Date: 6/26/26 4:16 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, June 26th, 2026
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * June 26, 2026 * DEST 26.06.26
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Mute Swan Green-winged Teal Black Scoter Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Northern Bobwhite Wild Turkey Black-billed Cuckoo Chuck-Will’s-Widow Eastern Whip-poor-Will Virginia Rail Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Marbled Godwit Hudsonian Whimbrel Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Short-billed Dowitcher Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Dunlin Sanderling White-rumped Sandpiper Wilson’s Phalarope GULL-BILLED TERN Least Tern Common Tern Sandwich Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Common Loon Wilson’s Storm-Petrel Brown Pelican Least Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-Crowned Night Heron Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Western Cattle Egret Glossy Ibis White Ibis MISSISSIPPI KITE Northern Harrier Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Yellow-throated Vireo Cliff Swallow Grasshopper Sparrow Salt Marsh Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Louisiana Waterthrush Black and white Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Prairie Warbler Summer Tanager Dickcissel
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: June 26, 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 6-26-26, on Friday, June 26th 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 remains at 309 species this week.
The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN that showed up at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is still being seen today. Additionally, another AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN is now being seen at the Dike Trail in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The Bombay Hook bird has lost its protuberance from the dorsal bill that was present when it first arrived. Several WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS were reported, including a single bird offshore during a fishing trip and two sightings in the Delaware Bay: from the duPont Nature Center at Mispillion Inlet and from Bennett’s Pier near Milford Neck Wildlife Area.
In northern Delaware, there was an influx of BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO records, with birds seen along the Pomeroy Trail just north of the 1st pedestrian bridge off Creek Road in White Clay Creek State Park and behind Hy-Point Dairy in First State National Historical Park off Beaver Dam Road. Another BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was reported off Vance Neck Road north of Odessa. A pair of BOBOLINKS continues at Smith’s Mill Road aerodrome field in White Clay Creek State Park, including a female carrying food to feed young. This would be the first confirmed record of nest with young for the state. YELLOW-THROATED VIREO and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH were seen along Creek Road. NORTHERN PARULA and PRAIRIE WARBLER were reported at First State near Ramsey Road.
The heronry census at Delaware City on Wednesday night found 9 YELLOW-CROWNED and 94 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS along with MUTE SWANS on the Delaware River. Overall, there have been low numbers at the heronry this year, with a 75% decrease in WESTERN CATTLE EGRETS and a 90% decrease in GLOSSY IBIS. The only species that has shown a stable population was SNOWY EGRET. Thanks to Chris Benneett for supplying those numbers. HOODED and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER were seen at the Port Penn impoundments in Augustine Wildlife Area. LEAST BITTERN was seen at the Fire Truck Pond off N. Congress St. A SUMMER TANAGER was reported at Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. DICKCISSELS, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, and EASTERN MEADOWLARK continue at the Charles Price Park in Middletown.
A survey of nesting CLIFF SWALLOWS in New Castle County found a total of 144 active nests and over 155 individual birds at 8 different locations. Locations were at Silver Run Bridge off Route 9, the North Appoquinimink Bridge and South Appoqinimink Bridges, Fleming’s Landing Bridge, Route 1 bridge northbound and also the southbound bridge south of Odessa, plus the Route 1 bridge at Duck Creek north of Smyrna, and the Smyrna Landing Bridge. There are also nesting CLIFF SWALLOWS at the Leipsic Bridge along Route 9. This has come a long way from the first colony of 9 nests found in 1993.
The first returning SPOTTED SANDPIPER and WILSON’S PHALAROPE of the summer were seen at Bombay Hook this week. Other shorebirds included AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED, and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. GULL-BILLED, CASPIAN and LEAST TERNS plus BLACK SKIMMER were reported at Leatherbury Flats. The first WHITE IBIS for the refuge this year was seen at Shearness Tower. Other waterbirds included SANDHILL CRANE, LEAST BITTERN, VIRGINIA RAIL, LITTLE BLUE HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. WILD TURKEY were seen near the Visitor’s Center. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was seen by Bear Swamp and SALT MARSH SPARROW was seen from the Boardwalk Trail
There were 3 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS seen at Wheatley’s Pond in Clayton. GULL-BILLED TERN was seen at the Main Tract at Little Creek Wildlife Area along with GREEN-WINGED TEAL, COMMON GALLINULE, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT and BLACK SKIMMER. BARRED OWL and SUMMER TANAGER was reported at Killen’s Pond. Both CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW and EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL were heard at dusk along the Big Stone Beach Road at Milford Neck Wildlife Area
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, and RUDDY TURNSTONE were seen at Mispillion Inlet from the duPont Nature Center. BROWN PELICAN, plus LEAST, CASPIAN and ROYAL TERNS were seen on the Back Beach. BOBOLINK and NORTHERN HARRIER were reported at Prime Hook. HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL and BLACK-NECKED STILT were seen at Oyster Rocks Road.
A flyby MARBLED GODWIT was seen from Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park. Shorebirds at Cape Henlopen Point included AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, PIPING and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SANDERLING, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and RED KNOT along with BLACK SCOTER and COMMON LOON. SANDWICH TERN was seen along the Bayside Beach, along with BLACK SKIMMER, ROYAL, CASPIAN, LEAST, and the first nesting COMMON TERN in over 30 years. Thanks to Anthony Gonzon for that information. GULL-BILLED TERN and TRICOLORED HERON, plus 120 GLOSSY and 55 WHITE IBIS were reported at Gordon’s Pond. Another MAGNOLIA WARBLER was reported this week, this time along the north Gordon’s Pond Trail.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen off US Route 113 south of Georgetown. A BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK was seen Tuesday at Baywood Greens on Long Neck. BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was reported at Redden State Forest. RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at Angola Neck Preserve and Assawoman Wildlife Area. WILD TURKEY and a NORTHERN BOBWHITE was photographed at Mulberry Landing at this later location.
The PEREGRINE FALCONS have successfully raised three chicks at the nest box on the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington, but the young are still near the nest site. You can watch the nest box activity on the DOS Falcon cam found at: www.dosbirds.org/citizen-science/falcon-watch/.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including David Bridges, Aaron Reb, Will Brooks, Ann Kovolesky, Benjamin Leese, Bradley Bulk, Ian Young, Adam Balich, Erica Suppa, Marie St. Ledger, Pat Valdata, Martin Selzer, Lynn Jackson, Bert Filemyr, Mike Rosengarten, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Walt Blackwell, Barbara Conway, Kees de Mooy, Judith Picciotto, Randy Fisher, Ed Patten, David Thomas, Rod Murray, Chris Rankin, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Karen Barker, Natalie Weber, Andy Jenkins, Sue Gruver, Rob Blye, Richard Julian, Alice Mohrman, Greg Gough, Chris and Karen Bennett, Frank Rohrbacher, Jim and Amy White, Carolyn D’Amico, Kim Stieninger, Judy Montgomery, John and Andy Dunn, Wendy Cesario, Joe Francis, 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!
