RBA
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* April 22, 2006
* PAPH0604.22
* Birds mentioned:
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
ANHINGA (md)
Glossy Ibis
WHITE-FACED IBIS (de,nj)
Osprey
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE (pa)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
American Kestrel
Merlin
Northern Bobwhite
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden Plover (de)
WILSON'S PLOVER (nj)
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
RUFF (de)
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Chimney Swift
Eastern Kingbird
VARIED THRUSH (pa)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
House Wren
Palm Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
HARRIS' SPARROW (pa)
Purple Finch
pelagic trip announcement
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: April 22, 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: Risė Hill
For Saturday morning, April 22nd, this is an
abridged edition of the Philadelphia Birdline,
with some of the highlights of recent days. There
will be another, longer version here shortly with
more reports of birds recently throughout our
region. The Birdline comes, as it has for many
years, from the Academy of Natural Sciences in
Philadelphia, and supported by a number of bird
clubs and individuals. I'm Armas Hill, as always, glad to be with you.
A SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen this week in the
sky over a Delaware County PA location: the
hawk-watch at Rose Tree Park, near Media. A
spring hawk-watch is being conducted there daily
by the Bird Club of Delaware County. The
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE there this week was seen at
about 1:30pm on Thursday, April 20th. The bird
came in low, and then was almost directly
overhead, providing some very good views. It
then, as it left, headed northeast.
Also that day, from the hawk-watch at Rose Tree,
over 550 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were tallied. In
contrast with the KITE, most of the BROAD-WINGS
were rather distant. There was an adult BALD EAGLE at about 2:00pm.
Thus far this season, there have been about 1,250
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, and 64 BALD EAGLES. In all
over 2,000 RAPTORS, with over 100 OSPREY, over 40
HARRIERS, over 50 COOPER'S HAWKS, nearly 150
SHARP-SHINS, over 75 RED-TAILED HAWKS, and about
40 KESTRELS. RAPTORS infrequently seen have been
RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS (with 8), and MERLIN (1).
Non-raptors seen flying by Rose Tree on April
20th (the day of the KITE) were: 4 COMMON LOONS,
46 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, an EASTERN KINGBIRD, and a CHIMNEY SWIFT.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, this week, upstate,
birds visiting feeders have included a VARIED THRUSH and a HARRIS' SPARROW.
The VARIED THRUSH has been at a feeder in
Boalsburg in Centre County, seen as recently as
April 21st. Among other birds at that feeder
there have been: FOX and CHIPPING SPARROWS, and TOWHEE.
And, yes, the HARRIS' SPARROW is the same bird
that's been, since December 2005, in Juniata
County, in the area of Oakland Mills. It was seen
there again, today, April 22nd, at the feeders at
the Lost Creek Shoe Shop. A HOUSE WREN was also seen there today.
WHITE-FACED IBISES have been reported lately in
New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia. In the last
of these (Virginia), 4 were found at the same place.
In New Jersey, one has been at the Tuckahoe
portion of the McNamara Wildlife Management Area.
It was observed on April 17th & 18th, among a
large flock of GLOSSY IBIS at the small
impoundment on the right side of the loop road.
In Delaware, a WHITE-FACED IBIS was found last
weekend, with a few, about a half-dozen, GLOSSY
IBIS, along Prime Hook Beach Road, about 3/4ths
of the way across the marsh before the trees. The
IBISES were seen on the south side of the road.
Regarding the WHITE-FACED, it was noted that the
legs are getting red, and that the skin around
the eye & the eye itself are red, but there was
no obvious white feathering on the face.
Also last weekend in Delaware, a RUFF was found
at Bombay Hook Refuge, on Sunday, April 16th. It
was seen at Shearness Poll from about noon to
1:30pm, feeding with PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. The
RUFF was molting, with some red and black on its
head and breast. Other SHOREBIRDS noted that day
at Bombay Hook, in addition to the RUFF and
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, were: several hundred
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 2 GOLDEN PLOVERS, many
LEAST SANDPIPERS, DOWITCHERS, and one SNIPE.
A very good SHOREBIRD for southern New Jersey was
a WILSON'S PLOVER found in Cape May County on
April 19th, on the beach off Norbury Landing Road in the Villas.
Not far to the south of south-central
Pennsylvania, in western Maryland, there's been
an ANHINGA seen at a place called Lily Pons, in
Frederick County. Seen a few days this week
(since April 18th), it was still there at of 9:15
this morning, April 22nd, in the drizzle and
rain, perched in a tree. The bird appears to be a female, or juvenile.
Back in Pennsylvania, in Bucks County, we've
received reports of a single BOBWHITE and some
PURPLE FINCHES on April 13th, at a feeder near
New Hope. The BOBWHITE, walking on the ground.
The PURPLE FINCHES had been there for a while.
At another home near New Hope, a PURPLE MARTIN
was seen on April 18th, by probably what will be
its home, as it was sitting at a martin house.
In the area of the Peace Valley Nature Center, on
Saturday, April 15th, nearly 400 (392)
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were counted. In the largest
of the kettles, there were about 75.
Other RAPTORS seen there that day included: 8
OSPREY, an adult BALD EAGLE migrating, 14
SHARP-SHINS, 2 COOPER'S, 1 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, 2 KESTRELS, and a MERLIN.
9 COMMON LOONS also passed by, with the hawks.
And 72 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were counted.
The previous day, April 14th, there were 96
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS on Lake Galena at Peace Valley.
SWALLOWS at Peace Valley on April 15th included 2
CLIFF, along with BARN, ROUGH-WINGED, and TREE.
SPARROWS at Peace Valley that day included
continuing WHITE-CROWNED and WHITE-THROATED, as
well as CHIPPING, FIELD, and SWAMP.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continued.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were common in the area all last week.
Many times, here, we refer to places such as
Peace Valley, and Cape May, but we also like to
report sightings at places not often or ever
mentioned. That's how we'll now end:
At the Jenkins Arboretum, in Chester County, last
week, on April 13th, a PALM WARBLER was observed.
And there's been a report that in Pottstown PA,
on April 15th, CHIMNEY SWIFTS were seen and heard.
From Barnegat Light, New Jersey, next month, a
PELAGIC TRIP is scheduled for SEABIRDS and other MARINE-LIFE:
It's the annual pelagic trip to the Hudson
Canyon, to be, this year, 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
That's it for now. Thank you for tuning in to the
Birdline, wherever you may be.
- end transcript
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* April 22, 2006
* PAPH0604.22
* Birds mentioned:
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
ANHINGA (md)
Glossy Ibis
WHITE-FACED IBIS (de,nj)
Osprey
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE (pa)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
American Kestrel
Merlin
Northern Bobwhite
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden Plover (de)
WILSON'S PLOVER (nj)
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
RUFF (de)
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Chimney Swift
Eastern Kingbird
VARIED THRUSH (pa)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
House Wren
Palm Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
HARRIS' SPARROW (pa)
Purple Finch
pelagic trip announcement
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: April 22, 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: Risė Hill
For Saturday morning, April 22nd, this is an
abridged edition of the Philadelphia Birdline,
with some of the highlights of recent days. There
will be another, longer version here shortly with
more reports of birds recently throughout our
region. The Birdline comes, as it has for many
years, from the Academy of Natural Sciences in
Philadelphia, and supported by a number of bird
clubs and individuals. I'm Armas Hill, as always, glad to be with you.
A SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen this week in the
sky over a Delaware County PA location: the
hawk-watch at Rose Tree Park, near Media. A
spring hawk-watch is being conducted there daily
by the Bird Club of Delaware County. The
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE there this week was seen at
about 1:30pm on Thursday, April 20th. The bird
came in low, and then was almost directly
overhead, providing some very good views. It
then, as it left, headed northeast.
Also that day, from the hawk-watch at Rose Tree,
over 550 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were tallied. In
contrast with the KITE, most of the BROAD-WINGS
were rather distant. There was an adult BALD EAGLE at about 2:00pm.
Thus far this season, there have been about 1,250
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, and 64 BALD EAGLES. In all
over 2,000 RAPTORS, with over 100 OSPREY, over 40
HARRIERS, over 50 COOPER'S HAWKS, nearly 150
SHARP-SHINS, over 75 RED-TAILED HAWKS, and about
40 KESTRELS. RAPTORS infrequently seen have been
RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS (with 8), and MERLIN (1).
Non-raptors seen flying by Rose Tree on April
20th (the day of the KITE) were: 4 COMMON LOONS,
46 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, an EASTERN KINGBIRD, and a CHIMNEY SWIFT.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, this week, upstate,
birds visiting feeders have included a VARIED THRUSH and a HARRIS' SPARROW.
The VARIED THRUSH has been at a feeder in
Boalsburg in Centre County, seen as recently as
April 21st. Among other birds at that feeder
there have been: FOX and CHIPPING SPARROWS, and TOWHEE.
And, yes, the HARRIS' SPARROW is the same bird
that's been, since December 2005, in Juniata
County, in the area of Oakland Mills. It was seen
there again, today, April 22nd, at the feeders at
the Lost Creek Shoe Shop. A HOUSE WREN was also seen there today.
WHITE-FACED IBISES have been reported lately in
New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia. In the last
of these (Virginia), 4 were found at the same place.
In New Jersey, one has been at the Tuckahoe
portion of the McNamara Wildlife Management Area.
It was observed on April 17th & 18th, among a
large flock of GLOSSY IBIS at the small
impoundment on the right side of the loop road.
In Delaware, a WHITE-FACED IBIS was found last
weekend, with a few, about a half-dozen, GLOSSY
IBIS, along Prime Hook Beach Road, about 3/4ths
of the way across the marsh before the trees. The
IBISES were seen on the south side of the road.
Regarding the WHITE-FACED, it was noted that the
legs are getting red, and that the skin around
the eye & the eye itself are red, but there was
no obvious white feathering on the face.
Also last weekend in Delaware, a RUFF was found
at Bombay Hook Refuge, on Sunday, April 16th. It
was seen at Shearness Poll from about noon to
1:30pm, feeding with PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. The
RUFF was molting, with some red and black on its
head and breast. Other SHOREBIRDS noted that day
at Bombay Hook, in addition to the RUFF and
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, were: several hundred
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 2 GOLDEN PLOVERS, many
LEAST SANDPIPERS, DOWITCHERS, and one SNIPE.
A very good SHOREBIRD for southern New Jersey was
a WILSON'S PLOVER found in Cape May County on
April 19th, on the beach off Norbury Landing Road in the Villas.
Not far to the south of south-central
Pennsylvania, in western Maryland, there's been
an ANHINGA seen at a place called Lily Pons, in
Frederick County. Seen a few days this week
(since April 18th), it was still there at of 9:15
this morning, April 22nd, in the drizzle and
rain, perched in a tree. The bird appears to be a female, or juvenile.
Back in Pennsylvania, in Bucks County, we've
received reports of a single BOBWHITE and some
PURPLE FINCHES on April 13th, at a feeder near
New Hope. The BOBWHITE, walking on the ground.
The PURPLE FINCHES had been there for a while.
At another home near New Hope, a PURPLE MARTIN
was seen on April 18th, by probably what will be
its home, as it was sitting at a martin house.
In the area of the Peace Valley Nature Center, on
Saturday, April 15th, nearly 400 (392)
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were counted. In the largest
of the kettles, there were about 75.
Other RAPTORS seen there that day included: 8
OSPREY, an adult BALD EAGLE migrating, 14
SHARP-SHINS, 2 COOPER'S, 1 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, 2 KESTRELS, and a MERLIN.
9 COMMON LOONS also passed by, with the hawks.
And 72 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were counted.
The previous day, April 14th, there were 96
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS on Lake Galena at Peace Valley.
SWALLOWS at Peace Valley on April 15th included 2
CLIFF, along with BARN, ROUGH-WINGED, and TREE.
SPARROWS at Peace Valley that day included
continuing WHITE-CROWNED and WHITE-THROATED, as
well as CHIPPING, FIELD, and SWAMP.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continued.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were common in the area all last week.
Many times, here, we refer to places such as
Peace Valley, and Cape May, but we also like to
report sightings at places not often or ever
mentioned. That's how we'll now end:
At the Jenkins Arboretum, in Chester County, last
week, on April 13th, a PALM WARBLER was observed.
And there's been a report that in Pottstown PA,
on April 15th, CHIMNEY SWIFTS were seen and heard.
From Barnegat Light, New Jersey, next month, a
PELAGIC TRIP is scheduled for SEABIRDS and other MARINE-LIFE:
It's the annual pelagic trip to the Hudson
Canyon, to be, this year, 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
That's it for now. Thank you for tuning in to the
Birdline, wherever you may be.
- end transcript