Date: 5/3/24 5:10 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, May 3rd, 2024
* Delaware * Statewide * May 3, 2024 * DEST 2024.05.03
*Birds mentioned BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK Brant Tundra Swan Mute Swan Black Swan Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Merganser Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Eastern Whippoorwill Chuck-Will’s-Widow Common Nighthawk Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Sora Virginia Rail King Rail YELLOW RAIL Common Gallinule American Coot Sandhill Crane American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Red Knot RUFF/REEVE Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Wilson’s Snipe Wilson’ Phalarope Parasitic Jaeger BLACK-HEADED GULL Lesser Black-backed Gull Least tern Caspian Tern Common Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Common Loon Red-throated Loon Northern Gannet Brown Pelican American Bittern Least Bittern Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Cattle Egret Yellow-crowned Night Heron Black-crowned Night Heron White Ibis Glossy ibis Northern Harrier Bald Eagle Barn Owl Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Least Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Acadian Flycatcher Eastern Wood-Pewee Common Raven Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Brown-headed Nuthatch SEDGE WREN Veery Swainson’s Thrush American Pipit Pine Siskin Purple Finch Grasshopper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Yellow-breasted Chat Hooded Warbler Prothonotary Warbler American Redstart Black and White Warbler Nashville Warber Kentucky Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Summer Tanager Scarlet Tanager Rose-breasted grosbeak
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: May 3, 2024 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 3rd, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in Greenville. The Birdline is the rare bird alert for The First State sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. The unofficial Delaware State Year List increased to 291 species this week with 19 new additions. New birds this week included RED KNOT, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, LEAST, WILLOW and ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, VEERY, SWANSON’S THRUSH, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and more! Additionally, there were 26 species of WARBLER seen including CHESTNUT-SIDED, BLACKBURNIAN, BLACKPOLL, KENTUCKY, and WILSON’S. Some common migrants going through right now included YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, SPOTTED and SOLITARY SANDPIPER, SCARLET TANAGER, ROSE-BREATED GROSBEAK, AMERICAN REDSTART, NORTHERN PARULA, plus BLACK-THROATED BLUE and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS.
A REEVE, aka female RUFF, was found at Thousand Acre Marsh on Wednesday. This bird was seen on the mudflats at the south end of the Reedy Point Bridge along Route 9. Other shorebirds included GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SHART-BILLED DOWITCHER, LEAST and PECTORAL SANDPIPER. A COMMON GALLINULE was seen by the spillway. There was a remarkably high count of 34 BALD EAGLES spread out over the marsh.
The previously reported YELLOW RAIL continues to be heard doing its distinctive call notes along Bennett’s Pier Road in Milford Neck Wildlife Area. Other night birds reported included COMMON GALLINULES at Port Penn impoundments and at Big Stone Beach. SORA was reported at Thousand Acre Marsh, Main Tract of Little Creek Wildlife Area, and Big Stone Beach. KING RAIL was reported at Dragon Run in Delaware City, Reedy Point Bridge, and Broadkill Marsh. AMERICAN BITTERN was found at Canal Pond and LEAST BITTERNS were reported at Greer’s Pond, Bombay Hook and Big Stone Beach. The first COMMON NIGHTHAWKS of the year were found at Port Penn and in Wilmington at Brandywine Park. CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW and WHIPPOORWILL were reported at Milford Neck Wildlife Area and Prime Hook.
At White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was photographed along Wedgewood Road. A HOODED WARBLER was heard along Creek Road. VIREOS reported included BLUE-HEADED, YELLOW-THROATED and WARBLING VIREO. An adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen along Hillside Road in Newark near the Rodney Dorms. A WILSON’S WARBLER was found today at the University of Delaware Ag Farm, along with BOBOLINK, GRASSHOPPER and SAVANNAH SPARROW. There were flyover COMMON LOONS seen at Middle Run Natural Area. COMMON RAVEN was reported this week from Newark, Smyrna and the Dover Downs Race Track.
HOODED and NASHVILLE WARBLER were found at Bellevue State Park today. A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was found today at Smith’s Bridge in First State National Historical Park. A female COMMON MERGANSER was found at Thompson’s Bridge in Brandywine Creek State Park. A SUMMER TANAGER was recorded at Brandywine Park in downtown Wilmington. The fate of the PEREGRINE FALCON eggs is still ongoing at the Brandywine Building in Wilmington. One of the five eggs was shoved off the nest and the new male does not appear to be incubating.
The first WILLOW FLYCATCHER of the year was reported at Joy Run near Summit Bridge today. Near Delaware City, BOBOLINK, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and CATTLE EGRETS were seen at Clark’s Corner Road. A pair of TUNDRA SWANS were seen at the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. SANDHILL CRANES were seen at Augustine Creek. CLIFF SWALLOWS were reported at Appoquinmink Creek and at Flemmings Landing along the Smyrna River. A BARN OWL was heard at Stave’s Landing Road. Another RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was reported at the White’s Road Tract in Blackbird State Forest, not far from where they were first seen at the Naudain Tract along Saw Mill Road.
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS have returned to the Amalfi Road retention pond off Underwoods Corner Road near Clayton. A single BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK was seen at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, along with the continuing presumed escaped BLACK SWAN. A LESSER SCAUP was seen at Shearness Pool on Saturday with RUDDY DUCK, PIED-BILLED GREBE, VIRGINIA RAIL, and AMERICAN COOT. A possible PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER was reported but not confirmed this week, along with BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. Other shorebirds seen included WHIMBRELS at Raymond Pool today, the first WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER of the year, plus BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and CASPIAN TERN. There were 3 SANDHILL CRANES seen flying over, plus TRICOLORED and LITTLE BLUE HERON, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, and GLOSSY and WHITE IBIS. TURKEY and NORTHERN BOBWHITE were found by the Visitor Center. Some late lingerers included DARK-EYED JUNCO, W! HITE-CROWNED SPARROW, PURPLE FINCH and AMERICAN PIPIT. A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen today just outside the refuge along Parson Point Lane.
SEDGE WRENS continue to be found along Bennett’s Pier Road and Big Stone Beach Road in Milford Neck Wildlife Area. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH were found along the Big Stone Beach Road. WHITE IBIS and NORTHERN HARRIER were seen over the marsh. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, BARN and BARRED OWLS were reported calling at night.
A male WILSON’S PHALAROPE was seen at a farm puddle along Shockley Road off Cedar Beach Road (Route 36) near Slaughters Beach yesterday, along with LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER and other shorebirds. An adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was seen catching crabs at the North Slaughters Beach Pond. The first RED KNOTS wee seen at Mispillion Inlet, along with AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, RUDDY TURNSTONE and a lingering PURPLE SANDPIPER. WHITE IBIS were seen flying over the nature center.
Lots of shorebirds are still being seen at Oyster Rocks Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge including AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, STILT SANDPIPER, and WILSON’S SNIPE. A small raptor migration included MERLIN and AMERICAN KESTREL at Oyster Rocks. WHITE IBIS were photographed flying over and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and EASTERN MEADOWLARK were seen in the fields.
At Cape Henlopen State Park, there was a peak count of 23 WHIMBREL on Wednesday. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, PIPING PLOVER, plus COMMON, ROYAL, LEAST TERN and BLACK SKIMMER at Cape Henlopen Point. A single PARASITIC JAEGER was seen today, along with NORTHERN GANNET, LONG-TAILED DUCK, HORNED GREBE, RED-THROATED and COMMON LOON. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen flying over the hawk watch. WARBLING VIREO was photographed at the Primitive Youth Campground, BLUE-HEADED VIREO and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH were reported at the Seaside Nature Center. Migrant swallows included the first BANK SWALLOWS for the season. A tour boat to the outer breakwater from Lewes last weekend found WHITE-WINGED, BLACK, and SURF SCOTER, BRANT, OYSTERCATCHER, TURNSTONE, 40 PURPLE SANDPIPERS, 7 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, BROWN PELICAN and 44 GLOSSY IBIS.
A singing LINCOLN’S SPARROW was heard at the McCabe Preserve on Saturday. PINE SISKINS were reported at Angola Neck, Millsboro, Redden State Forest and Lincoln. A late RUSTY BLACKBIRD was reported at James Farm Eco-Preserve. The first PEWEE of the season was reported at the Nanticoke Wildlife near Laurel. Redden Sate Forest reported KENTUCKY and NASHVILLE WARBLER, SUMMER TANAGER, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.
I’d like to thanks all you folks that helped me get through this week, its great to be in a community that supports each other. Thanks to the many people that make the Birdline possible including Shai Mitra, Andy Markel, Jason Horn, Calab Strand, Gary Griffith, Jessica Shahan, Lloyd Maier, Lisa Smith, Kitt Heckscher, Martin Selzer, Jeremy Cushing, Eli Hevalone, Tracey Paxson, Al Guarente, Chris Hinkle, Ben Filries, David Fees, Greg Gough, Wendy Cesario, Sue Gruver, Nancy Cunningham, Debbie Blair, Andrew Albright, Steve and Susan McInnis, Theresa Wolanin, Richard Jullian, Alice Mohrman, Rob Blye, Lynn Gulla, Teddy Burke, Kevin Bronson, Chris Bennett, Anthony Gonzon, Frank Rohrbacher, Carolyn Holland, Rod Murray, Chris Rowe, John and Andy Dunn, Sally O’Byrne, Jim White, Bob Edelen, Lynn Kohler, Ken Bass, Armas Hill, David Weber, Joe Francis, Melissa Lafferty, Kris Benarcik, Declan O’Neil, Mike Moore, Megan Kasprzak, Bruce Peterjohn, Carol Ralph, and Joe Swertinski. Spe! cial thanks to Joe Tricarico for distributing the Birdline to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-792-9591 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!
