RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* October 13, 2006
* DEST0610.13
*Birds mentioned
Mute Swan
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Black Duck
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Ruddy Duck
Common Loon
Brown Pelican
American Bittern
Tricolored Heron
Little Blue Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Mississippi Kite
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Broad-winged Hawk
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Clapper Rail
Common Moorhen
Black-bellied Plover
American Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Whimbrel
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Red Phalarope
Sabine's Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Royal Tern
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer
Eurasian Collared Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood Pewee
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Winter Wren
Swainson's Thrush
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
American Redstart
Black and White Warbler
Blue Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Seaside Sparrow
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
- Transcript
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: October 13, 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)
On Friday the 13th, this is Birdline Delaware, from the Delaware Museum of
Natural History in Greenville. Hello. I'm Andy Ednie, substituting for Armas
Hill.
Two drake EURASIAN WIGEONS were seen on Wednesday, north of Rehoboth Beach
at Gordon's Pond in a flock of about 15 AMERICAN WIGEON. Also seen were 4
AMERICAN AVOCETS, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, WHITE-RUMPED,
LEAST, and WESTERN SANDPIPER, and CASPIAN, ROYAL, and FORSTER'S TERN.
Last Friday, an immature SABINE'S GULL and a RED PHALAROPE were seen at Cape
Henlopen State Park during the northeastern that rocked the coast. This is
the second record of SABINE 'S GULL for Delaware this year, only the third
ever reported for the state!
Other birds at Cape Henlopen include 6 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and an
early BONAPARTE'S GULL along the beach, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS, WHIMBREL, up to 22 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, WESTERN SANDPIPER, and
BLACK SKIMMERS. SURF and BLACK SCOTER were seen offshore, along with
migrating NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and BLACK DUCK.
Today was a big day at the hawk watch at Cape Henlopen, with 23 OSPREY, 10
BALD EAGLES, and 2 late BROAD-WINGS reported. Yesterday, 116 OSPREY, 6 BALD
EAGLES, MERLIN, and 5 PEREGRINES were seen. BROWN PELICAN and MUTE SWANS
were also reported. 5-6 BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES have been around the hawk
watch this week.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were also seen by the Observation Tower and in the
overflow parking lot for the Fishing Pier at the park. YELLOW-BELLIED
SAPSUCKER, BROWN CREEPER, both KINGLETS, RED-EYED VIREO, DARK-EYED JUNCO,
MAGNOLIA and BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS were also found.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was also found at Strawberry Landing in Assawoman
Wildlife Area, along with 4 BALD EAGLES.
At Indian River Inlet TRICOLORED and LITTLE BLUE HERON were seen in the
marsh, along with calling CLAPPER RAIL. The jetty had RUDDY TURNSTONE,
SANDERLING, and DUNLIN, no PURPLE SANDPIPER yet. 6 BLACK-CROWNS and 2
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS were seen at dusk on Wednesday, going into
Burton's Island.
A pair of RUDDY DUCK was on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach, the first of the
season there.
A CACKLING GOOSE, among the SNOW GEESE was reported this weekend from the
Broadkill Beach impoundments at Prime Hook NWR. RUDDY DUCK, COMMON LOON, and
SURF SCOTER were also reported. Late birds seen included COMMON MOORHEN,
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, and EASTERN WOOD PEWEE. WARBLERS reported included
PARULA, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, PALM, and YELLOWTHROAT.
2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen at Fowler's Beach, an ORANGE CROWNED
WARBLER was seen at Front Street in Prime Hook Beach (formally Short's
Beach), and WHITE-RUMPED, PECTORAL, and STILT SANDPIPER along with LONG
BILLED DOWITCHER were seen at Broadkill Beach impoundments last weekend.
SEASIDE, NELSON'S, and SALT MARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were found at
Oysters Rocks Road, south of Broadkill Beach.
A late MISSISSIPPI KITE was reported on October 1st from Oak Hill, west of
Seaford. I wonder if this is the same bird, reported as a sub-adult, at the
Beanery in Cape May the previous week. Late summer birds reported last week
at Oak Hill in southwestern Sussex Co. included EASTERN WOOD PEWEE, RED-EYED
VIREO, BLUE GROSBEAK, and INDIGO BUNTING.
At Bombay Hook, late BLACK SKIMMER and BLACK-NECKED STILTS were reported
last Saturday after the storm. PEREGRINE FALCON was seen over and AMERICAN
BITTERN were seen in Shearness Pool. The AMERICAN AVOCETS flock bloomed to
almost 400 birds after the storm last Friday. STILT, PECTORAL, LEAST,
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, and DUNLIN, with SHORT-BILLED and LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHER were also reported at the refuge.
If anybody is traveling south to look for the CINNAMON TEAL, Logan Lane
Tract is closed during the week for hunting.
At Brandywine Creek State Park, LINCOLN'S and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were
reported in the marsh off the entrance road just past Wilson's Run. A lot of
WINTER WRENS were reported, along with PARULA, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, PALM,
and BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS. Late reports of GREEN HERON, RED-EYED VIREO,
and WOOD PEWEE were seen last Sunday.
WINTER WRENS were reported at White Clay Creek State Park along with
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, PILEATED WOODPECKERS, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, SWAINSON'S
THRUSH, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and PINE, PALM, and
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS. One WINTER WREN was seen hopping through the
parking lot at Christiana Hospital.
Here at the Birdline, we received an unconfirmed reported of 2 EURASIAN
COLLARED DOVES in Cranston Heights, near Marshallton in the northwest
Wilmington area. If any birders out there happen to notice a strange dove,
take a second look and give us a call.
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.
As the leaves are starting to change, and the days grow shorter, the
neotropical migrants have left, and the next wave of migrants, the SPARROWS
will arrive. Some will stay for the winter, others will keep moving south.
SPARROWS are strictly a New World family. European colonists named them for
birds that they were familiar with; the HOUSE and TREE SPARROW or the HEDGE
SPARROW, (now know as the DUNNOCK). These birds are actually weaver finches
and an accentor, not even related to our sparrows.
Beta taxonomy is the study of sub-specific variation. As a species settles
into a unique habitat, it will adapt new variations as it separates for the
original population. This variation may progress to form a whole new
species. Sparrows are small, brown, with a thick bill for cracking open
seeds, often referred to as, LBJs or Little Brown Jobs in the field.
Individuals can look very similar, or be surprisingly different, which
challenges bird identification.
Sparrows pose an interesting problem; The WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is one of
the most common birds in all of North America. It song (WHITE-THROAT SFx) is
heard across the continent. There is no sub-specific variation in this
entire population. Contrast this to the SONG SPARROW (Song Sparrow SFx) that
breeds from Alaska to the Carolinas, and has about 30 distinct
sub-populations. SONG SPARROWS in the Aleutians are the size of Robins,
while Delaware birds are just larger then chickadees. West Coast birds can
be almost black; desert birds are pale, while the Atlantic coast race is a
rufous-red color.
Why are some birds so similar while their close relatives show great
variation? Does this tell us the strength or intelligence of the species?
Over time, the longer a species is separated; it will develop its own unique
genetic material. If the genes are so different, that interbreeding will not
produce feral offspring, a new species will form. This natural selection
allows birders can watch active evolution taking place.
Please report your sightings to the birdline by calling 302-792-9591 or
email me at ednieap@fcc.net. Thanks to Mike Smith, Howard Holmquist, and
Jeff Ryan for their reports. Until next time, good birding.
-end transcript
* Delaware
* Statewide
* October 13, 2006
* DEST0610.13
*Birds mentioned
Mute Swan
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Black Duck
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Ruddy Duck
Common Loon
Brown Pelican
American Bittern
Tricolored Heron
Little Blue Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Mississippi Kite
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Broad-winged Hawk
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Clapper Rail
Common Moorhen
Black-bellied Plover
American Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Whimbrel
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Red Phalarope
Sabine's Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Royal Tern
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer
Eurasian Collared Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood Pewee
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Winter Wren
Swainson's Thrush
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
American Redstart
Black and White Warbler
Blue Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Seaside Sparrow
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
- Transcript
Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: October 13, 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)
On Friday the 13th, this is Birdline Delaware, from the Delaware Museum of
Natural History in Greenville. Hello. I'm Andy Ednie, substituting for Armas
Hill.
Two drake EURASIAN WIGEONS were seen on Wednesday, north of Rehoboth Beach
at Gordon's Pond in a flock of about 15 AMERICAN WIGEON. Also seen were 4
AMERICAN AVOCETS, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, WHITE-RUMPED,
LEAST, and WESTERN SANDPIPER, and CASPIAN, ROYAL, and FORSTER'S TERN.
Last Friday, an immature SABINE'S GULL and a RED PHALAROPE were seen at Cape
Henlopen State Park during the northeastern that rocked the coast. This is
the second record of SABINE 'S GULL for Delaware this year, only the third
ever reported for the state!
Other birds at Cape Henlopen include 6 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and an
early BONAPARTE'S GULL along the beach, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS, WHIMBREL, up to 22 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, WESTERN SANDPIPER, and
BLACK SKIMMERS. SURF and BLACK SCOTER were seen offshore, along with
migrating NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and BLACK DUCK.
Today was a big day at the hawk watch at Cape Henlopen, with 23 OSPREY, 10
BALD EAGLES, and 2 late BROAD-WINGS reported. Yesterday, 116 OSPREY, 6 BALD
EAGLES, MERLIN, and 5 PEREGRINES were seen. BROWN PELICAN and MUTE SWANS
were also reported. 5-6 BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES have been around the hawk
watch this week.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were also seen by the Observation Tower and in the
overflow parking lot for the Fishing Pier at the park. YELLOW-BELLIED
SAPSUCKER, BROWN CREEPER, both KINGLETS, RED-EYED VIREO, DARK-EYED JUNCO,
MAGNOLIA and BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS were also found.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH was also found at Strawberry Landing in Assawoman
Wildlife Area, along with 4 BALD EAGLES.
At Indian River Inlet TRICOLORED and LITTLE BLUE HERON were seen in the
marsh, along with calling CLAPPER RAIL. The jetty had RUDDY TURNSTONE,
SANDERLING, and DUNLIN, no PURPLE SANDPIPER yet. 6 BLACK-CROWNS and 2
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS were seen at dusk on Wednesday, going into
Burton's Island.
A pair of RUDDY DUCK was on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach, the first of the
season there.
A CACKLING GOOSE, among the SNOW GEESE was reported this weekend from the
Broadkill Beach impoundments at Prime Hook NWR. RUDDY DUCK, COMMON LOON, and
SURF SCOTER were also reported. Late birds seen included COMMON MOORHEN,
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, and EASTERN WOOD PEWEE. WARBLERS reported included
PARULA, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, PALM, and YELLOWTHROAT.
2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen at Fowler's Beach, an ORANGE CROWNED
WARBLER was seen at Front Street in Prime Hook Beach (formally Short's
Beach), and WHITE-RUMPED, PECTORAL, and STILT SANDPIPER along with LONG
BILLED DOWITCHER were seen at Broadkill Beach impoundments last weekend.
SEASIDE, NELSON'S, and SALT MARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were found at
Oysters Rocks Road, south of Broadkill Beach.
A late MISSISSIPPI KITE was reported on October 1st from Oak Hill, west of
Seaford. I wonder if this is the same bird, reported as a sub-adult, at the
Beanery in Cape May the previous week. Late summer birds reported last week
at Oak Hill in southwestern Sussex Co. included EASTERN WOOD PEWEE, RED-EYED
VIREO, BLUE GROSBEAK, and INDIGO BUNTING.
At Bombay Hook, late BLACK SKIMMER and BLACK-NECKED STILTS were reported
last Saturday after the storm. PEREGRINE FALCON was seen over and AMERICAN
BITTERN were seen in Shearness Pool. The AMERICAN AVOCETS flock bloomed to
almost 400 birds after the storm last Friday. STILT, PECTORAL, LEAST,
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, and DUNLIN, with SHORT-BILLED and LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHER were also reported at the refuge.
If anybody is traveling south to look for the CINNAMON TEAL, Logan Lane
Tract is closed during the week for hunting.
At Brandywine Creek State Park, LINCOLN'S and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were
reported in the marsh off the entrance road just past Wilson's Run. A lot of
WINTER WRENS were reported, along with PARULA, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, PALM,
and BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS. Late reports of GREEN HERON, RED-EYED VIREO,
and WOOD PEWEE were seen last Sunday.
WINTER WRENS were reported at White Clay Creek State Park along with
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, PILEATED WOODPECKERS, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, SWAINSON'S
THRUSH, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and PINE, PALM, and
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS. One WINTER WREN was seen hopping through the
parking lot at Christiana Hospital.
Here at the Birdline, we received an unconfirmed reported of 2 EURASIAN
COLLARED DOVES in Cranston Heights, near Marshallton in the northwest
Wilmington area. If any birders out there happen to notice a strange dove,
take a second look and give us a call.
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.
As the leaves are starting to change, and the days grow shorter, the
neotropical migrants have left, and the next wave of migrants, the SPARROWS
will arrive. Some will stay for the winter, others will keep moving south.
SPARROWS are strictly a New World family. European colonists named them for
birds that they were familiar with; the HOUSE and TREE SPARROW or the HEDGE
SPARROW, (now know as the DUNNOCK). These birds are actually weaver finches
and an accentor, not even related to our sparrows.
Beta taxonomy is the study of sub-specific variation. As a species settles
into a unique habitat, it will adapt new variations as it separates for the
original population. This variation may progress to form a whole new
species. Sparrows are small, brown, with a thick bill for cracking open
seeds, often referred to as, LBJs or Little Brown Jobs in the field.
Individuals can look very similar, or be surprisingly different, which
challenges bird identification.
Sparrows pose an interesting problem; The WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is one of
the most common birds in all of North America. It song (WHITE-THROAT SFx) is
heard across the continent. There is no sub-specific variation in this
entire population. Contrast this to the SONG SPARROW (Song Sparrow SFx) that
breeds from Alaska to the Carolinas, and has about 30 distinct
sub-populations. SONG SPARROWS in the Aleutians are the size of Robins,
while Delaware birds are just larger then chickadees. West Coast birds can
be almost black; desert birds are pale, while the Atlantic coast race is a
rufous-red color.
Why are some birds so similar while their close relatives show great
variation? Does this tell us the strength or intelligence of the species?
Over time, the longer a species is separated; it will develop its own unique
genetic material. If the genes are so different, that interbreeding will not
produce feral offspring, a new species will form. This natural selection
allows birders can watch active evolution taking place.
Please report your sightings to the birdline by calling 302-792-9591 or
email me at ednieap@fcc.net. Thanks to Mike Smith, Howard Holmquist, and
Jeff Ryan for their reports. Until next time, good birding.
-end transcript