Date: 2/14/25 4:11 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, February 14th, 2025
* Delaware * Statewide * February 14, 2025 * DEST 2025.02.14
*Birds mentioned Cackling Goose Brant Mute Swan Tundra Swan BLACK SWAN (exotic) Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal American Wigeon Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Long-tailed Duck Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter HARLEQUIN DUCK Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Wild Turkey Sandhill Crane American Coot Black-bellied Plover Killdeer Ruddy Turnstone Least Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper American Woodcock Wilson’s Snipe BLACK GUILLEMOT Razorbill DOVEKIE Black-headed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull GLAUCOUS GULL Red-throated Loon Great Cormorant Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Barn Owl Barred Owl Merlin Peregrine Falcon Common Raven BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher American Pipit Snow Bunting American Tree Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow SPOTTED TOWHEE Baltimore Oriole Rusty Blackbird Pine Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: February 14, 2025 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland
On Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 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 is currently at 181 species. Not much birding was done this week. A big snowstorm downstate dropped 8 inches on Tuesday. PINE WARBLERS were seen at several area feeders after the snow including: Milton, Millsboro, Laurel, Red Mill Pond and Cheswold.
Last week a BLACK GUILLEMOT was reported from Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park. DOVEKIE and RAZORBILLS were seen from the hawk watch and Herring Point. There was a movement of RED-THROATED LOONS along the coast plus all three species of scoter, SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER were seen. The previously reported SPOTTED TOWHEE continues to be seen by the handicapped spaces in the Cape Henlopen Point parking lot. This bird is very skulky but will come out to seed along the edge of the brush. SNOW BUNTING was reported at Cape Henlopen Point. RED-BREASTED, BROWN-HEADED and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH were seen at the Seaside Nature Center. PURPLE SANDPIPER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, GREAT CORMORANT, LONG-TAILED DUCK, were seen at the jetty. Several BALTIMORE ORIOLES are coming to a feeder in Lewes and in Millsboro.
The BLACK-HEADED GULL continues to be seen at the Wolfe’s Neck Water Treatment plant. The facility is restricted access, but you can see the gulls flying over the pools from the edge of the woods along the Junction and Breakwater Trail. A raft of over 200 CANVASBACKS were seen on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. The previously reported HARLEQUIN DUCKS continue at Indian River Inlet along with GREATER SCAUP, LONG-TAILED DUCK, BRANT, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, plus SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. PURPLE SANDPIPER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and GREAT CORMORANT were seen on the jetty. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was seen at Burton’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park. BLUE-WINGED TEAL was seen at Assawoman Wildlife Area near Fenwick Island. plus, RING-NECKED DUCK, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, COMMON AND HOODED MERGANSER, and RUDDY DUCK.
BRANT was seen as far up the Delaware Bay as Fowlers Beach in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and WILSON’S SNIPE were found at Oyster Rocks Road along with WILD TURKEY. BROWN THRASHER and GRAY CATBIRD were seen at Prime Hook Headquarters. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was reported at Bennett’s Pier. COMMON GOLDENEYE was found at S. Bowers Beach. Lots of waterfowl were reported at Little Creek Wildlife Area from the Port Mahon impoundments including MUTE and TUNDRA SWANS, AMERICAN WIGEON, LESSER and GREATER SCAUP, 600 AMERICAN COOTS and 3 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS.
SANDHILL CRANES continue to be reported at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Waterfowl at Bombay Hook included an early WOOD DUCK, plus TUNDRA and a single MUTE SWAN, CANVASBACK, LESSER SCAUP, RING-NECKED and RUDDY DUCK plus COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was found by the visitor center. Both BARN and BARRED OWL were reported at the refuge.
There were 3 REDHEAD plus BLACK SWAN continues at the Canal Pond in Delaware City, along with MUTE SWAN, AMERICAN WIGEON, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, AMERICAN COOT, HOODED and COMMON MERGANSER plus RUDDY DUCK., plus a GREAT EGRET. PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at Thousand Acre Marsh from Route 9. SANDHILL CRANE and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, were found at the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were found Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. A COMMON RAVEN was reported near Odessa off Route 1.
MERLINS were reported at Carousel Park near Hockessin and at Battery Park in New Castle. At this latter location, GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER and RUDDY DUCK were found in the river and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was seen in the fields near Dobbinsville. RUSTY BLACKBIRD was reported at Wilton in New Castle. LEAST SANDPIPER, KILLDEER, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and WOOD DUCK were found at the Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge at Wilmington’s Riverfront. A GLAUCOUS GULL was seen at the Port of Wilmington. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE was reported off the Coverdale Park trail in Newark off Paper Mill Road.
Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible including, Kitt and Anna Heckscher, Ashley Norden, Tracy Paxson, Brady Kareha, Karen Hochgraf, Ed Wrzesniewski, Philip Winter, Marci Watson, Joel Milton, Bodo Stern, Randy Fisher, Frank Lenik, Carter Chambers, David Fees, Russ Kovach, Greg Gough, Sue Gruver, Richard Jullian, Alice Mohrman, Sally Fintel, Rob and Carol Blye, Steve McInnis, Phil Misseldine, Carolyn Holland, Jim and Amy White, Chris Machulski, Rod Murray, Wendy Cesario, Kim Steininger, David Brown, Cameron Tescher, Melissa Lafferty, Scott Northey, John and Andy Dunn, Joe Francis, Mike Moore, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. The Birdline needs your help. Please call your sightings into 302-792-9591 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding.
