Date: 6/27/25 5:10 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, June 27th, 2025
Delaware * Statewide * June 27, 2025 * DEST 2025.06.27
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Snow Goose Mute Swan Black Swan Black Scoter Surf Scoter Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Northern Bobwhite Wild Turkey Common Nighthawk Chuck-will’s-widow Virginia Rail King Rail Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Spotted Sandpiper Willet Ruddy Turnstone Short-billed Dowitcher Red Knot Western Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper RUFF/REEVE Black Skimmer Black Tern GULL-BILLED TERN Least Tern Caspian Tern Common Tern ROSEATE TERN Royal Tern SANDWICH TERN Common LoonPied-billed Grebe Great Shearwater Wilson’s Storm-Petrel AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Brown Pelican Least Bittern Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Black-crowned Night Heron White Ibis WOOD STORK Northern Harrier Red-headed Woodpecker Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Brown-headed Nuthatch Saltmarsh Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Worm-eating Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Northern Parula Yellow-throated Warbler DICKCISSEL
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: June 27, 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 27th, 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 317 species this week with one new addition.
New this week was a WOOD STORK soaring over Delaware Route 1 near Red Mill Pond in Lewes on Wednesday. The observer was able to follow the bird in flight to his home to be able to add the species to his yard list. This is only the 6th state record and the first in 8 years! Additionally, a pair of BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS were found on a pond near Midway off the John J. Williams Hyw. (Route 24), at Hetty Fisher Pond, turn onto Lexington Ave to 22480 Ocala Way to see the pond. BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS were also seen at the Amalfi Road retention pond off Underwood Corner Road in Clayton and at Bear Swamp in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
The previously reported AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS increased to 4 birds at Thousand Acre Marsh on Friday, then 5 birds on Saturday. Possibly the same 5 PELICANS were seen 2 hours later at Bombay Hook on Saturday. Also, a flock of 11 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen early Saturday morning flying north along the Delaware Bay at Broadkill Beach. Once a rare mid-Atlantic species, AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen this last week in New Jersey (Forsythe NWR), Pennsylvania (Berks and Cumberland Co,), and at several locations along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
Several sightings of early warblers in northern Delaware may be an indication of post-breeding dispersal. YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER and NORTHERN PARULA were seen today at the Smith’s Bridge picnic area in First State National Historical Park along Beaver Run. A NORTHERN PARULA was seen along the Christiana Creek west of Newark. A WORM-EATING WARBLER was found in a yard near Glasgow. A breeding plumage COMMON LOON was photographed on the Christian River in Wilmington from the deck of the Kalmar Nyckel.
A DICKCISSEL was found at Charles Price Park in Middletown on Sunday singing along the gravel road on the right-hand side just past the entrance. EASTERN MEADOWLARK, SAVANNAH and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were also observed. KING RAIL was reported along Drawer’s Creek near Odessa. A COMMON RAVEN was seen along Wrangle Hill Road near Delaware City. RUDDY DUCKS were seen on Thousand Acre Marsh. LEAST BITTERN, LITTLE BLUE HERON and BANK SWALLOW were seen at the Port Penn Tract of Augustine Wildlife Area. CLIFF SWALLOWS were seen at the Route 1 bridge over the Appoquinmink Creek south of Odessa and at Flemings Landing off Route 9. NORTHERN BOBWHITE was reported at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area.
A RUFF/REEVE was found yesterday and seen today at Raymond Pool in Bombay Hook, along with DUNLIN, STILT, WESTERN, WHITE-RUMPED, and SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Other shorebirds seen included BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, WILLET, plus SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. GULL-BILLED TERN and BLACK SKIMMERS were reported, along with SANDHILL CRANE, LEAST BITTERN, WHITE IBIS and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. MUTE and BLACK SWAN continue to be seen at Shearness Pool, along with an unconfirmed sighting of a possible large “black-billed” SWAN. NORTHERN HARRIER, WILD TURKEY and NORTHERN BOBWHITE were seen at the visitor’s center. COMMON GALLINULE, VIRGINIA RAIL and CASPIAN TERN were seen at Little Creek Wildlife Area.
A single RED-BREASTED MERGANSER plus AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and RED KNOT were seen at Mispillion Inlet along with BONAPARTE’S GULL, LEAST and ROYAL TERNS. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER continues to be seen at Turkle’s Pond in Prime Hook National Wildlife refuge. SALTMARSH SPARROW, LEAST BITTERN and BLACK-NECKED STILT were seen at Oyster Rocks Road.
BLACK, LEAST, COMMON, ROYAL and SANDWICH TERN were seen at Cape Henlopen State Park this week. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, PIPING and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, RED KNOT and SANDERLING were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. There was a high count of 69 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS on the beach. COMMON LOON, BLACK and SURF SCOTER were seen at the Breakwater Harbor. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was reported at Herring Point. Both CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW and COMMON NIGHTHAWK were reported at the park. GREAT SHEARWATER and BROWN PELICAN were seen flying offshore. Three GREAT SHEARWATERS were seen from a fishing charter out of Lewes on Sunday. WILSON’S STORM-PETREL was seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were heard calling from Kings Hwy in Lewes.
SANDWICH TERN, BLACK SKIMMER, and BLACK-NECKED STILT were seen at Gordon’s Pond. WHITE IBIS were seen at Gordon’s Pond and Savage’s Ditch. There was a high count of 81 WHITE IBIS reported from Burton’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park. A TRICOLORED HERON was found at Herring Creek on Angola Neck. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at the Peninsula Golf Course near Oak Orchard. PIED-BILLED GREBE and KING RAIL were also reported at the observation tower in Assawoman Wildlife Area near Fenwick Island.
Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible Ed Sigda, Brian Henderson, Sharon Dounce, Gary Griffith, Frank Lenik, Steve Licata, Ellie McDonald, Renee Rubin, Robin Smith, Jonathan Oliveras, Dan Small, Clay Chianese, Natalie Smith, Dick Plambeck, Kelly White, Chuck Mitchell, Ellen and Jake Jacobson, Ed Patton, Kim Steininger, David Brown, Chris and Karen Bennett, Greg Gough, Rob Blye, Sue Gruver, Tom Stock, Richard Jullian, Phil Misseldine, Carolyn Holland, Jim White, Wendy Cesario, Rod Murray, Melissa Lafferty, Andy Jenkins, Walt Blackwell, John and Andy Dunn, 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.
