Date: 1/23/26 3:40 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, January 23rd, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * January 23, 2026 * DEST 26.01.23
*Birds mentioned Brant BARNACLE GOOSE Cackling Goose GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Tundra Swan Mute Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon EURASIAN WIGEON Canvasback Redhead Greater Scaup HARLEQUIN DUCK Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter COMMON EIDER Long-tailed Duck Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Virginia Rail Sora American Coot Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover American Woodcock Purple Sandpiper Razorbill Black-headed Gull GLAUCOUS GULL Rede-throated Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Great Cormorant Northern Gannet American Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Barn Owl Short-eared Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker WESTERN KINGBIRD Common Raven Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Sedge Wren Hermit Thrush American Pipit Evening Grosbeak Purple Finch Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Rusty Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Baltimore Oriole Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler WESTERN TANAGER PAINTED BUNTING
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: January 23, 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 23rd 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 180 species. This season seems to be an excellent winter for YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS, HERMIT THRUSH, PURPLE FINCH and FOX SPARROW.
The RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to be seen at the First State National Historical Park – Brandywine Unit south of Ramsey Road. CHIPPING and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW were seen at the nature center feeders at Brandywine Creek State Park. COMMON RAVEN was reported at Philadelphia Pike in Bellefonte. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were seen at a feeder in Newport and Newark. 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 along with SANDHILL CRANE. 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 LOON. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were found along Collins Beach Road in Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. BARN OWL was reported from Woodland Beach Wildlife Area.
The previously reported PAINTED BUNTING was last seen on Sunday at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, at the tidal pond near the Parson’s Point Trail at the edge of the marsh. SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL was found at the culvert near the Bear Swamp tower parking lot along with AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at the Shearness Pool spillway. Waterfowl reported were CACKLING GOOSE, TUNDRA and MUTE SWAN, plus COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER. There were 7 SANDHILL CRANES found at Bear Swamp. SNOW BUNTING was seen along Whitehall Neck Road. A flock of 50 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen at Wick’s Potato Farm along Route 8. A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was found along the North Little Creek Road.
BARNACLE, CACKLING and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE continues to be seen in the north Smyrna area, off Route 13 at Duck Creek.The WESTERN KINGBIRD that was found at 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. PIED-BILLED GREBE and AMERICAN COOT were seen from the central tower at the end of the main entrance road. SHORT-EARED OWL and the first SEDGE WREN of the year was reported at Port Mahon.
The previously reported WESTERN TANAGER continues at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The bird was last seen on Thursday behind the maintenance sheds at the headquarters building near the Black Farm Trail. BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER were seen from the Dike Trail. SNOW BUNTINGS, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and SHORT-EARED OWL were found at Fowler’s Beach. There was a high count of 47 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS at Mispillion Inlet along with GREATER SCAUP, LONG-TAILED DUCK and BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE.
RAZORBILL and COMMON EIDER were seen off Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park. RUDDY TURNSTONE, BRANT, and NORTHERN GANNET were seen at Cape Henlopen Point along with SNOW BUNTING, and “IPSWICH” SAVANNAH SPARROW. RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were seen at the Seaside Nature Center. An adult GLAUCOUS GULL was seen on a boat trip to the Lewes Breakwater, along with GREAT CORMORANT and PURPLE SANDPIPERS. An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was found at Wolfe’s Point. Another ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and a male BALTIMORE ORIOLE was visiting a feeder near Lewes. There were a flock of 300 CANVASBACK and 4 HOODED MERGANSERS on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach.
RAZORBILL was also seen at Indian River Inlet along with a drake and female HARLEQUIN DUCKS and 14 COMMON EIDERS. A male REDHEAD was seen on Wednesday Other waterfowl included BRANT, LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, HORNED GREBE and GREAT CORMORANT. TREE SWALLOW and “IPSWICH” SAVANNAH SPARROW were seen at the inlet in the dunes. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS were seen at Burton’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park. A PALM WARBLER was reported at the North campground at Indian River Inlet and on Long Neck at the Peninsula Beach and Pier.
A drake EURASIAN WIGEON was found with approximately 500 AMERICAN WIGEON at Mulberry Landing Pond in Assawoman Wildlife Area. RUSTY BLACKBIRD and WOOD DUCK were seen at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at the Peninsula Gold Course. 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.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Jacob Hall, Anne Champagne, Jim Rapp, Evan Jarman, Ryleigh Sweet, Martha Frost, Kitt Heckscher, Randy Fisher, Steve Licata, Jenna Christy, David Thomas, Debbie Blair, Will Krohn, Chris Rankin, Wendy Cesario, Rod Murray, Kent Raymond, Bert Filemyr, Mike Rosengarten, Carolyn Holland, Sue Gruver, Greg Gough, Phil Misseldine, Rob Blye, Richard Julian, Nancy Cunningham, Anthony Gonzon, Kim Steininger, David Brown, Chris and Karen Bennett, Melissa Lafferty, Alison Ellicott, Walt Blackwell, Frank Rohrbacher, John and Andy Dunn, Chris Macuhulski, 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!
