Date: 11/22/24 4:57 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, November 22nd, 2024
* Delaware * Statewide * November 22, 2024 * DEST 2024.11.22
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Snow Goose Cackling Goose Brant American Wigeon EURASIAN WIGEON Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Long-tailed Duck Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Eider Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Wild Turkey Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sandhill Crane American Coot American Oystercatcher American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover Ruddy Turnstone Long-billed Dowitcher Least Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Wilson’s Snipe Laughing Gull BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE Common Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern CORY’S SHEARWATER GREAT SHEARWATER MANX SHEARWATER Northern Gannet Great Cormorant Brown Pelican Black-crowned Night Heron Snowy Egret Glossy Ibis White Ibis Osprey Northern Harrier Bald Eagle Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk American Goshawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk SNOWY OWL Short-eared Owl SAW-WHET OWL Red-headed Woodpecker Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee CAVE SWALLOW Brown-headed Nuthatch Red-breasted Nuthatch Marsh Wren American Pipit Purple Finch Pine Siskin Snow Bunting Chipping Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparow Rusty Blackbird YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD Baltimore Oriole Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat Palm Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: November 22, 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 22nd, 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 345 species this week.
Today, a CAVE SWALLOW was seen at Lewes Beach at the end of Savannah Road. CAVE SWALLOW was also reported today at the boat ramp by the headquarters in Prime Hook National Wildlife refuge near Milton, but that bird had to be taken to Tri-State Bird Rescue. Earlier in the week, CAVE SWALLOWS were also seen at Cape Henlopen State Park flying north over the dunes from the point parking lot and also at the hawk watch. The numbers of Cave Swallows at Cape May have been decreasing this week, from a high count of 70 CAVE SWALLOWS last Sunday.
Cape Henlopen was a hot spot for migrants this week. On Sunday, the first SNOWY OWL of the year was seen perched on the submarine tower on Sunday morning. That bird was later found on the beach and in the dunes at Cape Henlopen Point. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen at the hawk watch and over the dunes at The Point this weekend. Also reported, a male BALTIMORE ORIOLE was seen on Tuesday, a WESTERN KINGBIRD was seen yesterday, and there is a flock of 50-100 SNOW BUNTINGS out at the point. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, BRANT, LONG-TAILED DUCK, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, RED-THROATED LOON, BROWN PELICAN, and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. BROWN-HEADED and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH were seen at the Seaside Nature Center.
93 WHITE IBIS and a single GLOSSY IBIS were seen at Gordon’s Pond. COMMON EIDER, GREAT CORMORANT, PURPLE SANDPIPER, and NORTHERN GANNET were seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. A fishing boat off the coast found an immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE plus MANX, CORY’S AND GREAT SHEARWATER.
An immature COMMON TERN was found siting on the beach at Indian River Inlet. Waterfowl reported included COMMON EIDER, BRANT, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER plus SURF, BLACK, and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. RUDDY TURNSTONE and PURPLE SANDPIPER were found on the jetty and a ROYAL TERN was seen over the inlet.
The previously reported EURASIAN WIGEON with approximately 150 AMERICAN WIGEON was seen at Assawoman Wildlife Area. Birds near Angola Neck included a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER at Heron Bay and a SNOWY EGRET at Stonewater creek. ORANGE-CROWNED and PALM WARBLER were seen at Bay Vista near Rehoboth Beach. A RUBY-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD continues to visit a feeder at Red Mill Pond.
Birds seen at Prime Hook this week included a SALTMARSH SPARROW at Oyster Rocks Road, ROYAL TERN, OSPREY, BONAPARTE’S GULL, and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER at the Dike Trail, and a small flock of 30 SNOW GEESE were seen near Prime Hook Beach Road. SNOW BUNTING and SHORT-EARED OWL was found at Fowlers Beach. WESTERN SANDPIPER, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON and AMERICAN PIPIT were reported from the Dupont Nature Center at Mispillion Inlet.
A male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen with a huge flock of blackbirds off Dyke Road south of Leipsic last week. A late CASPIAN TERN was seen at the Port Mahon impoundments in Little Creek Wildlife area along with LESSER SCAUP, HOODED MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK, AMERICAN COOT and a high count of 14 PIED-BILLED GREBE. There were 12 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS and CACKING GOOSE on Wheatley’s Pond in Clayton. A pair of ROYAL TERNS were also seen as far north as Woodland Beach on the Delaware River.
At Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna, a SALTMARSH SPARROW was photographed in the marsh opposite Raymond Pool, a HORNED GREBE was opposite Shearness Pool, and 5 SANDHILL CRANES were at Bear Swamp. Shorebirds seen included WESTERN, LEAST, and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED, and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and WILSON’S SNIPE. Water levels are extremely low at Shearness Pool this season, hopefully the rain today will make a difference.
In northern Delaware, the first SAW-WHET OWL of the year was reported calling at a private yard near Port Penn. COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and MARSH WREN were reported at the Port Penn impoundments in Augustine Wildlife Area. HOODED MERGANSER was found at Thousand Acre Marsh. A CACKLING GOOSE was seen at Bayberry Ponds off Boyd’s Corner Road near Odessa.
An adult WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was photographed at Middle Run Natural Area near Newark. CHIPPING SPARROW was seen at Ashland Nature Center. A FOX SPARROW was found at Winterthur Museum and Gardens. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found at Carousel Farm Park near Hockessin. An AMERICAN PIPIT was reported at Fox Point State Park near Edgemoor. RING-NECKED DUCK and PIED-BILLED GREBE was seen at Harry’s Pond at the Brandywine Town Center off Concord Pike. BONAPARTE’S and LAUGHING GULL were seen at Battery Park in New Castle.
The highlight of the week at Delaware’s hawk watches was an AMERICAN GOSHAWK at Cape Henlopen on Sunday morning. The hawk watchers were alerted from Cape May as the bird was crossing the Delaware Bay. Cape Henlopen also reported OSPREY, BALD EAGLE, SHARP-SHINNED and COOPER’S HAWK. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE were reported from the hawk watch platform. Saturday was a good day at the Ashland Hawk Watch with 24 RED-TAILS and 17 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS. Good numbers of NORTHERN HARRIER and BALD EAGLE were seen this week, along with COMMON RAVEN, COMMON LOON, PINE SISKIN and PURPLE FINCH.
Happy Thanksgiving to everybody out there. This week, WILD TURKEYS were only seen at Bombay Hook and Cape Henlopen. Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible including Christian Schiebe, Ethan Kang, Jessica Shahan, Debbie Blair, Ezekiel Dobson, Kees de Mooy, Ryan Johnson, Chris Hinckle, Ben Filreis, Paige Magrogan, Will Martens, Scott Bor, Max Baer, Chris Bennett, Anthony Gonzon, Sally O’Byrne, Kim Steininger, Greg Gough, Wendy Cesario, Sue Gruver, Tom Stock, Richard Jullian, Phil Misseldine, Bob and Carol Blye, Sally Fintel, Carolyn Holland, Jim and Amy White, Melissa Lafferty, Kris Benarcik, Declan O’Neil, Jean-Marie Gauthier, 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 bi! rding.
