Date: 4/17/26 4:43 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Deaware, April 17th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * April 17, 2026 * DEST 26.04.17
*Birds mentioned Brant Snow Goose Mute Swan Blue-winged Teal American Wigeon Northern Pintail Canvasback Greater Scaup COMMON EIDER Surf Scoter Black Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Eastern Whip-poor-will Virginia Rail American Coot Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Piping Plover Hudsonian Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Willet Long-billed dowitcher Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson’s Snipe Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stil Sandpiper Common Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern SANDWICH TERN Black Skimmer LITTLE GULL Bonaparte’s Gull Common Loon Red-throated Loon PACIFIC LOON Brown Pelican Great Cormorant Least Bittern White Ibis Glossy Ibis Black-crowned Night Heron YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Western Cattle Egret Green Heron Bald Eagle Broad-winged Hawk Red-headed Woodpecker Merlin Peregrine Falcon Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Common Raven Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Cliff Swallow Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch American Pipit Wood Thrush Purple Finch Pine Siskin RED CROSSBILL Grasshopper Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Ovenbird Louisiana Waterthrush Prothonotary Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Northern Parula Northern Yellow Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Scarlet Tanager Indigo Bunting Blue Grosbeak
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: April 17, 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, April 17th 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. Spring migration is coming with 14 species of warbler and 4 vireos. The unofficial Delaware Annual List increased by 21 birds to 252 species this week. New additions included STILT SANDPIPER, COMMON TERN. LEAST BITTERN, GREEN HERON, GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, WARBLING and RED-EYED VIREO, CLIFF SWALLOW, WOOD THRUSH, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, ORCHARD ORIOLE, WORM-EATING and HOODED WARBLER, NORTHERN PARULA, SCARLET TATNGER, INDIGO BUNTING, and BLUE GROSBEAK,
A breeding plumage PACIFIC LOON was seen from the hawkwatch at Cape Henlopen State Park on Wednesday. This is the fourth spring during the last 5 years that an adult PACIFIC LOON has been found there and the observer suspects that this might be the same individual involved in all the sightings. Also, an early SANDWICH TERN and a pair of RED CROSSBILLs were seen at Herring Point on Tuesday. HUDSONIAN WHIMBRELS have been seen flying up the coast all week along with ROYAL TERN, BLACK SKIMMER, NORTHERN GANNET, BRANT, BLACK and SURF SCOTER, plus COMMON and RED-THROATED LOONS. PIPING PLOVER and AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were seen at the Seaside Nature Center. WHITE-WINGED SCOTER and a TRICOLORED HERON were seen from the Cape May – Lewes Ferry.
The first HOODED WARBLER of the year was found at the intersection of Mulberry and Strawberry Landing Roads in Assawoman Wildlife Area, along with NORTHERN PARULA and SCARLET TANAGER. The first WORM-EATING WARBLER was found near Redden State Forest on Tuesday and ORCHARD ORIOLE was found at Redden today. The first RED-EYED VIREO was seen at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge along the Dike Trail today. A WARBLING VIREO was found in Wilmington at the Goodstay Center gardens yesterday. LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, plus PALM, PINE, and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS seen across the state.
A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was photographed along the Brandywine Creek but no further directions were given. The previously reported RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER was found at First Sate National Historical Park south of Ramsey Road near Wilmington today. Another RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at Brandywine Creek State Park along with COMMON MERGANSER and a female AMERICAN WIGEON. BLUE-HEAD VIREO, NORTHERN YELLOW WARBLER, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and PURPLE FINCH were reported at Ashland Nature Center along with a flyby MERLIN. BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were reported from the Judge Morris Estate and the nature center in White Clay Creek State Park. INDIGO BUNTING was seen in a yard near Middle Run Natural Area near Newark. A PRAIRIE WARBLER was found at Curtis Mill Park. A SOLITARY SANDPIPER was seen at a retention pond off Route 72 in Newark. COMMON RAVEN continues to be seen at the Star Campus off S. College Ave. There was a BALTIMORE ORIOLE in a yard near Glasgow. HOOD! ED MERGANSER was seen at Lums Pond State Park.
The first CLIFF SWALOW of the year was seen at the Appoquinmink Bridge along Route 9 near Odessa. LITTLE BLUE HERON and BLUE-WINGED TEAL were seen at Dragon Run Marsh near Delaware City. WESTERN CATTLE EGRET was found along Port Penn Road. SNOWY EGRET, CASPIAN TERN, and WILSON’S SNIPE was seen at Thousand Acre Marsh. SANDHILL CRANE and GREEN HERON were seen at the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and a misplaced ROYAL TERN was seen at Charles Price Park in Middletown. The first WOOD THRUSH of the year was photographed at the Tybout’s Tract in Blackbird State Forest. OVENBIRD was reported at the Oak Hill Tract. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, SCARLET TANAGER, GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, and AMERICAN PIPIT were reported along Saw Mill Road. Night birding at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area produced EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL and AMERICAN WOODCOCK. WILD TURKEY and NORTHERN BOBWHITE were found at daybreak.
Some late waterfowl at Woodland Beach included CANVASBACK, GREATER SCAUP and COMMON GOLDENEYE. Waterfowl reported at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge included MUTE SWAN, SNOW GOOSE, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and RUDDY DUCK. Shorebirds seen were BLACK-BELLIED and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, WILLET, SHORT-BILLED and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILSON’S SNIPE, plus SPOTTED, PECTORAL, and LEAST SANDPIPER. A LEAST BITTERN was heard calling opposite Raymond Pool. Waders found included SANDHILL CRANES, SNOWY EGRET, GREEN HERON, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, plus WHITE and GLOSSY IBIS. There has been an impressive number of 40-50 BALD EAGLES at Leatherbury Flats at low tide.
There was a flight of BONAPARTE’S GULLS that included an immature LITTLE GULL in the fields around Frederica. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was reported in a yard near Milford. AMERICAN AVOCET, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and BLACK SKIMMER were seen from the Big Stone Beach Road in Milford Neck Wildlife Area. An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER was seen at Bower’s Beach with WILLET and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. VIRGINIA RAIL, AMERICAN COOT, and BLACK-NECKED STILT was found at Little Creek Wildlife Area. A PRAIRIE WARBLER was seen at the Fork Branch Natural Area in Dover. CHIMNEY SWIFTS were seen in downtown Dover near the R &R Building. EASTERN KINGBIRD and PROTHONOTARY WARBLER were found at Killen’s Pond State Park.
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, WILLET and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER were seen at the duPont Nature Center at Mispillion Inlet. A pair of COMMON TERNS were reported flying along the breakwater. A HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL was seen at Prime Hook, both from the Broadkill Beach Road and from the Dike Trail. Other shorebirds seen included AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, plus PECTORAL and SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Terns seen included BLACK SKIMMER, CASPIAN, and ROYAL TERNS. STILT and PECTORAL SANDPIPER were seen at Oyster Rocks Road. A WORM-EATING WARBLER was reported at the McCabe Preserve near Milton.
The previously reported COMMON EIDERS were at the Indian River Inlet along with AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BROWN PELICAN, GREAT CORMORANT and SURF SCOTER. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at Thompson’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park and also at the Peninsula Golf Course near Millsboro. The first BLUE GROSBEAK of the year was a male seen in Bethany Beach. A late PINE SISKIN was reported from Abbott’s Mill Nature Center. RUBY-THROPATED HUMMINGBIRDS are being reported downstate, as far north as Kitts Hummock, but have not reached the northern piedmont area yet. Keep an eye out!
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Olivia Abernathy, Keely Milbourn, Rachel Yurchisin, Brody Ritter, Bert Filemyr, Mike Rosengarten, Aaron Reb, Ryleigh Sweet, Kevin Bronson, Don Kiffer, Frank Lenik, Megan Kasprzak, Jay Ni, Michael McGraw, John Janowski, Peter Schyuler, Lynn Gulla, Judith Picciotto, Margi Finch, Mike Bowen, Randy Fisher, Nancy Goggin, Lloyd Maier, Patti Parziale, Jen Driscoll, Gary Griffith, Alice Mills, Paul Beckman, Bodo Stern, Rod Murray, Chris Rankin, Kent Raymond, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Sue Gruver, Rob Blye, Greg Gough, Phil Misseldine, Richard Julian, Alice Mohrman, Steve McInnis, Nancy Cunningham, Ellen and Jake Jacobson, Kevin Bronson, Chris and Karen Bennett, Melissa Lafferty, Frank Rohrbacher, John and Andy Dunn, Wendy Caserio, 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 report! s into 302-463-0113 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!
