RBA
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* September 3, 2006
* PAPH0609.03
* Birds mentioned:
Cory's Shearwater
Audubon's Shearwater
MANX SHEARWATER (extralimital)
WILSON'S STORM-PETREL (pa)
WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL (de,md)
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
WHITE IBIS (nj)
GLOSSY IBIS (pa)
American Black Duck
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
American Green-winged Teal
Common Merganser
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Common Moorhen
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER (pa)
AMERICAN AVOCET (nj)
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden Plover (pa,nj)
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Willet
Whimbrel
Marbled Godwit
HUDSONIAN GODWIT (flock of 30)
Red Knot
Sanderling (pa)
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
White-rumped Sandpiper
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (pa,nj)
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
WILSON'S PHALAROPE (pa)
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (pa,nj)
RED PHALAROPE (pa,nj)
POMARINE JAEGER (nj)
PARASITIC JAEGER (pa,nj)
LONG-TAILED JAEGER (nj)
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
SABINE'S GULL (de)
Gull-billed Tern
Forster's Tern
Common Tern
ARCTIC TERN (pa,nj)
Sandwich Tern
Royal Tern (pa)
Caspian Tern
SOOTY TERN (pa,nj)
BRIDLED TERN (nj)
Black Tern (many)
Black-billed Cuckoo
Common Nighthawk (migration)
6 swallows
NORTHERN WHEATEAR (nj)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Bobolink
Sperm Whale
Pilot Whale
Cuvier's Beaked-Whale
pelagic trip announcement
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: September 3, 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 Sunday, September 3rd, 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.
During the stormy weather related to Ernesto the
last couple days, here's a summary, as we now
have it, of some interesting birds seen in our region:
As this edition of the Birdline was just about to
go out, we learned of an AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
in Philadelphia, seen today, September 2nd. We
know of 3 previous records for Pennsylvania, 1 at
Beltsville in Carbon County in 1993, and 2 in
2003 associated with Hurricane Isabel. 1 of those
was at Nockamixon in Bucks County. The
OYSTERCATCHER now in PA, can best be seen from
NJ. From Intestate 676 in Camden, take the Morgan
Blvd exit. Go left. At the T, go right. Then turn
left onto Ferry Road. After go under an
underpass, go to the park at the river. You should have a scope.
At Cape May Point, New Jersey, the evening of
September 1st, at the concrete ship at the end of
Sunset Boulevard, over the waters of the lower
Delaware Bay, 7 BRIDLED TERNS and 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS were reported.
The next day, September 2nd, at that same
location, from about 6am to 3pm, the word is that these were seen:
11 BRIDLED TERNS (all adults)
11 SOOTY TERNS (3 of them dark juveniles)
1 SANDWICH, 1 ARCTIC, and 15 BLACK TERNS.
Also all 3 JAEGERS: 27 POMARINE, 9 PARASITIC, and 3 LONG-TAILED.
Also 250 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. And at least one RED PHALAROPE.
Nicely, a number of these birds just noted could be observed fairly closely.
Up the Delaware River, near the Philadelphia
International Airport, from Delaware County PA,
on September 2nd, 2 adult SOOTY TERNS were seen, as was a ROYAL TERN.
Also that morning, in that area, there were at
least 25 PHALAROPES. 3 of them were RED among the
RED-NECKED. TERNS included: FORSTER'S, COMMON,
BLACK, CASPIAN, and 5 ARCTIC TERNS!
Further up the Delaware River, these birds were
noted at Palmyra NJ on September 2nd:
33 BLACK TERNS, 3 CASPIAN terns, 4 FORSTER'S TERNS, and 22 COMMON TERNS.
Prior to September 2nd, 2006, there were never
any records of COMMON TERNS at Palmyra.
Also there that day, September 2nd, were "hundreds" of LAUGHING GULLS.
Further up the Delaware River yet, in southern
Bucks County, a WILSON'S STORM-PETREL was seen on
September 2nd, late in the day, just before dark.
It was seen from private property.
Other birds seen in that area along the river included:
ARCTIC TERN (probably 3), 48 BLACK TERNS, 6
COMMON TERNS, 4 FORSTER'S TERNS, and 2 CASPIAN TERNS.
Also: 19 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, and 3 RED PHALAROPES.
And these other shorebirds: WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHER, and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, in
addition to GREATER YELLOWLEGS and SEMIPALMATED and LEAST SANDPIPERS.
Lastly, at that southern Bucks County locale:
Over 50 LAUGHING GULLS were observed harassing a
PEREGRINE FALCON, and 2 BALD EAGLES were about.
One or more WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS have been
along the Susquehanna River in south-central
Pennsylvania. One was apparently seen on
September 2nd from the river walk in Harrisburg near Front and State Streets.
Today, September 3rd, the species was reported
along the Susquehanna at the Royalton boat launch
just north of Three Mile Island.
Along the Susquehanna River on September 2nd, 3
SOOTY TERNS were seen late in the day (7:15pm)
from the southernmost boat ramp in Wrightsville,
York County, below the Columbia-Wrightsville
bridge. 1 of the SOOTIES was an adult; 2 were dark juveniles.
Some BLACK TERNS and FORSTER'S TERNS were also in the area.
Earlier in the day , an adult SOOTY TERN was
observed from the Lancaster County side of the
Susquehanna River, between Columbia and
Washington Boro. Other TERNS seen there were: 6
BLACK, 1 FORSTER'S, and 2 CASPIAN.
This morning, September 3rd, a SOOTY TERN was
observed between Columbia and Washington Boro. It
was seen from Route 999 south of Columbia.
In addition to the TERNS just mentioned, along
the Susquehanna in Lancaster County between
Columbia and Washington Boro, the morning of
September 2nd, a flock of 30 HUDSONIAN GODWITS
was seen. That's a large flock for that species -
certainly one of the largest such flocks, if not
the largest, ever noted in Pennsylvania.
13 other shorebirds species were also observed
the morning of September 2nd along the
Susquehanna River, in the area of Washington Boro, Lancaster County. They were:
2 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (1 adult & 1 juvenile)
12 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS
2 juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPERS
30 LEAST SANDPIPERS
30 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS
32 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS (that's alot!)
14 STILT SANDPIPERS (also a nice number)
3 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS
1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER (living up to its name)
5 SANDERLINGS
3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS
25 LESSER YELLOWLEGS
and 9 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS.
Other birds in the area included: several OSPREY,
a single juvenile LAUGHING GULL, and more than 50 BLUE-WINGED TEAL.
Further north along the Susquehanna River, in the
afternoon on September 2nd, 3 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES were observed just north of
Harrisburg, at the Fort Hunter Boat Launch. A
JAEGER also seen there was most likely a
PARASITIC. A single COMMON TERN was seen.
All 6 SWALLOWS were also seen, including at least
1 PURPLE MARTIN. Also seen there were: 2
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, COMMON MERGANSER, and MERLIN.
Also along the Susquehanna River, on September
2nd, a PARASITIC JAEGER was observed in Lancaster
County, at Falmouth, harassing gulls below the York Haven Dam.
At the Green Lane Reservoir in northern
Montgomery County PA on September 2nd, 3 BLACK
TERNS and 1 COMMON TERN were seen in the Walt
Road boat launch area. Nearby, at least 2 BLACK TERNS were at Knight Lake.
Also that day, BLACK TERN was among the birds
present at Lake Ontelaunee in Berks County PA.
In Carbon County PA, 4 CASPIAN TERNS were seen at
Beltsville Lake on September 2nd.
In Northampton County PA, a ROYAL TERN was seen
at Green Pond, today, September 3rd.
Here's an interesting extralimital report, from
Friday, September 1st: a MANX SHEARWATER has been
over Lake Ontario. Also there: PARASITIC JAEGERS and SABINE'S GULLS.
A NORTHERN WHEATEAR was seen in northwestern New
Jersey, in Somerset County at the Bridgewater
Mall parking lot, on Thursday, August 31st, but
it has not been seen after that.
Also in New Jersey, at the Brigantine (or
Forsythe) National Wildife Refuge, northwest of
Atlantic City, a juvenile WHITE IBIS was seen on August 27th & 28th.
Other birds seen there included: 2 AMERICAN
GOLDEN PLOVERS, 4 RED KNOTS, WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPERS, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, and 2 MARBLED
GODWITS and 1 HUDSONIAN GODWIT.
Yesterday, September 2nd, at Brigantine Refuge, there were these birds:
2 MARBLED GODWITS, several WESTERN SANDPIPERS,
about 20 WHIMBREL (scattered), over 20 CASPIAN
TERNS, a GULL-BILLED TERN, 5 BLACK TERNS, and a
BROWN PELICAN. A BROWN PELICAN is unusual over
the impoundments at Brigantine Refuge.
Further north along the Jersey Shore, at Island
Beach State Park on August 25th, there were 2
MARBLED GODWITS and 35 WILLETS, BROWN PELCIAN, and about a dozen BLACK TERNS.
At the Johnson Sod Farm in southern New Jersey,
these shorebirds were noted yesterday morning, September 2nd:
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (a
dozen or more), SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, KILLDEER,
LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST
SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPERS (3), SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and
RED-NECKED PHALROPES (2 at the small pond along
Olivet Road). Many of the birds just mentioned
were seen along Griers Lane. The Johnson Sod Farm
is along Route 77 south of Route 40. Both Griers
Lane and Olivet Road go east from Route 77.
Last Saturday, August 26th, a late-morning loop
at the Johnson Sod Farm produced: 1 GOLDEN
PLOVER, 8 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 1 BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, 13 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and numerous KILLDEER.
Near the DeLea Sod Farm along Route 40 west of
Sharptown, there have been 3 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS.
They were seen on August 26th. The spot for them
has actually been about a mile or two south of Route 40.
6 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were seen at the DeLea
Sod Farm yesterday, September 2nd.
BOBOLINKS have been about in the area.
About a hundred CATTLE EGRETS have been at the
pond near the east end of Featherbed Lane, north
of Sharptown. Also there on August 26th were 4
AVOCETS. One of the AVOCETS continued there thru August 30th.
A BLACK TERN was at pond on August 26th.
At the nearby Mannington Marsh, 38 BLACK TERNS
were tallied on Sunday, August 27th, as were 14
LITTLE BLUE HERONS, 22 MOORHENS, and a CASPIAN TERN.
Also on August 27th, in southwestern New Jersey,
one observer found BLACK TERNS at the following locations:
5 west of Pointers-Sharptown Road
4 at the forementioned pond along Featherbed Lane
(with the single AVOCET just mentioned)
and 1 in Westville at the mouth of the Big Timber
Creek - that one being harassed by young LAUGHING GULLS.
Yesterday, September 2nd, in southwestern New
Jersey, a BLACK TERN was at the pond along Olivet
Road at the Johnson Sod Farm, and another was
along nearby Route 77 at a flooded field.
As noted here, and elsewhere during this edition
of the Birdline, BLACK TERNS have been
particularly numerous this year (mid-August into September) in our region.
There is now a beautiful sequence of BLACK TERN
PHOTOS in the Birdline Photo Gallery. In the
website: www.focusonnature.com scroll down the
left side of the homepage to: "Birdline Photo Gallery 2006".
BLACK TERNS have been present recently along the
Delaware River, north of Lambertville NJ and New Hope PA.
In southeast Pennsylvania, a good place last week
for seeing NIGHTHAWKS in the evening was
Haverford College. Here's a summary of how many
were seen there Monday thru Saturday, August 21 to 26, from about 6pm to dark:
Aug 21: 53
Aug 22: 132
Aug 23: 395
Aug 24: 224
Aug 25: 157
Aug 26: 384
This is the 7th year that NIGHTHAWKS have been
tallied at Haverford College. The August 23rd
total of 395 was the 4th highest count for an
evening. (The highest was 1,392 on August 28th, 2005.)
On August 23rd, during only 15 minutes in the
evening, about 100 NIGHTHAWKS were seen in the
sky over the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.
NIGHTHAWKS continued to be this week during
evenings at Haverford College, with a high count
indeed of 650 on Sunday, August 27th (the 2nd
highest evening count in 7 years) , and 309 on
Monday, August 28th. With that, it's over 2,300
there this year, and that's the second highest
yearly count - that's now creeping up on last year's high.
A good place for seeing SHOREBIRDS last weekend
was the Tinicum (or John Heinz) Refuge in Southwest Philadelphia.
During 4 hours there, on Sunday, August 27th,
there were numerous SHOREBIRDS on the impoundment - 12 species, as follows:
1200 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 250 SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS, 1 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, 320 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, 9 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 12 SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS (solitary by the dozen), and 8 SPOTTED
SANDPIPERS, 75 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 4 STILT
SANDPIPERS, 3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 15
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and 45 KILLDEER.
Also:
6 BLACK TERNS, 12 FORSTER'S TERNS, 2 BONAPARTE'S
GULLS, and over 15 LAUGHING GULLS, and 160 GREAT
EGRETS and 125 GREAT BLUE HERONS.
Ducks included: 3 SHOVELERS, 10 GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, 2 GADWALL, a BLACK DUCK and MALLARD.
As many as a thousand SWALLOWS were in the air.
The BLACK TERNS, at times, were up in the sky hawking insects with them.
The next day, Monday, August 28th, a WILSON'S
PHALAROPE was found at Tinicum, with LESSER YELLOWLEGS and STILT SANDPIPERS.
The previous week at Tinicum the single BAIRD'S
SANDPIPER was also reported on August 20th &
21st, as were about 400 LESSER YELLOWLEGS. That
day the SOLITARY SANDPIPER was solitary, and there 2 BLACK TERNS.
SHOREBIRDS in general were most of the species
just listed for August 27th, but with numbers
less than they were that day. During the week,
from August 20th to the 27th, those numbers increased.
At that place in south-central Pennsylvania where
SHOREBIRDS are observed along the Susquehanna
River, the Conejohela Flats, at Washington Boro,
birds such as SOOTY TERNS, BLACK TERNS, HUDSONIAN
GODWITS and other shorebirds have already been noted.
Last week, on Thursday, August 24th (and having
nothing to do with "Ernesto:), there were 2
species of PHALAROPES: a single WILSON'S and 3 RED-NECKED.
Last weekend, August 26-27, the 13 shorebirds at the Conejohela Flats were:
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (4), SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
(7), KILLDEER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
SPOTTED and SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, SANDERLING (1),
SEMIPALMATED and LEAST SANDPIPERS, as well as 3
BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS and one juvenile BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER (the first there this season).
GLOSSY IBIS are not often seen in Berks County,
PA. One has been at the Blue Mountain Academy
Pond, as of at least Tuesday this week, August 29th.
From Route 61, turn onto Cabelas Drive. Go
uphill. Turn right onto Mountain Road. The pond
where the IBIS has been is on the left. You might
have to turn left onto Academy Drive to have a better view.
In Bucks County PA, in the area of Peace Valley,
north of Doylestown, birds this past week
included: BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO on August 31st, and
15 species of WARBLERS including: BLACKBURNIAN,
WILSON'S, CANADA, and BLACK-THROATED BLUE. At
least 10 of the last of these were seen on August 31st.
Going back just a bit, a birder who went to the
Conowingo Dam in Maryland on August 19th to see
BALD EAGLES, was pleased as well to see a
PEREGRINE FALCON sitting on a tower.
Offshore, from Lewes, Delaware, on Friday, August
25th, but in Maryland waters above the Wilmington
Canyon, a WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL was seen.
Going north into Delaware waters, there were
AUDUBON'S and CORY'S SHEARWATERS and WILSON'S
STORM-PETRELS. There were 4 SPERM WHALES, and
with them PILOT WHALES, in the deep water. Also,
further away, there were 2 CUVIER'S
BEAKED-WHALES. And, then, another WHITE-FACED
STORM-PETREL! And then an adult SABINE'S GULL!
Also, ARCTIC TERN and some POMARINE JAEGERS.
Offshore, from Barnegat Light, New Jersey, a
pelagic trip for seabirds & marine mammals is
scheduled to go on the 100-foot boat, the "Doris
Mae IV", to go from Barnegat Light NJ, on Friday,
September 15, with departure at 11:00pm
(participants should be at the boat by 10:30pm).
Return to the dock on Saturday, September 16 will be at about 3:00pm.
The trip WILL be going as far as the Hudson
Canyon, and the boat will be there at daybreak
with chum out on the water to attract the birds.
Going out to the canyon and continental shelf,
and having some additional time as we now will,
provides us the best opportunity for the
WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL and other seabirds.
There have recently been multiple sightings of
White-faced Storm-Petrels, along the continental
shelf, both north & south of where we will be -
those sightings off Delaware and Maryland (as
noted above) and off Massachusetts. Mid-September
will still be the optimum time for the species,
as well as for all of the jaegers. Also, fishing
boats that will then be in the area should
enhance our birding. The cost for the Sep 15/16
Hudson Canyon overnight pelagic trip is $139.
If you wish to join this trip on Sep 15/16, at
this time 6 or 7 places are available. To
register, please contact Focus On Nature Tours
(FONT) either by e-mail at
font@focusonnature.com. or by phone at: 1-800-721-9986.
Info is in the website: www.focusonnature.com
Thank you for tuning in to the Birdline, wherever you may be.
- end transcript
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* September 3, 2006
* PAPH0609.03
* Birds mentioned:
Cory's Shearwater
Audubon's Shearwater
MANX SHEARWATER (extralimital)
WILSON'S STORM-PETREL (pa)
WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL (de,md)
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
WHITE IBIS (nj)
GLOSSY IBIS (pa)
American Black Duck
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
American Green-winged Teal
Common Merganser
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Common Moorhen
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER (pa)
AMERICAN AVOCET (nj)
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden Plover (pa,nj)
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Willet
Whimbrel
Marbled Godwit
HUDSONIAN GODWIT (flock of 30)
Red Knot
Sanderling (pa)
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
White-rumped Sandpiper
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (pa,nj)
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
WILSON'S PHALAROPE (pa)
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (pa,nj)
RED PHALAROPE (pa,nj)
POMARINE JAEGER (nj)
PARASITIC JAEGER (pa,nj)
LONG-TAILED JAEGER (nj)
Laughing Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
SABINE'S GULL (de)
Gull-billed Tern
Forster's Tern
Common Tern
ARCTIC TERN (pa,nj)
Sandwich Tern
Royal Tern (pa)
Caspian Tern
SOOTY TERN (pa,nj)
BRIDLED TERN (nj)
Black Tern (many)
Black-billed Cuckoo
Common Nighthawk (migration)
6 swallows
NORTHERN WHEATEAR (nj)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Bobolink
Sperm Whale
Pilot Whale
Cuvier's Beaked-Whale
pelagic trip announcement
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: September 3, 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 Sunday, September 3rd, 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.
During the stormy weather related to Ernesto the
last couple days, here's a summary, as we now
have it, of some interesting birds seen in our region:
As this edition of the Birdline was just about to
go out, we learned of an AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
in Philadelphia, seen today, September 2nd. We
know of 3 previous records for Pennsylvania, 1 at
Beltsville in Carbon County in 1993, and 2 in
2003 associated with Hurricane Isabel. 1 of those
was at Nockamixon in Bucks County. The
OYSTERCATCHER now in PA, can best be seen from
NJ. From Intestate 676 in Camden, take the Morgan
Blvd exit. Go left. At the T, go right. Then turn
left onto Ferry Road. After go under an
underpass, go to the park at the river. You should have a scope.
At Cape May Point, New Jersey, the evening of
September 1st, at the concrete ship at the end of
Sunset Boulevard, over the waters of the lower
Delaware Bay, 7 BRIDLED TERNS and 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS were reported.
The next day, September 2nd, at that same
location, from about 6am to 3pm, the word is that these were seen:
11 BRIDLED TERNS (all adults)
11 SOOTY TERNS (3 of them dark juveniles)
1 SANDWICH, 1 ARCTIC, and 15 BLACK TERNS.
Also all 3 JAEGERS: 27 POMARINE, 9 PARASITIC, and 3 LONG-TAILED.
Also 250 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. And at least one RED PHALAROPE.
Nicely, a number of these birds just noted could be observed fairly closely.
Up the Delaware River, near the Philadelphia
International Airport, from Delaware County PA,
on September 2nd, 2 adult SOOTY TERNS were seen, as was a ROYAL TERN.
Also that morning, in that area, there were at
least 25 PHALAROPES. 3 of them were RED among the
RED-NECKED. TERNS included: FORSTER'S, COMMON,
BLACK, CASPIAN, and 5 ARCTIC TERNS!
Further up the Delaware River, these birds were
noted at Palmyra NJ on September 2nd:
33 BLACK TERNS, 3 CASPIAN terns, 4 FORSTER'S TERNS, and 22 COMMON TERNS.
Prior to September 2nd, 2006, there were never
any records of COMMON TERNS at Palmyra.
Also there that day, September 2nd, were "hundreds" of LAUGHING GULLS.
Further up the Delaware River yet, in southern
Bucks County, a WILSON'S STORM-PETREL was seen on
September 2nd, late in the day, just before dark.
It was seen from private property.
Other birds seen in that area along the river included:
ARCTIC TERN (probably 3), 48 BLACK TERNS, 6
COMMON TERNS, 4 FORSTER'S TERNS, and 2 CASPIAN TERNS.
Also: 19 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, and 3 RED PHALAROPES.
And these other shorebirds: WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHER, and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, in
addition to GREATER YELLOWLEGS and SEMIPALMATED and LEAST SANDPIPERS.
Lastly, at that southern Bucks County locale:
Over 50 LAUGHING GULLS were observed harassing a
PEREGRINE FALCON, and 2 BALD EAGLES were about.
One or more WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS have been
along the Susquehanna River in south-central
Pennsylvania. One was apparently seen on
September 2nd from the river walk in Harrisburg near Front and State Streets.
Today, September 3rd, the species was reported
along the Susquehanna at the Royalton boat launch
just north of Three Mile Island.
Along the Susquehanna River on September 2nd, 3
SOOTY TERNS were seen late in the day (7:15pm)
from the southernmost boat ramp in Wrightsville,
York County, below the Columbia-Wrightsville
bridge. 1 of the SOOTIES was an adult; 2 were dark juveniles.
Some BLACK TERNS and FORSTER'S TERNS were also in the area.
Earlier in the day , an adult SOOTY TERN was
observed from the Lancaster County side of the
Susquehanna River, between Columbia and
Washington Boro. Other TERNS seen there were: 6
BLACK, 1 FORSTER'S, and 2 CASPIAN.
This morning, September 3rd, a SOOTY TERN was
observed between Columbia and Washington Boro. It
was seen from Route 999 south of Columbia.
In addition to the TERNS just mentioned, along
the Susquehanna in Lancaster County between
Columbia and Washington Boro, the morning of
September 2nd, a flock of 30 HUDSONIAN GODWITS
was seen. That's a large flock for that species -
certainly one of the largest such flocks, if not
the largest, ever noted in Pennsylvania.
13 other shorebirds species were also observed
the morning of September 2nd along the
Susquehanna River, in the area of Washington Boro, Lancaster County. They were:
2 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS (1 adult & 1 juvenile)
12 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS
2 juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPERS
30 LEAST SANDPIPERS
30 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS
32 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS (that's alot!)
14 STILT SANDPIPERS (also a nice number)
3 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS
1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER (living up to its name)
5 SANDERLINGS
3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS
25 LESSER YELLOWLEGS
and 9 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS.
Other birds in the area included: several OSPREY,
a single juvenile LAUGHING GULL, and more than 50 BLUE-WINGED TEAL.
Further north along the Susquehanna River, in the
afternoon on September 2nd, 3 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES were observed just north of
Harrisburg, at the Fort Hunter Boat Launch. A
JAEGER also seen there was most likely a
PARASITIC. A single COMMON TERN was seen.
All 6 SWALLOWS were also seen, including at least
1 PURPLE MARTIN. Also seen there were: 2
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, COMMON MERGANSER, and MERLIN.
Also along the Susquehanna River, on September
2nd, a PARASITIC JAEGER was observed in Lancaster
County, at Falmouth, harassing gulls below the York Haven Dam.
At the Green Lane Reservoir in northern
Montgomery County PA on September 2nd, 3 BLACK
TERNS and 1 COMMON TERN were seen in the Walt
Road boat launch area. Nearby, at least 2 BLACK TERNS were at Knight Lake.
Also that day, BLACK TERN was among the birds
present at Lake Ontelaunee in Berks County PA.
In Carbon County PA, 4 CASPIAN TERNS were seen at
Beltsville Lake on September 2nd.
In Northampton County PA, a ROYAL TERN was seen
at Green Pond, today, September 3rd.
Here's an interesting extralimital report, from
Friday, September 1st: a MANX SHEARWATER has been
over Lake Ontario. Also there: PARASITIC JAEGERS and SABINE'S GULLS.
A NORTHERN WHEATEAR was seen in northwestern New
Jersey, in Somerset County at the Bridgewater
Mall parking lot, on Thursday, August 31st, but
it has not been seen after that.
Also in New Jersey, at the Brigantine (or
Forsythe) National Wildife Refuge, northwest of
Atlantic City, a juvenile WHITE IBIS was seen on August 27th & 28th.
Other birds seen there included: 2 AMERICAN
GOLDEN PLOVERS, 4 RED KNOTS, WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPERS, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, and 2 MARBLED
GODWITS and 1 HUDSONIAN GODWIT.
Yesterday, September 2nd, at Brigantine Refuge, there were these birds:
2 MARBLED GODWITS, several WESTERN SANDPIPERS,
about 20 WHIMBREL (scattered), over 20 CASPIAN
TERNS, a GULL-BILLED TERN, 5 BLACK TERNS, and a
BROWN PELICAN. A BROWN PELICAN is unusual over
the impoundments at Brigantine Refuge.
Further north along the Jersey Shore, at Island
Beach State Park on August 25th, there were 2
MARBLED GODWITS and 35 WILLETS, BROWN PELCIAN, and about a dozen BLACK TERNS.
At the Johnson Sod Farm in southern New Jersey,
these shorebirds were noted yesterday morning, September 2nd:
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (a
dozen or more), SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, KILLDEER,
LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST
SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPERS (3), SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and
RED-NECKED PHALROPES (2 at the small pond along
Olivet Road). Many of the birds just mentioned
were seen along Griers Lane. The Johnson Sod Farm
is along Route 77 south of Route 40. Both Griers
Lane and Olivet Road go east from Route 77.
Last Saturday, August 26th, a late-morning loop
at the Johnson Sod Farm produced: 1 GOLDEN
PLOVER, 8 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 1 BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, 13 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and numerous KILLDEER.
Near the DeLea Sod Farm along Route 40 west of
Sharptown, there have been 3 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS.
They were seen on August 26th. The spot for them
has actually been about a mile or two south of Route 40.
6 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were seen at the DeLea
Sod Farm yesterday, September 2nd.
BOBOLINKS have been about in the area.
About a hundred CATTLE EGRETS have been at the
pond near the east end of Featherbed Lane, north
of Sharptown. Also there on August 26th were 4
AVOCETS. One of the AVOCETS continued there thru August 30th.
A BLACK TERN was at pond on August 26th.
At the nearby Mannington Marsh, 38 BLACK TERNS
were tallied on Sunday, August 27th, as were 14
LITTLE BLUE HERONS, 22 MOORHENS, and a CASPIAN TERN.
Also on August 27th, in southwestern New Jersey,
one observer found BLACK TERNS at the following locations:
5 west of Pointers-Sharptown Road
4 at the forementioned pond along Featherbed Lane
(with the single AVOCET just mentioned)
and 1 in Westville at the mouth of the Big Timber
Creek - that one being harassed by young LAUGHING GULLS.
Yesterday, September 2nd, in southwestern New
Jersey, a BLACK TERN was at the pond along Olivet
Road at the Johnson Sod Farm, and another was
along nearby Route 77 at a flooded field.
As noted here, and elsewhere during this edition
of the Birdline, BLACK TERNS have been
particularly numerous this year (mid-August into September) in our region.
There is now a beautiful sequence of BLACK TERN
PHOTOS in the Birdline Photo Gallery. In the
website: www.focusonnature.com scroll down the
left side of the homepage to: "Birdline Photo Gallery 2006".
BLACK TERNS have been present recently along the
Delaware River, north of Lambertville NJ and New Hope PA.
In southeast Pennsylvania, a good place last week
for seeing NIGHTHAWKS in the evening was
Haverford College. Here's a summary of how many
were seen there Monday thru Saturday, August 21 to 26, from about 6pm to dark:
Aug 21: 53
Aug 22: 132
Aug 23: 395
Aug 24: 224
Aug 25: 157
Aug 26: 384
This is the 7th year that NIGHTHAWKS have been
tallied at Haverford College. The August 23rd
total of 395 was the 4th highest count for an
evening. (The highest was 1,392 on August 28th, 2005.)
On August 23rd, during only 15 minutes in the
evening, about 100 NIGHTHAWKS were seen in the
sky over the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.
NIGHTHAWKS continued to be this week during
evenings at Haverford College, with a high count
indeed of 650 on Sunday, August 27th (the 2nd
highest evening count in 7 years) , and 309 on
Monday, August 28th. With that, it's over 2,300
there this year, and that's the second highest
yearly count - that's now creeping up on last year's high.
A good place for seeing SHOREBIRDS last weekend
was the Tinicum (or John Heinz) Refuge in Southwest Philadelphia.
During 4 hours there, on Sunday, August 27th,
there were numerous SHOREBIRDS on the impoundment - 12 species, as follows:
1200 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 250 SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS, 1 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, 320 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, 9 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 12 SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS (solitary by the dozen), and 8 SPOTTED
SANDPIPERS, 75 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 4 STILT
SANDPIPERS, 3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 15
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and 45 KILLDEER.
Also:
6 BLACK TERNS, 12 FORSTER'S TERNS, 2 BONAPARTE'S
GULLS, and over 15 LAUGHING GULLS, and 160 GREAT
EGRETS and 125 GREAT BLUE HERONS.
Ducks included: 3 SHOVELERS, 10 GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, 2 GADWALL, a BLACK DUCK and MALLARD.
As many as a thousand SWALLOWS were in the air.
The BLACK TERNS, at times, were up in the sky hawking insects with them.
The next day, Monday, August 28th, a WILSON'S
PHALAROPE was found at Tinicum, with LESSER YELLOWLEGS and STILT SANDPIPERS.
The previous week at Tinicum the single BAIRD'S
SANDPIPER was also reported on August 20th &
21st, as were about 400 LESSER YELLOWLEGS. That
day the SOLITARY SANDPIPER was solitary, and there 2 BLACK TERNS.
SHOREBIRDS in general were most of the species
just listed for August 27th, but with numbers
less than they were that day. During the week,
from August 20th to the 27th, those numbers increased.
At that place in south-central Pennsylvania where
SHOREBIRDS are observed along the Susquehanna
River, the Conejohela Flats, at Washington Boro,
birds such as SOOTY TERNS, BLACK TERNS, HUDSONIAN
GODWITS and other shorebirds have already been noted.
Last week, on Thursday, August 24th (and having
nothing to do with "Ernesto:), there were 2
species of PHALAROPES: a single WILSON'S and 3 RED-NECKED.
Last weekend, August 26-27, the 13 shorebirds at the Conejohela Flats were:
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER (4), SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
(7), KILLDEER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
SPOTTED and SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, SANDERLING (1),
SEMIPALMATED and LEAST SANDPIPERS, as well as 3
BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS and one juvenile BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER (the first there this season).
GLOSSY IBIS are not often seen in Berks County,
PA. One has been at the Blue Mountain Academy
Pond, as of at least Tuesday this week, August 29th.
From Route 61, turn onto Cabelas Drive. Go
uphill. Turn right onto Mountain Road. The pond
where the IBIS has been is on the left. You might
have to turn left onto Academy Drive to have a better view.
In Bucks County PA, in the area of Peace Valley,
north of Doylestown, birds this past week
included: BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO on August 31st, and
15 species of WARBLERS including: BLACKBURNIAN,
WILSON'S, CANADA, and BLACK-THROATED BLUE. At
least 10 of the last of these were seen on August 31st.
Going back just a bit, a birder who went to the
Conowingo Dam in Maryland on August 19th to see
BALD EAGLES, was pleased as well to see a
PEREGRINE FALCON sitting on a tower.
Offshore, from Lewes, Delaware, on Friday, August
25th, but in Maryland waters above the Wilmington
Canyon, a WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL was seen.
Going north into Delaware waters, there were
AUDUBON'S and CORY'S SHEARWATERS and WILSON'S
STORM-PETRELS. There were 4 SPERM WHALES, and
with them PILOT WHALES, in the deep water. Also,
further away, there were 2 CUVIER'S
BEAKED-WHALES. And, then, another WHITE-FACED
STORM-PETREL! And then an adult SABINE'S GULL!
Also, ARCTIC TERN and some POMARINE JAEGERS.
Offshore, from Barnegat Light, New Jersey, a
pelagic trip for seabirds & marine mammals is
scheduled to go on the 100-foot boat, the "Doris
Mae IV", to go from Barnegat Light NJ, on Friday,
September 15, with departure at 11:00pm
(participants should be at the boat by 10:30pm).
Return to the dock on Saturday, September 16 will be at about 3:00pm.
The trip WILL be going as far as the Hudson
Canyon, and the boat will be there at daybreak
with chum out on the water to attract the birds.
Going out to the canyon and continental shelf,
and having some additional time as we now will,
provides us the best opportunity for the
WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL and other seabirds.
There have recently been multiple sightings of
White-faced Storm-Petrels, along the continental
shelf, both north & south of where we will be -
those sightings off Delaware and Maryland (as
noted above) and off Massachusetts. Mid-September
will still be the optimum time for the species,
as well as for all of the jaegers. Also, fishing
boats that will then be in the area should
enhance our birding. The cost for the Sep 15/16
Hudson Canyon overnight pelagic trip is $139.
If you wish to join this trip on Sep 15/16, at
this time 6 or 7 places are available. To
register, please contact Focus On Nature Tours
(FONT) either by e-mail at
font@focusonnature.com. or by phone at: 1-800-721-9986.
Info is in the website: www.focusonnature.com
Thank you for tuning in to the Birdline, wherever you may be.
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