Date: 1/16/26 4:06 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, January 16th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * January 16, 2026 * DEST 26.01.16
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Ross’s Goose Brant BARNACLE GOOSE Cackling Goose GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Tundra Swan Mute Swan Gadwall Canvasback HARLEQUIN DUCK Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter COMMON EIDER Long-tailed Duck Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Virginia Rail Sora American Coot Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher American Avocet Black-bellied Plover Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs American Woodcock Wilson’s Snipe Purple Sandpiper Razorbill Black Skimmer Forster’s Tern Black-headed Gull Iceland Gull Common Loon Rede=throated Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Great Cormorant Northern Gannet American Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Barred Owl Short-eared Owl Red-headed Woodpecker WESTERN KINGBIRD Common Raven Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Marsh Wren American Pipit Evening Grosbeak Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting American Tree Sparrow Ipswich Savannah Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD Baltimore Oriole Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler WESTERN TANAGER PAINTED BUNTING
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: January 16, 2026 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, January 16th this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science 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. This is Andy Ednie, glad to be with you. The unofficial Delaware Annual List increased to 178 species with additions of AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK SKIMMER, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
It's been a Wild West Show at Little Creek this week! The WESTERN KINGBIRD that was found last Friday along the main entrance to Little Creek Wildlife Area east of Dover continues today. This bird was seen in the brush near the entrance off Bayshore Road (Route 9) back to the gray house on the right. The KINGBIRD has regularly been seen in the trees and on the wire behind the house, but please remember this is a private residence. Additionally, a female WESTERN TANAGER was seen on Wednesday, behind the maintenance yards and at the edge of the field behind the Hunter Education building. Both birds were seen in association to BLUEBIRDS and WAXWINGS in the area, there was also an immature WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. Unfortunately, there is a lot of construction going on along the entrance right now during the week. PIED-BILLED GREBE and AMERICAN COOT were seen from the central tower at the end of the main entrance road.
The previously reported PAINTED BUNTING continue to be seen in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. This bird, believed to be an immature male was last seen at the tidal pond near the Parson’s Point Trail at the edge of the marsh. SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL was found at the bridge near the Bear Swamp tower along with AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at the Shearness Pool spillway. Waterfowl reported were CACKLING GOOSE, TUNDRA and MUTE SWAN, WOOD DUCK, plus COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER. The first AMERICAN AVOCETS along with WILSON’S SNIPE and 4 SANDHILL CRANES were found at Raymond and Shearness Pool. GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen along Whitehall Neck Road. AMERICAN PIPITS were seen at Wick’s Potato Farm along Route 8.
An adult male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was photographed among the huge flock of blackbirds south of Leipsic, off Dyke Branch and Wheel of Fortune Roads. The previously reported BARNACLE GOOSE continues to be seen in the north Smyrna area, off Route 13 at Duck Creek or just to the north off Joe Goldsborough Road. A ROSS’S GOOSE and a single BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK was seen on Wheatley’s Pond in Clayton. SHORT-EARED OWL, AMERICAN BITTERN and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON were reported at Port Mahon along with LONG-TAILED and RUDDY DUCK. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER continues to visit a feeder in Milford.
The previously reported WESTERN TANAGER continues at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The bird was last seen on Wednesday behind the maintenance sheds at the headquarters building. A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was found along the Black Farm Trail. A single BLACK SKIMMER, FORSTER’S TERN, BLACK-BELLIED and AMERICAN AVOCET, plus GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS were seen from the Dike Trail. AMERICAN WOODCOCK was reported at Foord’s Landing. SNOW BUNTINGS, and SHORT-EARED OWL were found at Fowler’s Beach
RAZORBILL was seen off Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, BRANT, and NORTHERN GANNET were seen at Cape Henlopen Point along with LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, and “IPSWICH” SAVANNAH SPARROW. WHITE-BREASTED, RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were seen at the Seaside Nature Center. GREAT CORMORANT and PURPLE SANDPIPERS were seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was found at Gordon’s Pond Another ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was visiting a feeder near Lewes along with a BALTIMORE ORIOLE. There was a flock of 130 CANVASBACK and 4 ROSS’S GEESE on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach.
RAZORBILL was also seen at Indian River Inlet along with the female HARLEQUIN DUCK and a 10 COMMON EIDERS. Other waterfowl included BRANT, LONG-TAILED DUCK, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, HORNED GREBE and GREAT CORMORANT. COMMON GOLDENEYE was seen at Burton’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park. A PALM WARBLER was reported on Long Neck at the Peninsula Beach and Pier. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at the Peninsula Gold Course. Three ICELAND GULLS were found at the Jones Crossroad landfill near Hardscrabble. EVENING GROSBEAKS continues to be seen at Trap Pond State Park. These birds were seen along the Bob Trail about a half mile south of the nature center along the western side of the pond. There is an interpretive sign for “Hidden Forest” in the vicinity where the GROSBEAKS were found.
MUTE and TUNDRA SWAN, AMERICAN WIGEON, RING-NECKED DUCK, COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER were seen at Canal Pond off Cox Neck Road near Delaware City.. SANDHILL CRANE was reported flying over Dragon Run. WOOD DUCK was seen at Clark’s Corner Road. MARSH WREN was found at Thousand Acre Marsh. The spillway along the Augustine Creek Causeway along Route 9 south of Port Penn had an interesting collection of diving ducks including LONG-TAILED DUCK, COMMON and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER plus RED-THROATED and COMMON LOON. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and EASTERN MEADOWLARK were found along Collins Beach Road in Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was found along the entrance road to Brandywine Creek State Park. The RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to be seen at the First State south of Ramsey Road. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen at a feeder in Newport. A male Baltimore Oriole visited a feeder in Hockessin during the snowstorm. Gadwall was seen on the pond in Carousel County Park. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were reported at Phillips Park in Newark. BARRED OWL was reported at Christiana Manor in Newark. The weekly White Clay Creek State Park bird census added a new species this week not found on the previous census 50 years ago, COMMON RAVEN. Also. This must be the year of the SAPSUCKER, the White Clay census from 1977 found only 1-2 birds intermittently in the winter, while this year the average is 15 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS per census. Also, 6-7 PILEATED WOODPECKERS are being seen now, compared to 1-2 birds during the last census.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Steve Licata, Marshall Brown, Jenna Christy, Chase Wilkinson, Ed Patten, David Thomas, Ellie McDonald, Peter Schyler, Debbie Blair, Will Krohn, Chris Rankin, Wendy Cesario, Rod Murray, Kent Raymond, Lynn Jackson, Martin Selzer, Jason Horn, Carolyn Holland, Sue Gruver, Greg Gough, Phil Misseldine, Steve McInnis, Rob Blye, Richard Julian, Alice Mohrman, Nancy Cunningham, Anthony and Kayla Gonzon, Kim Steininger, David Brown, Chris and Karen Bennett, Melissa Lafferty, Alison Ellicott, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Walt Blackwell, Frank Rohrbacher, Sheila Smith, John and Andy Dunn, Joe Francis, Mike Moore, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico for list distribution to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-463-0113 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!
