RBA
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* March 31, 2006
* PAPH0331.06
* Birds mentioned:
Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Tundra Swan
Cackling Goose (nj)
Ross' Goose (nj)
Snow Goose
American Black Duck
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
EURASIAN WIGEON (pa)
American Wigeon
Blue-winged Teal
American Green-winged Teal
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
LITTLE GULL (pa)
Iceland Gull (pa)
Ring-billed Gull
CALIFORNIA GULL (pa)
THAYER'S GULL (pa)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (pa)
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE (pa)
Great Horned owl
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (pa)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Eastern Bluebird
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Tree Swallow
Pine Warbler
Eastern Towhee
LARK SPARROW (nj)
American Tree Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (or hybrid) (pa)
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD (nj)
Rusty Blackbird
Cabbage White
Red Admiral
Eastern Comma
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: March 31, 2006
Number: 215/567-BIRD
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Armas Hill
Coverage: Delaware Valley, and southern New Jersey
Transcriber: Risë Hill
For Friday, March 31st, this is the Philadelphia
Birdline - from the Academy of Natural Sciences
in Philadelphia, and supported by a number of
bird clubs and individuals. I'm Armas Hill, glad to be with you.
In northern Bucks County PA last week, there were
some interesting GULLS at Lake Nockamixon:
a CALIFORNIA GULL, from Thursday, March 23rd
until Saturday, March 25 (It was looked for by
many people on Sunday, March 26th, but to no avail.)
a THAYER'S GULL, that was seen, and photographed, there on Sunday, March 26th,
and ICELAND GULLS: On March 23rd, there were two;
on March 24th, four were seen, all first-winter.
Regarding the CALIFORNIA GULL, it's been pointed
out that the bird, an adult, when between HERRING
and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, could be picked
out by the shade of the gray of the mantle,
intermediate between those two species
just-mentioned, the HERRING and the LESSER
BLACK-BACKED. It should be noted, also, that
those who have seen HERRING-LESSER BLACK HYBRIDS
over the years asserted that the CALIFORNIA appeared different.
By the way, there was another PA CALIFORNIA GULL
sighting last year, in May, along the Susquehanna
River in Lancaster County. And, there have been a
few others noted in Pennsylvania, recently, at Presque Isle in Erie.
Incidentally, this past week, in Erie there have been 4 or 5 LITTLE GULLS.
Back in southeastern Pennsylvania, a couple
EURASIAN species have been seen this week in Chester County:
A EURASIAN WIGEON has continued at the
Coatesville Reservoir. It was seen there on
Tuesday, March 28t, with about 20 AMERICAN WIGEON.
That same day, in Coatesville itself, a EURASIAN
COLLARED DOVE, was seen, as it has been in the
past (in 2005), near 11th Avenue and the Lincoln
Highway. It was in a tree behind a Turkey Hill
Minimart. Two COLLARED DOVES were seen in that
area on Thursday, March 30th. That probably means
there will be ultimately more.
EURASIAN WIGEON was one of 22 species of
waterfowl seen this past week on Tuesday, March
28th along the Susquehanna River in south-central
PA, at the Conejohela Flats in Washington Boro,
Lancaster County. There was a male EURASIAN
WIGEON, and most likely a female, among about 200
AMERICAN WIGEON, about 250 BLACK DUCK, about 250
PINTAIL, about 50 GADWALL, and both TEAL. Along
with about a thousand TUNDRA SWAN, a couple
COMMON LOONS, and lots of GULLS, among them:
about 500 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, and among them, 2
LITTLE GULLS. RING-BILLED GULLS were estimated at
about 3,500. A single LESSER BALCK-BACKED GULL was noted.
SHOREBIRDS there that day included: a dozen
KILLDEER, about 2 dozen SNIPE, both YELLOWLEGS, and 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.
In Northampton County PA, yesterday, March 30th,
a PECTORAL SANDPIPER was at Green Pond, along
with KILLDEER and SNIPE. Also GREEN-WINGED TEAL and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS.
A moment ago, I mentioned the Turkey Hill
Minimart in Coatesville. A WILD TURKEY itself was
surprisingly seen in Villanova on Sunday, March
26th, flushed about 7:30 in the morning, in a
yard, when a birder let out the dog.
In Delaware County PA, the Spring Hawk Watch at
Rosetree Park near Media, has been underway,
throughout the month of March. As of March 30th,
317 RAPTORS were tallied, including 30 BALD
EAGLES , 18 OSPREY, 19 COOPER'S HAWKS, and 39
SHARP-SHINS. On March 29th, 3 BALD EAGLES were seen; on March 30th, 2.
In southwestern New Jersey, there have been as
many as 7 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS in Salem County,
near the farmhouse along West Supawna Road, just
north of the intersection with Freas Road.
Another "westerner" continued to be seen in Salem
County this week, a LARK SPARROW near #23
Lighthouse Road, on the way to the Supawna
Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. That LARK
SPARROW was seen this week on Tuesday, March
28th. It was first found on Sunday, March 19th.
Also in Salem County, in the GOOSE department: 1
or 2 ROSS' have been among a large flock of SNOWS
in the area of Featherbed Lane, or
Pointers-Auburn Road, or Kings Highway. A
CACKLING GOOSE was seen among that flock on Saturday, March 25th.
Along the South Jersey Shore, 2 RED-NECKED GREBES
were in Stone Harbor, at the 80th Street Marina
on the bay side on Monday, March 20th. For the
few days prior to that, one had been seen there.
Back in Pennsylvania, the BULLOCK'S ORIOLE that's
been in the Bethlehem area since January 1st, has
continued coming to a feeder as of at least March
26th. The bird's plumage still looks exactly the
same as it did back when it was first seen in
January. It's been said, by the way, that from a
large sample of museum specimens of both
BULLOCK'S and BALTIMORE, the BULLOCK'S does not
go through a prealternate molt, during the winter
months, as the BALTIMORE commonly does.
In Bucks County PA, some birds, now, seen
recently in addition to the GULLS mentioned as
this edition of the Birdline began:
At Peace Valley, north of Doylestown:
There have been multiple BALD EAGLE sightings,
with as many as 6 to 8 at a time. Other species
noted in the Peace Valley area this past week
have included: PHOEBE, TREE SWALLOW, WINTER WREN,
and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. 3 species seen on
Friday, March 24th, were: CATBIRD, THRASHER, and
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. SPARROWS lately have included:
AMERICAN TREE, FIELD, FOX, SWAMP, and WHITE-CROWNED.
In the area Furlong PA, on the edge of a woods,
along Edgehill Drive, a juvenile RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER has been coming to a feeder through
the winter and now into the spring, feeding on
sunflower seeds, corns, and suet. Other
WOODPECKERS seen in that area lately have been:
RED-BELLIED, DOWNY, HAIRY, and SAPSUCKER and FLICKER. (No PILEATED yet.)
Other birds have been: PHOEBE, TOWHEE, BLUEBIRD, and BROWN CREEPER.
Birds noted by observers recently at Tinicum (or
the John Heinz Refuge) in Southwest Philadelphia have included:
2 GREAT HORNED OWLS (nesting), BLUE-WINGED TEAL
on March 21st, and as many as 9 FOX SPARROWS.
At the University of Pennsylvania Biopond on
March 19th, there was a CATBIRD.
Not far from there, the next morning, March 20th,
a bicycling birder heard a calling PINE WARBLER
in a coniferous tree along PINE Street by 43rd Street.
PINE WARBLERS have been found singing at a number of places recently:
Yesterday, March 30th, 8 of them were found at
the Nottingham County Park, and at least 4 were
along the east branch of the Octoraro Creek -
both of these areas are in southern Chester County PA.
This morning one was seen, heard, and
photographed at the John Heinz NWR at Tinicum in Southwest Philadelphia.
By the way, earlier this month, as early as March
13th, a PINE WARBLER was noted at Tinicum.
Also back on that day, March 13th, in Northeast
Philadelphia, an OSPREY was on a nest near
Pennypack Street and the Delaware River.
Another note regarding PINE WARBLER in Chester
County. One spent the winter in Landenburg, first
seen in mid-December, and continuing into and
through March (as of at least March 20th),
feeding during that time on peanut butter and
cornmeal on a tree trunk, outside a kitchen window.
As Spring is now with us, BUTTERFLIES have been
observed in Chester County PA: yesterday morning,
March 30th: RED ADMIRAL, EASTERN COMMA, and
CABBAGE WHITE. EASTERN COMMA was also noted
yesterday, March 30th, at Tinicum in SW
Philadelphia, and a couple days earlier at
another Chester County location, the Stroud Preserve.
Also now, as we're into Spring, it's time to
mention here the upcoming annual pelagic trip
scheduled to go from Barnegat Light, New Jersey,
to the Hudson Canyon, Saturday/Sunday May 20/21.
Again, it'll be an overnight pelagic trip to be
at the canyon at dawn, with chum on the water,
and seabirds in close to the boat, which will be
again the 100-foot "Doris Mae", a nice fast boat
that's good for birding. Birds during this trip
in the past have included a number of
SHEARWATERS, STORM-PETRELS, JAEGERS, SKUA, FULMAR, TERNS, GULLS, and ALCIDS.
This trip is now about half-filled. If you'd like
to join, please contact FONT (Focus On Nature
Tours) either by phone at 1-800-721-9986, or
e-mail at: font@focusonnature.com
Info is in the website: www.focusonnature.com
Looking ahead to some good birding at sea!
Looking ahead to the Birdline next time, our
Birdline Feature of the Week will resume.
Until then, good birding and thank you for tuning
in to the Birdline, wherever you may be.
- end transcript
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* March 31, 2006
* PAPH0331.06
* Birds mentioned:
Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Tundra Swan
Cackling Goose (nj)
Ross' Goose (nj)
Snow Goose
American Black Duck
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
EURASIAN WIGEON (pa)
American Wigeon
Blue-winged Teal
American Green-winged Teal
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Wild Turkey
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
LITTLE GULL (pa)
Iceland Gull (pa)
Ring-billed Gull
CALIFORNIA GULL (pa)
THAYER'S GULL (pa)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (pa)
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE (pa)
Great Horned owl
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (pa)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Eastern Bluebird
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Tree Swallow
Pine Warbler
Eastern Towhee
LARK SPARROW (nj)
American Tree Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (or hybrid) (pa)
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD (nj)
Rusty Blackbird
Cabbage White
Red Admiral
Eastern Comma
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: March 31, 2006
Number: 215/567-BIRD
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Armas Hill
Coverage: Delaware Valley, and southern New Jersey
Transcriber: Risë Hill
For Friday, March 31st, this is the Philadelphia
Birdline - from the Academy of Natural Sciences
in Philadelphia, and supported by a number of
bird clubs and individuals. I'm Armas Hill, glad to be with you.
In northern Bucks County PA last week, there were
some interesting GULLS at Lake Nockamixon:
a CALIFORNIA GULL, from Thursday, March 23rd
until Saturday, March 25 (It was looked for by
many people on Sunday, March 26th, but to no avail.)
a THAYER'S GULL, that was seen, and photographed, there on Sunday, March 26th,
and ICELAND GULLS: On March 23rd, there were two;
on March 24th, four were seen, all first-winter.
Regarding the CALIFORNIA GULL, it's been pointed
out that the bird, an adult, when between HERRING
and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, could be picked
out by the shade of the gray of the mantle,
intermediate between those two species
just-mentioned, the HERRING and the LESSER
BLACK-BACKED. It should be noted, also, that
those who have seen HERRING-LESSER BLACK HYBRIDS
over the years asserted that the CALIFORNIA appeared different.
By the way, there was another PA CALIFORNIA GULL
sighting last year, in May, along the Susquehanna
River in Lancaster County. And, there have been a
few others noted in Pennsylvania, recently, at Presque Isle in Erie.
Incidentally, this past week, in Erie there have been 4 or 5 LITTLE GULLS.
Back in southeastern Pennsylvania, a couple
EURASIAN species have been seen this week in Chester County:
A EURASIAN WIGEON has continued at the
Coatesville Reservoir. It was seen there on
Tuesday, March 28t, with about 20 AMERICAN WIGEON.
That same day, in Coatesville itself, a EURASIAN
COLLARED DOVE, was seen, as it has been in the
past (in 2005), near 11th Avenue and the Lincoln
Highway. It was in a tree behind a Turkey Hill
Minimart. Two COLLARED DOVES were seen in that
area on Thursday, March 30th. That probably means
there will be ultimately more.
EURASIAN WIGEON was one of 22 species of
waterfowl seen this past week on Tuesday, March
28th along the Susquehanna River in south-central
PA, at the Conejohela Flats in Washington Boro,
Lancaster County. There was a male EURASIAN
WIGEON, and most likely a female, among about 200
AMERICAN WIGEON, about 250 BLACK DUCK, about 250
PINTAIL, about 50 GADWALL, and both TEAL. Along
with about a thousand TUNDRA SWAN, a couple
COMMON LOONS, and lots of GULLS, among them:
about 500 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, and among them, 2
LITTLE GULLS. RING-BILLED GULLS were estimated at
about 3,500. A single LESSER BALCK-BACKED GULL was noted.
SHOREBIRDS there that day included: a dozen
KILLDEER, about 2 dozen SNIPE, both YELLOWLEGS, and 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.
In Northampton County PA, yesterday, March 30th,
a PECTORAL SANDPIPER was at Green Pond, along
with KILLDEER and SNIPE. Also GREEN-WINGED TEAL and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS.
A moment ago, I mentioned the Turkey Hill
Minimart in Coatesville. A WILD TURKEY itself was
surprisingly seen in Villanova on Sunday, March
26th, flushed about 7:30 in the morning, in a
yard, when a birder let out the dog.
In Delaware County PA, the Spring Hawk Watch at
Rosetree Park near Media, has been underway,
throughout the month of March. As of March 30th,
317 RAPTORS were tallied, including 30 BALD
EAGLES , 18 OSPREY, 19 COOPER'S HAWKS, and 39
SHARP-SHINS. On March 29th, 3 BALD EAGLES were seen; on March 30th, 2.
In southwestern New Jersey, there have been as
many as 7 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS in Salem County,
near the farmhouse along West Supawna Road, just
north of the intersection with Freas Road.
Another "westerner" continued to be seen in Salem
County this week, a LARK SPARROW near #23
Lighthouse Road, on the way to the Supawna
Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. That LARK
SPARROW was seen this week on Tuesday, March
28th. It was first found on Sunday, March 19th.
Also in Salem County, in the GOOSE department: 1
or 2 ROSS' have been among a large flock of SNOWS
in the area of Featherbed Lane, or
Pointers-Auburn Road, or Kings Highway. A
CACKLING GOOSE was seen among that flock on Saturday, March 25th.
Along the South Jersey Shore, 2 RED-NECKED GREBES
were in Stone Harbor, at the 80th Street Marina
on the bay side on Monday, March 20th. For the
few days prior to that, one had been seen there.
Back in Pennsylvania, the BULLOCK'S ORIOLE that's
been in the Bethlehem area since January 1st, has
continued coming to a feeder as of at least March
26th. The bird's plumage still looks exactly the
same as it did back when it was first seen in
January. It's been said, by the way, that from a
large sample of museum specimens of both
BULLOCK'S and BALTIMORE, the BULLOCK'S does not
go through a prealternate molt, during the winter
months, as the BALTIMORE commonly does.
In Bucks County PA, some birds, now, seen
recently in addition to the GULLS mentioned as
this edition of the Birdline began:
At Peace Valley, north of Doylestown:
There have been multiple BALD EAGLE sightings,
with as many as 6 to 8 at a time. Other species
noted in the Peace Valley area this past week
have included: PHOEBE, TREE SWALLOW, WINTER WREN,
and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. 3 species seen on
Friday, March 24th, were: CATBIRD, THRASHER, and
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. SPARROWS lately have included:
AMERICAN TREE, FIELD, FOX, SWAMP, and WHITE-CROWNED.
In the area Furlong PA, on the edge of a woods,
along Edgehill Drive, a juvenile RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER has been coming to a feeder through
the winter and now into the spring, feeding on
sunflower seeds, corns, and suet. Other
WOODPECKERS seen in that area lately have been:
RED-BELLIED, DOWNY, HAIRY, and SAPSUCKER and FLICKER. (No PILEATED yet.)
Other birds have been: PHOEBE, TOWHEE, BLUEBIRD, and BROWN CREEPER.
Birds noted by observers recently at Tinicum (or
the John Heinz Refuge) in Southwest Philadelphia have included:
2 GREAT HORNED OWLS (nesting), BLUE-WINGED TEAL
on March 21st, and as many as 9 FOX SPARROWS.
At the University of Pennsylvania Biopond on
March 19th, there was a CATBIRD.
Not far from there, the next morning, March 20th,
a bicycling birder heard a calling PINE WARBLER
in a coniferous tree along PINE Street by 43rd Street.
PINE WARBLERS have been found singing at a number of places recently:
Yesterday, March 30th, 8 of them were found at
the Nottingham County Park, and at least 4 were
along the east branch of the Octoraro Creek -
both of these areas are in southern Chester County PA.
This morning one was seen, heard, and
photographed at the John Heinz NWR at Tinicum in Southwest Philadelphia.
By the way, earlier this month, as early as March
13th, a PINE WARBLER was noted at Tinicum.
Also back on that day, March 13th, in Northeast
Philadelphia, an OSPREY was on a nest near
Pennypack Street and the Delaware River.
Another note regarding PINE WARBLER in Chester
County. One spent the winter in Landenburg, first
seen in mid-December, and continuing into and
through March (as of at least March 20th),
feeding during that time on peanut butter and
cornmeal on a tree trunk, outside a kitchen window.
As Spring is now with us, BUTTERFLIES have been
observed in Chester County PA: yesterday morning,
March 30th: RED ADMIRAL, EASTERN COMMA, and
CABBAGE WHITE. EASTERN COMMA was also noted
yesterday, March 30th, at Tinicum in SW
Philadelphia, and a couple days earlier at
another Chester County location, the Stroud Preserve.
Also now, as we're into Spring, it's time to
mention here the upcoming annual pelagic trip
scheduled to go from Barnegat Light, New Jersey,
to the Hudson Canyon, Saturday/Sunday May 20/21.
Again, it'll be an overnight pelagic trip to be
at the canyon at dawn, with chum on the water,
and seabirds in close to the boat, which will be
again the 100-foot "Doris Mae", a nice fast boat
that's good for birding. Birds during this trip
in the past have included a number of
SHEARWATERS, STORM-PETRELS, JAEGERS, SKUA, FULMAR, TERNS, GULLS, and ALCIDS.
This trip is now about half-filled. If you'd like
to join, please contact FONT (Focus On Nature
Tours) either by phone at 1-800-721-9986, or
e-mail at: font@focusonnature.com
Info is in the website: www.focusonnature.com
Looking ahead to some good birding at sea!
Looking ahead to the Birdline next time, our
Birdline Feature of the Week will resume.
Until then, good birding and thank you for tuning
in to the Birdline, wherever you may be.
- end transcript