RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* September 21, 2006
* DEST0609.21
*Birds mentioned
Snow Goose
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Black Scoter
Brown Pelican
Little Blue Heron
Glossy Ibis
Black Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Hudsonian Godwit
Sanderling
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Parasitic Jaeger
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Tern
Black Skimmer
Common Nighthawk
Eastern Screech Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Philadelphia Vireo
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
American Redstart
Black and White Warbler
Ovenbird
Connecticut Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Seaside Sparrow
Salt marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
- Transcript
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: September 21, 2006
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap@fcc.net)
Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern
New Jersey, Maryland
Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap@fcc.net)
For Thursday, September 21st, this is Birdline Delaware, from the Delaware
Museum of Natural History in Greenville. Hello. I'm Andy Ednie, substituting
for Armas Hill, who is away this week.
Migrants are still moving though our area. AMERICAN REDSTART, COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, and BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS were extensively reported. This
week, two CONNECTICUT WARBLERS were reported in both the White Clay Creek
and Brandywine Valley. The CONNECTICUT WARBLERS were seen at The Slab, in
Brandywine Creek State Park, on the north end of the Freshwater Marsh
Preserve last Sunday and at White Clay Creek State Park, and in White Clay
Creek State Park, on the east side of the creek, about a 100 yards south of
the pump house along the Rail Trail on Wednesday.
Other birds at Brandywine Creek included the first WHITE-THROATED SPARROW of
the fall season, reported at the willow swamp at the south end of the marsh
on Wednesday, along with RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS,
SCREECH OWL, and PILEATED WOODPECKER. Warblers seen included a stunning male
BLACKBURNIAN, PARULA, MAGNOLIA, CHESTNUT-SIDED, BLACK-THROATED GREEN and
BLACK-THROATED BLUE.
A nice flight of COMMON NIGHTHAWKS, about a dozen birds, were seen over the
park last Sunday. A large kettle of about 30 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were seen at
the hawkwatch at lunchtime on Wednesday, along with RED-TAIL, COOPER'S,
AMERICAN KESTREL, and 5 BLACK VULTURES.
Other birds seen at White Clay included SWAINSON'S THRUSH. Warblers seen on
Wednesday include NASHVILLE, PAULA, MAGNOLIA, CHESTNUT-SIDED, BLACK-THRATED
BLUE AND GREEN, BLACKBURNIAN, BAY-BREASTED, and CANADA.
More passerines at Prime Hook NWR included a PHILADELPHIA VIREO along Prime
Hook Beach Road, LEAST FLYCATCHER along Black Farm Trail, and RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLET along the Boardwalk Trail. A late YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was seen
at Deep Branch Road on Thursday. A total of 14 species of warblers were
found including TENNESSEE, CHESTNUT-SIDED, MAGNOLIA, BLACK-THRATED BLUE and
GREEN, BLACKBURNIAN, BAY-BREASTED, BLACKPOLL, PALM, PINE, and OVENBIRD.
The impoundments at Broadkill Beach had about 2 dozen SNOW GEESE that just
arrived, plus GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, SHOVELER and AMERICAN
WIGEON. There were also 2 late BLACK-NECKED STILTS and a GLOSSY IBIS there.
The hawk watch at Cape Henlopen State Park on Thursday was busy, 232 HAWKS
were seen including a single BROAD-WING (always tough to find along the
coast), and 4 PEREGRINE FALCONS, including one bird picking off prey as it
went by. Other hawks seen included COOPER'S, SHARP-SHINNED, MERLIN, and
AMERICAN KESTREL. BROWN PELICAN and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH were reported at
Cape Henlopen.
Last Saturday, a PARASITIC JAEGER was seen from Gordon's Pond, as it flew
down the Lewes - Rehoboth Canal during easterly winds. Bad weather makes for
good birds. 2 BLACK TERNS were also seen at Gordon's Pond, shorebirds
reported there this week included 3 HUDSONIAN GODWITS, 17 WILLETS,
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SANDERLING, LEAST and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER.
Another BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was found in Henlopen Acres in Rehoboth Beach
at the intersection of Pine Reach and Scott's Lane. BROWN PELICAN, CASPIAN
and ROYAL TERNS were seen at Indian River Inlet.
BLACK SKIMMERS continue to be seen at the point at Cape Henlopen along with
COMMON, ROYAL, CASPAIN, and FORSTER'S TERNS. A flock of BLACK SCOTERS were
seen off the Swimming Beach and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, probably the
same bird mentioned last week, was off Herring Point.
4 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS, with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and KILLDEERS were seen
today, in a plowed field along Rt 36 and McColly Rd. near Milford. At
Mispillion Inlet, at the creek along Lighthouse Road, 3 SALT MARSH
SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS and 20 SEASIDE SPARROWS were located.
Another AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was seen in the plowed field opposite the
intersection of Rt. 9 (Hay Road) and Rd 12 (the Smyrna - Lepsic Road). That
bird was with BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and KILLDEER. Two BAIRD'S
SANDPIPERS were seen just south along Rt. 9, at Wick's Potato Farm.
Birds in Bombay Hook this week included a flock of about 120 SNOW GEESE,
AMERICAN AVOCET and 11 STILT SANDPIPERS at Raymond Pool, and 13 WHITE-RUMPED
and 12 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS plus a GLOSSY IBIS at Bear Swamp. BALD EAGLE and
NORTHERN HARRIER were also seen.
A dozen immature LITTLE BLUE HERONS were seen in a tree near the Christian
Town Center at the intersection of I-95 and Rt. 273.
Now for this week's special feature from 1450 WILM News Radio. You can hear
the special feature, with sound effects, on Wednesdays at 5:55 and 8:55 am
and again at 6:55 pm.
Twice a year, migrant warblers pass through Delaware. In May, the birds are
brightly plumaged and singing their distinctive song, making identification
easy. But now, in September, this is the season of confusing fall warblers.
The fall migration is much different then in the spring. There are more
"young of the year", in their indistinctive juvenal plumage. These birds don't
look anything like the adults. Some adult birds have molted their old
feathers into more drab winter plumage. Adults are no longer singing to
attract a mate. They use only chip notes and flight calls to communicate.
These calls are so soft and similar, they are hard to distinguish. Drab
plumage and indistinctive calls presents a challenge to even the most
experienced birders.
One species, the BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, was so different, that it
confused ornithologists for 50 years. The males are so dimorphic from the
females and young, that they were thought to be two separate species. The
males look just like their name, deep blue back and head, black throat and
flanks, contrasting to a white breast and belly. They are one of our most
stunning wood warblers. Their song is a wheezy "buzz-buzz-buzz-buzzzz! (BTB
Warbler SFx) The females and young are a drab green-blue with creamy breast
and faint eye-line and partial eye ring.
The only similar mark is a small white square in the wing that Audubon
missed. He was completely confused. He classed the New World Wood Warblers
into the "Sylvia", or Old World Warblers, two completely different families.
His painting of THE BLACK-THROATED BLUE only has the single male on a
Columbine. He thought the females were an entirely separate species, the
"Pine Swamp Warbler", which he had all ready painted. When he realized his
mistake, he blamed it on his contemporary, Alexander Wilson, seems like
Audubon would have made a good politician.
Lots of BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS, along with their cousin the
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, are passing through Delaware. Keep an eye out
for them in dense woods and underbrush.
I'll be back here next week and would appreciate your reports. Please call
302-792-9591 or email me at ednieap@fcc.net. My thanks to Andy Urquhart and
Chris Bennett for their reports, until next week, good birding.
-end transcript
* Delaware
* Statewide
* September 21, 2006
* DEST0609.21
*Birds mentioned
Snow Goose
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Black Scoter
Brown Pelican
Little Blue Heron
Glossy Ibis
Black Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Hudsonian Godwit
Sanderling
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Parasitic Jaeger
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Tern
Black Skimmer
Common Nighthawk
Eastern Screech Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Philadelphia Vireo
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
American Redstart
Black and White Warbler
Ovenbird
Connecticut Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Seaside Sparrow
Salt marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
- Transcript
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: September 21, 2006
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap@fcc.net)
Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern
New Jersey, Maryland
Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap@fcc.net)
For Thursday, September 21st, this is Birdline Delaware, from the Delaware
Museum of Natural History in Greenville. Hello. I'm Andy Ednie, substituting
for Armas Hill, who is away this week.
Migrants are still moving though our area. AMERICAN REDSTART, COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, and BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS were extensively reported. This
week, two CONNECTICUT WARBLERS were reported in both the White Clay Creek
and Brandywine Valley. The CONNECTICUT WARBLERS were seen at The Slab, in
Brandywine Creek State Park, on the north end of the Freshwater Marsh
Preserve last Sunday and at White Clay Creek State Park, and in White Clay
Creek State Park, on the east side of the creek, about a 100 yards south of
the pump house along the Rail Trail on Wednesday.
Other birds at Brandywine Creek included the first WHITE-THROATED SPARROW of
the fall season, reported at the willow swamp at the south end of the marsh
on Wednesday, along with RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS,
SCREECH OWL, and PILEATED WOODPECKER. Warblers seen included a stunning male
BLACKBURNIAN, PARULA, MAGNOLIA, CHESTNUT-SIDED, BLACK-THROATED GREEN and
BLACK-THROATED BLUE.
A nice flight of COMMON NIGHTHAWKS, about a dozen birds, were seen over the
park last Sunday. A large kettle of about 30 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were seen at
the hawkwatch at lunchtime on Wednesday, along with RED-TAIL, COOPER'S,
AMERICAN KESTREL, and 5 BLACK VULTURES.
Other birds seen at White Clay included SWAINSON'S THRUSH. Warblers seen on
Wednesday include NASHVILLE, PAULA, MAGNOLIA, CHESTNUT-SIDED, BLACK-THRATED
BLUE AND GREEN, BLACKBURNIAN, BAY-BREASTED, and CANADA.
More passerines at Prime Hook NWR included a PHILADELPHIA VIREO along Prime
Hook Beach Road, LEAST FLYCATCHER along Black Farm Trail, and RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLET along the Boardwalk Trail. A late YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was seen
at Deep Branch Road on Thursday. A total of 14 species of warblers were
found including TENNESSEE, CHESTNUT-SIDED, MAGNOLIA, BLACK-THRATED BLUE and
GREEN, BLACKBURNIAN, BAY-BREASTED, BLACKPOLL, PALM, PINE, and OVENBIRD.
The impoundments at Broadkill Beach had about 2 dozen SNOW GEESE that just
arrived, plus GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, SHOVELER and AMERICAN
WIGEON. There were also 2 late BLACK-NECKED STILTS and a GLOSSY IBIS there.
The hawk watch at Cape Henlopen State Park on Thursday was busy, 232 HAWKS
were seen including a single BROAD-WING (always tough to find along the
coast), and 4 PEREGRINE FALCONS, including one bird picking off prey as it
went by. Other hawks seen included COOPER'S, SHARP-SHINNED, MERLIN, and
AMERICAN KESTREL. BROWN PELICAN and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH were reported at
Cape Henlopen.
Last Saturday, a PARASITIC JAEGER was seen from Gordon's Pond, as it flew
down the Lewes - Rehoboth Canal during easterly winds. Bad weather makes for
good birds. 2 BLACK TERNS were also seen at Gordon's Pond, shorebirds
reported there this week included 3 HUDSONIAN GODWITS, 17 WILLETS,
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SANDERLING, LEAST and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER.
Another BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was found in Henlopen Acres in Rehoboth Beach
at the intersection of Pine Reach and Scott's Lane. BROWN PELICAN, CASPIAN
and ROYAL TERNS were seen at Indian River Inlet.
BLACK SKIMMERS continue to be seen at the point at Cape Henlopen along with
COMMON, ROYAL, CASPAIN, and FORSTER'S TERNS. A flock of BLACK SCOTERS were
seen off the Swimming Beach and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, probably the
same bird mentioned last week, was off Herring Point.
4 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS, with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and KILLDEERS were seen
today, in a plowed field along Rt 36 and McColly Rd. near Milford. At
Mispillion Inlet, at the creek along Lighthouse Road, 3 SALT MARSH
SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS and 20 SEASIDE SPARROWS were located.
Another AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was seen in the plowed field opposite the
intersection of Rt. 9 (Hay Road) and Rd 12 (the Smyrna - Lepsic Road). That
bird was with BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and KILLDEER. Two BAIRD'S
SANDPIPERS were seen just south along Rt. 9, at Wick's Potato Farm.
Birds in Bombay Hook this week included a flock of about 120 SNOW GEESE,
AMERICAN AVOCET and 11 STILT SANDPIPERS at Raymond Pool, and 13 WHITE-RUMPED
and 12 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS plus a GLOSSY IBIS at Bear Swamp. BALD EAGLE and
NORTHERN HARRIER were also seen.
A dozen immature LITTLE BLUE HERONS were seen in a tree near the Christian
Town Center at the intersection of I-95 and Rt. 273.
Now for this week's special feature from 1450 WILM News Radio. You can hear
the special feature, with sound effects, on Wednesdays at 5:55 and 8:55 am
and again at 6:55 pm.
Twice a year, migrant warblers pass through Delaware. In May, the birds are
brightly plumaged and singing their distinctive song, making identification
easy. But now, in September, this is the season of confusing fall warblers.
The fall migration is much different then in the spring. There are more
"young of the year", in their indistinctive juvenal plumage. These birds don't
look anything like the adults. Some adult birds have molted their old
feathers into more drab winter plumage. Adults are no longer singing to
attract a mate. They use only chip notes and flight calls to communicate.
These calls are so soft and similar, they are hard to distinguish. Drab
plumage and indistinctive calls presents a challenge to even the most
experienced birders.
One species, the BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, was so different, that it
confused ornithologists for 50 years. The males are so dimorphic from the
females and young, that they were thought to be two separate species. The
males look just like their name, deep blue back and head, black throat and
flanks, contrasting to a white breast and belly. They are one of our most
stunning wood warblers. Their song is a wheezy "buzz-buzz-buzz-buzzzz! (BTB
Warbler SFx) The females and young are a drab green-blue with creamy breast
and faint eye-line and partial eye ring.
The only similar mark is a small white square in the wing that Audubon
missed. He was completely confused. He classed the New World Wood Warblers
into the "Sylvia", or Old World Warblers, two completely different families.
His painting of THE BLACK-THROATED BLUE only has the single male on a
Columbine. He thought the females were an entirely separate species, the
"Pine Swamp Warbler", which he had all ready painted. When he realized his
mistake, he blamed it on his contemporary, Alexander Wilson, seems like
Audubon would have made a good politician.
Lots of BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS, along with their cousin the
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, are passing through Delaware. Keep an eye out
for them in dense woods and underbrush.
I'll be back here next week and would appreciate your reports. Please call
302-792-9591 or email me at ednieap@fcc.net. My thanks to Andy Urquhart and
Chris Bennett for their reports, until next week, good birding.
-end transcript