RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* November 26, 2006
* DEST0611.26
* Birds mentioned (for Delaware):
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Egret
Green Heron
American Bittern
TRUMPETER SWAN
Tundra Swan
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
ROSS' GOOSE
Northern Pintail (many)
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck (about a thousand)
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-shouldered Hawk
Bald Eagle
American Avocet
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Eastern Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Short-eared Owl
SELASPHORUS, probably RUFOUS, HUMMINGBIRD
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Brown Thrasher
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Purple Finch
* Birds mentioned (in Philadelphia Birdline additions):
Red-throated Loon
Greater White-fronted Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Brant
Long-tailed Duck
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
the 3 scoters
Spotted Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Tree Swallow
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
LECONTE'S SPARROW
LARK SPARROW
Fox Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Eastern Meadowlark
Birdline Delaware
Date: November 26, 2006
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Armas Hill
Coverage: Delaware, and southern New Jersey
Transcriber: Risė Hill
For Sunday, November 26th, this is Birdline
Delaware - from the Delaware Museum of Natural
History, and supported by a number of regional
birders. I'm Armas Hill, glad to be with you.
Also, included here are some items that have come
to our attention since the Philadelphia Birdline was made yesterday.
First, the Delaware news:
A SELASPHORUS, probably a RUFOUS, HUMMINGBIRD has
been present for about a week north of
Wilmington. It's been visiting both a feeder and
flowers (pineapple sage & others). The bird was
first seen on Sunday, November 19th. It has
continued as of yesterday, November 25th, coming
to a property near Shipley Road.
There's been a report of a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER,
this past week, north of Wilmington, seen on
Thursday, November 23rd, at the Porky Oliver Golf
Course. The bird was said to be trees by the 18th
hole. That golf course is off Route 100, or DuPont Road, west of Route 52.
A bird thought to be a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE was seen early in the morning, yesterday,
November 25th, further north along Route 100,
with CANADA GEESE at the upper pond near the
intersection of Routes 92 & 100. Later in the
morning, when that goose was looked for again, no
geese were there. A pair of WOOD DUCKS were.
At the nearby Brandywine Creek State Park
yesterday morning, 2 PURPLE FINCHES continued
coming to the feeders. Other birds noted at the
park that morning were: BROWN THRASHER, HERMIT
THRUSH, FOX SPARROW, and BLUEBIRDS. Both EASTERN
SCREECH and GREAT HORNED OWLS were heard calling early in the morning.
At the Hoope's Reservoir, northwest of
Wilmington, recently, there have been: COMMON
LOON, 6 PIED-BILLED GREBES, 5 RUDDY DUCKS, and 3
HOODED MERGANSERS. The most numerous duck has
been the RING-NECKED. On Thursday, November 23rd,
there were an estimated 250 of them. Yesterday,
the word we got was there were about 1,000
RING-NECKED DUCKS at the Hoopes Reservoir.
Earlier this past week, at Hoopes, on Tuesday,
November 21st, in addition to the WATERBIRDS just
mentioned (add BUFFLEHEAD), there was also a rather late GREEN HERON.
In flight, at the reservoir, that day, there were
PILEATED WOODPECKER and RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. In
trees by the reservoir, birds included
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER.
4 BELTED KINGFISHERS were there, and 2 BALD EAGLES have been in the area.
In central Delaware, at the Bombay Hook National
Wildlife Refuge, yesterday, November 25th, a
TRUMPETER SWAN was seen at Shearness Pool. It had
no neck band. About 60 TUNDRA SWANS are also there.
This past week, PINTAILS have been especially
numerous at Bombay Hook. Other ducks have
included some SHOVELERS and BUFFLEHEADS. About 40
AVOCETS were seen at Bombay Hook this past week.
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS have continued at the
feeders by the headquarters. BALD EAGLES have
been about. AMERICAN BITTERN has occasionally
been seen at Shearness. And a few GREAT EGRETS are still around.
A single SHORT-EARED OWL was seen recently from
Port Mahon Road at the end of the day.
Incidentally, that road, by the bay, is now in
very bad condition due to recent storms. Don't
let it be the end of your day by getting stuck in the sand.
The weather was rough along the Delaware seacoast
on Wednesday, November 22nd. At the Indian River
Inlet that day, both jetties were completely
underwater. Also, the tower by the south jetty is gone.
Along the Delaware coast, Silver Lake in Rehoboth
Beach has traditionally been a place for
CANVASBACKS. Yesterday, there were none. There
were just a few RUDDY DUCKS, and BUFFLEHEAD and LESSER SCAUP.
Also in southern Delaware, at a place near Lewes
called Wolfe Neck, there have been some nice
birds. On November 22nd, 3 BLACK-HEADED GULLS
were seen there - 2 of them adults and one a
first-winter bird. And a ROSS' GOOSE was found
there among a couple thousand SNOW GEESE.
From where Routes 1 & 24 meet, go east on Wolfe
Neck Road. Sometimes, we're told, the Wolfe Neck
location is not open. There's a gate. From what
we understand, it's closed on Sundays.
Here, now, are the reports, referred to earlier,
that have come after the making of yesterday's Philadelphia Birdline:
The LARK SPARROW, that's been in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, at the Maple Knoll Farm, has continued as of November 25th.
A LECONTE'S SPARROW, seen yesterday, the day
before, and still today (November 26th),
elsewhere in Bucks County, at Pine Run,
represents a first-record for the county. A
photograph of that sparrow is now in the Birdline
Photo Gallery, in the webs-site: www.focusonnature.com
On the left side of the homepage, scroll down to
the "Birdline Photo Gallery, 2006, Part 2".
A late GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was also seen at Pine
Run on November 24th. Also there: a COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, WILSON'S SNIPE, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, and 2 or 3 CACKLING GEESE.
At nearby Peace Valley, there were over a hundred
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS yesterday, November
25th. A RED-THROATED LOON was there the previous
day. A BRANT continues. Also at Peace Valley, FOX SPARROW.
A late SPOTTED SANDPIPER was found yesterday,
November 25th, at Chambers Lake in Chester County
PA. The bird was seen bobbing on a partially
submerged tree trunk by the shoreline.
At the Coatesville Reservoir in Chester County,
yesterday, there was one, maybe two, CACKLING
GEESE among the thousand or so CANADA GEESE.
In southern New Jersey, a late TENNESSEE WARBLER
was found in a backyard in Egg Harbor Township on
November 19th. Features in the photographs showed
the bird to be a TENNESSEE and not an
ORANGE-CROWNED. There was a southern NJ Christmas
Count record of a TENNESSEE WARBLER once, back in 1969.
There were 2 sightings of BALTIMORE ORIOLES in
the Cape May NJ area yesterday, November 25th.
Both were first-winter males. One, with white
wing-bars, was by the CMBO office. The other,
with a yellowish wing-bar, was at the hawk watch.
2 TREE SWALLOWS were seen at Cape May Point yesterday. No CAVE.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE has been in
Cumberland County NJ, sometimes by Route 47, near
the prison. Don't stop there.
At the Brigantine (Forsythe) National Wildlife
Refuge, northwest of Atlantic City, yesterday,
November 25th, about 20 SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were found.
Along the Jersey Shore, at Barnegat Light (at the
north end of Long Beach Island), yesterday
November 25th, about 100 COMMON EIDERS were
counted. They were said to be in rather tight
flock. And it was noted that in the large
grouping there was an assortment of plumages,
with quite a few adult males along with adult
females and first-year birds both male & female.
Other ducks included HARLEQUINS, all 3 SCOTERS,
and LONG-TAILED DUCKS. No KING EIDER was found
among the large number of COMMONS.
In conclusion, let's go to Maryland, where it's
now a very good time to see a large number of
BALD EAGLES at the Conowingo Dam, where Route 1
crosses the Susquehanna River. On November 23rd,
"there must have been over a hundred of them".
Some were photographed, and are now in the
Birdline Photo Gallery, in the website referred to earlier.
The birds that were photographed were not just
sitting around (as sometimes BALD EAGLES tend to
do). No, the birds, in various plumages, were
actively flying about, in groups, and interacting
with each other, as the photos show.
That's it for now. More next time. Good birding, wherever you may be.
- end transcript
* Delaware
* Statewide
* November 26, 2006
* DEST0611.26
* Birds mentioned (for Delaware):
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Egret
Green Heron
American Bittern
TRUMPETER SWAN
Tundra Swan
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
ROSS' GOOSE
Northern Pintail (many)
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck (about a thousand)
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-shouldered Hawk
Bald Eagle
American Avocet
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Eastern Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Short-eared Owl
SELASPHORUS, probably RUFOUS, HUMMINGBIRD
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Belted Kingfisher
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Brown Thrasher
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Purple Finch
* Birds mentioned (in Philadelphia Birdline additions):
Red-throated Loon
Greater White-fronted Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Brant
Long-tailed Duck
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
the 3 scoters
Spotted Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Tree Swallow
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
LECONTE'S SPARROW
LARK SPARROW
Fox Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Eastern Meadowlark
Birdline Delaware
Date: November 26, 2006
Number: 302/658-2747
To Report: Armas Hill, 302/529-1876 (VOICE)
302/529-1085 (FAX)
Compiler: Armas Hill
Coverage: Delaware, and southern New Jersey
Transcriber: Risė Hill
For Sunday, November 26th, this is Birdline
Delaware - from the Delaware Museum of Natural
History, and supported by a number of regional
birders. I'm Armas Hill, glad to be with you.
Also, included here are some items that have come
to our attention since the Philadelphia Birdline was made yesterday.
First, the Delaware news:
A SELASPHORUS, probably a RUFOUS, HUMMINGBIRD has
been present for about a week north of
Wilmington. It's been visiting both a feeder and
flowers (pineapple sage & others). The bird was
first seen on Sunday, November 19th. It has
continued as of yesterday, November 25th, coming
to a property near Shipley Road.
There's been a report of a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER,
this past week, north of Wilmington, seen on
Thursday, November 23rd, at the Porky Oliver Golf
Course. The bird was said to be trees by the 18th
hole. That golf course is off Route 100, or DuPont Road, west of Route 52.
A bird thought to be a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE was seen early in the morning, yesterday,
November 25th, further north along Route 100,
with CANADA GEESE at the upper pond near the
intersection of Routes 92 & 100. Later in the
morning, when that goose was looked for again, no
geese were there. A pair of WOOD DUCKS were.
At the nearby Brandywine Creek State Park
yesterday morning, 2 PURPLE FINCHES continued
coming to the feeders. Other birds noted at the
park that morning were: BROWN THRASHER, HERMIT
THRUSH, FOX SPARROW, and BLUEBIRDS. Both EASTERN
SCREECH and GREAT HORNED OWLS were heard calling early in the morning.
At the Hoope's Reservoir, northwest of
Wilmington, recently, there have been: COMMON
LOON, 6 PIED-BILLED GREBES, 5 RUDDY DUCKS, and 3
HOODED MERGANSERS. The most numerous duck has
been the RING-NECKED. On Thursday, November 23rd,
there were an estimated 250 of them. Yesterday,
the word we got was there were about 1,000
RING-NECKED DUCKS at the Hoopes Reservoir.
Earlier this past week, at Hoopes, on Tuesday,
November 21st, in addition to the WATERBIRDS just
mentioned (add BUFFLEHEAD), there was also a rather late GREEN HERON.
In flight, at the reservoir, that day, there were
PILEATED WOODPECKER and RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. In
trees by the reservoir, birds included
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER.
4 BELTED KINGFISHERS were there, and 2 BALD EAGLES have been in the area.
In central Delaware, at the Bombay Hook National
Wildlife Refuge, yesterday, November 25th, a
TRUMPETER SWAN was seen at Shearness Pool. It had
no neck band. About 60 TUNDRA SWANS are also there.
This past week, PINTAILS have been especially
numerous at Bombay Hook. Other ducks have
included some SHOVELERS and BUFFLEHEADS. About 40
AVOCETS were seen at Bombay Hook this past week.
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS have continued at the
feeders by the headquarters. BALD EAGLES have
been about. AMERICAN BITTERN has occasionally
been seen at Shearness. And a few GREAT EGRETS are still around.
A single SHORT-EARED OWL was seen recently from
Port Mahon Road at the end of the day.
Incidentally, that road, by the bay, is now in
very bad condition due to recent storms. Don't
let it be the end of your day by getting stuck in the sand.
The weather was rough along the Delaware seacoast
on Wednesday, November 22nd. At the Indian River
Inlet that day, both jetties were completely
underwater. Also, the tower by the south jetty is gone.
Along the Delaware coast, Silver Lake in Rehoboth
Beach has traditionally been a place for
CANVASBACKS. Yesterday, there were none. There
were just a few RUDDY DUCKS, and BUFFLEHEAD and LESSER SCAUP.
Also in southern Delaware, at a place near Lewes
called Wolfe Neck, there have been some nice
birds. On November 22nd, 3 BLACK-HEADED GULLS
were seen there - 2 of them adults and one a
first-winter bird. And a ROSS' GOOSE was found
there among a couple thousand SNOW GEESE.
From where Routes 1 & 24 meet, go east on Wolfe
Neck Road. Sometimes, we're told, the Wolfe Neck
location is not open. There's a gate. From what
we understand, it's closed on Sundays.
Here, now, are the reports, referred to earlier,
that have come after the making of yesterday's Philadelphia Birdline:
The LARK SPARROW, that's been in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, at the Maple Knoll Farm, has continued as of November 25th.
A LECONTE'S SPARROW, seen yesterday, the day
before, and still today (November 26th),
elsewhere in Bucks County, at Pine Run,
represents a first-record for the county. A
photograph of that sparrow is now in the Birdline
Photo Gallery, in the webs-site: www.focusonnature.com
On the left side of the homepage, scroll down to
the "Birdline Photo Gallery, 2006, Part 2".
A late GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was also seen at Pine
Run on November 24th. Also there: a COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, WILSON'S SNIPE, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, and 2 or 3 CACKLING GEESE.
At nearby Peace Valley, there were over a hundred
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS yesterday, November
25th. A RED-THROATED LOON was there the previous
day. A BRANT continues. Also at Peace Valley, FOX SPARROW.
A late SPOTTED SANDPIPER was found yesterday,
November 25th, at Chambers Lake in Chester County
PA. The bird was seen bobbing on a partially
submerged tree trunk by the shoreline.
At the Coatesville Reservoir in Chester County,
yesterday, there was one, maybe two, CACKLING
GEESE among the thousand or so CANADA GEESE.
In southern New Jersey, a late TENNESSEE WARBLER
was found in a backyard in Egg Harbor Township on
November 19th. Features in the photographs showed
the bird to be a TENNESSEE and not an
ORANGE-CROWNED. There was a southern NJ Christmas
Count record of a TENNESSEE WARBLER once, back in 1969.
There were 2 sightings of BALTIMORE ORIOLES in
the Cape May NJ area yesterday, November 25th.
Both were first-winter males. One, with white
wing-bars, was by the CMBO office. The other,
with a yellowish wing-bar, was at the hawk watch.
2 TREE SWALLOWS were seen at Cape May Point yesterday. No CAVE.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE has been in
Cumberland County NJ, sometimes by Route 47, near
the prison. Don't stop there.
At the Brigantine (Forsythe) National Wildlife
Refuge, northwest of Atlantic City, yesterday,
November 25th, about 20 SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were found.
Along the Jersey Shore, at Barnegat Light (at the
north end of Long Beach Island), yesterday
November 25th, about 100 COMMON EIDERS were
counted. They were said to be in rather tight
flock. And it was noted that in the large
grouping there was an assortment of plumages,
with quite a few adult males along with adult
females and first-year birds both male & female.
Other ducks included HARLEQUINS, all 3 SCOTERS,
and LONG-TAILED DUCKS. No KING EIDER was found
among the large number of COMMONS.
In conclusion, let's go to Maryland, where it's
now a very good time to see a large number of
BALD EAGLES at the Conowingo Dam, where Route 1
crosses the Susquehanna River. On November 23rd,
"there must have been over a hundred of them".
Some were photographed, and are now in the
Birdline Photo Gallery, in the website referred to earlier.
The birds that were photographed were not just
sitting around (as sometimes BALD EAGLES tend to
do). No, the birds, in various plumages, were
actively flying about, in groups, and interacting
with each other, as the photos show.
That's it for now. More next time. Good birding, wherever you may be.
- end transcript