Delaware (Statewide) RBA
January 15, 2010
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:25:34 -0500
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From: Andy Ednie <ednieap@verizon.net>
Subject: [BIRDEAST] RBA: Birdline Delaware, January 15th, 2010
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RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* January 15, 2010
* DEST1001.15
*Birds mentioned
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Common Eider
Black Scoter
Surf Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Red-throated Loon
Brown Pelican
Great Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Ruddy Turnstone
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Wilson's Snipe
Black-headed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Iceland Gull
Thayer's Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Barred Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Winter Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Brown Thrasher
Gray Catbird
American Pipit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: January 15, 2010
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, January 15th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum
of Natural History in Greenville. The 2010 Unofficial Delaware State Year
now stands at 137 species this week
Last Saturday, an adult THAYER'S GULL was reported at Fowler's Beach, on the
north side of Prime Hook NWR. Fowler's Beach has had limited access due to
storm damage this winter. Two adult ICELAND GULLS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL were also reported there. HOODED MERGANSER and PIED BILLED GREBE were
seen along Cods Rd. A WILSON'S SNIPE was seen along Truitt Rd.
An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and an EASTERN PHOEBE, two rare species in the
state this winter, were reported at the Cemetery at Prime Hook Headquarters.
A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was seen along the Dike Trail. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS
and BROWN THRASHER were also seen near the headquarters. FOX SPARROWS were
seen near Turkle Pond. A dozen CHIPPING SPARROWS and 2 EASTERN TOWHEES were
seen at Deep Branch Road.
The previously reported BLACK-HEADED GULLS were present all week at the
Wolfs' Neck Sewage Treatment Plant between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. An
adult and immature were both present yesterday, along with a BONAPARTE'S
GULL. The turn for Wolfe's Neck is next to the Wawa opposite Rt. 24 on Rt. 1
near Rehoboth.
A BROWN PELICAN was spotted on the docks at the north marina at Indian River
Inlet last week. Up to 4 COMMON EIDERS, plus LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF and
BLACK SCOTER continue to be seen at the Inlet. GREAT CORMORANT, RED-THROATED
LOON, RUDDY TURNSTONE and PURPLE SANDPIPERS are also being seen there.
400-500 CANVASBACKS were seen on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. Good numbers
of RUDDY DUCK and NORTHERN SHOVELER, plus 2 AMERICAN COOTS were also seen
there. About 200 RUDDY DUCKS were seen along Bald Eagle Creek near Rehoboth
Country Club, along with 12 KILLDEER and 75 DUNLIN.
A big flock of 40 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were seen at Mispillion Inlet along
with several hundred DUNLINS and a GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Ducks offshore
included GREATER SCAUP, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and BUFFLEHEAD.
A single RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, plus YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, BROWN
THRASHER, WINTER WREN and EASTERN BLUEBIRD were near Abbott's Mill Nature
Center. Blair's Pond near Milford had a single drake CANVASBACK, AMERICAN
WIGEON, GADWALL, RING-NECKED DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, and PIED-BILLED GREBE.
A LONG-EARED OWL was reported at Finis Pool in Bombay Hook NWR this week.
AMERICAN PIPITS were reported at the refuge, along with HOODED MERGANSERS.
7-9 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were at the feeders this week. 9 WILD TURKEYS
were along Rt. 9 at the Alle House Road. EASTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen along
Whitehall Neck Rd. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen at sunset from the fishing
pier along the Port Mahon Road.
In northern Delaware, a GOLDEN EAGLE was reported at Rockland near
Brandywine Creek State Park. A BARRED OWL was seen along the lower
White-Clay Creek at Stanton, across from the entrance to Delaware Park. 2
BALD EAGLES were seen over the Astra Zeneca headquarters at the intersection
of Rt 202 and 141. Another BALD EAGLE was seen eating on the ice at the
bridge over Churchman's Marsh off I-95 today.
PIED-BILLED GREBE and COMMON MERGANSERS were seen at Hoopes' Reservoir.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS continue to be seen at
the Hillside Mill Road cove. An immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK has been seen
daily at Ashland Nature Center in the vicinity of Hawk Watch Hill.
A GRAY CATBIRD was reported at the Baxter Tract near Odessa. Birding the
Tybout's section of Blackbird State Forest near Townsend produced PILEATED
WOODPECKER and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, along with YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER,
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and HERMIT THRUSH.
And now for this week's special feature from WILM News Radio.
It is written in the Bible, "Consider the fowl of the air". So today, let's
reflect back about avian happenings in Delaware last year. The final state
year list recorded 328 species in the state, that's about 80% of the species
know to occur here.
Last year, Delaware was in the pink with ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, a species
previously never seen in the state. Not just one showed up, but as many as
2-4 birds were reported in all 3 counties. This big pink wader related to
Flamingos is normally found in Florida.
Another new state record was a TROPICAL KINGBIRD found last fall in
Broadkill Beach. This Austral migrant normally moves south for the summer in
South America during our winter. Occasional, one gets its navigation
backwards and shows up on the east coast of North America.
Other rare visitors include WHITE-WINGED DOVE, EURASIAN GOLDEN PLOVER, RUFF
and CURLEW SANDPIPER, all near Bombay Hook. No place in America beats Kent
Co. for birding in late July and August!
The state continues its Breeding Bird Atlas. Compared to the atlas 25 years
ago, this will determine how much change occurred in our ecology. Birds are
an excellent barometer of change because of their rapid generational cycle.
Two hawk watches continue to monitor Delaware's raptors (Red-tail SFx). But,
both watches perform an even greater duty, observing the fall migration.
Cape Henlopen had WESTERN KINGBIRD and LARK SPARROW, while at Ashland, WOOD
STORK and SHORT-EARED OWL were seen. Maintaining both of these sites is
essential, we are just beginning to understand Delaware's role in fall
migration.
Birding is a great outdoor activity because each year starts a new season
and the next surprise is just around the corner.
Special thanks this week Maurice Barnhill, Lynn Smith, Frank Rohrbacher,
Steve Graff, Colin Campbell, Barbara Conway, Ed Sigda, Jason Beale, and
Mike Moore for their observations. You can call 302-792-9591 or email
ednieap@verizon.net to report your observations or make a contribution to
the Unofficial Delaware State Year List for 2010. Thanks for calling and
until next week, good birding.
-end transcript
Andy Ednie
Claymont, Delaware
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