RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* December 4, 2005
* DEST0512.04
* Birds mentioned:
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Cattle Egret
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Cackling Goose
Ross' Goose
Brant (including "BLACK BRANT")
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Lesser Scaup
Greater Scaup
Common Eider (9 together)
Black Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Coot
Purple Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
dowitcher (apparently Short-billed)
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Common Tern
BLACK GUILLEMOT (nj)
Eastern Screech-Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (md)
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Gray Catbird
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
American Pipit
Fox Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
WESTERN TANAGER (nj)
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
Rusty Blackbird
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
European Goldfinch (exotic)
Birdline Delaware
Date: December 4, 2005
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Armas Hill
Coverage: Delaware, and southern New Jersey
Transcriber: Risė Hill
This is Birdline Delaware, for Sunday, December
4th - from the Delaware Museum of Natural
History, and supported by a number of regional
birders. I'm Armas Hill, glad again to be with you.
GOLDEN EAGLES have been spotted in recent weeks at both ends of Delaware.
In the northern part of the state, an adult
GOLDEN EAGLE was seen over the Ashland Nature
Center in Hockessin, on Friday, December 2nd at
8:45am. The bird was observed for about 2 minutes
as it circled, and then drifted to the north.
There was another such sighting, at the same
place, and about the same time of day, back on
November 10th, that sighting also of an adult.
Back on November 14th, one was seen in flight,
possibly hunting, along a nearby ridgetop.
Other birds seen lately at the Ashland Nature
Center have included these on Thursday, December 1st:
an adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK soaring overhead, a
red-morph EASTERN SCREECH-OWL roosting in a Wood
Duck box, a couple BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, and a
HERMIT THRUSH in a holly grove. That HERMIT
THRUSH has been there for a couple weeks.
In the southern part of Delaware, a GOLDEN EAGLE
(probably a first-year bird) was seen back on
November 18th at the fishing pier at the Cape
Henlopen State Park. There was another sighting
(possibly the same bird) near Red Mill Pond, a
few miles to the north, a couple days earlier. In
all, there were 4 GOLDEN EAGLE sightings during
the month prior to the two reports just mentioned.
BALD EAGLES have been noted at a number of places
in Delaware during recent weeks. Last week, an
adult was seen circling over the Red Clay Creek,
near Hockessin, on Thursday, December 1st.
Along the Brandywine Creek, in the city of
Wilmington DE, someone who recently moved into
the Brandywine Park Condominiums, just up the
creek from the zoo, has noted an adult BALD EAGLE
for about 3 weeks at times flying up & down the
creek, at times perched in a nearby tree.
A wonderful place to watch BALD EAGLES, flying
(sometimes acrobatically), perching, and feeding
(both adults and birds with various stages of
immature plumages has been the Conowingo Dam, in
Maryland, where US Route 1 meets the Susquehanna
River. And some wonderful photographs taken
lately of BALD EAGLES there, are now in the
Birdline Photo Gallery in the web-site: www.focusonnature.com
Scroll down the left side of the home page.
In 1 of the photos, in the blue sky, there's both
an adult & an immature EAGLE, together. One is
with a fish; the other is interested in it.
Along the Brandywine Creek, on Thursday, December
1st, at the Brandywine Creek State Park, a PINE
SISKIN was noted among a flock of GOLDFINCHES, at
the north end of "the marsh". Other birds of note
in the area included: a couple FOX SPARROWS, 2
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, and a PILEATED
WOODPECKER. Notably common that day were ROBINS
and WAXWINGS. A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was interested in them.
Some other birds at the Brandywine Creek State
Park recently have included: PURPLE FINCHES, GRAY CATBIRD, and HERMIT THRUSH.
Also in northern Delaware, at the Hoopes
Reservoir, just over a week ago, there was a late
OSPREY, on Thursday, November 24th. It was seen
fishing. Among the waterbirds there on the
reservoir, that day, were these: about 300
RING-NECKED DUCKS, 2 LESSER SCAUP, 2 BUFFLEHEAD,
3 COMMON MERGANSERS, a lone RUDDY DUCK, 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES, and 2 COOTS.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was reported in a
yard in Montchanin (between the Hoopes Reservoir
and the Brandywine Creek) yesterday, December 3rd.
In another backyard north of Wilmington, in the
North Graylyn Crest section, a FOX SPARROW was
observed on Sunday, November 27th.
Let's go now to southern Delaware, where some
interesting birds have been seen lately:
At the point at Cape Henlopen, on Monday,
November 28th, a flock of 9 COMMON EIDER was seen
flying by, only about a hundred yards off the
beach. The flock consisted of 2 adult males, 6 females, and 1 immature male.
A few days later, at the Indian River Inlet, on
Thursday, December 1st, a BLACK-HEADED GULL was
observed among BONAPARTE'S GULLS. The
BLACK-HEADED GULL was an adult with a reddish
bill. It was slightly larger than the
BONAPARTE'S, and had dark under the wing-tips.
A LAUGHING GULL was also seen at the Indian River
Inlet on December 1st, as was a COMMON TERN. That
tern was at the south marina. On November 26th, 2
LAUGHING GULLS were noted at the Indian River Inlet.
On Sunday, November 27th, hundreds of COMMON
LOONS were seen from the Indian River Inlet,
flying south. The previous day, 2 PURPLE
SANDPIPERS were on the south jetty at the Indian
River Inlet, with RUDDY TURNSTONES and SANDERLINGS.
Today, near the south marina of the Indian River
Inlet, on a patch of grass, among 75 BRANT there was a "BLACK BRANT".
Both RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES
were seen at the nature center at Cape Henlopen on November 26th.
Birds seen lately in central Delaware in the area
of Bombay Hook Refuge included the following on December 1st:
a GOSHAWK at the south end of the dike at Bear
Swamp (roughly the size of a RED-TAILED, but
clearly an accipiter; when flying, more powerful
than a COOPER'S with wing strokes deeper and slower),
and 4 DOWITCHERS that appeared to be SHORT-BILLED at Bear Swamp.
Also at Bombay Hook, a ROSS' GOOSE was seen
across from Shearness Pool on November 27th. Some
PIPITS were in the area of Shearness that day.
During an outing at Bombay Hook on November 29th,
by the "Friends of Bombay Hook", birds included:
both FOX SPARROW and BROWN CREEPER along the
boardwalk trail, and a probable YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD seen quickly in a very large flock of
GRACKLES and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS.
South of Bombay Hook, lately, as many as a
thousand GREATER SCAUP have been noted on the
Delaware Bay between Port Mahon and Pickering
Beach. PINTAIL and BLACK DUCK have also been especially numerous.
A single female BLACK SCOTER has been by the
fishing pier at Cape Henlopen. A pair of
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen flying by Port Mahon on November 26th.
6 CATTLE EGRETS were noted south of Little Creek
on December 1st. They were seen among horses at
the horse farm / dog training school along Route 9.
Along Cartanza Road, off Route 9, that day, December 1st:
a single ROSS' GOOSE was found in a flock of SNOW GEESE.
A few days earlier, on Sunday, November 27th,
along Cartanza Road, about a dozen SNOW BUNTINGS
and at least 3 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen. Both
of those species were also observed the previous
day, Saturday, November 26th. They were among many HORNED LARKS.
At the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, from
the boardwalk trail on November 27th, 4 FOX
SPARROWS and 10 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen.
Nearby, that day, 3 CACKLING GEESE were at the
Broadkill Beach Road impoundments.
In nearby states, some items of note lately have included these:
A HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER has been in Maryland. As
of today (December 4th), it's been seen for 12 days.
The HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, as you may well know,
is a bird of the American West. The bird that's
been in Maryland is only the 2nd record for that
state, and there have been only very few records anywhere in the East.
The bird in Maryland has been in Monkton, in
Baltimore County, northeast of the city of
Baltimore. It has been along the National Capitol
Railroad Trail. The parking lot for that trail is
on the north side of Monkton Road, a little east
of where it crosses Gunpowder Falls.
The bird has been seen near a large abandoned
stone building on the east side of the trail (the
opposite side from the river). It has been
feeding on berries in a green Euonymous Vine
(that appears rather like holly).
Today, November 12th, the sightings were mid-day,
as they have been. And, again, as it has
previously, the bird appeared from "nowhere" into
leafless branches along the side of the
forementioned vine, making quick visits into the
vine for a berry, before disappearing.
In eastern Maryland, along Route 12, between
Salisbury and Snow Hill, yesterday, December 3rd,
among a large flock of thousands of blackbirds, a
male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was found. More
specifically, along Route 12, it was in the area of Mt. Olive Church Road.
In New Jersey, today, Sunday, December 4th, a
BLACK GUILLEMOT was found at Barnegat Light, at
the north end of Long Beach Island. It was about
half way down the jetty, about 10 yards from the jetty. It was seen well.
Also in New Jersey on Sunday, December 4th, a
female or first-winter WESTERN TANAGER was found
at Brigantine Refuge, in Oceanville, in the
vicinity of the refuge headquarters.
Back in Delaware, a final note:
Yesterday, December 3rd, a male EUROPEAN
GOLDFINCH was identified as it visited a niger
feeder in Newark. That species does not occur in
the wild in these parts, but it does occur as a
cage bird. A pair was noted recently for sale in
a PetSmart store in northern Delaware. An
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH would be illegal to sell (as
it is a wild American bird), but it is not
illegal to sell, by, or have a EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH.
Having said all that, it's a nice sight, for
sure, to see one unexpectedly, at a feeder in the yard.
* Delaware
* Statewide
* December 4, 2005
* DEST0512.04
* Birds mentioned:
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Cattle Egret
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Cackling Goose
Ross' Goose
Brant (including "BLACK BRANT")
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Lesser Scaup
Greater Scaup
Common Eider (9 together)
Black Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Coot
Purple Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
dowitcher (apparently Short-billed)
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Common Tern
BLACK GUILLEMOT (nj)
Eastern Screech-Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (md)
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Gray Catbird
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
American Pipit
Fox Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
WESTERN TANAGER (nj)
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
Rusty Blackbird
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
European Goldfinch (exotic)
Birdline Delaware
Date: December 4, 2005
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Armas Hill
Coverage: Delaware, and southern New Jersey
Transcriber: Risė Hill
This is Birdline Delaware, for Sunday, December
4th - from the Delaware Museum of Natural
History, and supported by a number of regional
birders. I'm Armas Hill, glad again to be with you.
GOLDEN EAGLES have been spotted in recent weeks at both ends of Delaware.
In the northern part of the state, an adult
GOLDEN EAGLE was seen over the Ashland Nature
Center in Hockessin, on Friday, December 2nd at
8:45am. The bird was observed for about 2 minutes
as it circled, and then drifted to the north.
There was another such sighting, at the same
place, and about the same time of day, back on
November 10th, that sighting also of an adult.
Back on November 14th, one was seen in flight,
possibly hunting, along a nearby ridgetop.
Other birds seen lately at the Ashland Nature
Center have included these on Thursday, December 1st:
an adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK soaring overhead, a
red-morph EASTERN SCREECH-OWL roosting in a Wood
Duck box, a couple BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, and a
HERMIT THRUSH in a holly grove. That HERMIT
THRUSH has been there for a couple weeks.
In the southern part of Delaware, a GOLDEN EAGLE
(probably a first-year bird) was seen back on
November 18th at the fishing pier at the Cape
Henlopen State Park. There was another sighting
(possibly the same bird) near Red Mill Pond, a
few miles to the north, a couple days earlier. In
all, there were 4 GOLDEN EAGLE sightings during
the month prior to the two reports just mentioned.
BALD EAGLES have been noted at a number of places
in Delaware during recent weeks. Last week, an
adult was seen circling over the Red Clay Creek,
near Hockessin, on Thursday, December 1st.
Along the Brandywine Creek, in the city of
Wilmington DE, someone who recently moved into
the Brandywine Park Condominiums, just up the
creek from the zoo, has noted an adult BALD EAGLE
for about 3 weeks at times flying up & down the
creek, at times perched in a nearby tree.
A wonderful place to watch BALD EAGLES, flying
(sometimes acrobatically), perching, and feeding
(both adults and birds with various stages of
immature plumages has been the Conowingo Dam, in
Maryland, where US Route 1 meets the Susquehanna
River. And some wonderful photographs taken
lately of BALD EAGLES there, are now in the
Birdline Photo Gallery in the web-site: www.focusonnature.com
Scroll down the left side of the home page.
In 1 of the photos, in the blue sky, there's both
an adult & an immature EAGLE, together. One is
with a fish; the other is interested in it.
Along the Brandywine Creek, on Thursday, December
1st, at the Brandywine Creek State Park, a PINE
SISKIN was noted among a flock of GOLDFINCHES, at
the north end of "the marsh". Other birds of note
in the area included: a couple FOX SPARROWS, 2
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, and a PILEATED
WOODPECKER. Notably common that day were ROBINS
and WAXWINGS. A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was interested in them.
Some other birds at the Brandywine Creek State
Park recently have included: PURPLE FINCHES, GRAY CATBIRD, and HERMIT THRUSH.
Also in northern Delaware, at the Hoopes
Reservoir, just over a week ago, there was a late
OSPREY, on Thursday, November 24th. It was seen
fishing. Among the waterbirds there on the
reservoir, that day, were these: about 300
RING-NECKED DUCKS, 2 LESSER SCAUP, 2 BUFFLEHEAD,
3 COMMON MERGANSERS, a lone RUDDY DUCK, 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES, and 2 COOTS.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was reported in a
yard in Montchanin (between the Hoopes Reservoir
and the Brandywine Creek) yesterday, December 3rd.
In another backyard north of Wilmington, in the
North Graylyn Crest section, a FOX SPARROW was
observed on Sunday, November 27th.
Let's go now to southern Delaware, where some
interesting birds have been seen lately:
At the point at Cape Henlopen, on Monday,
November 28th, a flock of 9 COMMON EIDER was seen
flying by, only about a hundred yards off the
beach. The flock consisted of 2 adult males, 6 females, and 1 immature male.
A few days later, at the Indian River Inlet, on
Thursday, December 1st, a BLACK-HEADED GULL was
observed among BONAPARTE'S GULLS. The
BLACK-HEADED GULL was an adult with a reddish
bill. It was slightly larger than the
BONAPARTE'S, and had dark under the wing-tips.
A LAUGHING GULL was also seen at the Indian River
Inlet on December 1st, as was a COMMON TERN. That
tern was at the south marina. On November 26th, 2
LAUGHING GULLS were noted at the Indian River Inlet.
On Sunday, November 27th, hundreds of COMMON
LOONS were seen from the Indian River Inlet,
flying south. The previous day, 2 PURPLE
SANDPIPERS were on the south jetty at the Indian
River Inlet, with RUDDY TURNSTONES and SANDERLINGS.
Today, near the south marina of the Indian River
Inlet, on a patch of grass, among 75 BRANT there was a "BLACK BRANT".
Both RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES
were seen at the nature center at Cape Henlopen on November 26th.
Birds seen lately in central Delaware in the area
of Bombay Hook Refuge included the following on December 1st:
a GOSHAWK at the south end of the dike at Bear
Swamp (roughly the size of a RED-TAILED, but
clearly an accipiter; when flying, more powerful
than a COOPER'S with wing strokes deeper and slower),
and 4 DOWITCHERS that appeared to be SHORT-BILLED at Bear Swamp.
Also at Bombay Hook, a ROSS' GOOSE was seen
across from Shearness Pool on November 27th. Some
PIPITS were in the area of Shearness that day.
During an outing at Bombay Hook on November 29th,
by the "Friends of Bombay Hook", birds included:
both FOX SPARROW and BROWN CREEPER along the
boardwalk trail, and a probable YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD seen quickly in a very large flock of
GRACKLES and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS.
South of Bombay Hook, lately, as many as a
thousand GREATER SCAUP have been noted on the
Delaware Bay between Port Mahon and Pickering
Beach. PINTAIL and BLACK DUCK have also been especially numerous.
A single female BLACK SCOTER has been by the
fishing pier at Cape Henlopen. A pair of
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen flying by Port Mahon on November 26th.
6 CATTLE EGRETS were noted south of Little Creek
on December 1st. They were seen among horses at
the horse farm / dog training school along Route 9.
Along Cartanza Road, off Route 9, that day, December 1st:
a single ROSS' GOOSE was found in a flock of SNOW GEESE.
A few days earlier, on Sunday, November 27th,
along Cartanza Road, about a dozen SNOW BUNTINGS
and at least 3 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen. Both
of those species were also observed the previous
day, Saturday, November 26th. They were among many HORNED LARKS.
At the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, from
the boardwalk trail on November 27th, 4 FOX
SPARROWS and 10 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen.
Nearby, that day, 3 CACKLING GEESE were at the
Broadkill Beach Road impoundments.
In nearby states, some items of note lately have included these:
A HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER has been in Maryland. As
of today (December 4th), it's been seen for 12 days.
The HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, as you may well know,
is a bird of the American West. The bird that's
been in Maryland is only the 2nd record for that
state, and there have been only very few records anywhere in the East.
The bird in Maryland has been in Monkton, in
Baltimore County, northeast of the city of
Baltimore. It has been along the National Capitol
Railroad Trail. The parking lot for that trail is
on the north side of Monkton Road, a little east
of where it crosses Gunpowder Falls.
The bird has been seen near a large abandoned
stone building on the east side of the trail (the
opposite side from the river). It has been
feeding on berries in a green Euonymous Vine
(that appears rather like holly).
Today, November 12th, the sightings were mid-day,
as they have been. And, again, as it has
previously, the bird appeared from "nowhere" into
leafless branches along the side of the
forementioned vine, making quick visits into the
vine for a berry, before disappearing.
In eastern Maryland, along Route 12, between
Salisbury and Snow Hill, yesterday, December 3rd,
among a large flock of thousands of blackbirds, a
male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was found. More
specifically, along Route 12, it was in the area of Mt. Olive Church Road.
In New Jersey, today, Sunday, December 4th, a
BLACK GUILLEMOT was found at Barnegat Light, at
the north end of Long Beach Island. It was about
half way down the jetty, about 10 yards from the jetty. It was seen well.
Also in New Jersey on Sunday, December 4th, a
female or first-winter WESTERN TANAGER was found
at Brigantine Refuge, in Oceanville, in the
vicinity of the refuge headquarters.
Back in Delaware, a final note:
Yesterday, December 3rd, a male EUROPEAN
GOLDFINCH was identified as it visited a niger
feeder in Newark. That species does not occur in
the wild in these parts, but it does occur as a
cage bird. A pair was noted recently for sale in
a PetSmart store in northern Delaware. An
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH would be illegal to sell (as
it is a wild American bird), but it is not
illegal to sell, by, or have a EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH.
Having said all that, it's a nice sight, for
sure, to see one unexpectedly, at a feeder in the yard.