Date: 2/20/26 5:35 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, February 20th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * February 20, 2026 * DEST 26.02.20
*Birds mentioned GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Brant Ross’s Goose Tundra Swan Mute Swan Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal American Wigeon Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup 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 Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Ruddy Turnstone Purple Sandpiper Razorbill COMMON MURRE DOVEKIE ATLANTIC PUFFIN Bonaparte’s Gull Black-headed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Iceland Gull Forster’s Tern Horned Grebe RED-NECKED GREBE Great Cormorant American Bittern Osprey Barred Owl Short-eared Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Merlin YELLOW-HEADED CARACARA Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Tree Swallow Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Snow Bunting American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Lark Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Rusty Blackbird Orange-crowned Warbler Pine Warbler
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: February 20, 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, February 20th 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 jumped up to 187 species this week with several additions from this weekend’s boat trips.
The previously reported YELLOW-HEADED CARACARA in Milford was last reported on Wednesday, February 18th along Holly Hill Road, across from Airport Road and Route 14 which is a little west of its original sighting. Last week, the CARACARA was found on private property at #2009 Milford-Harrington Hwy. The homeowners, Carol and Bob, are allowed birders to walk down the driveway to look for the bird, just be sure to sign the guest book. Please park along the highway and be aware that Route 14 is a very busy road. Also, be aware that Airport Road (DE Route 15) is closed near Route 14 for construction of a rotary, best to find an alternate route. Some other birds in the area included a pair of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE along the S. Bower’s Beach Road yesterday, BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH along Big Stone Beach Road, and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH plus PINE WARBLER were reported at Killen’s Pond State Park.
There might not be many ALCIDS close to shore this winter, but the pelagic trip out of Lewes found good numbers offshore, including ATLANTIC PUFFINS, COMMON MURE, DOVEKIES and about 100 RAZORBILLS. Additionally, the Lewes Breakwater produced AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, PURPLE SANDPIPER, and GREAT CORMORANT. There were several sightings of RED-NECKED GREBES at the Lewes Harbor and Breakwater, the hawkwatch at Cape Henlopen State Park, and at Indian River Inlet.
An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW continues at Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park, Waterfowl offshore included BONAPARTE’S and BLACK-HEADED GULL, FORSTER’S TERN, LONG-TAILED DUCK, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, BRANT and SNOW BUNTING plus SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES along with a reported BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE were seen at the Seaside Nature Center. An ICELAND GULL was seen at Gordon’s Pond. An ORANGE-CROWNED and PINE WARBLER was visiting a feeder in Lewes.
At Indian River Inlet, there was a drake and female HARLEQUIN DUCKS plus 4 COMMON EIDERS. Other waterfowl included BRANT, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF, BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, HORNED GREBE and GREAT CORMORANT. PURPLE SANDPIPER, BONAPARTE’S and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were seen on the jetty. An ICELAND GULL was seen at Burton’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park. BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 450 AMERICAN WIGEON, MUTE SWAN, RING-NECKED DUCK, GOLDENEYE, and HOODED MERGANSER were seen this week at Assawoman Wildlife Area.
A LARK SPARROW, among a flock of CHIPPING SPARROWS visited a feeder west of Millsboro. Another immature ICELAND GULL was reported in a field near the Mountaire plant off Route 24 in Millsboro. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continues to be seen at Peninsula Golf and Country Club near Oak Orchard. There is a plethora of REDHEADS being reported this week as the ponds begin to melt including, Millsboro Pond, Silver Dollar Pond near Ocean View, Nanticoke River in Seaford, and Swiggett’s Pond in Lincoln. REDHEAD and CANVASBACK were seen on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach and behind the CVS in Lewes, off Savanna Road near the intersection with Route 1.
A MERLIN was seen at Oyster Rocks Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. CANVASBACK, LESSER SCAUP, and LONG-TAILED DUCK were seen at Fowlers Beach along with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS. SHORT-EARED OWL continues to be seen at dusk from Fowlers Beach. BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER plus RUDDY TURNSTONE were seen at Mispillion Inlet from the DuPont Nature Center. TREE SWALLOWS were reported at both Fowlers Beach and Mispillion.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was found at Bear Swamp in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge along with SANDHILL CRANES. Waterfowl reported included TUNDRA SWAN, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK, and HOODED MERGANSER. ROSS’S GOOSE was seen among the SNOW GEESE and a SNOW BUNTING was seen with HORNED LARKS along Whitehall Neck Road, REDHEAD and CANVASBACK were seen at Little Creek Wildlife Area–Mahon impoundment. AMERICAN BITTERN and SHORT-EARED OWL were seen at Port Mahon. A very early OSPREY was seen eating a fish on a light pole at Dover Aire Force Base.
LONG-TAILED DUCK and COMMON MERGANSER was seen at Battery Park in the Town of New Castle. REDHEAD, RING-NECKED DUCK, COMMON MERGANSER, and 93 MUTE SWANS were seen at Canal Pond along Cox Neck Road near Delaware City. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and RUSTY BLACKBIRD were seen on the Canal Pond dike. A SANDHILL CRANE was reported at Dragon Run and Augustine Beach near Port Penn. A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen flying south at were seen at Augustine Beach along with RED-BREASTED MERGANSER and RUDDY DUCK. HORNED GREBE and WOOD DUCK were seen at the Augustine Creek causeway on the Delaware River.
The previously reported pair of RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to be seen at the Brandywine Unit, First State National Historical Park south of Ramsey Road. WOOD DUCKS were seen in Brandywine Park in downtown Wilmington. A PINE WARBLER was seen coming to a feeder in Hockessin. COMMON RAVEN was seen at the Universite of Delaware Ag Farm. A BARRED OWL was reported in Newark off Paper Mill Road.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Zach Bear, Kurt Gaskill, Sherman Suter, Tim Carney, Sam Tillman, Lynn Gulla, Will Krohn, Martin Selzer, Lynn Jackson, Maddie Tiemann, Karen Hockgraf, Martha Frost, George Davis, Chris Machulski, Ellen Dickey, Linda Rosenberg, Erik Addams, Debbie Blair, Chris Rankin, Rod Murray, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Sue Gruver, Greg Gough, Richard Julian, Chuck Mitchell, Steve McInnis, Ellen Kilmer, Kelly White, Ed Wrzesniewski, Ryan von Hilst, Kim Steininger, Chris and Karen Bennett, Melissa Lafferty, John Carter, Don Stockly, Laureen Eick-Benson, Frank Rohrbacher, John and Andy Dunn, Wendy Caserio, Sam VanHorne, 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!
