Date: 1/30/26 5:06 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, January 30th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * January 30, 2026 * DEST 26.01.30
*Birds mentioned Brant BARNACLE GOOSE Ross’s Goose Canvasback Greater Scaup HARLEQUIN DUCK Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter COMMON EIDER Long-tailed Duck Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Sora Black-bellied Plover Ruddy Turnstone Wilson’s Snipe Black-headed Gull GLAUCOUS GULL Horned Grebe Great Cormorant ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK Short-eared Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker YELLOW-HEADED CARACARA Eastern Phoebe Common Raven Horned Lark Tree Swallow Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Hermit Thrush American Pipit Purple Finch Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD Baltimore Oriole Orange-crowned Warbler Pine Warbler PAINTED BUNTING
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: January 30, 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 30th 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 181 species.
It’s back! The previously reported YELLOW-HEADED CARACARA was photographed on Saturday eating a roadkill about 1 mile west of Frederica. The bird was seen at 4670 Johnny Cake Landing Road (Delaware Route 12). Unfortunately, the CARACARA has not been re-seen and Delaware’s first big winter storm hit on Sunday with 6-12 inches of snow accompanied by 2 inches of ice. Transportation has been curtailed on the back streets and offroad walking is nearly impossible. Bombay Hooks Auto Tour is closed and so is Newark Reservoir.
Lots of LAPLAND LONGSPURS are being seen in Sussex Co. this week. Near Millsboro, there have been multiple sights at Raspberry Road off Route 26 near Frankfort and Maryland Camp off Route 24 near Oak Orchard. Another sighting was at Thirteen Curves Road near Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. These birds were in the company of HORNED LARK, AMERICAN PIPITS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS and SNOW BUNTINGS. Once again though, Sussex Co. is scheduled to be hit with another snow storm this weekend. The previously reported RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at the Peninsula Golf Course on Long Neck. A single CANVASBACK was with RING-NECKED DUCKS at Burton’s Pond off Route 24 near Angola Neck.
A GLAUCOUS GULL was photographed at Indian River Inlet along with a drake and female HARLEQUIN DUCKS and 19 COMMON EIDERS. Other waterfowl included BRANT, GREATER SCAUP, LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, HORNED GREBE and GREAT CORMORANT. A late A RUDDY TURNSTONE was seen on the jetty and TREE SWALLOW was seen along the dunes.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was seen at Cape Henlopen State Park. RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were seen at the Seaside Nature Center. PINE WARBLER was seen along the Pine Loop Trail and at Red Mill Pond near Lewes. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and a male BALTIMORE ORIOLE were visiting feeders near Lewes.
ROSS’S GOOSE and SHORT-EARED OWL were found at Fowler’s Beach at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along Prime Hook Beach Road. COMMON GOLDENEYE and WILSON’S SNIPE were seen at Oyster Rocks Road along with TREE SWALLOW and EASTERN MEADOWLARK. A BLACK-HEADED GULL was found at Big Stone Beach and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were found at Milford Neck Wildlife Area. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were reported coming to a feeder near Lincoln.
The previously reported PAINTED BUNTING was last seen on Saturday at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The SORA was found at the culvert near the Bear Swamp tower parking. AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, AMERICAN PIPITS, and HORNED LARK were seen along Whitehall Neck Road.
A light phase ROUGH LEGGED HAWK was photographed at Woodland Beach on Wednesday. The BARNACLE GOOSE continues to be seen in the north Smyrna area, off Route 13 at Duck Creek. The previously reported WESTERN KINGBIRD at the main entrance to Little Creek Wildlife Area east of Dover has not been seen all week. A YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen coming to a feeder near Woodside, south of Dover off Route 13. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was also seen at McCaffery Wildlife Sanctuary off Bryant’s Corner Road near Camden-Wyoming. CHIPPING SPARROW and EASTERN MEADOWLARK were seen off Bergold Lane opposite Dover Air Force Base.
CANVASBACKS were reported on the Delaware River at Woodland Beach and Collins Beach in Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. A COMMON GOLDENEYE was also seen at this latter location. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were seen at the Cedar Swamp maintenance yard. LONG-TAILED DUCK continues to be seen at the Augustine Creek Causeway from the spillway and at Battery Park in New Castle.
A HORNED GREBE was found at Newark Reservoir along with COMMON and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER prior to its closure. COMMON RAVEN, EASTERN PHEOBE, PINE WARBLER and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH were found at White Clay Creek State Park. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were seen coming to feeders in Newark and Newport. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, HERMIT THRUSH, PURPLE FINCH and FOX SPARROW continue to be regularly reported.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Jay Mengel, Ken Bass, Aaron Reb, Josh Bernstein, Eric Liebgold, Steven Davies, Randy Fisher, Steve Licata, Jenna Christy, David Thomas, Debbie Blair, Will Krohn, Grace Muench, Jim Green, Leslie Ebelgroth, Chris Rankin, Wendy Cesario, Rod Murray, Jason Horn, Bert Filemyr, Mike Rosengarten, Carolyn Holland, Sue Gruver, Greg Gough, Phil Misseldine, Rob Blye, Richard Julian, Nancy Cunningham, Chuck Mitchell, Will Martens, Gael Storck, Bruce Hoover, Sally Fintel, Anthony Gonzon, Kim Steininger, David Brown, Chris and Karen Bennett, Brian McCaffery, Melissa Lafferty, Alison Ellicott, Walt Blackwell, Frank Rohrbacher, John and Andy Dunn, Joe Francis, Mike Moore, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricario 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 yo! u good birding!
