Date: 5/15/26 4:49 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, May 15th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * May 15, 2026 * DEST 26.05.15
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLNG DUCK Brant Snow Goose Northern Pintail Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter Black Scoter Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Eastern Whip-poor-will Chuck-Will’s-Widow Common Nighthawk Black-billed Cuckoo Virginia Rail Sora King Rail Clapper Rail Common Gallinule American Coot Sandhill Crane American Coot American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Hudsonian Whimbrel Marbled Godwit Hudsonian Godwit Long-billed dowitcher Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson’s Snipe Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot CURLEW SANDPIPER Least Sandpiper Western Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper RED-NECKED PHALAROPE Wilson’s Phalarope PARASITIC JAEGER Black Tern Gull-billed Tern Least Tern Common Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Bonaparte’s Gull Common Loon Red-throated Loon Northern Gannet Brown Pelican ROSEATE SPOONBILL Least Bittern American Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON Tricolored Heron Western Cattle Egret Little Blue Heron Glossy Ibis White Ibis MISSISSIPPI KITE Broad-winged Hawk Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon ALDER FLYCATCHER Willow Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Common Raven Cliff Swallow Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush Hermit Thrush Purple Finch Grasshopper Sparrow Salt Marsh Sparrow Seaside Sparrow Vesper Sparrow LINCOLN’S SPARROW White-crowned Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Northern Waterthrush Worm-eating Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Kentucky Warbler Hooded Warbler MOURNING WARBLER Blue-winged Warbler BREWSTER’S WARBLER Nashville Warbler Tennessee Warbler Cape May Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Canada Warbler Dickcissel
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: May 15, 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, May 15th 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 by 13 birds to 304 species this week. New additions included, PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, HUDSONIAN and MARBLED GODWIT, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, WILSON’S and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, GULL-BILLED TERN, ROSEATE SPOONBILL, MISSISSIPPI KITE, ALDER FLYCATCHER, LINCOLN’S SPARROW, plus MOURNING and BAY-BREASTED WARBLER.
Spring migration has reached its peak with 31 species of warbler reported. Highlights included WORM-EATING, PROTHONOTARY, HOODED, KENTUCKY, BLUE-WINGED, NASHVILLE, TENNSSEE, CAPE MAY, CHESTNUT-SIDED, MAGNOLIA, BLACKBURNIAN. BAY-BREASTED, BLACKPOLL, WILSON’S and CANADA. MOURNING WARBLERS found at Wedgewood Road by the Russell Bridge in White Clay Creek State Park and at Brandywine Creek State Park along the west bank south of Thompson’s Bridge. Both of these reports were heard only. Another BREWSTER’S WARBLER, the hybrid of BLUE-WINGED x GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was photographed at Ashland Nature Center today. Usually rare by the second week of May, a late PALM WARBLER was seen on Saturday at Little Creek Wildlife Area. HOODED WARBLER was reported at a yard in Glasgow, Oak Hill Tract in Blackbird State Forest of Saltere Road, Abbott’s Mill Nature Center near Milford, Ponder’s Tract near Georgetown, Little Neck Wildlife Area, and Assawoman Wildlife Area.
There has been an influx of shorebirds around Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna. One site outside the refuge has been the fields at the intersection of Bear Swamp and Raymond Neck Road where a large flock of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS included AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and a breeding plumage PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER on Saturday. Also reported there was HUDSONIAN and MARBLED GODWITS yesterday and today. A breeding plumaged CURLEW SANDPIPER was seen at the north end of Shearness Pool along with the first WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER of the year. There was a flyby HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL on Tuesday. WILSON’S and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE were seen at Bear Swamp. BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED, and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, RUDDDY TURNSTONE, RED KNOT, WILLET, LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILSON’S SNIPE, plus SPOTTED, SOLITARY, WESTERN, LEAST, STILT, and PECTORAL SANDPIPER were also seen. Some more birds from Bombay Hook included SANDHILL CRANE,! KING RAIL, AMERICAN BITTERN, plus CASPIAN and BLACK TERN. A basic plumaged RED-THROATED LOON was seen on Leatherbury Flats. An ALDER FLYCATCHER was singing behind Finis Pool off Raymond Neck Road. COMMON NIGHTHAWK was reported, along with RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, MERLIN, and a lingering RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
In northern Delaware, a MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen over the Alapocos Wood development near The Friend’s School on Tuesday. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was reported in a yard in Graylyn Crest in Brandywine Hundred. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continues to be found at Brandywine Creek State Park. Female COMMON MERGANSERS were seen at Brandywine Creek and at First State National Historical Park. A flock of SNOW GEESE was seen flying over the Claymont Library off Darley Road. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was reported at Bellevue State Park. There was a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON at Brandywine Park in downtown Wilmington.
A LINCOLN’S SPARROW was seen on Saturday at Hopkins Bridge Nature Center in White Clay Creek State Park. WILD TURKEY was reported along Hopkins Bridge Road. COMMON RAVEN and LEAST FLYCATCHER were found along Creek Road and there were flyover COMMON LOONS. A PURPLE FINCH was seen at Curtis Mill Park. A female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was seen on the Pencader Ponds near Glasgow. A BARRED OWL continues to call near Red Clay Creek in Hockessin. A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was reported at Ashland Nature Center. Another hen COMMON MERGANSER with young was reported on Red Clay Creek at Auburn Valley State Park.
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, WESTERN CATTLE EGRET, and LITTLE BLUE HERON were seen at Pea Patch Island. KING RAIL was calling at Dragon Run off Cox Neck Road. PEREGRINE FALCON continues under the Reedy Point Bridge. BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS were heard calling at night at Thousand Acre Marsh along with SORA, VIRGINA and CLAPPER RAIL NORTHERN PINTAIL, LESSER SCAUP, AMERICAN COOT, BLACK-NECKED STILT, and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER were also reported. COMMON GALLINULE and LEAST BITTERN were found at Greer’s Pond off Dutch Neck Road near Port Penn. SANDHILL CRANE and WILLOW FLYCATCHER were reported at Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. WILSON’S SNIPE was found at the Port Penn Impoundments.
Yesterday, a ROSEATE SPOONBILL was seen over Delaware Route 1 north of Duck Creek outside of Smyrna flying northeast. A singing DICKCISSEL has returned to Charles Price Park in Middletown this week along with BOBOLINK, EASTERN MEADOWLARK and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. Gray-cheeked Thrush was found at the Tybout’s Tract in Blackbird State Forest. Northern Bobwhite continues to be heard calling at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. CLIFF SWALLOWS continue to be seen at the Appoquinmink Creek Bridge along Route 9. A rare find in New Castle County was a WILLET at Stave’s Landing.
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS continue to be seen at Wheatley’s Pond in Clayton off Route 300. CLIFF SWALLOWS were also seen at the Fleming’s Land Bridge near Smyrna. Some late lingering waterfowl at Port Mahon included GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, BLACK SCOTER, BUFFLEHEAD and BONAPARTE’S GULL. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was found along the entrance road to Little Creek Wildlife Area. BLUE-WINGED TEAL, BLACK SKIMMER and AMERICAN COOT were seen from the observation tower. A BROAD-WINGED HAWK was seen at Texas Lane in Leipsic. COMMON RAVEN was reported at Scott’s Corner Road near Dover. A PIPING PLOVER was seen at Pickering Beach along with RED KNOT, RUDDY TURNSTONE, BLACK-NECKED STILT, LEAST TERN and a LEAST BITTERN. LEAST BITTERN was also reported along the Bennett’s Pier Road.
There was a high count of 200 RED KNOT, 1500 RUDDY TURNSTONES, and 600 SANDERLINGS at Mispillion Inlet from the duPont Nature Center, along with AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and WILLET. A GULL-BILLED TERN was seen with LEAST, CASPIAN and ROYAL TERNS. PIPING PLOVER with bands was seen at N. Slaughter’s Beach. An adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was seen at the Marvel Salt Marsh Preserve Pond. SALTMARSH and SEASIDE SPARROW were seen from the boardwalk across from Marvel Ave. NORTHERN PINTAIL and BLACK SKIMMER were seen at Broadkill Beach Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. SORA and a late WHITE-THROATED SPARROW were reported along the Dike Trail. HOODED MERGANSER, HERMIT THRUSH and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found at Turkle’s Pond. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was found at Little Neck Wildlife Area. BLACK-NECKED STILT, PECTORAL and STILT SANDPIPER were seen along Oyster Rocks Road, along with WHITE IBIS and AMERICAN KESTREL.
A PARASITIC JAEGER was seen from the Cape May – Lewes Ferry. Both LOONS, BROWN PELICAN, NORTHERN GANNETS, SURF and BLACK SCOTER were seen flying past Herring Point at Cape Henlopen State Park. BRANT, PIPING PLOVER, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER and WHIMBREL, plus ROYAL and LEAST TERN were reported at Cape Henlopen Point. RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was seen at the Seaside Nature Center. MARBLED GODWIT, BLACK-NECKED STILT, WHITE and GLOSSY IBIS were seen at Gordon’s Pond but the bike path remains closed during the week for repairs.
BLACK SCOTER and COMMON LOON were seen at Indian River Inlet. TRICOLORED HERON and a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER were found at the Marian Okie Wildlife Preserver on Long Neck. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was also reported at Angola Neck. CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW and EASTERN WHIPPOORWILL were reported at Raccoon Ditch Road near Georgetown. CHUCK and COMMON NIGHTHAWK was reported at Fresh Pond State Park and Cape Henlopen. VESPER SPARROW was found near Ellendale off Hummingbird Road.
The PEREGRINE FALCONS have hatched three chicks at the nest box on the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington. You can watch the nest box activity on the DOS Falcon cam found at: www.dosbirds.org/citizen-science/falcon-watch/, Fledgling Watch should begin from mid-June into July. Sign up now to help the babies!
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Taj Schottland, Chris Machulski, Gary Griffith, Evan Jarman, Nan Buckardt, Sheryl Johnson, Phil Misseldine, Jeff Shenot, Randy Vickers, Gale Wulker, Josh Jones, Jay Mengal Chris Hinkle, Armas Hill,, Chase Wilkinson, Jen Driscoll, Brooke Cherry, Gerhard Wittreich, Walter Bruhler, Stephanie Harmon, David Thomas, Darrick Ressler, Megan Kasprzak, Jackie Terch, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Jason Horn, Martin Selzer, Lynn Jackson, Bodo Stern, Rod Murray, Chris Rankin, Kent Raymond, Ed Wrzniewski, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Sue Gruver, Debbie Blair, Rob Blye, Richard Clifton, Richard Julian, Alice Mohrman, Steve McInnis, John Janowski, Nancy Cunningham, Chris and Karen Bennett, Autumn Heil, Melissa Lafferty, Kris Benarcik, Frank Rohrbacher, Jim White, John and Andy Dunn, Wendy Caserio, Joe Sebastiani, Joe Francis, Mike Moore, Joe Russell, , Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico for list d! istribution 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!
