Date: 4/4/25 5:45 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, April 4th, 2025
* Delaware * Statewide * April 4, 2025 * DEST 2025.04.04
*Birds mentioned Snow Goose Brant Mute Swan Tundra Swan BLACK SWAN (exotic) American Wigeon Eurasian X Green-winged Teal hybrid Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Long-tailed Duck Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter HARLEQUIN DUCK Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Northern Bobwhite Virginia Rail Sandhill Crane American Coot American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Ruddy Turnstone Long-billed Dowitcher American Woodcock Wilson’s Snipe Least Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper RUFF/REEVE Caspian Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Bonaparte’s Gull LITTLE GULL Black-headed Gull Laughing Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Razorbill Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe SOOTY SHEARWATER Brown Pelican Northern Gannet Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-crowned Night Heron Glossy Ibis White Ibis MISSISSIPPI KITE SWALLOW-TAILED KITE Northern Harrier Barn Owl Barred Owl Short-eared Owl Merlin American Kestrel Blue-headed Vireo Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Northern House Wren Winter Wren Sedge Wren Purple Finch Vesper Sparrow Seaside Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow SPOTTED TOWHEE Baltimore Oriole Rusty Blackbird Louisiana Waterthrush Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat Yellow-throated Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: April 4, 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 Friday, April 4th, 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 216 species, adding 13 new birds!
A highlight this week was a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE reported at the Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington on Saturday. Seen by several observers in the morning, it was not re-found later in the day. There are previous records of this species found in Delaware during March and the sighting occurred after a day of strong southwest winds that carry migrants north. Of interest, a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was reported the next day south of Lancaster, perhaps the same bird? Today, a MISSISSIPPI KITE was reported at Leatherman’s Run County Park off Wakefield and Chapman Rd near Christiana.
Downstate, shorebirds arriving at Oyster Rocks Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Milton included a non-breeding plumaged male RUFF, along with LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, STILT, PECTORAL, and LEAST SANDPIPER, plus TRICOLORED HERON, WHITE IBIS and SEDGE WREN. The shorebirds were a little spooky because of harassment from a marauding MERLIN. A REEVE (aka a female RUFF) was also seen at the south end of Gordon’s Pond this week, along with SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PECTORAL and LEAST SANDPIPER, BLACK-HEADED, BONAPARTE’S, and a high count of 75 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS plus 2 SEDGE WRENS.
Lots of migrants are arriving back in Delaware. New this week was an early BLUE-HEADED VIREO at Parson Point in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The first NORTHERN HOUSE WREN of the year was found at Cape Henlopen. PALM and PINE WARBLERS are being seen throughout the state. There were several reports of PINE WARBLERS at suet feeders. YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS were seen at the main tower in Little Creek Wildlife Area, along the Pickering Beach Road, Killen’s Pond State Park, Little Neck Wildlife Area, Redden State Forest, Trap Pond State Park, and Cape Henlopen State Park. LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES were reported at White Clay and Brandywine Creek State Park, Brandywine Springs Park, Killens Pond, and Redden State Forest. COMMON YELLOWTHROATS were reported at Bombay Hook, and Cape Henlopen.
A male PURPLE FINCH was seen on a feeder in Newark. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found at Phillips Park in Newark. A BARRED OWL was reported at Christiana Manor west of Newark. RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen at Winterthur Museum and Gardens. An ICELAND GULL with LAUGHING and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS was found at Fox Point State Park. A late WINTER WREN was seen at the Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge. A HOODED MERGANSER was seen on a pond at Glasgow Park where they have previously nested.
A VESPER SPARROW was found at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area off Deakyneville Road, opposite the last house before the intersection with Throughfare Neck Road. AMERICAN WOODCOCK, BARN OWL, and NORTHERN BOBWHITE were by the Cedar Swamp maintenance yards off Collins Beach Road. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found along the dike at Canal Pond off Cox Neck Road, plus CASPIAN TERN, PIED-BIED GREBE and AMERICAN COOT on the pond. A female REDHEAD was with RING-NECKED DUCK at Dragon Run along Cox Neck Road in Delaware City. SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Ashton Tract. The previously reported exotic BLACK SWAN was seen today at Thousand Acre Marsh. A hybrid EURASIAN X GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen Monday along with GLOSSY IBIS. A LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen at Greer’s Pond off Dutch Neck Road.
The first BLACK-NECKED STILT and SEASIDE SPARROW of the year were at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Other shorebirds in Bombay Hook included an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, AMERICAN AVOCET, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILSON’S SNIPE, plus PECTORAL and LEAST SANDPIPER. Waterfowl reported included TUNDRA and MUTE SWAN, SNOW GOOSE, AMERICAN WIGEON, RING-NECKED DUCK, COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK, PIED-BILLED GREBE and AMERICAN COOT. SANDHILL CRANES and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS were seen at Bear Swamp.
An adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was found at Little Creek Wildlife Area. A SHORT-EARED OWL was perched on the fence along Route 9 at Dover AFB. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was discovered at the Logan Tract in Ted Harvey Wildlife Area. A GREEN HERON was photographed at McGinnis Pond near Fredericia. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH continues to be found along Big Stone beach Road in Milford neck Wildlife Area.
BLACK SKIMMER and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER were seen at Mispillion Inlet from the Dupont Nature Center. An AMERICAN WOODCOCK were seen at Turkle Pond in Prime Hook. Another adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, plus AMERICAN AVOCETS, WILSON’S SNIPE, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, TRICOLORED HERON and VIRGINIA RAIL were found along the Dike Trail at Prime Hook headquarters. WILLETS were seen from Broadkill Beach Road.
At Cape Henlopen State Park, the previously reported SPOTTED TOWHEE continues to be seen by the handicapped spaces in the Cape Henlopen Point parking lot. The RED-NECKED GREBE was seen by the at the Delaware Lighthouse opposite the Point parking Lot. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, PIPING PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. The Hawk Watch had lots of AMERICAN KESTRELS, MERLINS and HARRIERS this week. ROYAL TERN, BROWN PELICAN, NORTHERN GANNET plus BLACK, SURF and WHITE WINGED SCOTER were seen offshore. An immature ICELAND GULL and flyby PURPLE SANDPIPERS were seen at Herring Point. RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were seen at the Seaside Nature Center. 3 BALTIMORE ORIOLES are coming to a feeder in Lewes.
The pelagic trip out of Lewes last weekend experienced some rough waters but also saw some great birds. Highlights were 4 LITTLE GULLS and a Sooty Shearwater, plus several RAZORBILLS. At one point, a VESPER SPARROW was photographed flying alongside the boat through rough seas.
CANVASBACKS were still on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. Sea ducks at the Indian River Inlet included HARLEQUIN DUCK, BRANT, LONG-TAILED DUCK, plus SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, although numbers are decreasing. BRANT, GLOSSY IBIS, and TRICOLORED HERON were seen at Burton Island. Of interest, there has been a tremendous increase in WHITE IBIS, one observer reported between 300-400 WHITE IBIS in Sussex Co. this week, that’s no hyperbole. Time to start looking for nesting!
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. The boardwalk along the North Gordon’s Pond Trail will be closed this week for repairs, but should be reopened. Additionally, the draw bridge at North Slaughters Beach is closed for repairs. You cannot access Mispillion Inlet and the duPont Nature Center from South Slaughters Beach Road.
Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible including Don Powers, Kitt Heckscher, Kyla Snowden, Randy Fisher, Zach Baer, Aaron Reb, Holly Merker, Ellie McDonald, Stephen Davies, Chris Hinkle, Tom Voter, Jason Horn, Andrew Albright, Greg Darone, Simon Thompson, Frank Lenik, Martha Frost, Frank Rohrbacher, Ed Wrzesniewski, Chris Bennett, 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, Megan Kasprzak, Scott Northey, Melissa Lafferty, Kris Benarcik, Sam VanHorne, Declan O’Neil. John and Andy Dunn, Cameron Tescher, Will Krohn, Cole Tiemann, Wayne Longbottom, John Skibicki, 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 E! dnie wishing you good birding.
