Joelle and Clyde,
Congrats on finding two Long-billed Curlews. Great birds. I was out on the
refuge this morning and the numbers of shorebirds are picking up. Lots of
dowitchers and yellowlegs. I found three Stilt Sandpipers on the wildlife
loop. I also found two semi-palmated plovers -- one on the wildlife loop and
one with two killdeer on Swan's Cove. Semi-palmated sandpipers are also
starting to come through. No sign of the avocet this morning. Hiking out to
the north wash flats was not in the cards today. I did walk a couple of miles
on the wild beach north of the parking lots (no Whimbrels) -- lots of willets,
and a few piping plovers. I'm encouraged by the overall numbers of piping
plovers -- I counted 9 in Swan's cove and a 3 more on the beach. You had 50 in
your survey!
Bill
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73831614@N00/9289312934/in/photostream/
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 19:44:00 -0700
From: clyde_joelle@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Va-bird] July 10 Chincoteague NWR Shorebird Survey
CC: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: elliety@xxxxxxx
Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday July 10, 2013. All water
areas (impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 7.5 hour survey. All
individuals are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on
the survey are followed by a dash.
Shorebird numbers increased since last week ( 3,139 vs 576) as the southbound
post-breeding migration ramps up. Large numbers of yellowlegs (943) and
dowitchers (most if not all short-billed dowitcher 876) using impoundments
and large numbers of willets (566) and whimbrels (15) using the beaches for
this early in the "fall" migration season.
The big surprises were the breeding plumage American avocet using Swan's Cove
Pond. Perhaps it is the same one that spent last winter on the Refuge,
returning after breeding season. Two long-billed curlews on North Wash Flats
impoundment, were a first for us on the Refuge, and a species we've seen only
once before in Virginia - a winter sighting near Wachapreague. This species
is considered a rare summer and winter transient along the Virgina coast.
Clyde Morris & Joelle Buffa
\
Snow Goose 1
Canada Goose --
American Black Duck --
Mallard --
Double-crested Cormorant 26
Brown Pelican 121
Great Blue Heron --
Great Egret --
Snowy Egret --
Little Blue Heron --
Tricolored Heron --
Cattle Egret --
White Ibis --
Glossy Ibis --
Turkey Vulture --
Osprey --
Bald Eagle --
Virginia Rail 1
American Coot 1
Black-bellied Plover 44
Piping Plover 50
Killdeer 15
American Oystercatcher 25
American Avocet 1
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 123
Willet 703
Lesser Yellowlegs 201
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs 621
Whimbrel 23
Long-billed Curlew 2
Ruddy Turnstone 4
Red Knot 6
Sanderling 25
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 141
peep sp. 276
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 876
Laughing Gull 121
Ring-billed Gull 6
Herring Gull 93
Lesser Black-backed Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 39
Least Tern 46
Caspian Tern 5
Common Tern 29
Forster's Tern 19
Royal Tern 3
Mourning Dove --
Red-headed Woodpecker --
Northern Flicker --
Eastern Wood-Pewee --
Great Crested Flycatcher --
Eastern Kingbird --
Red-eyed Vireo --
American Crow --
Fish Crow --
crow sp. --
Horned Lark --
Purple Martin --
Tree Swallow --
Barn Swallow --
Carolina Chickadee --
House Wren --
Carolina Wren --
American Robin --
Gray Catbird --
Brown Thrasher --
European Starling --
Common Yellowthroat --
Pine Warbler --
Eastern Towhee --
Field Sparrow --
Song Sparrow --
Northern Cardinal --
Blue Grosbeak --
Indigo Bunting --
Red-winged Blackbird --
Eastern Meadowlark --
Common Grackle --
Boat-tailed Grackle --
Brown-headed Cowbird --
Orchard Oriole --
Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of
Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO.
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