Date: 6/17/19 8:54 am From: Mary Lukaszewski <mlukas...> Subject: [de-birds] Young Thrasher
We have a pair of Brown Thrashers nesting in our yard this year. I didn't know the eggs had been hatched until yesterday when I saw a very young fledgling sitting under one of our Hummingbird feeders. It couldn't fly very well but each time a Hummingbird came to the feeder it jumped up and down trying to catch the Hummer like an adult Thrasher would pounce on an insect. It looked like the youngster thought the hummers were big bugs. They were not in any danger as the fledgling couldn't jump up more than six inches or so but I watched the action until the young bird got tired and ran under a nearby bush. Mary Lukaszewski
Date: 6/16/19 11:27 am From: Andy Urquhart <000000c02f6624dc-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] Prime Hook NWR
Some nice birds seen and heard from one spot along the entrance road to the Headquarters early this afternoon included Dickcissel (as previously reported), meadowlark, indigo bunting, orchard oriole, great crested flycatcher, and field sparrow, etc. Birding with one of my daughters; made for a special Fathers Day.
Date: 6/15/19 6:49 am From: Andy Ednie, Claymont, DE. <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, June 14th, 2019
RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
*June 14, 2019
* DEST 1906.14
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*Birds mentioned
Mute Swan
Common Eider
Black Scoter
Wild Turkey
Northern Bobwhite
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Whippoorwill
Virginia Rail
American Oystercatcher
American Avocet
Black-necked Stilt
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Sanderling
Dunlin
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Tern
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel
Brown Pelican
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Glossy Ibis
White Ibis
Red-headed Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Willow Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Marsh Wren
Veery
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Ovenbird
Blue-winged Warbler
Northern Parula
Prairie Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
DICKCISSEL
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Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: June 14, 2019
To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE)
Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>)
Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern
New Jersey, Maryland
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For Friday, June 14th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The Delaware Annual list remains at 298 species this week.
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The previously reported DICKCISSEL along the entrance road to Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Milton continues to be seen. Look for the bird singing from the telephone wire along the roadway to the visitor’s center. A male BOBOLINK was photographed singing in the same field this week! WILD TURKEY, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, and YELLOW BREASTED CHAT were also found. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, CASPIAN and LEAST TERN were seen along the Observation Point Trail. PRAIRIE, PINE, and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER were found along the Turkle’s Pond. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, WILLET, and 27 BLACK SKIMMERS continue to be seen at Broadkill Marsh. GLOSSY IBIS, SEASIDE SPARROW and MARSH WREN were found at Oyster Rock Road.
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RED KNOT, SANDERLING, DUNLIN, LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, plus SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER are still being seen at the Dupont Nature Center at Mispillion Inlet near Slaughters Beach, along with BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. ROYAL TERN was seen on the pilings by the visitor center. The Marvel Nature Trail in Slaughters Beach continues to have SALTMARSH and SEASIDE SPARROW.
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A raft of 26 BLACK SCOTERS were seen at the ferry terminal in Lewes along with AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER. Two female COMMON EIDERS with BLACK SCOTER were seen at the breakwater jetty from the Cape May Lewes ferry along with WILSON’S STORM-PETREL and BROWN PELICAN. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, and LEAST TERN were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. Six adult WHITE IBIS were seen flying over the North Gordon’s Pond Trail. GREEN HERON, BLACK SKIMMER, and LEAST TERN were found at Gordon’s Pond, along with YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and SEASIDE SPARROW. A NORTHERN BOBWHITE was calling at the University of Delaware Marine School Virden Center north of Lewes. A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was reported flying over Old Landing near Rehoboth Beach.
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There was a late female PURPLE FINCH photographed coming to a feeder in Gumboro. RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were reported at Assawoman Wildlife Area, along with MUTE SWAN and WILD TURKEY. A pair of RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were found at Angola Neck. SUMMER TANAGER reported at Harbison and Greenwood. WILD TURKEY was reported Ellendale.
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Two EASTERN WHIPPOORWILLS were calling Tuesday evening along the Big Stone Beach Road at Milford Neck Wildlife Area. VIRGINIA RAIL and BLACK SKIMMER were also reported. A KENTUCKY WARBLER was photographed along the Pond Side Nature Trail at Killen’s Pond State Park. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was found in the field near Frederica.
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There were 7 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS that continue be seen at Sheerness Pool in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna. BLACK SKIMMERS and CASPIAN TERN were seen at the refuge on Sunday. Late shorebirds reported included 2 AMERICAN AVOCETS plus BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WILLET, and a breeding plumage DUNLIN on Tuesday. NORTHERN BOBWHITE and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW were found by the Allee House. WILLOW FLYCATCHER was found by the Sheerness Tower parking lot. Raptors reported included OSPREY, BALD EAGLE, and NORTHERN HARRIER. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS can be seen at the feeders in front of the Visitors Center.
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BLUE-WINGED, KENTUCKY, PRAIRIE, and YELLOW WARBLER were reported at Thompson Station Road in White Clay Creek State Park, along with VEERY, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, and WILD TURKEY. AMERICAN REDSTART and OVENBIRD were found along Creek Road. The previous reported BOBOLINK at Smith’s Mill Road was re-found Sunday along with WILLOW FLYCATCHER and WARBLING VIREO. BARRED OWL and NORTHERN PARULA were found at Christine Manor west of Newark.
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A late PINE SISKIN continues to be coming to a feeder on Saturday off Sharpless Road in Hockessin. AMERICAN KESTRELS are nesting in a box at Coverdale Farms near Ashland Nature Center. WARBLING VIREO was found at Winterthur Museum. PIED-BILLED GREBE continues be reported at Alapocos Run State Park. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT and WARBLING VIREO were found at the Josephine Gardens in downtown Wilmington at Brandywine Park.
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The PEREGRINE FALCONS at the nest box on the Brandywine building in Wilmington have now feeding their hatchlings. Watch for young PEREGRINES flying around the skyscrapers in downtown Wilmington and having prey past of them in-flight. One PEREGRINE was seen chasing pigeons over I-95 by Frawley Stadium south of Wilmington on Tuesday.
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Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Pamela King, Ann Dinkel, Lars Hansen, Carolyn Howard, Frank Lenik, Chad Hutchinson, Josh Berman, Mary Ann Levan, Mark Nale, Kitt Heckscher, Gary Griffith, Scott Northey, Dick Plambeck, Bob Edelen, Wayne Longbottom, Nancy Cunningham, Chris and Karen Bennett, Anthony Gonzon, Amy and Jim White, Aaron Reb, Andy and John Dunn, , Ellen Jacobson, Rob Blye, Sue Gruver, Sharon Lynn, Dave Fees, Teddy Burke, Joe Sebastiani, Ian Stewart, Brian McCaffery, Kim Steininger, Bill Stewart, Joe Swertinski and Joe Russell. 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!
I’m putting together an online auction for this year’s Bird-A-Thon with about 10 items , the main item being a painting by Richard Clifton of Redknots that he is donating that will grace the beer can that is being developed by Mispillion River Brewery in honor of DOS efforts at Mispillion Harbor………. more on the beer to come!
I am using a website called BiddingOwl to create the online auction, and I would very much like someone to help me as I figure out the logistics of the site. I’ve done much of the set-up already, but before it goes ‘live’, I’d like to go through the bid process with someone and put in some test bids. And I would also like to explain what I’ve done to someone else who could be available to answer questions if I’m not around.
If you would like to partner with me on the auction, and help me so it goes smoothly, please email me directly. Next week, I’m teaching day camp all week so unavailable, but I’d be happy to get together on Saturday 6/15 with anyone.
Thanks for considering this - I would really appreciate it.
Date: 6/11/19 7:58 am From: Bill Stewart <birdingdel...> Subject: [de-birds] Fair Hill Bobolinks DOS Field Trip ~ This Sat. 6/15
Good Morning DE-Birders,
Hoping that many of you will join us, I am looking forward to leading the DOS field trip to Fair Hill NRMA this coming Saturday, June 15th, to enjoy breeding Bobolinks, Savannah Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows (fingers crossed!), and Eastern Meadowlarks. This is prime time to see the grassland adults and fledglings as we walk through the many acres of managed grassland habitat. Currently, the weather forecast is wonderful!
Additionally, this is also a fantastic opportunity for close-up photography with many chances to capture images of these grassland speciality birds. Although we will be spending most of our morning enjoying the numerous Bobolinks and friends in the grasslands, we will also make our way down to the Big Elk River to explore the breeding birds found within the river bottom habitat.
We will be meeting at 7:30 AM at parking lot #3 off Appleton Road (directions below) and conclude around or before 11:00 AM. Management Area fees of $3 for Maryland residents; $5 for out-of-state visitors are in effect. Please bring plenty of water and a quick snack available for our transition from grassland to river valley. Feel free to drop me a line letting me know you will be joining in on the fun.
Traveling west on Rt. 273 from Newark turn right on Appleton Road. Parking lot will be approximately one mile on your left.
From the Rt. 273/Rt. 213 intersection: Drive East on Rt. 273 until the intersection with Appleton Road. Turn left on Appleton Road, drive approximately one mile to the intersection of Appleton Road and Black Bridge Road. Parking lot is located on your left.
*Birds mentioned Black Scoter Surf Scoter Ruddy Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Eastern Whippoorwill Chuck-wills-widow Common Nighthawk Virginia Rail American Oystercatcher American Avocet Black-necked Stilt Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Sanderling Dunlin Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Greater Yellowlegs Spotted Sandpiper Lesser Black-backed Gull Least Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Forster’s Tern Common Tern Black Skimmer Northern Gannet Brown Pelican AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Least Bittern LITTLE EGRET X SNOWY EGRET HYBRID Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-crowned Night Heron Glossy Ibis White Ibis MISSISSIPPI KITE Red-headed Woodpecker Willow Flycatcher Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Common Raven Warbling Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Brown-headed Nuthatch Swainson’s Thrush Veery NELSON’S SPARROW Saltmarsh Sparrow Seaside Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow White-throated sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Louisiana Waterthrush Black-And-White Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Worm-eating Warbler Northern Parula Yellow-throated Warbler Kentucky Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat Summer Tanager DICKCISSEL
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: June 7, 2019 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, June 7th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The Delaware Annual list increased to 298 species this week.
New this week was a DICKCISSEL along the entrance road to Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Milton. The bird was found on Sunday and seen again on Wednesday. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, and YELLOW BREASTED CHAT were also found. PRAIRIE, PINE, and PROTHONOTARY WARBLER were found along the Boardwalk Trail. SPOTTED SANDPIPER and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER were seen along the Observation Point Trail. BLACK SKIMMERS continue to be seen at Broadkill Marsh. SALTMARSH and SEASIDE SPARROW along with CLAPPER RAIL were found at Fowlers Beach. EASTERN WHIPPOORWILL continues to be heard in the evening at Oyster Rock Road.
Shorebirds are still being seen at the Dupont Nature Center, including RED KNOT, SANDERLING, DUNLIN, LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, plus SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER continue to be seen. A late WHIMBREL was reported last week, along with BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. Four BLACK SCOTERS were seen offshore. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen along the beach. Marvel Nature Trail in Slaughters Beach continues to have SALTMARSH and SEASIDE SPARROW.
A late COMMON LOON was seen at the Harbor of Refuge in Cape Henlopen State Park. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, PIPING PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and SPOTTED SANDPIPER were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. LEAST, COMMON, ROYAL, and FORSTER’S TERNS were roosting along the bayside wash flats. RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was reported at the Seaside Nature Center. A big flock of 53 BLACK and a single SURF SCOTER were seen off of Herring Point on Tuesday along with NORTHERN GANNET. COMMON NIGHTHAWK and CHUCK WILLS WIDOWS were found in the park at dusk. A MISSISSIPPI KITE was reported at Gordon’s Pond last week.
Lots of WHITE IBIS are being reported along the Delaware Coast including 20 WHITE IBIS at Savage’s Ditch in Delaware Seashore State Park along with GLOSSY IBIS and BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON. Other birds reported included BROWN PELICAN, BLACK SKIMMER, CASPIAN TERN, and SPOTTED SANDPIPER. WHITE IBIS were reported last week at numerous locations including Indian River Inlet, Dewey Beach, Lewes, Slaughters Beach, and the Back Beach in Dupont Nature Center.
WILLOW FLYCATCHER and GREEN HERON were found at Burtons Island behind Indian River Inlet. A LEAST TERN was reported at Quillen’s Point VFW hall off Cedar Neck Road. There were several BROWN PELICANS sightings from Dewey and Bethany Beach.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were reported at Herring Creek and Angola Neck Nature Preserve off the Camp Arrowhead Road. TRICOLORED HERON was reported at the latter location A family of three RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at a yard near Milton. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen last week at Harbeson along with WORM-EATING WARBLER and SUMMER TANAGER. SUMMER TANAGER, BLACK AND WHITE, PINE, and PRAIRIE WARBLER were seen at Ponders Tract near Georgetown. WILD TURKEY, SUMMER TANAGER, and YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO were reported at Redden State Forest. There was a late female PURPLE FINCH photographed coming to a feeder in Gumboro. PURPLE FINCH and a late WHITE-THROATED SPARROW were seen the last week of May at Old Landing near Rehoboth Beach.
A possible hybrid LITTLE EGRET X SNOWY EGRET was found at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna. Photographs of this bird reveals two long head plumes plus snowy feather along the crown, distinctive of both species. Observers are asked to watch for this individual and try to get photographs. A flock of 10 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continues to be seen at Bombay Hook in the marsh opposite Sheerness Pool along with BLACK SKIMMER. Shorebird numbers are decreasing at Raymond Pool with a few AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, DUNLIN, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILLET, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS reported. LEAST BITTERN, BLACK and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON were reported at Bear Swamp. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, WARBLING and YELLOW THROATED VIREO were reported at Finis woods. WILD TURKEY and NORTHERN BOBWHITE were found by the Visitor Center. WILLOW FLYCATCHER was reported at the intersection of Sheerness and Raymond Pool Road. GRASSHOPPER SPAR! ROW was reported along the Allee House Road. Raptors reported included OSPREY, lots of bald eagles, NORTHERN HARRIER, MERLIN, and AMERICAN KESTREL.
Ten BLACK SCOTERS were seen Saturday at Port Mahon, along with BLACKBELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, DUNLIN, and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. BLACK-NECKED STILT and GREATER YELLOWLEGS reported at Big Stone Beach Road. Seven VIRGINIA RAILS including adults with checks were seen at the bridge near Big Stone Beach. ROYAL TERN and BLACK SKIMMER were seen over the water. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, OVENBIRD, plus YELLOW, PINE, and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER were found at the pine woods
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER and OVENBIRD were found at Killen’s Pond State Park. BANK SWALLOWS were seen nesting at the Pioneer Dredge Ponds at the intersections of Route 9 and 113 south of Dover Air Force Base. A late WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen Monday at the feeders in Camden-Wyoming.
Last week, a bird identified as a NELSON’S SPARROW was seen along Duck Creek at Woodland beach. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and EASTERN MEADOWLARK were reported at Price Park near Middletown. WILD TURKEY was seen at Taylor’s Bridge. CLIFF SWALLOWS continue to be seen at the Appoquinmink Bridge along Route 9 north of Odessa. RUDDY DUCK and MUTE SWAN were reported at the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area near Port Penn. Land birds reported included WARBLING VIREO, YELLOW BREASTED CHAT, and ORCHARD ORIOLE. There was a peak count of 16 BALD EAGLES feeding on a dead fish at Port Penn impoundments.
The monthly Heron Watch at Veterans Park in Delaware City recorded 61 LITTLE BLUE HERON, 5 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON and 125 GLOSSY IBIS. LITTLE BLUE HERON and GLOSSY IBIS were reported from Fort Dupont in Delaware city along with a late WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on Saturday.
BOBOLINK, a rare breeder in Delaware was reported at Smith’s Mill Road and Pleasant Hill Road in White Clay Creek State Park. SWAINSON’S THRUSH was heard singing along Thompson Station Road along with KENTUCKY WARBLER. BARRED OWL and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH were reported on Starr Road in Newark. Birds at White Clay Creek State Park included BLACK BILLED and YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO, WARBLING and YELLOW THROATED VIREO, plus REDSTART, OVENBIRD, NORTHERN PARULA, and YELLOW WARBLER.
An AMERICAN REDSTART was reported at Yorklyn Village along the Red Clay Creek, this is a rare breeder in Delaware away from the White Clay Creek. Other birds reported included NORTHERN PARULA, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, and GREEN HERON. WILLOW FLYCATCHER and VEERY were reported at Coverdale Farms. A late SWAINSON’S THRUSH was reported in a driveway in Hockessin. PARULA, WARBLING VIREO, and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT were found at Ashland Nature Center.
A COMMON RAVEN was photographed behind the Wawa along Concord Pike opposite Concord Mall. PIED-BILLED GREBE was sound at Blue Rocks Pond on Rock Manor Golf Course. MARSH WREN was reported at Gambacorta Marsh in Battery Park in New Castle
The PEREGRINE FALCONS at the nest box on the Brandywine building in Wilmington have now feeding their hatchlings. Watch for young PEREGRINES flying around the skyscrapers in downtown Wilmington and having prey past of them in-flight.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Al Guarente, Ann Reeves, Mary Ann Levan, Lana Glass, Lewis Frederick, Jim Austin-Cole, Carlton Groff, Chris Kuhar, Mark Nale, Mike Moore, Sean McCandless, Kitt Heckscher, Gary Griffith, Scott Northey, Dick Plambeck, Bob Edelen, Wayne Longbottom, Nancy Cunningham, Chris and Karen Bennett, Anthony Gonzon, Amy and Jim White, Steve Graff, Aaron Reb, Andy and John Dunn, Alice Mohrman, Ellen Jacobson, Rob Blye, Sue Gruver, Sharon Lynn, Lynn Smith, Dave Fees, Nancy Goggin, Teddy Burke, John Long, Jeff Holmes, Megan Kasprzak, Joe Sebastiani, Ian Stewart, Brian McCaffery, Chris Rowe, John Skibicki, Rod Murray, Kim Steininger, Bill Stewart, Ryan Crane, Joe Swertinski and Joe Russell. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-792-9591 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you Happy Memorial Day and good birding!
Date: 6/4/19 11:32 am From: Andrew Block <000006a6ea4d1677-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] Little Egret at Bombay Hook, MS Kite on Rte. 13
On 5/31 I had a Little Egret with a few Snowy Egrets in Shearness Pool at Bombay Hook NWR. On Rte. 13 south I had a Mississippi Kite flying with a Turkey Vulture north of Smyrna.
Andrew
Date: 6/4/19 10:33 am From: Bill Stewart <birdingdel...> Subject: [de-birds] POSTPONED - Raindate - THURSDAY - Wilmington Peregrine FalconWatch Rooftop Event & Bar-B-Que 6/5
Good Afternoon all,
Due to forecasted rain and thunderstorms for tomorrow, the FalconWatch Rooftop Event will be held this THURSDAY, June 6th - same times and location! Pass it on! BTW, the free T-shirts look AWESOME!
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE WILMINGTON PEREGRINE FALCONWATCH & BAR-B-QUE! - THIS THURSDAY JUNE 6TH FROM 4:00 TO 7:30 PM
Everyone is invited to the FREE 12th Annual Wilmington Peregrine FalconWatch and Bar-B-Que! Parents and children are encouraged to attend, FREE FalconWatch T-shirts for the first 125 attendees will be available!!
Celebrating our 12th year, the event focuses on the nesting pair of wild Peregrine Falcons and their four chicks that occupied a nest box on the 19th floor of the Brandywine Building in the heart of downtown Wilmington. Enjoy watching the fledglings from the rooftop deck as they learn to fly, hunt and navigate the downtown cityscape. Due to the close proximity of the falcons and their flight paths, photo opportunities can be outstanding!
The location is the City Center Parking Garage, 11th & Tatnall Streets, Wilmington, DE. Park either in the garage or along the street and take the elevator up to the 7th floor, come at anytime and stay as long as you like! Raindate is Thursday June 6th
This event is hosted by the Delaware Ornithological Society along with sponsors Delmarva Power, Wild Birds Unlimited/Hockessin and Jay Gundel and Associates.
Back by popular demand, a catered bar-b-que and buffet including kid-friendly refreshments will be provided for all attending. We encourage everyone to come early and plan on staying for a while to witness the action, bring your binoculars and a lawn or beach chair. Some spotting scopes will be available for closeup views of the falcons. Every year provides new and exciting action with the falcons, what does this year’s event have in store for all of us attending?
See everyone THURSDAY the 6th!
For any questions, please contact Bill Stewart @ 610-864-0370 or <birdingdel...>
Date: 6/3/19 6:04 am From: sally o'byrne <salobyrne...> Subject: [de-birds] Saturday Canoe/kayak trip on the Christina
I’ll be leading a new trip this Saturday - an evening canoe trip on the Christina (see description below). This is a bring your own boat field trip, but I have 2 kayaks and a large canoe so can probably accommodate a few folks who want to come and have neither.
Please let me know if you are coming so I can plan accordingly.
Sally O'Byrne
Come explore a wilderness in the midst of suburbia, the Christina River. Using ears more than binoculars and flight patterns more than plumage, come see which birds are nesting and living along the Christina River. This tidal river was once a historic navigation route, but is now mostly forgotten by humans. Birds, however, live quite peaceably along its banks.
Bring your own canoe or kayak and meet at Churchman’s Road boat ramp at 5:30pm. We will paddle upstream for about an hour & a half, then the tide should turn and bring us back down. We will finish between 8 and 8:30pm.
This program is for members only due to space restrictions.
Date: 6/2/19 4:25 pm From: Rob Blye <rwblye...> Subject: [de-birds] Nanticoke Wildlife Area, Sussex County, Thursday May 30
The same four birders from southern Sussex, who traveled earlier in the
week to Augustine Wildlife Area in the far north of Delaware, were joined
by three members of Sussex Bird Club who drove southwest to Nanticoke
Wildlife Area to bird Phillips Landing boat ramp and wooded trail then the
Big Field area of NWA.
We started birding Phillips Landing at 8 AM.. The parking lot and wooded
trail yielded both tanagers, two yellow-billed cuckoos heard, close looks
at eastern wood pewee and Prothonotary warbler in addition to the usual
suspects. Plants of note were the native coral honeysuckle (*Lonicera
sempervirens*), wintergreen, partridgeberry, Atlantic white cedar, devil’s
walking stick, and mountain laurel in bloom, highbush blueberry with ripe
fruit and yellow or chinquapin oak.
We arrived at the Big Field parking area about 10:00 AM and walked the
edges where it had been mowed. We first saw a brightly colored, female
summer tanager perched on a horizontal branch in good light. Two people saw
two yellow-billed cuckoos in the same tree with the red-eyed vireo we all
heard singing incessantly. A beautiful red-tailed hawk circled overhead. We
were driven back to the cars by the heat and un-mown grass likely full of
ticks. Even though we avoided the un-mown areas most of us picked off one
to many ticks from our pants and socks. DE Fish and Wildlife planted a
field of sunflowers in one of the food plots which should yield lots of
birds in late summer and fall.
The trip ended with hot, sunny weather and on the drive back to Long Neck
we encountered a black rat snake sunning itself on the road. We slowed
down to 1 mph in a 45 mph zone and I jumped out of the car, caught the
snake and everyone else piled out to admire and photograph the snake. Some
participants were heard complaining that it is hard enough to observe and
identify all the birds and now we are branching out to plants, reptiles and
amphibians. In addition to the black rat snake we observed several Fowler’s
toads, an eastern box turtle and we heard at least three tree frogs,
probably gray tree frog but one may have been a Cope’s gray tree frog.
Date: 5/30/19 10:48 am From: Bill Stewart <birdingdel...> Subject: [de-birds] Delaware Bird-A-Thon To-Do's, Important Dates and Thank You!
Good Afternoon everyone ~
Please accept my apologies for a tardy post regarding this year’s 13th Annual Delaware Bird-A-Thon wrap-up but I know all of you have been busy pulling in your pledges! A heart-felt THANK YOU goes out to EVERYONE who participated in this year’s Delaware Bird-A-Thon, whether a field participant, organizer, supporter, sponsor or donor - each one of your efforts will help make another year of successful bird conservation in Delaware!! From all reports, the birding was exceptional this year, albeit, our beloved Mother’s Day Walk was washed out for the first time in 13 years.
As we move into the last stage of completing the 2019 Delaware Bird-A-Thon, please keep these important dates in mind and mark your calendar as we wrap up the 2019 DBAT:
1) ALL final entries are due by June 16th - this includes your Field Checklist, your Sponsor Pledge Form and ALL collected funds. Please mail your final entry packet to DOS PO Box 4247 Greenville, DE 19807. If you need to make different arrangements for submitting your entry and collected funds, please reply directly to this email.
4). As to your $100,000 goal………we are over 1/2 the way there (!) with many team entries not yet submitted, stay tuned for further updates as they become available, definitely going down to the wire!
Date: 5/29/19 3:49 pm From: Rob Blye <rwblye...> Subject: [de-birds] New Castle County birding for southerners
Four birders from southern Sussex County ventured all the way north to Augustine Wildlife Area starting at Ashton Tract and hopscotched south to the Route 9 bridge over the Appoquinimink River.
This was a long and arduous adventure starting with a missed turn that brought us substantially farther north than we needed to be. We got turned around and headed in the right direction and made it to Ashton Tract about 8;15 AM, 10 minutes after it started to rain. Undeterred, we birded the parking lot and made our way to the observation platform. One observant participant remarked, " the farther we walk, the harder it rains". Soaked to the bone, even wearing rain gear, we walked back to the car, squished into the seats. dripped dry while checking radar on cellphones to see whether see should go for breakfast or wait out the rain.
While searching online for diners, the rain slowed and stopped. Off we were to the platform but the birds in the parking lot delayed our progress. Highlights were a pair of blue grosbeak, some towhees, cardinals, chipping and field sparrows - all eager to sing after the dark and rain.
At the observation platform we saw a pair of mute swans with two cygnets. first one then six bald eagles trying to dry out, a little blue heron, and other usual suspects. Having been warned that a sora or two were present, we played a recording once and waited. Two birds responded quickly and one of them walked into an opening in the marsh grass. It preened long enough for all four of us to get good looks and at least one recognizable photograph; a life bird for two of the four! While we were fixated on the sora, we repeatedly heard a whining, high-pitched, buzzy, begging sound. A few minutes of looking up revealed a pair of downy woodpeckers feeding a downy young just behind and above the platform. On the way back to the car we saw an indigo bunting and a humming bird.
We then headed to Thousand Acre Marsh for pelicans, pheasants, willow flycatcher or whatever. Dipped on all of them but got cattle egret, close ups of glossy ibis and two green herons for photos.
Next was the stream crossing and observation deck at Port Penn tract. In the parking lot was a mulberry laden with fruit and birds. Many waxwings, a chat, cardinals, catbirds, and a brilliant Baltimore oriole. The flats had many, many bald eagles, great blue herons feeding on dead fish; at least 1000 semipalmated sandpipers, one greater yellowlegs, a semipalmated plover and three dunlin took advantage of the low water.
Our last stop was the Route 9 bridge over the Appoquinimink for cliff swallows. We saw mostly barn swallows but about three had square tails so we called them cliff. Two rails started talking to us at close range. I wanted to make them something other than clapper but after listening to tapes all the home to Lewes, we all decided they were aberrant clapper rails.
We ended the day with 60 species after adding house sparrow, common grackle and Carolina chickadee which the compiler neglected in his first attempt.
Not bad for four amateurs from the deep south of Delaware without adult supervision.
*Rob*
Robert W. Blye 34603 Doe Run Lewes DE 19958-3332 302 945-8618 610 213-2413 mobile
Date: 5/29/19 9:40 am From: Bill Stewart <birdingdel...> Subject: [de-birds] Wilmington Peregrine FalconWatch Rooftop Event & Bar-B-Que 6/5
Good Afternoon all -
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE WILMINGTON PEREGRINE FALCONWATCH & BAR-B-QUE! - NEXT WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5TH FROM 4:00 TO 7:30 PM
Everyone is invited to the FREE 12th Annual Wilmington Peregrine FalconWatch and Bar-B-Que! Parents and children are encouraged to attend, FREE FalconWatch T-shirts for the first 125 attendees will be available!!
Celebrating our 12th year, the event focuses on the nesting pair of wild Peregrine Falcons and their four chicks that occupied a nest box on the 19th floor of the Brandywine Building in the heart of downtown Wilmington. Enjoy watching the fledglings from the rooftop deck as they learn to fly, hunt and navigate the downtown cityscape. Due to the close proximity of the falcons and their flight paths, photo opportunities can be outstanding!
The location is the City Center Parking Garage, 11th & Tatnall Streets, Wilmington, DE. Park either in the garage or along the street and take the elevator up to the 7th floor, come at anytime and stay as long as you like! Raindate is Thursday June 6th
This event is hosted by the Delaware Ornithological Society along with sponsors Delmarva Power, Wild Birds Unlimited/Hockessin and Jay Gundel and Associates.
Back by popular demand, a catered bar-b-que and buffet including kid-friendly refreshments will be provided for all attending. We encourage everyone to come early and plan on staying for a while to witness the action, bring your binoculars and a lawn or beach chair. Some spotting scopes will be available for closeup views of the falcons. Every year provides new and exciting action with the falcons, what does this year’s event have in store for all of us attending?
See everyone next Wednesday the 5th!
For any questions, please contact Bill Stewart @ 610-864-0370 or <birdingdel...>
*Birds mentioned Brant Bufflehead Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Eastern Whippoorwill Chuck-wills-widow Common Nighthawk King Rail Sora American Oystercatcher American Avocet Black-necked Stilt Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Sanderling Dunlin Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Bonaparte’s Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Black Tern Least Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Forster’s Tern Common Tern Black Skimmer Northern Gannet Brown Pelican AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Least Bittern Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-crowned Night Heron Glossy Ibis White Ibis MISSISSIPPI KITE Red-headed Woodpecker Willow Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Bank Swallow Common Raven Warbling Vireo Brown-headed Nuthatch Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson’s Thrush Veery Saltmarsh Sparrow Seaside Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow White-throated sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Northern Waterthrush Black-And-White Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Worm-eating Warbler Hooded Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Nashville Warbler Tennessee Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler MOURNING WARBLER Kentucky Warbler Canada Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat Summer Tanager Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: May 24, 2019 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland
For the Memorial Day Weekend, on Friday, May 24th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The Delaware Annual list increased to 294 species this week.
A flock of 10 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS arrived at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday. These birds were seen in the marsh opposite Sheerness Pool along with LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and BLACK SKIMMER. Shorebird numbers are beginning to build, a couple of RED KNOT and RUDDY TURNSTONES were seen at Raymond Pool along with AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILLET, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, plus WHITE-RUMPED, SEMIPALMATED, LEAST and STILT SANDPIPER. SPOTTED and SOLITARY SANDPIPER were seen at the swimming hole. Waders reported included LITTLE BLUE HERON, BLACK-CROWNED and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. NORTHERN BOBWHITE and WILD TURKEY were seen by the refuge visitor center. Several WILLOW and a LEAST FLYCATCHER was seen Tuesday by the Sheerness Tower. Warblers reported this week included CANADA, BLACKPOLL, MAGNOLIA, PRAIRIE, and BLUE-WINGED WARBLER along with YELLOW BREASTED CHAT.
A BONAPARTE’S GULL was seen along Whitehall neck Road. An immature WHITE IBIS was seen with a flock of GLOSSY IBIS flying over Taylor’s Gut in Woodland Beach Wildlife Area along Route 9.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was reported at White Clay Creek State Park near Newark on Saturday and at Cape Henlopen State Park along the Gordon’s Pond trail on Wednesday. There’s been a rash of KITE sightings along the East Coast this week, from Harford County Maryland, Montgomery and Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Cumberland and Ocean County, New Jersey, and as far north as Rhode Island and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
There are still some migrant warblers moving through White Clay Creek, including a MOURNING WARBLER at the first pedestrian bridge along Creek Road north of Newark. HOODED and KENTUCKY WARBLER were found along Thompson Station Road. Other warblers reported included CANADA, TENNESSEE, BAY-BREASTED, MAGNOLIA, YELLOW-RUMPED, plus BLACK-THROATED BLUE and GREEN. Warblers seen at Thompson Station Road included NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE, CHESTNUT-SIDED and CANADA plus LEAST FLYCATCHER on Wednesday along with ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. VEERY, GRAY-CHEEKED and SWAINSON’S THRUSH have been reported all week.
A COMMON RAVEN was found at the intersection of Kirkwood Highway and Polly Drummond Road. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was found at Middle Run Natural Area with WILLOW FLYCATCHER, GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH and VEERY. Late warblers included MAGNOLIA and BLACK-THROATED GREEN. LEAST SANDPIPER and WILLOW FLYCATCHER were found on the University of Delaware ag farm along with NORTHERN PARULA, BLACK AND WHITE, and BLACKPOLL WARBLER.
A late WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen in Brandywine Hundred today. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was also photographed at Brandywine Creek State Park. Late warblers reported their included YELLOW-RUMPED, BLACKPOLL, and CANADA. GREEN HERON and MAGNOLIA WARBLER reported at Hoopes Reservoir. A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was photographed by the falls in Brandywine Park. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, WARBLING VIREO, and CHESTNUT SIDED WARBLER were found at Ashland Nature Center. EASTERN MEADOWLARK and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW were reported at Burrow Run Natural Area of the Ashland-Clinton Road.
SORA and LEAST BITTERN continue to be reported at the observation platform at the Ashton tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. BANK SWALLOW was seen on the wire. WORM EATING AND BLACKPOLL WARBLER were found in the Ashton Tract Woodlands. LITTLE BLUE HERON, CATTLE and SNOWY EGRET were seen flying over Thousand Acre Marsh. TRICOLORED HERON and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON were seen flying to Pea Patch Island from Veteran’s Park in Delaware City, along with 44 LITTLE BLUE HERONS, 60 GLOSSY IBIS and 38 CATTLE EGRETS.
Shorebird numbers have peaked at Mispillion Inlet north of Slaughters Beach. Highlights there included over 1000 RED KNOT, 3000 RUDDY TURNSTONES, plus SANDERLING, DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, WHIMBREL, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, and SPOTTED SANDPIPER. BONAPARTE’S GULL was seen at Back Beach. SALTMARSH SPARROW continues to be seen at the Marvel Saltmarsh Trail in slaughters Beach.
A BLACK TERN was seen along Prime Hook Beach Road along with CASPIAN, ROYAL, LEAST and FORSTER’S TERN with BLACK SKIMMER. AMERICAN AVOCET was seen there on Tuesday. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and SPOTTED SANDPIPER were found along the Observation Point Trail near refuge headquarters. SUMMER TANAGER, WORM-EATING, PROTHONOTARY, CHESTNUT-SIDED, and BLACKPOLL WARBLER were found at Turkle Pond along with SWAINSON’S THRUSH.
EASTERN WHIPPOORWILL was reported at Fowlers Beach in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Both WHIPPOORWILL and CHUCK-WILLS-WIDOW were reported at Raccoon Ditch Road in Redden State Forest west of Georgetown. CHUCK-WILLS-WIDOW and COMMON NIGHTHAWK have been reported at dusk in Cape Henlopen State Park. COMMON NIGHTHAWK was also seen at Gordon’s Pond, near Summit Bridge and Yorklyn.
Other birds at Cape Henlopen Point included PIPING PLOVER, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, SANDERLING, LEAST TERN, and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. NORTHERN GANNET was seen off of Herring Point. NORTHERN BOBWHITE was reported along the Gordon’s Pond trail.
Several BROWN PELICANS was reported at Bethany Beach along with BLACK SKIMMER offshore. COMMON and FORSTER’S TERNS were found at Indian River Inlet. BUFFLEHEAD and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON were found at Burtons Island at the North Marina. Several BRANT were reported at Savage’s Ditch in Delaware Seashore State Park. RED KNOT and RUDDY TURNSTONE were found along Rehoboth Bay just south of Dewey Beach at the bayside of Tower Road.
Three RED-HEAD WOODPECKERS were reported at Angola Neck Preserve off the Camp Arrowhead Road near Rehoboth Beach. RED-HEAD WOODPECKERS, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO and SUMMER TANAGER reported at Harbeson. VESPER and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS continue to be seen along Ponders Road near Ellendale.
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO and SUMMER TANAGER was also reported at the Headquarters Track in Redden State Forest. Warblers reported there included HOODED, KENTUCKY, and WORM-EATING. SUMMER TANAGER and WORM-EATING WARBLER reported at Blair’s Pond preserve near Milford. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO and SUMMER TANAGER reported at Chapel Branch Nature Trail near Seaford on Sunday along with NORTHERN PARULA, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, and BLACKPOLL WARBLER. WILD TURKEY was reported at the Pete Gum Track in Nanticoke Wildlife Area along with BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, WORM-EATING, PROTHONOTARY and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER.
WHIMBREL was seen Tuesday flying over at Port Mahon with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, and SPOTTED SANDPIPER. BLACK SKIMMER was found at the Logan Tract in Ted Harvey Conservation Area. Several BANK SWALLOWS were seen flying over the marsh. LEAST TERNS were reported at Kitts Hummock along the Delaware Bayshore along with SEMIPALMATED PLOVER RUDDY TURNSTONE, SANDERLING, and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. RED KNOTS were reported at Bennett’s Pier. KING RAIL, BLACK-NECKED STILT, and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH were reported along the Big Stone Beach Road.
The PEREGRINE FALCONS at the nest box on the Brandywine building in Wilmington have now fledged their five hatchlings. Watch for young PEREGRINES flying around the skyscrapers in downtown Wilmington.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Andrea Martin, Richard Julian, Debbie Beers, Mike Bowen, John Vassallo, Jim Lenhard, Mike Moore, Sean McCandless, Kitt Heckscher, Gerry Teig, Gary Griffith, Scott Northey, Dick Plambeck, Bob Edelen, Wayne Longbottom, Nancy Cunningham, Chris and Karen Bennett, Anthony Gonzon, Amy and Jim White, Steve Graff, Aaron Reb, Andy and John Dunn, Alice Mohrman, Ellen Jacobson, Rob Blye, Sue Gruver, Sharon Lynn, Lynn Smith, Teddy Burke, John Long, Jeff Holmes, Megan Kasprzak, Joe Sebastiani, Ian Stewart, Lloyd Maier, Chris Rowe, John Skibicki, Rod Murray, Holly Merker, Kim Steininger, Bill Stewart, Ryan Crane, Joe Swertinski and Joe Russell. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-792-9591 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you Happy Memorial Day and good birding!
Date: 5/21/19 2:31 pm From: Richard Julian <rwjulian66...> Subject: [de-birds] Cape Henlopen SPTuesday May 21, 2019 Bird Walk
> > May 21, 2019 > Birded from Herring Point to the end of the boardwalk of the Gordons Pond trail. Started at the Nature Center (NC). > This was the last walk for the spring, thanks to all who participated. I will start them up again after Labor Day weekend.
Highlight included Mississippi Kites (2)
> Mourning Dove > Chimney Swift > Clapper Rail (Heard) > Peeps (most likely sanderlings or least sandpipers, saw in flight) > Greater Yellowlegs > Willet > Laughing Gull > Forster's Tern > Northern Gannet (off Herring Point) > Double-crested Cormorant > Great Egret > Snowy Egret > Green Heron > Turkey Vulture > Osprey > Bald Eagle > Mississippi Kite > Downy Woodpecker > Northern Flicker > Eastern Wood-Pewee > Eastern Phoebe > Eastern Kingbird > White-eyed Vireo (Heard) > Blue Jay > Fish Crow > Purple Martin (Nature Center) > Barn Swallow > Carolina Chickadee > Tufted Titmouse > Brown-headed Nuthatch > Blue-gray Gnatcatcher > American Robin > Gray Catbird > European Starling > House Finch > American Goldfinch > Chipping Sparrow > Eastern Towhee > Orchard Oriole > Brown-headed Cowbird > Common Grackle > Common Yellowthroat > Pine Warbler > Northern Cardinal > Blue Grosbeak > > Cheers
Date: 5/21/19 12:51 pm From: Rob Blye <rwblye...> Subject: [de-birds] morning walk in southeastern Sussex County
My wife and I decided to stick close to home today so we drove one mile to the center of Angola Neck Preserve and walked the road south to the bay and back. Our goal was to find at least one pair of nesting *red-headed woodpeckers* and we were not disappointed.
We parked our car at the NO OUTLET sign on Camp Arrowhead Road where the pavement turns to gravel. Although Angola Neck Preserve is posted as Restricted Access it is permissible to walk and bird from the road. First thing out of the car, we heard a calling red-headed woodpecker and after carefully searching the dead trees at the edge of the marsh, Carol found a red head and black bill sticking out of a hole. As we watched, the bird retreated in the hole and another adult RHWO flew to the same tree, stuck its head in the hole several times, climbed higher in the tree and out comes the first bird. They then flew off to another dead tree while displaying red, white and black. What an impressive site.
We found a second red-headed woodpecker on the trail to the bay but it did not enter a hole and no other bird joined it. In the past we have found as many as four nesting pairs in Angola Neck Preserve and adjacent private land.
We finished our walk with 32 species of birds including occupied nests for osprey (2), tree swallow, brown-headed nuthatch, probable nesting for red-winged blackbird, 5 species of shorebirds, and one turkey egg that likely hatched nearby. Two smaller but similar looking eggs on the trail were not identified. The complete checklist is available at: https://ebird.org/pa/view/checklist/S56575085
*Rob and Carol*
Robert W. Blye 34603 Doe Run Lewes DE 19958-3332 302 945-8618 610 213-2413 mobile
Date: 5/21/19 10:16 am From: m b <marlabeth...> Subject: [de-birds] Skimmers skimming
On Sunday I went to Prime Hook. Was I surprised and pleased to find that, at the end of the one mile trail along that little canal by the visitor center, skimmers were once again skimming and Forsters and Least terns were once again diving. Well, one Least Tern among the Forsters.
It may be that this has been happening all along, but I have not seen hide nor hair of terns or skimmers at the end of that canal, only at the skimmer ponds along Prime Hook Beach Road, since they filled in that cut near Fowler's Beach. There were no black necked stilts, as there used to be before they filled in the cut. But as far as I was concerned it was a miracle to see the skimmers. And the Least Tern as well as the Forsters. There were a reasonable number of other shorebirds as well.(mainly dunlin and semi palmated plovers and sandpipers)
Also, yesterday, May 20th, an adult bald eagle was being chased by several osprey right out in front of the boardwalk at Bethany Beach. There also was a pair of least terns diving and catching fish in the same spot. At one point,a Forster's Tern caught a fish, and a Laughing Gull chased it all the way into town over the condos. I never did see the end of that skirmish. And, again on the beach, there were a group of maybe 6 ruddy turnstones flying by.
Except for the fact that in two visits to Slaughter Beach and that general area I have seen no red knots, all the rest of this has been pretty nice!
Mb visiting from NoVa
sent from my phone so please excuse all typos, gibberish, and horrifying misspellings
