Date: 7/10/26 3:48 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, July 10th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * July 10, 2026 * DEST 26.07.10
*Birds mentioned Ring-necked Duck Black Scoter Northern Bobwhite Wild Turkey Chuck-Will’s-Widow Common Nighthawk Virginia Rail Sora Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Short-billed Dowitcher Ruddy Turnstone Dunlin Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Wilson’s Phalarope Black Tern GULL-BILLED TERN Least Tern Common Tern ROSEATE TERN Sandwich Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Pied-billed Grebe Wilson’s Storm-Petrel AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Brown Pelican Least Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Green Heron Glossy Ibis White Ibis Northern Harrier Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Common Raven Yellow-throated Vireo Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Brown-headed Nuthatch Grasshopper Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Louisiana Waterthrush Worm-eating Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Pine Warbler Summer Tanager Dickcissel
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: July 10, 2026 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland
For Friday, July 10th this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in Greenville. The Birdline is sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society (DOS). Statements made on the Birdline do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. This is Andy Ednie, glad to be with you. The unofficial Delaware Annual List increased to 310 species this week.
This has been a RUFF week in Delaware, both weather and bird-wise. The has been a series of heavy thunderstorms producing 1.5-6 inches of badly needed rain this week. There has also been a series of RUFF sightings, a species that was missed during the spring season. The first RUFF with a white head was found at the Mahon Impoundments at Little Creek Wildlife Area on Saturday, followed by a REEVE (aka female RUFF) at Shearness Tower in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge the same day. Subsequently, the white-headed RUFF reappeared at Bombay Hook flowed by a black and chestnut RUFF. Additional another black RUFF was photographed at Thousand Acre Marsh near Delaware City, followed by another white-headed RUFF reportedly in heavy molt in the same area off Reedy Point Road. That’s 5-6 RUFF in Delaware this week, making Delaware the RUFF Capital of North America!
Some additional birds at Thousand Acre Marsh included an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN photographed on Tuesday morning. SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL, COMMON GALLINULE, and SANDHILL CRANE were also reported along with BLACK-NECKED STILT, LEAST BITTERN, LITTLE BLUE and GREEN HERON, plus GLOSSY and WHITE IBIS. BANK and CLIFF SWALLOW were seen flying over the marsh. A SUMMER TANAGER was heard calling at the Tybout’s Tract in Blackbird State Forest. NORTHERN BOBWHITES and Worm-eating warbler were found at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. DICKCISSEL, EASTERN MEADOWLARK and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW continue to be reported at Charles Price Park in Middletown.
In Newark, BOBOLINKS were seen feeding young at the Smith Mill Road field in White Clay Creek State Park. Several LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHS and YELLOW-THROATED VIREO were seen along the creek by the pumphouse in White Clay. COMMON RAVEN was seen in west Newark and BARRED OWL were found at Lums Pond State Park. A female RING-NECKED DUCK was photographed at the Pencader Ponds near Glasgow. Spotted Sandpiper and Pine warbler were found at Carousel Farm County Park near Hockessin and Veery was seen at Mt. Ciba Wildflower Preserve.
Some additional shorebirds reported at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge this week included a WILSON’S PHALAROPE and STILT SANDPIPER at Shearness Tower plus AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT (with precocious young), BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WILLET, DUNLIN and WHITE-RUMPED, WESTERN, and LEAST SANDPIPER. GULL-BILLED, LEAST, and a breeding plumaged BLACK TERN were reported at Shearness. About a hundred immature WHITE IBIS were found along with SANDHILL CRANE, LEAST BITTERN, VIRGINIA RAIL, LITTLE BLUE HERON, and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. WILD TURKEY and NORTHERN BOBWHITE were seen near the Visitor’s Center.
GULL-BILLED and LEAST TERNS continue to be reported at the Main Tract in Little Creek Wildlife Area’s, along with LEAST BITTERN, WHITE and GLOSSY IBIS, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and VIRGINIA RAIL. BLACK SKIMMER was reported at the Mahon Tract in Little Creek. COMMON TERN, NORTHERN HARRIER, and SALTMARSH SPARROW were reported at Port Mahon. BARRED OWL, SUMMER TANAGER, LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH plus PROTHONOTARY and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER were seen at Killen’s Pond State Park.
LEAST, CASPIAN, and ROYAL TERNS plus BLACK SKIMMER were seen identified at the Back Beach of Mispillion Inlet from the duPont Nature Center. Shorebirds included AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER along with 20 BROWN PELICAN. At Oyster Rocks Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, WHITE IBIS were seen plus BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
Terns at Cape Henlopen State Park included ROSEATE, SANDWICH, and GULL-BILLED TERN along with LEAST, COMMON, and ROYAL TERNS. There were also flyby WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS at Herring Point. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, PIPING PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE and BLACK SCOTER were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was seen at the Seaside Nature Center. BLACK SKIMMER, GULL-BILLED TERN, GLOSSY, and WHITE IBIS, plus LITTLE BUE and TRICOLORED HERON were seen at Gordon’s Pond. WILSON’S STORM-PETREL was also seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. COMMON NIGHTHAWK and CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW were still be reported in the park this week.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at Assawoman Wildlife Area and Redden State Forest. SUMMER TANAGER, BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, plus PROTHONOTARY and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER were seen at Trap Pond State Park.
The PEREGRINE FALCONS have successfully raised three chicks at the nest box on the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington, but the young are still near the nest site. You can watch the nest box activity on the DOS Falcon cam found at: www.dosbirds.org/citizen-science/falcon-watch/.
Thank you to my friends, Molly Peeples who wrote her appreciation of Birdline Delaware and to Alison Ellicott for her inspiration. Thanks also to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Chris Hinkle, Marjorie Keefe, Finn Ward, Ted Drozdowski, Christian Schiebe, Ellie McDonald, Clive Harris, Ashley Norton, Alexander DeRiemer, Kevin Bronson, Cole Tiemann, Greg Darone, Bert Filemyr, Mike Rosengarten, Kees de Mooy, Martin Selzer, Lynn Jackson, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Judith Picciotto, Randy Fisher, Rod Murray, Chris Rankin, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Natalie Weber, Sue Gruver, Rob Blye, Richard Julian, Alice Mohrman, Greg Gough, Chris and Karen Bennett, Chris Machulski, Adam Balick, Will Krohn, Frank Rohrbacher, Jim and Amy White, Kim Stieninger, David Brown, John and Andy Dunn, Wendy Cesario, Armas Hill, Joe Francis, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico for list distribution to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please c! all your reports into 302-463-0113 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!
Date: 7/4/26 6:35 am From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, July 3rd, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * July 3, 2026 * DEST 26.07.03
*Birds mentioned Brant Black Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Merganser Northern Bobwhite Wild Turkey Chuck-Will’s-Widow Eastern Whip-poor-Will Common Nighthawk Virginia Rail Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Short-billed Dowitcher Ruddy Turnstone Dunlin Least Sandpiper Bonaparte’s Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Black Tern GULL-BILLED TERN Least Tern Common Tern Sandwich Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Wilson’s Storm-Petrel AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Brown Pelican Least Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-Crowned Night Heron Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Western Cattle Egret Green Heron Glossy Ibis White Ibis Northern Harrier Great Horned Owl Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Willow Flycatcher Common Raven Bank Swallow Brown-headed Nuthatch Grasshopper Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Louisiana Waterthrush Worm-eating Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Kentucky Warbler Summer Tanager Dickcissel
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: July 3, 2026 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland
For the Independence Day weekend, on Friday, July 3rd this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in Greenville. The Birdline is sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society (DOS). Statements made on the Birdline do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. This is Andy Ednie, glad to be with you. The unofficial Delaware Annual List remains at 309 species this week.
The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN that showed up at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge was last seen early Monday morning. Additionally, another AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN showed up later Monday morning at the Augustine Creek Causeway along Route 9 south of Port Penn. This might be the same bird but no further reports are available.
In northern Delaware, a male COMMON MERGANSER continues along the creek in Brandywine Park across from the Zoo parking lot. A BARRED OWL was seen along Salamander Run in the Tuliptree Woods in Brandywine Creek State Park. BOBOLINKS were seen feeding young at the Smith Mill Road field in White Clay Creek State Park. LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was seen along the creek by the pumphouse in White Clay. COMMON RAVEN and BARRED OWL were found at Sunset Lake off Route 72 near Glasgow.
A pair of BLACK-NECKED STILTS were seen at Thousand Acre Marsh near Delaware City. Waders reported included LITTLE BLUE HERON, WESTERN CATTLE EGRET, and GLOSSY IBIS. GREEN HERON was seen at Greer’s Pond. LEAST BITTERN was reported at the Port Penn impoundments. SEASIDE SPARROW continues to be found at Stave’s Landing. NORTHERN BOBWHITES were photographed at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area, along the dirt road opposite the intersection of Thoroughfare Neck and Collins Beach Road. DICKCISSEL, EASTERN MEADOWLARK and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW continue to be reported at Charles Price Park in Middletown.
Water levels were low and biting insect counts were high at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge this week. Shorebirds reported included AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN and SPOTTED and LEAST SANDPIPER. LEAST TERNS and BLACK SKIMMER were reported at Leatherbury Flats. WHITE IBIS continue at Shearness Pool, along with SANDHILL CRANE, LEAST BITTERN, VIRGINIA RAIL, LITTLE BLUE HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. WILD TURKEY and NORTHERN BOBWHITE were seen near the Visitor’s Center. Passerines reported included PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, BANK SWALLOW, and SUMMER TANAGER.
GULL-BILLED and CASPIAN TERNS continue to be reported at Little Creek Wildlife Area’s Main Tract, along with BLACK-NECKED STILT, COMMON GALLINULE and WILLOW FLYCATCHER. COMMON and ROYAL TERNS with a BONAPARTE’S GULL were reported at Port Mahon, plus NORTHERN HARRIER and SALTMARSH SPARROW.
A SANDWICH TERN was identified at the Back Beach of Mispillion Inlet from the duPont Nature Center on Wednesday. COMMON, LEAST and ROYAL TERNS plus BLACK SKIMMER were also seen. Shorebirds included AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER and DUNLIN, along with NORTHERN HARRIER and BROWN PELICAN. At Oyster Rocks Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, TRICOLORED HERON and GLOSSY IBIS were seen plus SALTMARSH and SEASIDE SPARROWS were photographed.
A flock of BLACK SCOTERS off Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park included a single WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. A BLACK TERN was seen migrating south along the coast with LEAST, COMMON and ROYAL TERNS plus BLACK SKIMMER. There were also flyby WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS at Herring Point this week. PIPING PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE and BONAPARTE’S GULL were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was seen at the Seaside Nature Center. GULL-BILLED TERN, GLOSSY, and WHITE IBIS were seen at Gordon’s Pond.
BROWN PELICAN, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, plus COMMON and ROYAL TERN were seen Indian River Inlet. GLOSSY IBIS, plus BLACK-CROWNED and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS were seen at Burton’s Island Causeway in Delaware Seashore State Park. There was a flyby over-summering BRANT at Bethany Beach along with BLACK TERN and BROWN PELICANS. RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at Peninsula Golf Course on Long Neck and at Redden State Forest. KENTUCKY and WORM-EATING WARBLERS were also reported from this latter location.
A GREAT HORNED OWL was calling at Angola Neck Preserve this week. Goatsuckers reported included COMMON NIGHTHAWKS at Cape Henlopen and Bethany Beach. CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW was reported at Fresh Pond State Park and Raccoon Ditch Road in Redden State Forest. EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL was also found at Redden.
The PEREGRINE FALCONS have successfully raised three chicks at the nest box on the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington, but the young are still near the nest site. You can watch the nest box activity on the DOS Falcon cam found at: www.dosbirds.org/citizen-science/falcon-watch/.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Steve Licata, John Carter, Kevin Bronson, Cole Tiemann, Greg Darone, Autumn Heil, George Davis, Carter Chambers, Ed Wrzesniewski, Chris Goldrick, Martin Selzer, Lynn Jackson, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Walt Blackwell, Judith Picciotto, Randy Fisher, Rod Murray, Chris Rankin, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Natalie Weber, Andy Jenkins, Sue Gruver, Rob Blye, Richard Julian, Alice Mohrman, Greg Gough, Chris and Karen Bennett, Frank Rohrbacher, Jim and Amy White, Kim Stieninger, John and Andy Dunn, Wendy Cesario, Joe Francis, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico for list distribution to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-463-0113 or email <ednieap...> Have a happy and safe July 4th! Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!
Date: 6/27/26 2:48 pm From: Rob Blye <rwblye...> Subject: [de-birds] southern Sussex County
My wife and I usually take a walk to look and listen for birds, to get fresh air and some exercise. Today the air was fairly heavy with humidity but we did get in a mile of exercise.
Our bird of the day was a hooting great horned owl. It was hooting yesterday, too. Seems like an odd time of year for owl hooting.
Color was represented by blue grosbeak, American goldfinch, great crested flycatcher and northern cardinal.
Date: 6/26/26 4:16 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, June 26th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * June 26, 2026 * DEST 26.06.26
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Mute Swan Green-winged Teal Black Scoter Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Northern Bobwhite Wild Turkey Black-billed Cuckoo Chuck-Will’s-Widow Eastern Whip-poor-Will Virginia Rail Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Marbled Godwit Hudsonian Whimbrel Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Short-billed Dowitcher Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Dunlin Sanderling White-rumped Sandpiper Wilson’s Phalarope GULL-BILLED TERN Least Tern Common Tern Sandwich Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Common Loon Wilson’s Storm-Petrel Brown Pelican Least Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-Crowned Night Heron Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Western Cattle Egret Glossy Ibis White Ibis MISSISSIPPI KITE Northern Harrier Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Yellow-throated Vireo Cliff Swallow Grasshopper Sparrow Salt Marsh Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Louisiana Waterthrush Black and white Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Prairie Warbler Summer Tanager Dickcissel
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: June 26, 2026 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland
For 6-26-26, on Friday, June 26th this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in Greenville. The Birdline is sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society (DOS). Statements made on the Birdline do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. This is Andy Ednie, glad to be with you. The unofficial Delaware Annual List remains at 309 species this week.
The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN that showed up at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is still being seen today. Additionally, another AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN is now being seen at the Dike Trail in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The Bombay Hook bird has lost its protuberance from the dorsal bill that was present when it first arrived. Several WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS were reported, including a single bird offshore during a fishing trip and two sightings in the Delaware Bay: from the duPont Nature Center at Mispillion Inlet and from Bennett’s Pier near Milford Neck Wildlife Area.
In northern Delaware, there was an influx of BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO records, with birds seen along the Pomeroy Trail just north of the 1st pedestrian bridge off Creek Road in White Clay Creek State Park and behind Hy-Point Dairy in First State National Historical Park off Beaver Dam Road. Another BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was reported off Vance Neck Road north of Odessa. A pair of BOBOLINKS continues at Smith’s Mill Road aerodrome field in White Clay Creek State Park, including a female carrying food to feed young. This would be the first confirmed record of nest with young for the state. YELLOW-THROATED VIREO and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH were seen along Creek Road. NORTHERN PARULA and PRAIRIE WARBLER were reported at First State near Ramsey Road.
The heronry census at Delaware City on Wednesday night found 9 YELLOW-CROWNED and 94 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS along with MUTE SWANS on the Delaware River. Overall, there have been low numbers at the heronry this year, with a 75% decrease in WESTERN CATTLE EGRETS and a 90% decrease in GLOSSY IBIS. The only species that has shown a stable population was SNOWY EGRET. Thanks to Chris Benneett for supplying those numbers. HOODED and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER were seen at the Port Penn impoundments in Augustine Wildlife Area. LEAST BITTERN was seen at the Fire Truck Pond off N. Congress St. A SUMMER TANAGER was reported at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. DICKCISSELS, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, and EASTERN MEADOWLARK continue at the Charles Price Park in Middletown.
A survey of nesting CLIFF SWALLOWS in New Castle County found a total of 144 active nests and over 155 individual birds at 8 different locations. Locations were at Silver Run Bridge off Route 9, the North Appoquinimink Bridge and South Appoqinimink Bridges, Fleming’s Landing Bridge, Route 1 bridge northbound and also the southbound bridge south of Odessa, plus the Route 1 bridge at Duck Creek north of Smyrna, and the Smyrna Landing Bridge. There are also nesting CLIFF SWALLOWS at the Leipsic Bridge along Route 9. This has come a long way from the first colony of 9 nests found in 1993.
The first returning SPOTTED SANDPIPER and WILSON’S PHALAROPE of the summer were seen at Bombay Hook this week. Other shorebirds included AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED, and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. GULL-BILLED, CASPIAN and LEAST TERNS plus BLACK SKIMMER were reported at Leatherbury Flats. The first WHITE IBIS for the refuge this year was seen at Shearness Tower. Other waterbirds included SANDHILL CRANE, LEAST BITTERN, VIRGINIA RAIL, LITTLE BLUE HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. WILD TURKEY were seen near the Visitor’s Center. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was seen by Bear Swamp and SALT MARSH SPARROW was seen from the Boardwalk Trail
There were 3 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS seen at Wheatley’s Pond in Clayton. GULL-BILLED TERN was seen at the Main Tract at Little Creek Wildlife Area along with GREEN-WINGED TEAL, COMMON GALLINULE, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT and BLACK SKIMMER. BARRED OWL and SUMMER TANAGER was reported at Killen’s Pond. Both CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW and EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL were heard at dusk along the Big Stone Beach Road at Milford Neck Wildlife Area
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, and RUDDY TURNSTONE were seen at Mispillion Inlet from the duPont Nature Center. BROWN PELICAN, plus LEAST, CASPIAN and ROYAL TERNS were seen on the Back Beach. BOBOLINK and NORTHERN HARRIER were reported at Prime Hook. HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL and BLACK-NECKED STILT were seen at Oyster Rocks Road.
A flyby MARBLED GODWIT was seen from Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park. Shorebirds at Cape Henlopen Point included AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, PIPING and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SANDERLING, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and RED KNOT along with BLACK SCOTER and COMMON LOON. SANDWICH TERN was seen along the Bayside Beach, along with BLACK SKIMMER, ROYAL, CASPIAN, LEAST, and the first nesting COMMON TERN in over 30 years. Thanks to Anthony Gonzon for that information. GULL-BILLED TERN and TRICOLORED HERON, plus 120 GLOSSY and 55 WHITE IBIS were reported at Gordon’s Pond. Another MAGNOLIA WARBLER was reported this week, this time along the north Gordon’s Pond Trail.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen off US Route 113 south of Georgetown. A BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK was seen Tuesday at Baywood Greens on Long Neck. BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was reported at Redden State Forest. RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at Angola Neck Preserve and Assawoman Wildlife Area. WILD TURKEY and a NORTHERN BOBWHITE was photographed at Mulberry Landing at this later location.
The PEREGRINE FALCONS have successfully raised three chicks at the nest box on the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington, but the young are still near the nest site. You can watch the nest box activity on the DOS Falcon cam found at: www.dosbirds.org/citizen-science/falcon-watch/.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including David Bridges, Aaron Reb, Will Brooks, Ann Kovolesky, Benjamin Leese, Bradley Bulk, Ian Young, Adam Balich, Erica Suppa, Marie St. Ledger, Pat Valdata, Martin Selzer, Lynn Jackson, Bert Filemyr, Mike Rosengarten, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Walt Blackwell, Barbara Conway, Kees de Mooy, Judith Picciotto, Randy Fisher, Ed Patten, David Thomas, Rod Murray, Chris Rankin, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Karen Barker, Natalie Weber, Andy Jenkins, Sue Gruver, Rob Blye, Richard Julian, Alice Mohrman, Greg Gough, Chris and Karen Bennett, Frank Rohrbacher, Jim and Amy White, Carolyn D’Amico, Kim Stieninger, Judy Montgomery, John and Andy Dunn, Wendy Cesario, Joe Francis, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico for list distribution to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-463-0113 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you ! good birding!
Date: 6/19/26 4:02 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, June 19th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * June 19, 2026 * DEST 26.06.19
*Birds mentioned Mute Swan Blue-winged Teal Black Scoter Northern Bobwhite Wild Turkey Chuck-Will’s-Widow Common Nighthawk Virginia Rail King Rail Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Short-billed Dowitcher Ruddy Turnstone Dunlin Sanderling Western Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper GULL-BILLED TERN Least Tern Common Tern Sandwich Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Bonaparte’s Gull Common Loon Wilson’s Storm-Petrel Northern Gannet Brown Pelican Least Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-Crowned Night Heron Tricolored Heron Glossy Ibis White Ibis Northern Harrier Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-headed Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Willow Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Eastern Warbling Vireo Brown-headed Nuthatch Grasshopper Sparrow Salt Marsh Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Louisiana Waterthrush Worm-eating Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Kentucky Warbler Black and white Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Northern Yellow Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Summer Tanager Dickcissel
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: June 19, 2026 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland
Welcome to Summer! For Friday, Juneteenth this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in Greenville. The Birdline is sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society (DOS). Statements made on the Birdline do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. This is Andy Ednie, glad to be with you. The unofficial Delaware Annual List increased to 309 species this week.
New this week is an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. This bird showed up on Monday and is still being seen today at Shearness Pool. Some lingering shorebirds included AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WESTERN and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. GULL-BILLED, CASPIAN and LEAST TERNS plus BLACK SKIMMER and BONAPARTE’S GULL were reported at Leatherbury Flats. Waterbirds included MUTE SWAN. BLUE-WINGED TEAL, SANDHILL CRANE, LEAST BITTERN, GLOSSY IBIS, plus YELLOW-CROWNED and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. A KING RAIL was seen near Bear Swamp. WILD TURKEY and NORTHERN BOBWHITE were seen near the Visitor’s Center.
It’s been a strange year for some late lingering migrants. A female YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was reported in Horseshoe Hills in Hockessin, a first June record per eBird and Birds of Delaware. This weekend, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER and SOLITARY SANDPIPER were seen at White Clay Creek State Park, both were only the second June records for the state. Downstate, a lingering breeding plumage MAGNOLIA WARBLER was photographed by the Observation Tower in Assawoman Wildlife Area.
In northern Delaware, as many as 7 BOBOLINKS (5 males and 2 females) continues at Smith’s Mill Road aerodrome field in White Clay Creek State Park. WILLOW FLYCATCHER was found at the University of Delaware Ag Farm. EASTERN WARBLING VIREO and NORTHERN YELLOW WARBLER were found at Ashland Nature Center. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER and NORTHERN PARULA were photographed in Brandywine Creek State Park.
SANDHILL CRANE were seen at the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. LEAST BITTERN, GLOSSY IBIS and LITTLE BLUE HERON were found at the Port Penn Tract. A KENTUCKY WARBLER was reported at the Tybout’s Tract in Blackbird State Forest. DICKCISSELS and EASTERN MEADOWLARK continue at the Charles Price Park in Middletown. A NORTHERN HARRIER was seen over the Back Creek Golf Course north of Middletown. PEREGRINE FALCON was heard calling from the Railroad Bridge at Summitt Marina.
The Main Tract at Little Creek Wildlife Area had a slew of marsh birds, including VIRGINIA RAIL, COMMON GALLINULE, and GULL-BILLED TERN. There were 32 AMERICAN AVOCET, plus BLACK-NECKED STILT, and BLACK SKIMMER at the Mahon Impoundment in Little Creek. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was seen at Bergold Road south of Dover. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH continues along the Big Stone Beach Road in Milford Neck Wildlife Area.
A SALT MARSH SPARROW Survey done this year found them at the Boardwalk Trail in Bombay Hook, Port Mahon, both North and South Bowers Beach, Slaughters Beach, and Oyster Rocks Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DUNLIN, and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER were seen at Mispillion Inlet from the duPont Nature Center. BROWN PELICAN, plus LEAST, CASPIAN and ROYAL TERNS were seen on the Back Beach. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was seen at the Marvel Salt Marsh Preserve in Slaughters Beach.
WILSON’S STORM-PETREL was seen from Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park along with BLACK SCOTER. Shorebirds at Cape Henlopen Point included AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, PIPING and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SANDERLING, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and BONAPARTE’S GULL. WILD TURKEY was seen at the Walking Dunes. GULL-BILLED and SANDWICH TERN, plus TRICOLORED HERON and WHITE IBIS were reported at Gordon’s Pond. An ALDER FLYCATCHER was reported along the north Gordon’s Pond Trail. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was reported at Canary Creek near the University of Delaware’s Marine School. WILSON’S STORM-PETREL was also reported from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. Goatsuckers reported included COMMON NIGHTHAWK and CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW at Cape Henlopen.
COMMON LOON and NORTHERN GANNET were reported at Fenwick Island State Park. RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at Peninsula Golf Course on Long Neck, Angola Neck Preserver, and Assawoman Wildlife Area. PROTHONTARY WARBLER and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH were found at Trap Pond State Park. SUMMER TANAGER plus KENTUCKY, YELLOW-THROATED, WORM-EATING, and BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was reported in Redden State Forest.
Project Fledgling Watch is over! The PEREGRINE FALCONS have successfully raised three chicks at the nest box on the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington. The chicks, named Pink, Green and Yellow have left the nest and you can watch the nest box activity on the DOS Falcon cam found at: www.dosbirds.org/citizen-science/falcon-watch/.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Carlos Alejandro, Laureen Eick-Benson, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Walt Blackwell, Will Krohn, Rich Ehrlick, Jim Leckrone, Barbara Conway, Mark Wulfe, Jeremy Bird, Henry Holden, Kees de Mooy, Kiare Hughes, Judith Picciotto, Randy Fisher, Laura Wolf, Sam VanHorne, Finn Ward, Kelly Faber, Linga Houghton, Bob Suter, Andrew Jones, Eric Hartshaw, Kevin Bronson, Kevin Lutz, Larry Drexler, Ed Patten, David Thomas, Rod Murray, Chris Rankin, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Sue Gruver, Rob Blye, Richard Julian, Alice Mohrman, Troy Julian, Greg Gough, John Carter, Chris and Karen Bennett, Frank Rohrbacher, Jim and Amy White, Kim Steininger, Judy Montgomery, Holly Merker, John and Andy Dunn, Wendy Cesario, Joe Francis, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico for list distribution to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-463-0113 or email <ednieap...> Unt! il next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!
