Delaware (Statewide) RBA
February 20, 2010
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:55:49 -0500
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From: Andy Ednie <ednieap@verizon.net>
Subject: [BIRDEAST] RBA: Birdline Delaware, February 20th, 2010
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RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* February 20, 2010
* DEST1002.20
*Birds mentioned
Brant
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Common Loon
Red-throated Loon
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Kestrel
Barn Owl
Eastern Phoebe
Horned Lark
Fish Crow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Thrasher
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Tree Sparrow
Filed Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Snow bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Baltimore Oriole
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: February 20, 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 Saturday, February 20th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware
Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The 2010 Unofficial Delaware State
Year List now stands at 157 species.
This week, the first EASTERN PHOEBE of the season was seen at Abbott's Mill
Nature Center near Milford. A female BALTIMORE ORIOLE has been reported
coming to a feeder in Dover. In northern Delaware, a female WOOD DUCK was
seen on Beaver Run in the Brandywine Valley. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS are
coming back to feeders and FISH CROWS are spread out from their winter
roosts.
SNOW BUNTINGS, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, and 4 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen along
the entrance road to Bombay Hook NWR. AMERICAN TREE and FIELD SPARROWS were
seen by the Boardwalk Trail. Another LAPLAND LONGSPUR was reported coming to
a feeder in Felton. That feeder also had HORNED LARK, AMERICAN TREE, and
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.
A RED-THROATED LOON was seen at the Tilcon Ponds in Dover opposite the Air
Force Base. 80 RUDDY DUCKS were seen at one pond while about 200 COMMON
MERGANSERS were seen at another.
SNOW BUNTINGS were also seen at the Lighthouse Point in Cape Henlopen State
Park. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was also seen there.
BRANT, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, and both COMMON and RED-THROATED LOONS were
seen at the park.
A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH continues top be coming to a feeder at Bay Vista in
Rehoboth Beach. BROWN THRASHERS and FOX SPARROWS were also reported at
feeders in the Rehoboth Area. Silver Lake in Rehoboth has 400 CANVASBACK and
a lone RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, plus RUDDY DUCK, NORTHERN SHOVELER, and
AMERICAN COOT.
RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were reported in several locations this week. One was
seen in Bellview State Park in Brandywine Hundred, another was seen along
the White Clay Creek near Stanton by the Hale-Byrne House. A third
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was reported at Phillips Park in Newark. AMERICAN
KESTREL was also reported there.
Five AMERICAN WIGEONS were reported at the Rt. 100 ponds opposite Brandywine
Creek State Park. HOODED MERGANSERS and RING-NECKED DUCKS were also seen
there. 4 RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen on the Brandywine at Smith's Bridge.
The feeders at Brandywine Creek have AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, returning
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and an occasional SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. Feeders in
northern Delaware reported BROWN THRASHER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, HERMIT
THRUSH, and both FOX and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
and PILEATED WOODPECKER were seen in Canterbury Hills, south of Hockessin.
Finally, a BARN OWL was seen hunting over the marsh at Taylor's Bridge last
weekend. That bird seen about a half hour after sunset, hovering before
pouncing on prey.
And now for this week's special feature from WILM News Radio.
During this snowy season, birds are pushed to the brink for survival.
Delaware's most interesting storms produced some of the rarest records
during these harsh conditions.
The winter of 1996 was exceptional memorable with the January 9th Blizzard
that dumped almost 3 feet of snow. At the height of the blizzard a call went
out that a VARIED THRUSH, a rare visitor from the Pacific Northwest and
first state record, was found in Wilmington. Discovered at Phil and Hazel
Vanderhorst's feeder in Blue Rocks Manor, it was only 3 miles away. Those
three miles could have been 100, with a 5 foot snow drift in front of the
garage door.
The winter of 1978 was great for winter finches. Hundreds of EVENING
GROSBEAKS, rare visitors from the north, descended. GROSBEAKS were
accompanied by their kin, PINE SISKINS, REDPOLLS, and CROSSBILLS. The late
January storm brought a swirl of finches to the feeder. Some of those birds
stayed until Memorial Day.
The deadliest storm was Valentine's Day of 1958 that brought 2 feet of snow
to Delaware. Down south in the Carolina's, ice trapped BLUEBIRDS in communal
roosts. It was estimated that half the population perished. It would take 30
years for the species to rebound. When I started birding in the 1960's, it
was 5 years before I saw my first Bluebird at Stan Speck's.
The best way to tell how bad the winter was is watch the CAROLINA WREN
population. The winter of 1994 caused a crash in WRENS. For the next two
years, no CAROLINA WRENS were recorded on the Brandywine Creek State Park
census. We'll see what happened this year.
There is a ray of hope in all this glum. Remember, the more severe the
winter, the sweeter the spring.
Special thanks this week to Derek Stoner, Claire Mickletz, Howard Holmquist,
Lynn Smith, Bill Stewart, Marcia Poling, Sharon Lynn, Randy Murphy, Amy
O'Neil, Bob Rufe, and Mike Smith for their reports. The Birdline needs your
reports too, or you can add to the 2010 Unofficial Delaware State Year List
by calling 302-792-9591 or email ednieap@verizon.net. Until next week good
birding.
-end transcript
Andy Ednie
Claymont, Delaware
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