EasternMeadowlark

BIRDLIFE at the SOUTHERN TIP OF VIRGINIA'S EASTERN SHORE

On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, some 439 bird species have been recorded. Of these, 406 have been found in the Southern Tip of Northampton County, at the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuges, Kiptopeke State Park, Magothy Bay Natural Area Preserve, Mockhorn Island Wildlife Management Area, and surrounding lands. The twin refuges lie at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, gateway to the largest estuary in North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The meeting of ocean and bay produces an abundance of food for birds, as do the other habitats: coastal beaches, salt marshes, pine and hardwood forests, wooded swamps, grasslands and agricultural areas.

Birding can be fascinating on any day of the year in southern Northampton County. In autumn, large numbers of birds of many species can be observed during their southbound migration, especially during and just after the passage of cold fronts. Most southbound birds of prey and other landbirds are reluctant to make the 17-mile crossing of the Chesapeake Bay, and so under certain conditions, they become concentrated by the narrowing geography of the southern tip of the Peninsula. Winter is an excellent season to see waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and sparrows. Spring offers the welcome return of colonial nesting birds such as terns, herons, egrets and ibises; warblers and other Neotropical migrants also return, though their numbers are small compared to the counts of the autumn. During the summer months, June and July, many birders seek out migrating shorebirds.

This checklist has been organized by month. Within each monthly box are bar-graphs showing species abundance by week. In addition to the time of year, abundance is based on the habitats where the species are most likely to be found.

BIRDING through the SEASONS

ABUNDANCE DESIGNATIONSCOMMON: Virtually certain to be found in proper habitatFAIRLY COMMON: Will usually be found in proper habitatUNCOMMON: Probably present, but will often be missedOCCASIONAL: Not always present; may require several visits to fi ndRARE: Not recorded annuallyVERY RARE TO ACCIDENTAL: Fewer than 10 records since 1985 (see end of list) Nesting has been recorded in the checklist area.

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GALLINACEOUS BIRDS__ Northern Bobwhite^__ Wild Turkey^

GEESE, DUCKS & SWANS__ Snow Goose __ Ross's Goose__ Canada Goose^__ Cackling Goose__ Brant__ Tundra Swan__ Wood Duck^__ Gadwall^__ Eurasian Wigeon__ American Wigeon__ American Black Duck^__ Mallard^__ Blue-winged Teal^__ Northern Shoveler__ Northern Pintail^__ Green-winged Teal__ Canvasback__ Redhead__ Ring-necked Duck__ Greater Scaup__ Lesser Scaup__ King Eider__ Common Eider__ Harlequin Duck__ Surf Scoter__ White-winged Scoter__ Black Scoter__ Long-tailed Duck__ Buffl ehead__ Common Goldeneye__ Hooded Merganser^__ Common Merganser__ Red-breasted Merganser__ Ruddy Duck

LOONS & GREBES__ Red-throated Loon__ Common Loon__ Pied-billed Grebe^__ Horned Grebe__ Red-necked Grebe

SHEARWATERS & STORM PETRELS __ Sooty Shearwater__ Wilson's Storm-Petrel

PELICANS & ALLIES __ Northern Gannet__ American White Pelican__ Brown Pelican^__ Double-crested Cormorant__ Great Cormorant__ Magnifi cent Frigatebird

BITTERNS & HERONS__ American Bittern__ Least Bittern__ Great Blue Heron^__ Great Egret^__ Snowy Egret^__ Little Blue Heron^__ Tricolored Heron^__ Cattle Egret^__ Green Heron^__ Black-crowned Night-Heron^__ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron^

IBISES__ White Ibis^__ Glossy Ibis^

VULTURES__ Turkey Vulture^__ Black Vulture^

HAWKS, EAGLES & FALCONS __ Osprey^__ Swallow-tailed Kite__ Mississippi Kite__ Bald Eagle^__ Northern Harrier^__ Sharp-shinned Hawk__ Cooper's Hawk__ Northern Goshawk__ Red-shouldered Hawk^__ Broad-winged Hawk__ Red-tailed Hawk^__ Swainson's Hawk__ Rough-legged Hawk__ Golden Eagle__ American Kestrel^__ Merlin__ Peregrine Falcon^

RAILS & ALLIES__ Clapper Rail^__ King Rail__ Virginia Rail^__ Sora__ Common Gallinule__ American Coot__ Sandhill Crane

PLOVERS__ Black-bellied Plover__ American Golden-Plover __ Wilson's Plover^ __ Semipalmated Plover__ Piping Plover^ __ Killdeer ̂

OYSTERCATCHERS__ American Oystercatcher^

STILTS & AVOCETS __ Black-necked Stilt__ American Avocet

SANDPIPERS__ Greater Yellowlegs__ Lesser Yellowlegs__ Solitary Sandpiper__ Willet^__ Spotted Sandpiper__ Upland Sandpiper__ Whimbrel__ Hudsonian Godwit__ Marbled Godwit__ Ruddy Turnstone__ Red Knot __ Sanderling__ Semipalmated Sandpiper__ Western Sandpiper__ Least Sandpiper__ White-rumped Sandpiper__ Pectoral Sandpiper__ Purple Sandpiper__ Dunlin__ Stilt Sandpiper__ Buff-breasted Sandpiper__ Short-billed Dowitcher__ Long-billed Dowitcher__ Wilson's Snipe__ American Woodcock^

JAEGERS__ Parasitic Jaeger

DOVES __ Rock Pigeon^__ Eurasian Collared-Dove^__ White-winged Dove__ Mourning Dove^

CUCKOOS__ Black-billed Cuckoo__ Yellow-billed Cuckoo^

SWIFTS__ Chimney Swift^

NIGHTJARS__ Common Nighthawk^__ Chuck-will's-widow^__ Eastern Whip-poor-will

GULLS, TERNS & SKIMMERS__ Laughing Gull^__ Little Gull__ Bonaparte's Gull__ Ring-billed Gull__ Herring Gull^__ Iceland Gull__ Lesser Black-backed Gull__ Glaucous Gull__ Great Black-backed Gull^__ Black-legged Kittiwake__ Gull-billed Tern^__ Caspian Tern^__ Royal Tern^__ Sandwich Tern^__ Common Tern^__ Forster's Tern^__ Least Tern^ __ Black Tern__ Black Skimmer^

OWLS__ Barn Owl^__ Eastern Screech-Owl^__ Great Horned Owl^__ Short-eared Owl__ Long-eared Owl__ Northern Saw-whet Owl

HUMMINGBIRDS__ Ruby-throated Hummingbird^__ Rufous Hummingbird

KINGFISHERS__ Belted Kingfi sher^

WOODPECKERS__ Red-headed Woodpecker^__ Red-bellied Woodpecker^__ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker__ Downy Woodpecker^__ Hairy Woodpecker^__ Northern Flicker^__ Pileated Woodpecker^

VIREOS__ White-eyed Vireo^__ Yellow-throated Vireo^__ Blue-headed Vireo__ Warbling Vireo__ Philadelphia Vireo__ Red-eyed Vireo^

JAYS & CROWS__ Blue Jay^__ American Crow^__ Fish Crow^

FLYCATCHERS__ Olive-sided Flycatcher__ Eastern Wood-Pewee^__ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher__ Acadian Flycatcher^__ Willow Flycatcher__ Alder Flycatcher__ Least Flycatcher__ Eastern Phoebe__ Great Crested Flycatcher^__ Ash-throated Flycatcher__ Western Kingbird__ Eastern Kingbird^

LARKS__ Horned Lark^

SWALLOWS__ Purple Martin^__ Tree Swallow^__ N. Rough-winged Swallow^__ Bank Swallow__ Cliff Swallow__ Cave Swallow__ Barn Swallow^

CHICKADEES & TITMICE__ Carolina Chickadee^__ Tufted Titmouse^

NUTHATCHES & CREEPERS __ White-breasted Nuthatch__ Red-breasted Nuthatch__ Brown-headed Nuthatch^__ Brown Creeper

WRENS __ Carolina Wren^__ House Wren^__ Winter Wren__ Sedge Wren__ Marsh Wren^

MIMICS__ Gray Catbird^__ Northern Mockingbird^__ Brown Thrasher^

STARLINGS, PIPITS& WAXWINGS__ European Starling^__ American Pipit__ Cedar Waxwing^

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Royal Terns

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For further information, contactEastern Shore of Virginia National

Wildlife Refuge5003 Hallett Circle,

Cape Charles, VA 23310(757) 331-2760

or visit our website

www.fws.gov/refuge/Eastern_Shore_of_Virginia/

Black-throated Blue Warbler

BIRDSA guide to abundance and birding

through the seasons on the Eastern Shore of Virginia

EASTERN SHORE OF

V I R G I N I ASouthern Tip

VERY RARE SPECIES Black-bellied Whistling- DuckFulvous Whistling-DuckGreater White-fronted GooseMute SwanGarganeyPacifi c LoonEared GrebeNorthern FulmarBlack-capped PetrelGreat ShearwaterCory’s ShearwaterManx ShearwaterAudubon’s ShearwaterRed-billed TropicbirdWood StorkBrown BoobyAnhingaWhite-faced IbisWhite-tailed KiteFerruginous HawkGyrfalconYellow RailBlack Rail

Purple GallinuleLong-billed CurlewBaird’s SandpiperSharp-tailed SandpiperWilson’s PhalaropeRed-necked PhalaropeRed PhalaropeFranklin’s GullBlack-headed GullBlack-tailed GullCalifornia GullThayer’s GullRoseate TernArctic TernBrown NoddySooty TernBridled TernLong-tailed JaegerPomarine JaegerDovekieRazorbillCommon MurreThick-billed MurreCommon Ground-Dove

WARBLERS__ Blue-winged Warbler__ Golden-winged Warbler__ Tennessee Warbler__ Orange-crowned Warbler__ Nashville Warbler__ Northern Parula __ Yellow Warbler^__ Chestnut-sided Warbler__ Magnolia Warbler__ Cape May Warbler __ Black-throated Blue Warbler__ Yellow-rumped Warbler__ Black-throated Green Warbler__ Blackburnian Warbler__ Yellow-throated Warbler^__ Pine Warbler^__ Prairie Warbler^__ Palm Warbler__ Bay-breasted Warbler__ Blackpoll Warbler__ Black-and-white Warbler^__ American Redstart^__ Prothonotary Warbler^__ Worm-eating Warbler__ Ovenbird^__ Louisiana Waterthrush__ Northern Waterthrush__ Kentucky Warbler__ Connecticut Warbler__ Mourning Warbler__ Common Yellowthroat^__ Hooded Warbler^__ Wilson's Warbler__ Canada Warbler__ Yellow-breasted Chat^

TANAGERS__ Summer Tanager^__ Scarlet Tanager

THRUSHES & ALLIES __ Golden-crowned Kinglet__ Ruby-crowned Kinglet__ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher^__ Eastern Bluebird^__ Veery__ Gray-cheeked Thrush__ Bicknell's Thrush__ Swainson's Thrush__ Hermit Thrush__ Wood Thrush^__ American Robin^

OLD WORLD SPARROWS__ House Sparrow^

SPARROWS & ALLIES__ Eastern Towhee^__ Chipping Sparrow^__ Clay-colored Sparrow__ Field Sparrow^__ Vesper Sparrow__ Lark Sparrow__ Savannah Sparrow__ Grasshopper Sparrow^__ Nelson's Sparrow__ Saltmarsh Sparrow__ Seaside Sparrow^__ Fox Sparrow__ Song Sparrow^__ Lincoln's Sparrow__ Swamp Sparrow__ White-throated Sparrow__ White-crowned Sparrow__ Dark-eyed Junco__ Lapland Longspur__ Snow Bunting

CARDINALS & ALLIES__ Northern Cardinal^__ Rose-breasted Grosbeak__ Blue Grosbeak^__ Indigo Bunting^__ Painted Bunting__ Dickcissel^

BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES__ Bobolink^__ Red-winged Blackbird^__ Eastern Meadowlark^__ Yellow-headed Blackbird__ Rusty Blackbird__ Common Grackle^__ Boat-tailed Grackle^__ Brown-headed Cowbird^__ Orchard Oriole^__ Baltimore Oriole

FINCHES__ Purple Finch__ House Finch^__ Common Redpoll__ Pine Siskin__ American Goldfi nch^

VERY RARE SPECIES continuedSnowy OwlBarred OwlBurrowing OwlBlack-chinned HummingbirdAllen’s HummingbirdWestern Wood-PeweeSay’s PhoebePacifi c-slope FlycatcherGray KingbirdScissor-tailed FlycatcherFork-tailed FlycatcherLoggerhead ShrikeNorthern ShrikeBell’s VireoCommon RavenBrown-chested MartinBlack-capped ChickadeeBewick’s Wren

Northern WheatearMountain BluebirdTownsend’s WarblerCerulean WarblerBlack-throated Gray WarblerSwainson’s WarblerMacGillivray’s WarblerBachman’s SparrowAmerican Tree SparrowHenslow’s SparrowLe Conte’s SparrowHarris’s SparrowWestern TanagerBlack-headed GrosbeakBrewer’s BlackbirdRed CrossbillWhite-winged CrossbillEvening Grosbeak

ADDITIONAL SPECIESRecorded at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-TunnelBarrow’s GoldeneyeWestern GrebeClark’s GrebeHerald (Trinidade) PetrelBulwer’s PetrelLeach's Storm-PetrelBand-rumped Storm-PetrelWhite-tailed TropicbirdSabine’s GullMew GullGreat SkuaRuffRock Wren

If you fi nd a species that is not on this checklist, or that is not listed as occurring at the time of the month, please report your sighting as quickly as possible via eBird at www.ebird.org.

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AmericanWoodcock

Illustrations by Marian Watts and Margaret Barnaby

Printed January 2012

Northern Harrier

Black and White Warbler (top) Cape May Warbler (bottom)

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