern Meadowlark | -- |
| Common Grackle | -- |
| Boat-tailed Grackle | -- |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | -- |
| Orchard Oriole | -- |
| Baltimore Oriole | -- |
| American Goldfinch | -- |
