Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday July 25, 2013. All water
areas (impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 8.5 hour survey. All
individuals are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on
the survey are followed by a dash.
Now is the time to come to Chincoteague to see fall migrants! 20,430 shorebirds
(a conservative number) of 21 species convinced us of this. We may have
missed some less common species or individuals because we were so busy counting
huge numbers of expected species, it did not leave time to mull over unusual
individuals seen.
Most willet, whimbrel, red knot and sanderling, were seen onthe beaches. Most
other shorebirds were on the impoundments with very high numbers seen from the
wildlife loop. Due to the recent rains and good pond management by Refuge
staff, the water levels on the impoundments are ideal for migrating shorebirds.
Joelle Buffa and Clyde Morris
Snow Goose 1
Canada Goose --
Mallard --
Wild Turkey --
Double-crested Cormorant 26
Brown Pelican 39
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Snowy Egret --
Little Blue Heron --
Tricolored Heron --
Cattle Egret --
Green Heron --
White Ibis --
Glossy Ibis --
Turkey Vulture --
Osprey --
Black-bellied Plover 76
Semipalmated Plover 399
Piping Plover 2
Killdeer 7
American Oystercatcher 16
Spotted Sandpiper 16
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 273
Willet 758
Lesser Yellowlegs 1,146
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs 543
Whimbrel 49
Marbled Godwit 13
Ruddy Turnstone 25
Red Knot 155
Sanderling 4,313
Semipalmated Sandpiper 4,841
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 2,877
peep sp. 1,919
Pectoral Sandpiper 4
Dunlin 1
Stilt Sandpiper 38
Short/Long-billed Dowitcher 2,957
Laughing Gull 772
Ring-billed Gull 54
Herring Gull 200
Lesser Black-backed Gull 40
Great Black-backed Gull 69
Least Tern 49
Caspian Tern 3
Black Tern 1
Common Tern 67
Forster's Tern 155
Royal Tern 100
Sandwich Tern 7
Black Skimmer 29
Mourning Dove --
Yellow-billed Cuckoo --
Belted Kingfisher --
Peregrine Falcon --
Great Crested Flycatcher --
Eastern Kingbird --
American Crow --
Fish Crow --
crow sp. --
Purple Martin --
Tree Swallow --
Bank Swallow --
Barn Swallow --
Carolina Chickadee --
Tufted Titmouse --
House Wren --
Carolina Wren --
American Robin --
European Starling --
Cedar Waxwing --
Common Yellowthroat --
Eastern Towhee --
Chipping Sparrow --
Song Sparrow --
Northern Cardinal --
Blue Grosbeak --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Common Grackle --
Boat-tailed Grackle --
Brown-headed Cowbird --
