Date: 11/15/24 6:13 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, November 15th, 2024
* Delaware * Statewide * November 15, 2024 * DEST 2024.11.15
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Snow Goose BARNACLE GOOSE Cackling Goose Brant Tundra Swan Blue-winged Teal American Wigeon EURASIAN WIGEON Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Long-tailed Duck Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Eider Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Wild Turkey Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Virginia Rail Sandhill Crane Common Gallinule American Coot American Oystercatcher American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover Ruddy Turnstone Willet Long-billed Dowitcher Short-billed Dowitcher Least Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Wilson’s Snipe American Woodcock Parasitic Jaeger Laughing Gull Forster’ Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Northern Gannet Great Cormorant Brown Pelican American Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Great Egret Glossy Ibis White Ibis Osprey Northern Harrier GOLDEN EAGLE Red-shouldered Hawk ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK Eastern Phoebe SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER White-eyed Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Common Raven Northern Rough-winged Swallow CAVE SWALLOW Brown-headed Nuthatch Sedge Wren Eastern Bluebird American Pipit Purple Finch Pine Siskin Snow Bunting Vesper Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow Nelson’s Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparow Rusty Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat Palm Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: November 15, 2024 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, November 15th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in Greenville. The Birdline is the rare bird alert (RBA) for The First State sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. The unofficial Delaware State Year List increased to 343 species this week. This is the 4th highest total species count recorded in the 25 years that the Birdline has been keeping score, and we still have a month and a half to go!
New this week were CAVE SWALLOW and SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER. The CAVE SWALLOWS was seen at Cape Henlopen State Park flying north over the dunes from the point parking lot and also at the hawk watch on Wednesday morning. This coincides with a huge influx of almost 150 CAVE SWALLOWS at Cape May on Tuesday. Another new bird was a SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER found hawking insects at the intersection of Thirteen Curves and Cods Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Milton. That bird was also a one-day wonder and never re-found.
Another great find was the return of last winter’s BARNACLE GOOSE to Massey’s Church Road near Smyrna on Saturday. That bird was subsequently found at Wheatley’s Pond Road (Route 300) in Clayton. This is one of the few places that still has water due to the severe draught and also produced a flock of 13 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS (2 adults and 11 immatures), 5 CACKLING GOOSE, RING-NECKED DUCK and a COMMON RAVEN.
There has been an influx of ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS with six reports this week, 4 in New Castle and 2 in Sussex counties. New Castle birds included sightings at Ashland Nature Center, Sherwood Park near Kirkwood Highway, Middle Run Natural Area, and at Thousand Acre Marsh near Delaware City. ORANGE-CROWN sightings in Sussex Co. were from Cape Henlopen and Dewey Beach. Only a few PALM WARBLERS were reported, off Ebright Road in Brandywine Hundred, at Bombay Hook and Cape Henlopen. A late NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW was reported at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. A pair of COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were flushed from the perch in the pines along Whitehall Neck Rad just outside Bombay Hook. A late BLUE-HEADED VIREO was seen at Cape Henlopen, in the barrens area near the Point parking lot and a WHITE-EYED VIREO was found at Prime Hook, near the intersection of Thirteen Curves and Draper Road. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS are still being reported at feeders in Long Neck, Angola Neck, Red Mill ! Pond, and Millsboro.
In northern Delaware, PIED-BILLED GREBE, RING-NECKED DUCK and HOODED MERGANSER were seen at Harry’s Pond in Brandywine Town Center. EASTERN PHOEBE and AMERICAN PIPIT were seen at First State National Historical Park off Ramsey Road. AMERICAN PIPIT. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, PINE SISKIN and PURPLE FINCH were found at Middle Run near Newark. RUSTY BLACKBIRD and VIRGINIA RAIL were reported at the Hermitage Natural Area in New Castle. VIRGINIA RAIL and LEAST SANDPIPER were found at the Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington. A COMMON GALLINULE was discovered at the Port Penn impoundments in Augustin Wildlife area on Sunday.
The number of SANDHILL CRANES has increased to five birds this week at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna. A female BALTIMORE ORIOLE was seen on Saturday VESPER SPARROW and SNOW BUNTING were seen along the dike at Shearness Pool. AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Shearness Pool. Waterfowl seen included SNOW GOOSE, TUNDRA SWAN, RUDDY DUCK, PIED-BILLED GREBE, plus HOODED and COMMON MERGANSER. Shorebirds reported at Bombay Hook included, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, WESTERN and PECTORAL SANDPIPER, WILLET, and WILSON’S SNIPE.
A EURASIAN WIGEON was seen at Port Mahon impoundments of Little Creek Wildlife Area along with TUNDRA SWAN, LESSER SCAUP, PIED-BILLED GREBE and AMERICAN COOT. A big flock of waterfowl was seen off Pickering Beach that included BLACK SCOTER, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP. PINE SISKIN and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were reported in Cheswold. SEDGE WREN was found at Bennett’s Pier Road. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was seen along Big Stone Beach Road in Milford Neck Wildlife Area. The marsh at Milford Neck produced 466 AMERICAN AVOCETS, 277 LAUGHING GULLS, 137 FORSTER’S TERNS, and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER plus GLOSSY IBIS. SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER were seen at Big Stone Beach today.
A dark phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was found along Broadkill beach Road, by the curve before the pond in Prime Hook today. A light phase ROUGH-LEG was reported earlier in the week. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was found along Cods Road. LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen at the bridge along Prime Hook Beach Road. AMERICAN WOODCOCKS were seen at dusk at Turkle’s Pond. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and NELSON’S SPARROW were seen at Mispillion Inlet from the duPont Nature Center, along with a flyby SNOW BUNTING. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was found at Slaughters beach.
A SEDGE WREN was found along the Salt Marsh Nature Trail in Cape Henlopen State Park. COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was found along the Gordon’s Pond Trail. Waterfowl seen along the coast included 4 COMMON EIDERS on Monday, plus BRANT, REDHEAD, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, and all three SCOTERS, SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER was seen at Cape Henlopen Point. BLACK SKIMMER, GREAT CORMORANT, NORTHERN GANNET and BROWN PELICAN were seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.
HORNED GREBE was seen flying past Rehoboth Beach. HOODED MERGANSER was found on Silver Lake in Rehoboth. The first PURPLE SANDPIPERS of the season plus RUDDY TURNSTONE and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER were found at Indian River Inlet. Waterfowl reported included COMMON EIDER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, LONG-TAILED DUCK, plus SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. A female SNOW BUNTING was seen foraging along the south jetty today. WILLET, OSPREY, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON and BRANT were found at Burton’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park, along with both NELSON’S and SALTMARSH SPARROW.
A PARASITIC JAEGER was reported flying past Bethany Beach. Another drake EURASIAN WIGEON was found at Assawoman Wildlife Area near Fenwick Island with about 150 AMERICAN WIGEON. BLUE-WINGED TEAL, REDHEAD, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, HOODED MERGANSER, PIED-BILLED GREBE and COOT were seen along with BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. GREAT EGRET and a flock of 50 WHITE IBIS were also reported.
GOLDEN EAGLES were seen at both of Delaware’s Hawk Watches this week. The Ashland Nature Center Hawk Watch had GOLDEN EAGLES on Saturday and Tuesday. It was a big week for RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS at Ashland with over 160 individuals counted. Also reported were COMMON RAVEN, PURPLE FINCH, PINE SISKIN, and FOX SPARROW. GOLDEN EAGLE was seen Saturday at Cape Henlopen, the cape had a big flight of 20 NORTHERN HARRIERS on Tuesday, plus 3 late OSPREYS. There was a big flight of over 80 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS on Thursday. Waterfowl seen included CACKLING GOOSE, LESSER and GREATER SCAUP, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, plus WHITE IBIS.
With Thanksgiving approaching, a WILD TURKEY was seen today in Newark, at the intersection of Kirkwood Highway and E. Cleveland Ave. Additionally, TURKEYS were seen at Bombay Hook, Cheswold, Fowler’s Beach and Cape Henlopen. Must be getting ready for the Holidays.
Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible including Scott Barnes, Rick Robinson, Hank Davis, Diane Ford, Stephen Kloiber, Martha Eisenhour, Dave Votta, Ray McBride, Ed Wrzesniewski, Janet Weisner, Jay Czarnecki, Meghin Spener, Lori Kurlowicz, Ezekiel Dobson, Lindsey McNamara, Tracy Mosebey, Matt Filperin, Shay Howlin, Kees de Mooy, Julia Sheehan, Tracy Paxson, Ian Teaell, Mike Rosengarten, Bert Filemyr, Win Safer, Chris Hinckle, Ben Filreis, Jason Horn, Lynn Jackson, Martin Selzer, Frank Rohrbacher, Chris Machulski, Chris Bennett, Sally O’Byrne, Kim Steininger, Greg Gough, Randy Fisher, David Fees, Wendy Cesario, Sue Gruver, Tom Stock, Richard Jullian, Phil Misseldine, Bob and Carol Blye, Sally Fintel, Carolyn Holland, Jim and Amy White, Melissa Lafferty, Alison Ellicott, Megan Kasprzak, John and Andy Dunn, Rod Murray, Joe Francis, Mike Moore, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to David Brown and Jen Ottinger, our two hawk watch compilers. ! Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-792-9591 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding.
