Date: 2/28/25 5:57 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, February 28th, 2025
* Delaware * Statewide * February 28, 2025 * DEST 2025.02.28
*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 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 Virginia Rail Clapper Rail Sandhill Crane American Coot American Oystercatcher Black-bellied Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Wilson’s Snipe American Woodcock Razorbill Bonaparte’s Gull Laughing Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Great Cormorant Tricolored Heron Great Egret Barn Owl Great Horned Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Barred Owl Short-eared Owl Merlin Eastern Pheobe Common Raven BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Purple Finch American Tree Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow SPOTTED TOWHEE Baltimore Oriole Rusty Blackbird Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat Palm Warbler Pine Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: February 28, 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 28th, 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 at 182 species. Just a reminder, the beaches at Cape Henlopen and Fowlers Beach are closed to next fall for PIPING PLOVER nesting.
Both the BARNACLE and a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE were seen all week along Masseys Church Road north of Smyrna. Birders were able to park at the Church of Latter-Day Saints parking lot near the intersection of Masseys Church and Clarks Farm Road to view the geese, along with CACKLING GOOSE and KILLDEER. Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen today on Wheatley’s Pond in Clayton. ROSS’S GEESE were seen at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and downstate at Little Neck Road near Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
The first initial wave of spring migrants arrived this week. The first LAUGHING GULL of the year was seen at the Dike Trail at Prime Hook. TREE SWALLOWS were found at the Canal Pond, Ashton Tract near Delaware City, Bombay Hook, Cheswold, Port Mahon, the Buckaloo Tract of Ted Harvey Wildlife Area, Fowlers Beach, Prime Hook Headquarters, Cape Henlopen State Park and Gordon’s Pond. EASTERN PHOEBES were seen downstate at Prime Hook, Abbott’s Mill Nature Center near Milford, and Killen’s Pond State Park. WOOD DUCKS returned to northern Delaware at the Hermitage in New Castle, Alapocos Run State Park, and Breck’s Mill along the Brandywine Creek. AMERICAN WOODCOCKS were doing courtship display at Phillips Park in Newark, Ashton Tract, Masseys Church Road, Bombay Hook, plus Fowlers Beach, Oyster Rocks Road and at Foord’s Landing in Prime Hook.
In northern Delaware, CANVASBACK and REDHEADS were seen on Canal Pond off Cox Neck Road. The previously reported exotic BLACK SWAN continues to be seen with MUTE SWANS, along with AMERICAN WIGEON, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, RUDDY DUCK, HOODED, and COMMON MERGANSER, plus AMERICAN COOT. WOOD DUCK and PIED-BLLED GREBE were seen at Dragon Run along Cox Neck Road. WILD TURKEYS were seen off Clack’s Corner Road near St. Georges. Three GREAT EGRETS were seen today at Red Lion Creek along Route 9 north of the Delaware City refinery. SANDHILL CRANES were heard bugling at Ashton Tract. BLUE-WINGED TEAL was seen at Prices Park in Middletown
An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found along White Clay Creek at Curtis Mill Park in Newark. A MERLIN was reported at the University of Delaware Ag Farm. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and PURPLE FINCH were seen at the bird blind in Ashland Nature Center. Another ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and a flock of 20 AMERICAN TREE SPARROW were seen near the nature center at Brandywine Creek State Park. ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were reported in the Cherry Island Landfill but unfortunately this is restricted access.
SANDHILL CRANES continue at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna. A EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED “Common” TEAL was also seen at Bear Swamp in Bombay Hook. Some returning shorebirds included AMERICAN AVOCET, KILLDEER, LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and WILSON’ SNIPE plus BONAPARTE’S GULL and CLAPPER RAIL. COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was seen near the visitor’s center, along with WILD TURKEY.
A COMMON RAVEN was reported at Dover International Speedway where they attempted nesting last year. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were at a feeder in Cheswold. BALTIMORE ORIOLE, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and PURPLE FINCH were seen coming to feeders along Bryant’s Corner Road in Camden-Wyoming. COMMON GOLDENEYE was reported at Bowers Beach.
Shorebirds seen at Prime Hook headquarters included AMERICAN AVOCET, WILLET, and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen at the entrance gate to Fowlers Beach along with WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. A VIRGINIA RAIL was heard calling at Fowlers Beach at dusk. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was seen along Oyster Rocks Road.
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. RAZORBILL, BRANT, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. RED-BREASTED, BROWN-HEADED and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH were seen at the Seaside Nature Center, along with PINE WARBLER and RAVEN. BALTIMORE ORIOLES continue to be seen coming to feeders in Lewes and Millsboro. There was a peak count of 600 CANVASBACKS on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach.
Sea ducks at Indian River Inlet included HARLEQUIN DUCKS, BRANT, GREATER SCAUP, LONG-TAILED DUCK, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, plus SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. Other waterfowl seen were HORNED GREBE and GREAT CORMORANT. A PALM WARBLER was seen in the brush by the Indian River campground. COMMON GOLDENEYE, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER and a TRICOLORED HERON were seen at the Burton Island causeway. A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was reported at James Farm Eco-Preserve by Ocean View. BLUE-WINGED TEAL were seen at Assawoman Wildlife area along with CANVASBACK, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, HOODED MERGANSER and RUDDY DUCK.
Some local owl reports included a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL plus GREAT HORNED and EASTERN SCREECH OWL found along Big Stone Beach Road in Milford Neck Wildlife Area. BARN OWL was found along Whitehall Neck Road near Bombay Hook. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen flying over the marshes opposite Raymond Pool and a Fowlers Beach. BARRED OWL was seen at Phillips Park in Newark and Oyster Rocks Road. GREAT HORNED OWL nests were again seen this week at Indian River Inlet and in Brandywine Hundred off Shipley Road behind the Brandywine Bible Chapel.
Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible including Randy Fisher, Ryan Johnson, Andrew Jones, Bonnie McDonald, Patti Parziale, Mike Gardner, Kris Benarcik, Gerry Teig, Martha Eisenhour, John Janowski, Colin Campbell, Lynn Jackson, Martin Selzer, Frank Rohrbacher, Ed Wrzesniewski, David Fees, Chris Bennett, Brian McCaffrey, Greg Gough, Sue Gruver, Tom Stock, Lynn Gulla, Richard Jullian, Alice Mohrman, Sally Fintel, Rob and Carol Blye, Phil Misseldine, Nancy Cunningham, Carolyn Holland, Jim and Amy White, Sally O’Byrne, Chris Machulski, Rod Murray, Wendy Cesario, Kim Steininger, Melissa Lafferty, Scott Northey, John and Andy Dunn, Joe Francis, Mike Moore, Carol Ralph, 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.
