Date: 2/21/25 5:34 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, February 21, 2025
* Delaware * Statewide * February 21, 2025 * DEST 2025.02.21
*Birds mentioned GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Snow Goose Ross’s Goose BARNACLE GOOSE Cackling Goose Brant Mute Swan Tundra Swan BLACK SWAN (exotic) Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal American Wigeon Northern Shoveler EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL 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 Ruddy Duck Wild Turkey Sandhill Crane American Coot American Oystercatcher Killdeer American Woodcock Razorbill Bonaparte’s Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull GLAUCOUS GULL Great Cormorant Black-crowned Night Heron Great Egret Great Horned Owl Short-eared Owl Peregrine Falcon Common Raven BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Thrasher Purple Finch Snow Bunting American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow SPOTTED TOWHEE Baltimore Oriole Rusty Blackbird Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: February 21, 2025 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland
For February 21st, 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.
This week has been another Wild Goose Chase. The previously seen BARNACLE GOOSE reappeared along Duck Creek north of Smyrna, seen from the bridge along Route 1. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE made a one-day appearance at Bear Swamp in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on Monday before being frozen out with the change in temperatures. This bird had an orange bill of the Greenland race of WHITE-FRONTED, not the midwestern pink-bill race. The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED was seen with CACKLING, SNOW and ROSS’S GOOSE in the refuge. ROSS’S GOOSE was also seen in New Castle Co along Stave’s Landing Road near Odessa and in Sussex Co. off Cods Road at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
In northern Delaware, the big hot spot has been Canal Pond off Cox Neck Road. The previously reported exotic BLACK SWAN continues to be seen with MUTE and TUNDRA SWANS. Waterfowl seen included WOOD DUCK, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, AMERICAN WIGEON, CANVASBACK, REDHEAD, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, RUDDY DUCK, HOODED, and COMMON MERGANSER, plus AMERICAN COOT and GREAT EGRET. A BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen near Dragon Run. WILD TURKEYS were photographed off Clack’s Corner Road near St. Georges. There was a flyby hen CANVASBACK at Veteran’s Park in Delaware City. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER and HORNED GREBE was seen at Lums Pond State Park near Glasgow. An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW continues to be seen at the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Refuge near Port Penn.
COMMON RAVENS were seen this week at Townsend Hall on the University of Delaware campus in Newark and at First State National Historical Park Brandywine Unit off Ramsey Road. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER continues to visit a yard in Hockessin. CHIPPING SPARROWS were seen at Ashland Nature Center and Oversee Farms State Park in Yorklyn. A KILLDEER was found at the Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington. Both GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS were seen in the Cherry Island Landfill but unfortunately this is restricted access.
A EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED “Common” TEAL was also seen at Bear Swamp in Bombay Hook. Some more birds included MUTE and TUNDRA SWAN, SANDHILL CRANE, BROWN THRASHER and RUSTY BLACKBIRD. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen flying over the marshes opposite Raymond Pool at dusk. A SNOW BUNTING was seen Whitehall Neck Road on Tuesday.
A raft of 11 REDHEADS along with GREATER and LESSER SCAUP were seen at Port Mahon. A huge flock of over 500 COMMON MERGANSERS were seen on Silver Lake in Dover from N. States Street, along with PIED-BILLED GREBE, HOODED MERGANSER and RUDDY DUCK. A RAVEN was reported in West Dover. PINE WARBLERS continue at a feeder in Cheswold. A COMMON GOLDENEYE was seen on Tub Mill Pond in Milford. BALTIMORE ORIOLE, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and PURPLE FINCH were seen coming to feeders along Bryant’s Corner Road in Camden-Wyoming.
In Cape Henlopen State Park, the previously reported SPOTTED TOWHEE continues to be seen by the handicapped spaces in the Cape Henlopen Point parking lot. SNOW BUNTING was reported at Cape Henlopen Point. RAZORBILLS were reported at the hawk watch and Herring Point. RED-BREASTED, BROWN-HEADED and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH were seen at the Seaside Nature Center, along with PINE WARBLER and RAVEN. There were still over 200 CANVASBACKS on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach.
There is a huge raft of sea ducks at Indian River Inlet, including a drake Common Eider and 4 Harlequin ducks, plus RAZORBILL, BRANT, LONG-TAILED DUCK, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, plus over 1000 SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. and GREAT CORMORANT. There was a flyby BROWN PELICAN and flock of AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS on Saturday. BONAPARTE’S and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were seen in the inlet. A Black-Crowned Night Heron was seen at Massey’s Landing.
In Seaford, COMMON RAVENS were seen at the Chapel Branch Nature Center. This is near the old coal towers at the abandon Nylon plant that might make for a good nest site. BALTIMORE ORIOLES continue at feeders in Lewes and Millsboro. A PALM WARBLER was reported from this latter location. A Gambel’s type WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was photographed at Fowlers Beach. An AMERICAN WOODCOCK was flushed by the gate to the woodlot at Fowlers. WOOD DUCK was seen along Cods Road. PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at Oyster Rocks Road.
Some birds are already nesting. Several GREAT HORNED OWL nests were found this week, including on the osprey pole at Indian River Inlet and in Brandywine Hundred. This site is off Shiple Road behind the Brandywine Bible Chapel in the trees next to the houses.
Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible including Kristy Eleftheriou, Zach Piper, Steve Guris, Lynn Jackson, Martin Selzer, Tanner Wilkinson, Sam Melanson, Frank Rohrbacher, Karen Hochgraf, Ed Wrzesniewski, Dede Johnston, David Fees, Chris Bennett, Brian McCaffrey, Greg Gough, Sue Gruver, Richard Jullian, Alice Mohrman, Sally Fintel, Rob and Carol Blye, Carolyn Holland, Jim and Amy White, Chris Machulski, Rod Murray, Wendy Cesario, Kim Steininger, David Brown, Cameron Tescher, Laureen Eick-Benson, Melissa Lafferty, Scott Northey, John and Andy Dunn, Joe Francis, Mike Moore, 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.
