RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* November 23, 2005
* DEST0511.23
*Birds mentioned
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-Crested Cormorant
Northern Gannet
American White Pelican
Tundra Swan
Cackling Goose
Ross' Goose
Green-winged Teal
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
Black Scoter
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
American Coot
King Rail
Golden Eagle
American Avocet
Marbled Godwit
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Western Kingbird
Barn Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Horned Lark
Black-caped Chickadee
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Hermit Thrush
American Pipit
Palm Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Purple Finch
- Transcript
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: November 23, 2005
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap@wittnet.com)
Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern
New Jersey, Maryland
Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap@wittnet.com)
For Wednesday, November 23rd, this is a special Thanksgiving edition of
Birdline Delaware, from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in
Greenville. I'm Andy Ednie, glad to be with you this week. Armas Hill is
away.
A WESTERN KINGBIRD was seen briefly by Raymond Pool at Bombay Hook on
Sunday. Efforts to relocate that bird were unsuccessful. The AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN again dropped into the marsh opposite Shearness Pool last weekend,
but has not been seen since. A single BARN SWALLOW was near the entrance to
Bombay Hook last week.
Some other birds reported at Bombay Hook this week included a PALM WARBLER,
KING RAIL, 50 AMERICAN AVOCETS, and a single MARBLED GODWIT. There were 2
CACKLING GEESE among the CANADA GEESE and a ROSS' GOOSE was seen in with the
SNOW GEESE at the refuge. Waterfowl included TUNDRA SWAN, BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY
DUCK, RING-NECKED DUCK, and HOODED MERGANSER.
Another BARN SWALLOW was seen on Tuesday, down the road at Port Mahon, along
with good numbers of AMERICAN WIGEON and GREATER SCAUP.
At least 10 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were reported at Cartanza Road this week, one
of the largest numbers ever counted in the state. There were also 4 AMERICAN
PIPITS, 200 HORNED LARKS and 50 SAVANNAH SPARROWS including a leucistic
bird.
A pair of NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS were the highlight of the Winter
Gull trip to the Cherry Island Landfill on Saturday. Those two birds were on
the chain linked fence near the gate of the waste treatment ponds. Six
species of gulls were counted among the estimated 10,000 GULLS present,
including many late LAUGHING GULLS, 2 ICELAND, and about 20 LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS.
Ducks on the ponds at the Wilmington Wastewater Treatment Plant included
LESSER SCAUP, RING-NECKED, RUDDY, GADWALL, and NORTHERN SHOVELER, with
AMERICAN COOT.
There were big numbers of gulls at Indian River Inlet on Saturday, including
several hundred LAUGHING and BONEPARTE'S GULLS with FORSTER'S TERNS, along
with COMMON LOON and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. About 200 NORTHERN GANNETS
were seen offshore, along with SURF, BLACK and a couple of WHITE-WINGED
SCOTERS.
Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach has been relatively quiet, only a small flock
of RUDDY DUCKS. The Wolf Point Water Treatment Plant had a exceptional
number of waterfowl there last week, including 200 BUFFLEHEAD, 100 RUDDY
DUCK, 80 SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GREATER SCAUP, and RING-NECKED DUCK.
Permission is required to enter the Wolf Point Plant as is also the case for
the Cherry Island Landfill.
Cedar Creek Mill Pond off Rt 30 below Milford had a nice collection of
waterfowl, 200 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 20 AMERICAN WIGEON, 3 COMMON MERGANSERS
and 5 PIED-BILLED GREBES. 2 TUNDRA SWANS and 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES were seen
at nearby Cubbage Pond.
Last week, we mentioned 2 GOLDEN EAGLE sightings at Ashland Nature Center.
In Sussex Co. last week, individual GOLDEN EAGLES were seen at Red Mill Pond
and the Fishing Pier at Cape Henlopen. That makes 4 sightings of GOLDEN
EAGLE in Sussex Co. this season.
At Hoopes' Reservoir, the number of RING-NECKED DUCK rose from 40 to 250
this week. Along with the RING-NECKS there were also LESSER SCAUP,
BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY DUCK and PIED-BILLED GREBE.
PURPLE FINCHES and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES continue to make to the feeders
at Brandywine Creek State Park. A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was seen in the
Tuliptree Woods behind the Nature Center. WINTER WREN, FOX SPARROW and
HERMIT THRUSH continue to be found down along the creek.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES (6-8 individuals) continue to be seen at at the
feeders at the Seaside Nature Center in Cape Henlopen State Park.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are widespread this year. Two continue to be seen
right here at the feeders of Focus on Nature Tours near Arden.
And now for this week's special feature from 1450 WILM News Radio. You can
hear the special feature at 5:55 and 8:55 am and 6:55 pm on Wednesday.
This is the Birdline (on the radio):
(RECORDING)
On this, the day before Thanksgiving, yes, that's the GOBBLE of the TURKEY.
As Thanksgiving has been a uniquely American holiday, the TURKEY is a
uniquely American bird.
You all know that TURKEYS, like CHICKENS, occur in barnyards. And, they're
grown for human consumption. Throughout the world, CHICKENS, some DUCKS, and
TURKEYS have become domesticated. CHICKENS and some of the DUCKS were
originally wild in Asia. The TURKEY, (and the MUSCOVY DUCK), however, has
(have) existed in the wild, and continue to, only in the Americas.
TURKEYS were domesticated in the Americas, in Mexico, by the Aztecs, long
before the arrival of the Europeans. So, that's where the Spanish first
found the TURKEY, and brought it back to Europe in the 16th Century.
Word of a good. tasty thing spreads quickly, and, so, by 1540, the
"turkie-fowl" was on many European tables, not just in Spain, but even in
England - after it had been served to King Henry the Eighth.
As sometimes happens, there was some confusion as to where the tasty bird
came from. Confusion with the GUINEA-FOWL, actually from AFRICA, but thought
by some to be from the OTTOMAN EMPIRE, of that day. Hence, the misnaming of
the bird from the Americas as: "TURKEY".
For a few years after Henry the Eighth ate the first TURKEY in England, the
DISH was reserved only for the King. But, in time, many were raised for
consumption, throughout England, and it was birds from that stock, that the
PILGRIMS brought with them on the MAYFLOWER for their meals in
Massachusetts. Even though, WILD TURKEYS were abundant around them, in the
forests near Plymouth Rock.
Truly "WILD" TURKEYS were WARY: large bronze-colored birds in the woods that
could be very shy and elusive. Their flight, through the trees, was quick,
and strong. After clearing the treetops, they could sail, with little
effort, for a mile.
They were hard for hunters to shoot. But they did. The last WILD TURKEY was
shot in Massachusetts in 1851. Today, WILD TURKEYS have been re-stocked
there, and elsewhere. Wild, yes, but not as wary as the originals.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the TURKEY, not the EAGLE, to be our National Bird.
Imagine, our money and stamps could have had TURKEYS on them. Instead, the
TURKEY has been on our plates, especially at Thanksgiving, for years.
Have a happy Thanksgiving. I'm Armas Hill. Good birding.
Thanks Armas. And special thanks to Jean Woods, Gene Hess, and Christine
Bennett at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. I'll be back next week.
Please call your reports to 302-791-9591 or email me at ednieap@wittnet.com.
Until next time, good birding.
-end transcript
* Delaware
* Statewide
* November 23, 2005
* DEST0511.23
*Birds mentioned
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-Crested Cormorant
Northern Gannet
American White Pelican
Tundra Swan
Cackling Goose
Ross' Goose
Green-winged Teal
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
Black Scoter
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
American Coot
King Rail
Golden Eagle
American Avocet
Marbled Godwit
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Western Kingbird
Barn Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Horned Lark
Black-caped Chickadee
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Hermit Thrush
American Pipit
Palm Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Purple Finch
- Transcript
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: November 23, 2005
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap@wittnet.com)
Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern
New Jersey, Maryland
Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap@wittnet.com)
For Wednesday, November 23rd, this is a special Thanksgiving edition of
Birdline Delaware, from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in
Greenville. I'm Andy Ednie, glad to be with you this week. Armas Hill is
away.
A WESTERN KINGBIRD was seen briefly by Raymond Pool at Bombay Hook on
Sunday. Efforts to relocate that bird were unsuccessful. The AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN again dropped into the marsh opposite Shearness Pool last weekend,
but has not been seen since. A single BARN SWALLOW was near the entrance to
Bombay Hook last week.
Some other birds reported at Bombay Hook this week included a PALM WARBLER,
KING RAIL, 50 AMERICAN AVOCETS, and a single MARBLED GODWIT. There were 2
CACKLING GEESE among the CANADA GEESE and a ROSS' GOOSE was seen in with the
SNOW GEESE at the refuge. Waterfowl included TUNDRA SWAN, BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY
DUCK, RING-NECKED DUCK, and HOODED MERGANSER.
Another BARN SWALLOW was seen on Tuesday, down the road at Port Mahon, along
with good numbers of AMERICAN WIGEON and GREATER SCAUP.
At least 10 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were reported at Cartanza Road this week, one
of the largest numbers ever counted in the state. There were also 4 AMERICAN
PIPITS, 200 HORNED LARKS and 50 SAVANNAH SPARROWS including a leucistic
bird.
A pair of NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS were the highlight of the Winter
Gull trip to the Cherry Island Landfill on Saturday. Those two birds were on
the chain linked fence near the gate of the waste treatment ponds. Six
species of gulls were counted among the estimated 10,000 GULLS present,
including many late LAUGHING GULLS, 2 ICELAND, and about 20 LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS.
Ducks on the ponds at the Wilmington Wastewater Treatment Plant included
LESSER SCAUP, RING-NECKED, RUDDY, GADWALL, and NORTHERN SHOVELER, with
AMERICAN COOT.
There were big numbers of gulls at Indian River Inlet on Saturday, including
several hundred LAUGHING and BONEPARTE'S GULLS with FORSTER'S TERNS, along
with COMMON LOON and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. About 200 NORTHERN GANNETS
were seen offshore, along with SURF, BLACK and a couple of WHITE-WINGED
SCOTERS.
Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach has been relatively quiet, only a small flock
of RUDDY DUCKS. The Wolf Point Water Treatment Plant had a exceptional
number of waterfowl there last week, including 200 BUFFLEHEAD, 100 RUDDY
DUCK, 80 SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GREATER SCAUP, and RING-NECKED DUCK.
Permission is required to enter the Wolf Point Plant as is also the case for
the Cherry Island Landfill.
Cedar Creek Mill Pond off Rt 30 below Milford had a nice collection of
waterfowl, 200 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 20 AMERICAN WIGEON, 3 COMMON MERGANSERS
and 5 PIED-BILLED GREBES. 2 TUNDRA SWANS and 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES were seen
at nearby Cubbage Pond.
Last week, we mentioned 2 GOLDEN EAGLE sightings at Ashland Nature Center.
In Sussex Co. last week, individual GOLDEN EAGLES were seen at Red Mill Pond
and the Fishing Pier at Cape Henlopen. That makes 4 sightings of GOLDEN
EAGLE in Sussex Co. this season.
At Hoopes' Reservoir, the number of RING-NECKED DUCK rose from 40 to 250
this week. Along with the RING-NECKS there were also LESSER SCAUP,
BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY DUCK and PIED-BILLED GREBE.
PURPLE FINCHES and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES continue to make to the feeders
at Brandywine Creek State Park. A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was seen in the
Tuliptree Woods behind the Nature Center. WINTER WREN, FOX SPARROW and
HERMIT THRUSH continue to be found down along the creek.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES (6-8 individuals) continue to be seen at at the
feeders at the Seaside Nature Center in Cape Henlopen State Park.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are widespread this year. Two continue to be seen
right here at the feeders of Focus on Nature Tours near Arden.
And now for this week's special feature from 1450 WILM News Radio. You can
hear the special feature at 5:55 and 8:55 am and 6:55 pm on Wednesday.
This is the Birdline (on the radio):
(RECORDING)
On this, the day before Thanksgiving, yes, that's the GOBBLE of the TURKEY.
As Thanksgiving has been a uniquely American holiday, the TURKEY is a
uniquely American bird.
You all know that TURKEYS, like CHICKENS, occur in barnyards. And, they're
grown for human consumption. Throughout the world, CHICKENS, some DUCKS, and
TURKEYS have become domesticated. CHICKENS and some of the DUCKS were
originally wild in Asia. The TURKEY, (and the MUSCOVY DUCK), however, has
(have) existed in the wild, and continue to, only in the Americas.
TURKEYS were domesticated in the Americas, in Mexico, by the Aztecs, long
before the arrival of the Europeans. So, that's where the Spanish first
found the TURKEY, and brought it back to Europe in the 16th Century.
Word of a good. tasty thing spreads quickly, and, so, by 1540, the
"turkie-fowl" was on many European tables, not just in Spain, but even in
England - after it had been served to King Henry the Eighth.
As sometimes happens, there was some confusion as to where the tasty bird
came from. Confusion with the GUINEA-FOWL, actually from AFRICA, but thought
by some to be from the OTTOMAN EMPIRE, of that day. Hence, the misnaming of
the bird from the Americas as: "TURKEY".
For a few years after Henry the Eighth ate the first TURKEY in England, the
DISH was reserved only for the King. But, in time, many were raised for
consumption, throughout England, and it was birds from that stock, that the
PILGRIMS brought with them on the MAYFLOWER for their meals in
Massachusetts. Even though, WILD TURKEYS were abundant around them, in the
forests near Plymouth Rock.
Truly "WILD" TURKEYS were WARY: large bronze-colored birds in the woods that
could be very shy and elusive. Their flight, through the trees, was quick,
and strong. After clearing the treetops, they could sail, with little
effort, for a mile.
They were hard for hunters to shoot. But they did. The last WILD TURKEY was
shot in Massachusetts in 1851. Today, WILD TURKEYS have been re-stocked
there, and elsewhere. Wild, yes, but not as wary as the originals.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the TURKEY, not the EAGLE, to be our National Bird.
Imagine, our money and stamps could have had TURKEYS on them. Instead, the
TURKEY has been on our plates, especially at Thanksgiving, for years.
Have a happy Thanksgiving. I'm Armas Hill. Good birding.
Thanks Armas. And special thanks to Jean Woods, Gene Hess, and Christine
Bennett at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. I'll be back next week.
Please call your reports to 302-791-9591 or email me at ednieap@wittnet.com.
Until next time, good birding.
-end transcript