Date: 9/26/25 5:40 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, September 26th, 2025
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * September 26, 2025 * DEST 25.09.26
*Birds mentioned Brant Black Scoter Yellow-billed Cuckoo Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sora Virginia Rail Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover HUDSONIAN GODWIT Marbled Godwit Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Dunlin Western Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper BAIRD’S SANDPIPER Stilt Sandpiper FRANKLIN’S GULL Laughing Gull Caspian Tern Common Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Brown Pelican America Bittern Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-crowned Night heron White Ibis Glossy Ibis MISSISSIPPI KITE Osprey Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-headed Woodpecker American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Alder Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Warbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Common Raven Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Veery American Pipit Purple Finch Field Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow LARK SPARROW Lincoln’s Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Bobolink Northern Waterthrush Hooded Warbler Black and White Warbler American Redstart Prothonotary Warbler CONNECICUT WARBLER Tennessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Northern Parula Cape May Warbler Magnolia Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Yellow Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Palm Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Summer Tanager Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: September 26, 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, September 26th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The Birdline is sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society (DOS). Statements made on the Birdline do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. The unofficial Delaware Annual list increased to 328 species this week. The yearly average for total species is 343 species in Delaware, but October and November are notorious for rarities. The single highest year was 2020 (the year of the pandemic!) with 357 species.
New this week was a winter adult FRANKLIN’S GULL roosting with LAUGHING GULLS at Lewes Beach on Wednesday evening. Efforts to re-find this bird were unsuccessful. Lewes Beach is located at the end of Savannah Road in Lewes, just past the Dairy Queen. This is possibly the same FRANKLIN’S GULL that was seen in Cape May Harbor on Wednesday morning and has been hanging around Cape May all summer.
At the north side of Rehoboth Beach, a pair of LARK SPARROWS with a flock of FIELD SPARROWS were seen near the Gordon’s Pond pavilion. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, HOODED and WILSON’S WARBLER were seen along the Gordon’s Pond trail. WHITE IBIS were seen roosting in the trees by the island in the pond. TENNESSEE WARBLER was seen at the Seaside Nature Center in Cape Henlopen Sate Park along with the NUTHATCH trifecta, WHITE BREASTED, BROWN-HEADED and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER plus RUDDY TURNSTONE were seen at Cape Henlopen BLACK SCOTER and BROWN PELICAN were seen at the bayside lighthouse.
A late EASTERN KINGBIRD was photographed at Lake Gerar Woods in Rehoboth. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was reported at Holland Glade near Midway. NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH and SUMMER TANAGER was reported at Harbison. A NASHVILLE WARBLER was found near Georgetown. ALDER FLYCATCHER, PHILADELPHIA VIREO and SALTMARSH SPARROW were seen at the Marion Okie Preserve on Long Neck along with WHITE IBIS and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. A late PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was seen Bay Forest in Bethany Beach. COMMON TERNS were seen at Indian River Inlet. There was a peak count of 30 TRICOLORED HERONS, along with LITTLE BLUE and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON and another SALTMARSH SPARROW seen by kayak in the Rehoboth Marshes off Burton’s Island.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, WILLET plus BLACK SKIMMER and CASPIAN TERN were seen along the Dike Trail at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO was seen at Prime Hook headquarters. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, CASPIAN and over 200 ROYAL TERNS were seen at Mispillion Inlet from the Dupont Nature Center. Some birds at Milford Neck Wildlife Area included a PHILADELPHIA VIREO along Stratham Lane, plus LEAST FLYCATCHER and a late BLUE-WINGED WARBLER were seen at the Dog Training Area.
Shorebirds at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna included a BAIRD’S SANDPIPER today at the south end of Shearness Pool on a grassy peninsula opposite the speed bump. Other shorebirds included both 8 MARBLED and 10 HUDSONIAN GODWIT, plus a big count of 800 AMERICAN AVOCETS, with BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, plus WHITE-RUMPED, PECTORAL, WESTERN and STILT SANDPIPER, and CASPIAN TERN. Waders found included SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL, SANDHILL CRANE, AMERICAN BITTERN, YELLOW-CROWNED and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, plus WHITE and GLOSSY IBIS. At least 10 PEREGRINE FALCONS and a MERLIN were seen hunting shorebirds over the impoundments. The first AMERICAN PIPIT of the season was seen along Whitehall Neck Road.
Several CONNECTICUT WARBLERS were reported this week from Ashland Nature Center, Middle Run Natural Area near Newark, and Bay Point at Summit Bridge. There was numerous PALM WARBLERS reported this week, along with a few YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. Warblers commonly seen included, BLACK AND WHITE, AMERICAN REDSTART, NORTHERN PARULA, MAGNOLIA, CHESTNUT-SIDED, YELLOW, CAPE MAY, BAY-BREASTED, BLACKBURNIAN, plus BLACK-THROATED BLUE and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS are still coming to feeders right now. If you see an unusual hummer, please contact the Birdline at the sites above. Some other commonly occurring migrants this week included VEERY, BOBOLINK, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Some early arrivals for the fall included RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, plus RUBY-CROWNED and the first GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET of the season.
TENNESSEE WARBLER and PHILADELPHIA VIREO were seen at Middle Run Natural Area. Both PHILADELPHIA and WARBLING VIREO were seen at Ashland Nature Enter along with LEAST and YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. A LINCOLN’S SPARROW continues by the pavilion next to the lodge, and there was a flyover PURPLE FINCH. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at Auburn Valley State Park.
SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Dragon Run and the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. LITTLE BLUE HERON and GLOSSY IBIS were at Thousand Area Marsh. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen at the Port Penn impoundments.
Delaware’s two hawkwatches had good days today. Ashland Nature Center reported 12 species of raptor although low numbers. Highlights were 6 BROAD-WINGED, 9 SHARP-SHINNED 3 COOPER’S and a single RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. COMMON RAVENS are being seen almost daily. There was a big flight of FALCONS at the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch including 142 AMERICAN KESTREL, 52 MERLIN, and 20 PEREGRINES PLUS 231 OSPREYS. A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen at the hawk watch on Monday. Some other highlights at the Cape included BRANT, WHIMBREL, and WHITE IBIS. Thanks to our hawk counters Jen Ottinger and David Brown.
And thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Alissa Kegelman, Kelley Nunn, Doug Batt, Lynn Jackson, Martin Selzer, Dennis Johnston, Chuck Mitchell, Luke Mullan, Marshall Brown, Rod Murray, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Gary Griffith, Rob Blye, Sue Gruver, Greg Gough, Phil Misseldine, Richard Jullian, Ellen and Jake Jacobson, Chris and Karen Bennett, Jim and Amy White, Kim Steininger, Dave Brown, Wendy Cesario, Will Krohn, Aaron Coolman, Megan Kasprzak, Ian Stewart, Chris Machulski, Ian Teall, Ed Patten, Brooke Cherry, Mike Moore, Bruce Peterjohn and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico who distributes this list to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-792-9591 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!
