* Delaware * Statewide * March 21, 2025 * DEST 2025.03.21
*Birds mentioned Ross’s Goose Snow Goose Cackling Goose Brant Mute Swan Tundra Swan BLACK SWAN (exotic) Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal American Wigeon Canvasback Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Long-tailed Duck Common Eider Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter HARLEQUIN DUCK Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Sandhill Crane American Coot American Oystercatcher Black-bellied Plover Piping Plover Ruddy Turnstone Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson’s Snipe American Woodcock Least Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Razorbill Bonaparte’s Gull Black-headed Gull Laughing Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull SLATY-BACKED GULL Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Eared Grebe Red-necked Grebe Brown Pelican Great Cormorant Northern Gannet Snowy Egret Great Egret Tricolored Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Glossy Ibis Osprey Great Horned Owl Barred Owl Short-eared Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Eastern Pheobe Common Raven Purple Martin Tree Swallow Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Thrasher White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow SPOTTED TOWHEE Baltimore Oriole Rusty Blackbird Orange-crowned Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: March 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 the start of spring on Friday, March 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 increased to 197 species.
A boat trip to the outer breakwater on Saturday was highlighted by the discovery of an adult GLAUCOUS and a SLATY-BACKED GULL. Although there are several other reports of SLATY-BACKED GULL for the state, if confirmed this would be a new state record. Also at the rocks were COMMON EIDER, GREAT CORMORANT, RUDDY TURNSTONE, PURPLE SANDPIPER and about 20 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. Additionally, an immature GLAUCOUS GULL was seen at Cape Henlopen Point and 2 immature GLAUCOUS GULLS were seen at Bethany Beach. A pair of breeding plumage BLACK-HEADED GULLS were seen at Gordons Pond in Cape Henlopen State Park, along with an immature ICELAND GULL.
This week, the first GLOSSY IBIS of the year was found the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area near Port Penn. A TRICOLORED HERON was photographed in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday. SNOWY EGRET and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was also seen at Bombay Hook and there was a peak count of 8 SNOWY EGRETS at Gordon’s Pond. Lot of GREAT EGRETS were seen at Bombay Hook and Delaware City. There were even two sightings of GREAT EGRETS as far north the Christiana Creek at the Route 273 and Red Mill Road retention pond and at the Christiana marshes. WOOD DUCK, OSPREY, EASTERN PHOEBE, TREE SWALLOW and PINE WARBLER were seen in multiple locations.
In northern Delaware, a possible EARED GREBE was reported on the Delaware River north of New Castle, along with BLACK SCOTER and GREAT CORMORANT. A COMMON RAVEN is building a nest on the water tower on the Star Campus of the University of Delaware off S. College Ave. CANVASBACK was seen on the Pencader Ponds in Glasgow. BARRED OWL and PURPLE FINCH were reported at Star Road near White Clay Creek. AMERICAN WOODCOCKS were found at Phillips Park in Newark and flushed along the trail at the Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge at Wilmington’s Riverfront. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER continues to be seen at a suet feeder in Hockessin. A feeder off Silverside Road had 3 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES this week. A feeder off Weldin Road had FOX SPARROW.
The previously reported exotic BLACK SWAN continues to be seen on Canal Pond off Cox Neck Road with MUTE SWANS, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, RUDDY DUCK, COMMON MERGANSER, PIED-BIED GREBE, plus AMERICAN COOT. SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Ashton Tract along with PALM WARBLER. PEREGRINE FALCON was seen underneath the Reedy Point Bridge. BLUE-WINGED TEAL and HOODED MERGANSER were seen on Thousand Acre Marsh. NORTHERN GANNETS were seen along the Delaware River at Augustine Beach and Collin’s Beach.
The first PURPLE MARTIN of the year was seen at “Bird Town” across from the visitor’s center in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge today, along with BROWN THRASHER, FOX SPARROW, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD. Waterfowl reported included TUNDRA SWAN, SNOW GOOSE, AMERICAN WIGEON, RING-NECKED DUCK, COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK, PIED-BILLED and HORNED GREBE plus AMERICAN COOT. SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Bear Swamp and Raymond Pool. Returning shorebirds included PECTORAL SANDPIPER, AMERICAN AVOCET, LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and WILSON’S SNIPE.
A CACKLING GOOSE was seen at Silver Lake Park in Dover. An Orange-Crowned Warbler was found in a yard near Magnolia. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was coming to a feeder in Cheswold. A pair of CANVASBACKS, LESSER SCAUP, AMERICAN WIGEON, HOODED and COMMON MERGANSERS, and about 400 AMERICAN COOTS were at the Port Mahon impoundments in Little Creek Wildlife Area. SHORT-EARED OWL, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and AMERICAN AVOCETS were seen at Bennett’s Pier near Milford Neck Wildlife Area. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was seen along the Big Stone Beach Road east of Scott’s Corner.
A ROSS’S GOOSE was with a flock of SNOW GEESE at Wells Road near Fowlers Beach in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. AMERICAN AVOCETS were seen along the Dike Trail. A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was with LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS at Oyster Rocks Road. There were 7 PIPING PLOVERS at Prime Hook Beach which is private access and a peak count of 15 PIPING PLOVERS at Cape Henlopen
Also 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. A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen near the Harbor of Refuge Light. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BRANT, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER were reported from the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch, plus BROWN PELICAN, RAZORBILL, BONAPARTE’S, LAUGHING, and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. A huge flight of NORTHERN GANNETS was seen today at the Cape Henlopen Hawkwatch, with 2,600 birds seen a rate of 1500-2000 GANNETS per hour. RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were seen at the Seaside Nature Center. WILLET, LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPER were seen at Gordons Pond.
A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER were seen along the Coastal Club Trail near Jimtown. 3 BALTIMORE ORIOLES are coming to a feeder in Lewes. CANVASBACKS were still on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. A big flight of waterbirds on Rehoboth Bay counted 334 HORNED and 3 RED-NECKED GREBES. At Savages Ditch in Delaware Seashore State Park, at least 500 LAUGHING GULLS were present.
Sea ducks at the Indian River Inlet included HARLEQUIN DUCKS, BRANT, GREATER SCAUP, LONG-TAILED DUCK, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, plus SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. The previously reported GREAT HORNED OWL continues to occupy the Osprey nest at the turnoff to the south campground from the bridge. BRANT, COMMON GOLDENEYE and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON were seen at Burton Island. BLUE-WINGED TEAL, CANVASBACK, and GREATER SCAUP were seen at Assawoman Wildlife Area.
Just a reminder, state park entrance fees are in effect and the beaches at Cape Henlopen and Fowlers Beach are closed until next fall for beach nesters. Additionally, the draw bridge at North Slaughters Beach is closed for repairs. You can not access Mispillion Inlet and the duPont Nature Center from South Slaughters Beach Road.
Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible including Dom Holcomb, Andrew Albright, Kees de Mooy, Kevin Shannon, Carolyn Santillo, Don Powers, Kevin Bronson, Joe Sebastiani, Ian Stewart, John Janoski, Lynn Jackson, Martin Selzer, Mike Rosengarten, Bert Filemyr, Jason Horn, Chris Hinkle, Frank Rohrbacher, Ed Wrzesniewski, Chris Bennett, Anthony Gonzon, Carter Chambers, Brian McCaffrey, Greg Gough, Sue Gruver, Tom Stock, Lynn Gulla, Richard Jullian, Alice Mohrman, Rob and Carol Blye, Phil Misseldine, Carolyn Holland, Jim and Amy White, Rod Murray, Wendy Cesario, Laureen Eick-Benson, Kim Steininger, Judy Montgomery, Gary Griffith, Irene Goverts, Megan Kasprzak, Shannon Modla, Scott Northey, John and Andy Dunn, Cameron Tescher, Will Krohn, Joe Francis, Mike Moore, Joe Russell, 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.
