Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday July 3, 2013. All water
areas (impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 7 hour survey. All
individuals are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on
the survey are followed by a dash.
Fall shorebird migration has started!!!. Though the total numbers of
individuals was low (576), the number of species was much higher then last week
(14 species vs 8 species). Spotted sandpiper, greater yellowlegs, whimbrel,
semipalmated, and least sandpipers and dowitcher sp. all showed up this week
but had been absent or seen in very low numbers the past few surveys. Red knots
(28) were also present this week on the Hook. 257 willets (mostly on the beach)
was also a high number for this species which breeds on the Refuge. We can
expect the numbers of individuals of shorebirds and species to slowly continue
to increase as the fall migration continues. Most of the diversity of species
can be seen from the Wildlife Loop. We did not see the Ruff,reported by others
earlier in the week.
Terns were also noteworthy for this survey with 8 species being seen. Least
terns are breeding on the beaches. Common, Forster's, royal terns and black
skimmers were seen and may be breeding on the Refuge or nearby. Black (not
expected this time of year), Caspian and sandwich terns (expected to be around
in low numbers in the late summer/fall) all added to our diversity of this
group. We have not seen gull-billed terns in several surveys though they were
present earlier in the spring/summer in small numbers.
Joelle Buffa and Clyde Morris
Canada Goose --
American Black Duck --
Mallard --
Wild Turkey --
Double-crested Cormorant 42
Brown Pelican 72
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Snowy Egret --
Little Blue Heron --
Tricolored Heron --
Cattle Egret --
Glossy Ibis --
Turkey Vulture --
Osprey --
Bald Eagle --
Red-tailed Hawk --
Black-bellied Plover 61
Piping Plover 31
Killdeer 13
American Oystercatcher 38
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 66
Willet 257
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs 4
Whimbrel 4
Ruddy Turnstone 2
Red Knot 28
Sanderling 14
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 6
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 49
Laughing Gull 221
Ring-billed Gull 5
Herring Gull 66
Lesser Black-backed Gull 10
Great Black-backed Gull 40
Least Tern 77
Caspian Tern 1
Black Tern 2
Common Tern 27
Forster's Tern 76
Royal Tern 15
Sandwich Tern 3
Black Skimmer 9
Mourning Dove --
Yellow-billed Cuckoo --
Northern Flicker --
Eastern Wood-Pewee --
Eastern Kingbird --
American Crow --
Fish Crow --
Horned Lark --
Purple Martin --
Tree Swallow --
Barn Swallow --
House Wren --
Carolina Wren --
American Robin --
Gray Catbird --
Northern Mockingbird --
Brown Thrasher --
European Starling --
Cedar Waxwing --
Common Yellowthroat --
Yellow Warbler --
Pine Warbler --
Eastern Towhee --
Song Sparrow --
Northern Cardinal --
Blue Grosbeak --
Indigo Bunting --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Eastern Meadowlark --
Common Grackle --
Boat-tailed Grackle --
Brown-headed Cowbird --
Orchard Oriole --
American Goldfinch --
