Date: 10/31/25 6:48 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, October 31st, 2025
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * October 31, 2025 * DEST 25.10.31
*Birds mentioned Cackling Goose Mute Swan Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter COMMON EIDER Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Northern Bobwhite Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover HUDSONIAN GODWIT Marbled Godwit Ruddy Turnstone Wilson’s Snipe American Woodcock Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Western Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper PARASITIC JAEGER Bonaparte’s Gull BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE Common Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Common Loon Red-throated Loon Pied-billed Grebe Brown Pelican AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Tricolored Heron Snowy Egret Glossy Ibis White Ibis Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk “Albieticola” Red-tailed Hawk GOLDEN EAGLE Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Blue-headed Vireo Common Raven Barn Swallow Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Pine Siskin Purple Finch EVENING GROSBEAK American Tree Sparrow CLAY-COLORED SPARROW Vesper Sparrow “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow NELSON’S SPARROW Lincoln’s Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat Pine Warbler Palm Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: October 31, 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, October 31st 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. Happy Halloween everybody, this is Andy Ednie, glad to be with you. The unofficial Delaware Annual List remain at 331 species this week.
Several COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, PALM and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS continue to be reported this week. NASHVILLE WARBLERS was reported at Ashland Nature Center along with PURPLE FINCH, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and a single flyover EVENING GROSBEAK. LINCOLN’S SPARROW and PINE WARBLER were seen at Carousel County Park. RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to be seen at First State National Historical Park, Brandywine Unit along the creek south of Ramsey Road in the snags next to the field with the corn stalks. Also reported was the first FOX SPARROW of the season. A few RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS are still coming to feeders right now. If you see an unusual hummer, please contact the Birdline. In honor of Halloween, COMMON RAVENS were seen at Brandywine Creek State Park, Ashland Nature Center, Middle Run Natural Area near Newark, Delaware City, and Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area, nevermore!
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was with a mixed flocks of sparrows at the C&D Canal Zone east, just west of the Biddle Point parking area. A BARRED OWL was reported at the Ashton Tract, along with RUDDY DUCKS on Thousand Acre Marsh. COMMON MERGANSER was seen flying over a house near Glasgow. EASTERN MEADOWLARK continues to be found at Prices Park in Middletown.
Shorebirds at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna included MARBLED and HUDSONIAN GODWIT, AMERICAN AVOCETS, BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED, and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, WILSON’S SNIPE, along with WHITE-RUMPED, PECTORAL, and WESTERN SANDPIPER plus CASPIAN TERN. SANDHILL CRANES were re4poted at Bear Swamp. PIED-BILLED GREBE and RUDDY DUCKS were at Shearness Pool. NORTHERN BOBWHITE was calling near the visitor center. Some late migrants reported included BARN SWALLOW, BLUE-HEADED VIREO and a BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER.
Three AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen at the Little Creek Wildlife Area, Mahon Impoundments with MUTE SWAN and PIED-BILLED GREBE. ROYAL TERNS were seen on the Part Mahon breakwater. A CACKLING GOOSE was seen at Cartanza Road near Little Creek. PINE SISKIN and LINCOLN’S SPARROW were reported at a home near Cheswold.
NELSON’S and SALTMARSH SPARROW were found along Lighthouse Road at Mispillion Inlet. GLOSSY IBIS, ROYAL and CASPIAN TERNS, plus EASTERN MEADOWLARK were reported from the Dike Trail and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. VESPER and SALTMARSH SPARROW, PURPLE FINCH, PINE SISKIN and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH were seen at Oyster Rocks Road along with WHITE IBIS.
An immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen at Cape Henlopen Point before the storm on Wednesday along with PARASITIC JAEGERS chasing gulls and terns. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE and an “IPSWICH” SAVANNAH SPARROW were seen at Bayside Point. BROWN-HEADED and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH was seen at the Seaside Nature Center. Waterfowl is on the move included BRANT, LESSER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was photographed at Gordon’s Pond State Park. Also reported were LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, SNOWY EGRET, plus GLOSSY and WHITE IBIS
A female COMMON EIDER continues at the south jetty of Indian River Inlet with GREATER SCAUP, BLACK, SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. BROWN PELICAN, plus COMMON, ROYAL and CASPIAN TERN were seen at the inlet. A high count of 8 TRICOLORED HERONS was reported at Burton’s Island. There were 2 BLACK SKIMMERS photographed at Massey’s Landing yesterday, driven inland by the storm. RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to be reported at the Peninsula Golf Course near Millsboro. Another late lingerer was a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER at a yard in Harbison.
The dark morph “ALBIETICOLA” RED-TAILED HAWK with the dark belly band was seen at Ashland Nature Center Hawk Watch on Sunday. This is the northern subspecies of Red-tail found in the boreal forests. Good numbers of BALD EAGLES and RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS continue to be seen. A flyby WILSON’S SNIPE also reported. A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen today at the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch. There was gale force winds and heavy rail that prevented counting the last three days. Good numbers of BALD EAGLES, AMERICAN KESTRELS, MERLIN and a few PEREGINE FALCONS continue to be seen. BLACK, SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER were seen offshore. Thanks to our hawk counters Jen Ottinger and David Brown.
And thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Steve Licata, Theresa Alferes, Kevin Bronson, Gary Griffith, Ed Patten, Hank Davis, David Lewis, Don Stockley, Lynn Jackson, Martin Selzer, Leo and Melissa Badrend, Tracee Fugate, Ashley Norton, Eric Adams, Kent Raymond, Ed Wrzesnieski, Rod Murray, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Rob Blye, Sue Gruver, Greg Gough, Richard Jullian, Ellen and Jake Jacobson, Eric Sprague, Andrew Albright, Hilary Boiles, Chris and Karen Bennett, Jim and Amy White, Kim Steininger, Dave Brown, Wendy Cesario, Will Krohn, Aaron Coolman, Melissa Lafferty, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Amy and Declan O’Neil, Larry Drexler, Kris Benarcik, Sam VanHorne, Megan Kasprzak, 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 goo! d birding!
