Date: 6/6/25 4:45 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, June 6th, 2025
Delaware * Statewide * June 6, 2025 * DEST 2025.06.06
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Snow Goose Mute Swan Black Swan Black Scoter Surf Scoter Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Northern Bobwhite Black-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Virginia Rail King Rail Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Whimbrel Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot White-rumped Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper LITTLE GULL BLACK-HEADED GULL Bonaparte’s Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Black Skimmer Least Tern Caspian Tern Common Tern ROSEATE TERN Royal Tern Common Loon Brown Pelican Least Bittern Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-crowned Night Heron Glossy Ibis White Ibis Northern Harrier Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Peregrin Falcon OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER Least Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher ALDER FLYCATCHER Common Raven Cliff Swallow Brown-headed Nuthatch Swainson’s Thrush Veery Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow NELSON’S SPARROW Eastern Meadowlark Bobolink Louisiana Waterthrush American Redstart Prothonotary Warbler Kentucky Warbler MOURNING WARBLER Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Palm Warbler Canada Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Summer Tanager DICKCISSEL
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: June 6, 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, June 6th, 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 313 species mark with 1 new addition.
A pair of unusual gulls showed up along the Delaware Bayshore this weekend. On Saturday, a BLACK-HEADED GULL with red bill and a developing hood was seen at Mispillion Inlet from the Dupont Nature Center. On Sunday, an immature LITTLE GULL, the second record for the year and first from land, was photographed on the pilings near the fishing pier at Port Mahon. A BONAPARTE’S GULL was seen at Cape Henlopen State Park and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULS were seen scattered along the Delaware Bayshore.
They’re back! There was a flock of 25 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS at the Amalfi Road retention pond off Underwood Corner Road near Clayton. This has been the 5th year in a row that this species visited this spot. Additionally, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS were found in three other locations in Kent Co., off Cosmo Lane in Cheswold, plus Windsong Lane and Wheatly’s Pond in Clayton. Although there have been other sightings this spring from Peterson Refuge in Wilmington, Millington Wildlife Area on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and at Cape May, New Jersey, it looks like Clayton is the center of the universe for BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS.
It's June and there’s still some late spring migrants. New this week was a NELSON’S SPARROW heard at Oyster Rocks Road with other singing SALTMARSH and SEASIDE SPARROW. Probably the most surprising find was a western PALM WARBLER photographed in the grassy area near the picnic pavilion at the visitor’s center in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, along with WILSON’S WARBLER. On Saturday. A singing MOURNING WARBLER was found at Ashland Nature Center. A CANADA WARBLER was found off Shipley Road in Brandywine Hundred. CANADA and MAGNOLIA WARBLER was found near the Seaside Nature Center at Cape Henlopen State Park. MAGNOLIA WARBLER was also found at Carousel Farms County Park near Hockessin. A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was also seen at Cape Henlopen. A late ALDER FLYCATCHER was singing at the Fisher Tract in Bombay Hook off Route 9 near Woodland Beach. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen at the path to the Bear Swamp tower in Bombay Hook. LEAST and WILLOW FLYCATCHERS w! ere reported at Middle Rin Natural Area near Newark. SWAINSON THRUSH was detected by nocturnal call notes over north Wilmington. AMERICAN REDSTART and BLACKPOLL WARBLER, both notoriously late migrants were found at several locations.
A pair of BOBOLINKS continue to be seen at Smith’s Mill Road in White Clay Creek State Park. NORTHERN PARULA was found at Curtis Mill Park. BARRED OWL was reported at Christiana Manor in Newark. LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was photographed at Middle Run. VEERY was reported at Mt. Cuba Wildflower Preserve. The previously reported KENTUCKY WARBLER continues to be singing south of Thompson’s Bridge in Brandywine Creek State Park. A lone SNOW GOOSE and common Raven were reported from Brandywine Park in Wilmington. A COMMON LOON in full breeding plumage was photographed along the Delaware River at Battery Park in New Castle.
SANDHILL CRANE were reported near N. St. Georges. YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER continues at the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. LEAST BIITERN, LITTLE BLUE HERON and COMMON GALLINULE were found at the Port Penn impoundments. CLIFF SWALLOWS were seen at the Appoquinmink Bridge along Route 9. HOODED MERGANSER continues at Glasgow Park. EASTERN MEADOWLARK, SAVANNAH and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was seen at Prices Park in Middletown. A SUMMER TANAGER was in a yard off the VanDyke-Greensprings Road in Blackbird State Forest near Townsend. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was at Saw Mill Road. NORTHERN BOBWHITES were found at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area.
A DICKCISSEL was found in the wheatfield along Whitehall Neck at Bear Swamp Road outside of Bombay Hook on Monday. Unfortunately, that bird was never re-found. Shorebirds seen at Bombay Hook included BLACK-NECKED STILT with young just out of the nest, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, WILLET, LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, plus several WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. BLACK SKIMMERS and CASPIAN TERNS were seen at Bear Swamp. Waders reported included SANDHILL CRANES, LEAST BITTERN, GLOSSY IBIS, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, COMMON GALLINULE, and VIRGINIA RAIL. SNOW GOOSE, BLACK and MUTE SWAN, plus RUDDY DUCK continues to be seen at Shearness Pool. A female NORTHERN HARRIER was seen flying over Leatherbury Flats.
A female HOODED MERGANSER was seen at Big Oak Park near Smyrna. A female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, plus BLACK SKIMMER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, RED KNOT, and WESTERN and SPOTTED SANDPIPER were seen at Port Mahon. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH continues to be seen along the Big Stone Beach Road. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was found in savannah habitat at Tabor State Forest near Harrington. COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen at four sites, Killen’s Pond State Park and near Magnolia, along with a bird over Newark Reservoir and the usual birds at Cape Henlopen.
Shorebirds seen at Mispillion Inlet from the Dupont Nature Center included RED KNOT, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELIED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, SANDERLING, and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER plus a flyover WHIMBREL. A BLACK SCOTER was seen on Delaware Bay. CASPIAN, ROYAL, and LEAST TERNS were seen on the Back Beach at Mispillion. Both BLACK-CROWNED and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS were seen at the Beach Plum Drive Pond in Slaughters Beach. SALTMARSH SPARROW was seen from the observation platform at the Marvel Salt Marsh Preserve. In Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, VIRGINIA RAIL with young was seen along the Dike Trail. BLACK-NECKED STILT was seen along Oyster Rocks Road.
PURPLE SANDPIPERS and a flock of 80 BROWN PELICANS were seen on the outer breakwater off Cape Henlopen, along with flyby AMERICAN AVOCETS. Birds seen on the beach at Cape Henlopen State Park included ROSEATE, ROYAL, CASPIAN, LEAST and COMMON TERNS plus PIPING PLOVER and AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER. BROWN PELICAN, BLACK and SURF SCOTER were seen from the hawk watch platform, along with WHITE IBIS. A flock of 40 WHITE IBIS was seen at Gordon’s Pond. WHITE IBIS was also seen at Burton’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park. TRICOLORED HERON and COMMON TERN were seen at Indian River Inlet. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and KING RAIL were found at Assawoman Wildlife Area near Fenwick Island. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was reported from Dewey Beach near Thompson’s Island. VESPER SPARROW was found along Remeter-Rum Bridge Road near Georgetown. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was reported today near Jimtown outside of Lewes.
The first PEREGRINE FALCON fledgling left the nest this week at the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington. The youngster was seen siting on the ledge from the remote cameras on the building, so the fledgling watch has begun. You can watch the action from the web site DOSbirds.org.
Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible Kevin Bronson, Heather Orkis, Jen Driscoll, Chuck Mitchell, Edward Patton, Frank Rohrbacher, Cole Tiemann, Matt Rowan, Barbara Jones, Ed Wrzeniewski, Joseph McGlinchey, Barbara Conway, Andrew Albright, Kim Steininger, Frank Lenik, Christy Holden, Adam Balick, Claude Durand, Ben Schweinhart, Rachel Bonham, Gary Byrly, Chris and Karen Bennett, Greg Gough, Sue Gruver, Tom Stock, Richard Jullian, Rob and Carol Blye, Phil Misseldine, Carolyn Holland, Sam VanHorne, Jim and Amy White, Wendy Cesario, Rod Murray, Scott Northey, Melissa Lafferty, John and Andy Dunn, Will Krohn, Declan and Amy O’Neil, 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.
