Delaware (Statewide) RBA
April 18, 2008
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:47:46 -0400
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From: Andy Ednie <ednieap@verizon.net>
Subject: [BIRDEAST] RBA: Birdline Delaware, April 18th, 2008
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RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* April 18, 2008
* DEST0804.18
*Birds mentioned
Greater White-fronted Goose
Northern Pintail
Eurasian Wigeon
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Common Loon
Red-throated Loon
Pied-billed grebe
Northern Gannet
American Bittern
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Glossy Ibis
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Merlin
American Kestrel
Wild turkey
Ring-necked Pheasant
Northern Bobwhite
King rail
Clapper Rail
Virginia Rail
American Golden Plover
American Oystercatcher
American Avocet
Black-necked Stilt
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
American Woodcock
Bonaparte's Gull
Lesser Black-backed gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Forster's Tern
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chucks-will-widow
Whip-poor-will
Barred Owl
White-eyed Vireo
Barn Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Brown Thrasher
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Painted Bunting
Savannah Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Purple Finch
Transcript
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: April 18, 2008
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE)
Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap@verizon.net)
Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern
New Jersey, Maryland
Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap@verizon.net)
For, Friday, April 18th this is Birdline Delaware, from the Delaware Museum
of Natural History in Greenville. The 200th species for the state's year
list was the RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD reported by Tom Clarke in Hockessin.
The unofficial Delaware State Year List now stands at 216 species. In
addition to the Hummingbird, other new species reported included: GREEN
HERON, BLACK-NECKED STILT, WILLET, CASPIAN TERN, ROYAL TERN,
CHUCKS-WILL-WIDOW, WHIP-POOR-WILL, WHITE-EYED VIREO, NORTHERN PARULA, YELLOW
WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER, OVENBIRD,
and SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
First, a report came in this week of pair of PAINTED BUNTINGS, male and
female coming to a feeder near Georgetown. These two birds have been present
since January, but we are just hearing about them now. The feeder is at the
home of Janet Davidson, who has graciously allowed birders access to her
property. The address is 25331 Anne St. in Piney Grove Manor. Here are the
directions, Turn west off Rt 13 below Georgetown opposite the Georgetown
speedway onto Kruger Rd. Turn left onto Acorn Dr. and the right onto Anne
Street. It is the first tan house on the left. Please check with the
Davidson's before birding, their dogs might be out. Good luck to those that
go looking for the BUNTINGS.
Elsewhere, migrants are rushing in. A CHUCKS-WILLS-WIDOW was heard at Summit
Bridge, north of the C&D Canal this week. That is the furthest north in
Delaware they have been reported. A WHIP-POOR-WILL was reported calling at
dusk in Hockessin last Friday. Only twice can I recall ever hearing WHIPS in
the piedmont areas of Delaware. WHIP-POOR-WILLS and AMERICAN WOODCOCK were
talking vociferously at Big Stone Beach this week.
The previously mentioned RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD was found in Hockessin
this week. Since then, HUMMERS have also been reported at Abbott's Mill
Nature Center near Milford, Frankfurt, Sussex Co, and in Brandywine Hundred
across from Stanley's Tavern.
The WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE previously reported continues to be reported at the
Woodland Beach Wildlife Area along the drive to Tony Florio's. 35 GLOSSY
IBIS were also seen there. A BROWN THRASHER at Woodland Beach was singing
every song in the book.
A EURASIAN WIGEON was seen on Tuesday at the south end of Slaughter's Beach.
Good numbers of AMERICAN AVOCETS were also seen there. The RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER continues to be seen along Deep Branch Road. WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROWS are still at the Prime Hook Headquarters. A VIRGINIA RAIL was
calling along the Boardwalk Trail today. BARN SWALLOW was seen along Cod's
Road. Warbler migrants at Turkle Pond included PINE, PALM, YELLOW-THROATED,
and OVENBIRD, plus WHITE-EYED VIREO.
BLACK-NECKED STILTS are back at Bombay Hook NWR. Outside the refuge a big
flock of PLOVER in a vernal pool along Rd 12, the Smyrna Leipsic Road had
2-3 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER on Saturday. AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Finis
Pool and 29 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS were counted at Bear Swamp. Both
RING-NECKED PHEASANT and BOBWHITE have been calling near the visitor center.
Also seen was a hen NORTHERN PINTAIL fighting a snapping turtle, attached to
its leg, on Raymond Pool. KING and CLAPPER RAIL were heard at the newly
reopened Boardwalk Trail at the refuge.
An other note, a RAIL was photographed in a yard in clayton, Delaware, west
of Smyrna this week. It was flushed into a hedge while the owner was mowing
the lawn. The consensus from experts examining at the pictures is the bird
is a young CLAPPER RAIL. Pretty far from a salt marsh don't you think?
ROYAL TERNS were reported this week at Indian River Inlet. Good numbers of
COMMON and a few RED-THROATED LOONS and NORTHERN GANNETS are still present.
GREEN HERON and WILLETS were also back in the area. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
was seen behind Old Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop.
The hawk watch at Cape Henlopen State Park had a couple of banner days this
week. 88 AMERICAN KESTREL were recorded for a single day peak on Sunday. 22
MERLIN, 10 SHARP-SHINNED and 4 COOPER'S HAWKS were seen today. Also reported
was the first CHIMNEY SWIFT of the year.
The first BROAD-WINGED HAWK of the season was reported at Flint woods near
Centerville on Wednesday. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES and PURPLE FINCHES are
still coming to feeders in Delaware this week.
NORTHERN PARULA and YELLOW WARBLER were reported back at White Clay Creek
this week, along with LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, YELLOW-THROATED, PINE, PALM,
and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. The BARRED OWL was seen again this week at the
pedestrian bridge off Wedgewood Road. RUSTY BLACKBIRD was also reported
there.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER was seen at Ramsey Road, Brandywine Creek State Park. 10
COMMON MERGANSERS were seen there this week. BARRED OWL was reported south
of Thompson's Bridge being harassed by a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. EASTERN
MEADOWLARKS and SAVANNAH SPARROWS were reported in the fields in front of
the nature center.
COMMON LOON was seen on Hoopes' Reservoir this week. There are still a few
waterfowl on the reservoir, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON MERGANSER,
and RUDDY DUCK. A fly over COMMON LOON was seen at the Coverdale Center of
the Delaware Nature Society this week.
WILLETS are everywhere right now, but what was interesting was a report of 6
WILLETS at Churchman's Marsh, seen from I-95. I'd hate to be the person
looking for those birds at rush hour.
A flock of 6 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS with a BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER
was reported at the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. I'm not sure if that is Cedar
Swamp in New Castle or Sussex Co.
GREEN HERON and AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen flying over the Pickering Beach
Road. The pine woods at the powerline cut there had BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER,
PINE and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER. This is the farthest north that the pale
lored YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER has been reported in Delaware.
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL continues to be reported at Kitts Hummock. Over 600
AMERICAN AVOCETS were seen at the nearby Logan Tract, also FORSTER'S TERNS,
BONABARTE'S GULLS, and a WILD TURKEY.
The first CASPIAN TERN of the season was reported this week near Delaware
City. CATTLE EGRET and LITTLE BLUE HERON were also reported there.
And now for this week's special feature from 1450 WILM News Radio. You can
hear Birdline Delaware on your radio on Wednesday at 5:55 and 8:55 am and
again at 6:55 pm. Here now is this week's feature:
Delawareans might not realize it, but our East Coast salt marsh is unique.
In this vast habitat evolved endemic species, found in one particular niche
and nowhere else.
Salt marsh covers only 5% of global land mass. But in Delaware, 25% is
coastal plain salt marsh. The East Coast of the United States is the largest
continuous area of salt marsh in the world. Scientist are studying these
areas, to discover how plants and animals survive in an oxygen depleted,
saline environment.
Species that specialize in salt marsh become isolated from their ancestral
population. Delaware specialties like the CLAPPER RAIL (Clapper Rail Sfx)
are found predominately here. Its cousin, the KING RAIL in found in brackish
and fresh water. The SEASIDE and the SALT MARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW, birds'
endemic to the United States, are also found only in the coastal marshes.
The SALT MARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW (one of the longest bird names invented)
was recently split from the inland NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. Separated
by glaciers during the ice age; they developed into separate species with
different mating habitats. NELSON'S are monogamous while male SALT MARSH
birds form a group called a lek, (Salt Marsh SFx) singing to any female
entering the territory. One female, mates and goes off to raise her young
alone.
Species used to be based on morphology, is now determined by behavior and
DNA; helping us to better understand endemic evolution. Special thanks to
Professor Greg Shriver from the University of Delaware for his explanation
on this topic.
Also, special thanks to Janet Davidson, Randy Murphy, Frank Rohrbacher, and
Ed Sigda for their reports. Please send your reports into the birdline or
add birds to the state year list by calling 302-792-9591 or email me at
ednieap@verizon.net. Until next week, good birding.
-end transcript
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