Delaware (Statewide) RBA
February 5, 2010
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 11:24:13 -0500
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From: Andy Ednie <ednieap@verizon.net>
Subject: [BIRDEAST] RBA: Birdline Delaware, February 5th, 2010
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RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* February 5, 2010
* DEST1002.05
*Birds mentioned
Snow Goose
Tundra Swan
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Canvasback
Greater Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Common Eider
Black Scoter
Surf Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Cormorant
Black Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Kestrel
American Coot
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper
Eastern Screech Owl
Great Horned Owl
Northern Flicker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Horned Lark
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Brown Thrasher
Gray Catbird
American Robin
Eastern Bluebird
American Pipit
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Snow Bunting
Lapland Longspur
Rusty Blackbird
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: February 5, 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, February 5th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum
of Natural History in Greenville. The 2010 Unofficial Delaware State Year
List now stands at 154 species.
The First State was socked in snow this week, with downstate getting the
brunt of the storm. SNOW GEESE and SNOW BUNTINGS were seen in several
locations in the state. A big flock of SNOW GEESE sat in the snow at
Cartanza Road, north of Little Creek. Cartanza Road was closed due to 8
inches of snow.
The refuge road through Bombay Hook was also closed due to high snow levels.
SNOW BUNTINGS and at least 5 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were counted along Whitehall
Neck Road and Raymond Neck Road, outside of Bombay Hook. Approximated 300
HORNED LARKS and 100 SAVANNAH SPARROWS were also reported. Only a single
AMERICAN KESTREL was seen. AMERICAN PIPITS were seen along Big Woods Road
and also Big Oak Road near Smyrna. A single adult WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was
found along Savannah Road. A female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was on the
Leipsic River at the Rt. 9 Bridge.
In Sussex County, 22 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at Haven Road, on the north
side of Indian River Inlet. Those birds were flying towards Burton's Island
looking for open ground. 18 COMMON GOLDENEYE were in Haven Road Cove, also
known as "Bottom Hills Drain.". A peak count of 14 GREAT CORMORANTS were
counted at Indian River Inlet. 3 immature drake COMMON EIDERS continue to be
seen at the inlet, plus LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF and BLACK SCOTER. 30 PURPLE
SANDPIPERS were found on the jetty.
CANVASBACK and RUDDY DUCKS continue to get pushed into smaller area of open
water on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and
NORTHERN SHOVELER were also reported. HOODED MERGANSER and AMERICAN COOTS
were seen at Silver Lake earlier in the week.
Catch 54 in Fenwick Island had a PIED-BILLED GREBE, NORTHERN PINTAIL,
GREATER SCAUP, and HOODED and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. KILLDEER and DUNLIN
were also found there.
A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH has been coming to a feeder in Bay Vista near
Rehoboth. BROWN THRASHER and NORTHERN FLICKER were also reported. GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, and DUNLIN were found there by the head of Rehoboth
Bay. The RUDDY DUCK raft at Bald Eagle Creek has grown to 150 birds.
A count of 85 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found at the headquarters of Prime Hook
NWR near Milton. That's a good addition to the Rusty Blackbird Blitz. FIELD
SPARROW and WINTER WREN were also found, plus both SCREECH and GREAT HORNED
OWL. FOX SPARROW and EASTERN TOWHEE WERE reported at a feeder near
Georgetown.
A GRAY CATBIRD was seen at Pine Valley Farms near Port Penn. TUNDRA SWANS
were seen on the ice at Taylor's Gut. About 50,000 SNOW GEESE were seen on
the Delaware River at Woodland Beach.
BROWN THRASHER was seen at Brandywine Creek State Park. Also reported was
PILEATED WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, and 3 drake COMMON MERGANSERS on the
creek. 3 PIED-BILLED GREBES were on Hoopes' Reservoir, along with
RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, and COMMON MERGANSER. BALD EAGLES are again
nesting at Hoopes'. A flock of 6 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS with AMERICAN ROBINS were
eating berries along the Rt. 82 causeway on Sunday
80 COMMON MERGANSERS were seen on the Christiana River at the Russ Peterson
Environmental Education Center this week. A BALD EAGLE was seen flying up
the Christiana from I-95. A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was also seen near Frawly
Stadium.
COMMON and a pair of HOODED MERGANSER were seen on the Red Clay Creek this
week. BLACK VULTURE, HAIRY and PILEATED WOODPECKERS were seen at Ashland
Nature Center. CHIPPING SPARROWS were coming to a feeder near Yorklyn. A
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen near Centerville.
Now from this week's special feature from WILM News Radio:
The snowstorms in central Delaware have provided birders with a unique
opportunity. Snow covered fields have pushed birds to road edges in search
of food, gravel, and salt. HORNED LARK, AMERICAN PIPITS and SAVANNAH
SPARROWS, normally found in grasslands can easily be seen along Delaware's
rural roadways. But, among these common birds you can find the LAPLAND
LONGSPUR, a rare visitor from the tundra.
Found circumpolar, the LAPLAND LONGSPUR is actually one of the most common
birds in the world. Originally described from birds found in Lapland, part
of Scandinavia, the males have a black breast, throat and face and chestnut
collar on the nape. The females are a more plain brown. All have extremely
variable plumage, making it easy to recognize individual birds.
Related to sparrows and Old World buntings, the Longspurs exact linage is
not known. Molecular studies of DNA are inconclusive for either family.
Longspurs get their name from a distinctive, double-length claw on the back
toe, similar to the elongated claw of the dinosaur, Velociraptor. Could this
be a clue to birds evolving from reptiles or just convergent evolution? The
genius name of Longspurs, Calcarius, is from the Latin name of the heal
bone, calcaneus.
There are four species of Longspur in the world, all occurring in North
America. The Smith's Longspur breeds in the high Arctic. The McKown's and
chestnut-colored Longspur breed in the northern Prairies. These similar
species makes fascinating study.
Special thanks this week to Lynn Smith, Jim White, Joe Sebastiani, Maurice
Barnhill, Derek Stoner, and Chuck Fullmer for their observations. The
Birdline needs your reports or contribution to the Unofficial Delaware State
Year List. Please call your observations to 302-792-9591 or email
ednieap@verizon.net. Until next week, good birding.
-end transcript
Andy Ednie
Claymont, Delaware
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