RBA
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* November 25, 2006
* PAPH0611.25
* Birds mentioned:
Common Loon
Red-throated Loon
Red-necked Grebe
EARED GREBE
Horned Grebe (a fallout of over 1300)
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Cormorant
Great Egret
GLOSSY IBIS (pa)
Tundra Swan
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
American Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Common Goldeneye
Long-tailed Duck (pa)
Common Eider
all 3 scoters
Common Merganser
Red-brested Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle (photographed in groups)
Golden Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Lesser Black-backed Gull
CAVE SWALLOW (pa)
Hermit Thrush
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
LECONTE'S SPARROW (pa)
Fox Sparrow (heard singing)
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (pa)
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: November 25, 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, November 25th, 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.
Let's start with a LECONTE'S SPARROW, that was
found in Bucks County PA yesterday, November
24th, in the central part of the county at a place called Pine Run.
From Route 313, go west on Ferry Road. Go left
on Limekiln Pike, and then right onto Sandy Ridge
Road. When Sandy Ridge goes left, continue
straight onto Iron Hill Road. A white gate for
Pine Run is on the left. Parking (not much of it) is along the road.
The LECONTE'S SPARROW was seen yesterday, until
the end of the day, and it was re-found this morning at about 10:30.
Also in Bucks County, on Sunday, November 19th,
there was a sighting of a CAVE SWALLOW, maybe 2,
on private property. One was photographed, and
the photo is in the Birdline Photo Gallery 2006
Part 2, reached from the homepage of the website: www.focusonnature.com
There have also been CAVE SWALLOW sightings,
during the past week or so, in New Jersey at Cape
May, and in Massachusetts.
In southern Bucks County, a RED-THROATED LOON was
seen on November 24th at Core Creek Park. More
reports of RED-THROATED LOONS elsewhere in our region follow.
At Levittown Lake, in southern Bucks County, on
November 24th, there was a HORNED GREBE, with RUDDY DUCKS.
Info follows regarding a fallout of HORNED GREBES
(over 1,300 of them) in south-central
Pennsylvania on November 23rd, and pertaining to
a nice number of RUDDY DUCKS (230) in Philadelphia.
Referring to GREBES, a report follows of 2 EARED
GREBES that continued as of yesterday in southern
New Jersey near Atlantic City.
At Tinicum Refuge, in Southwest Philadelphia, 2
GLOSSY IBIS continued, as of Friday, November
24th. They've been there since November 19th.
As many as 230 RUDDY DUCKS were counted at
Tinicum on November 24th. Also seen there that
day were: 3 HOODED MERGANSERS, COMMON GOLDENEYE,
20 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and 1 GREAT EGRET and a
BALD EAGLE. A FOX SPARROW was heard singing.
In South Philadelphia, 2 REDHEADS were among
ducks observed on November 24th at the FDR Park.
Others included: 3 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 15
SHOVELERS, and 16 GADWALL, and 7 RUDDY DUCKS,
along with 5 PIED-BILLED GREBES and a dozen COOTS.
In south-central Pennsylvania, along the
Susquehanna River, there was a significant
fallout of HORNED GREBES on Thanksgiving Day,
November 23rd. That morning, over 1,300 HORNED
GREBES were seen on the river at Harrisburg. Also
seen there were all 3 SCOTERS, 2 LONG-TAILED
DUCKS, a RED-NECKED GREBE, 2 RED-THROATED LOONS, and 15 COMMON LOONS.
Before the observer left, about half of the
HORNED GREBES did. They were seen taking off,
gaining altitude, and flying south. By the end of
the afternoon, about 500 or so remained.
There have been fallouts of HORNED GREBES in
Pennsylvania in the past. The biggest have been
in April. A reported 1700 came down on the
Susquehanna during an ice storm on April 9, 1979,
at Lock Haven. On another occasion, 1600 were at
the Bald Eagle State Park, upstate, on April 5, 1973.
Further south along the Susquehanna, on Thursday,
November 23rd, over a hundred HORNED GREBES and a
half-dozen RED-THROATED LOONS were seen near Long
Level Road (on the York County side of the river).
Elsewhere in York County, 5 RED-THROATED LOONS
were observed on Friday, November 24th, at the Gifford Pinchot State Park.
East of the Susquehanna, in Berks County PA, at
Lake Ontelaunee, there were 3 RED-THROATED LOONS
on November 23rd. Also: 2 COMMON LOONS, a
RED-NECKED GREBE, a juvenile GREAT CORMORANT,
about a dozen RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, twice that
many COMMON MERGANSERS, and 1 COMMON GOLDENEYE.
South of there, at the Octararo Reservoir, along
the Lancaster-Chester County border, 2
RED-THROATED LOONS were found in the morning on
November 24th. They were seen from the boat
launch parking lot. To get there, take Spruce Grove Road, off Route 472.
Nearby, in Chester County, that same day, an
adult male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was found in a
mixed flock of about a thousand blackbirds, on
the east side of Octararo, by Worthsbridge Road,
not far from Jackson School Road. That blackbird
flock, of course, moves about.
Also in Chester County, on November 24th, at the
Marsh Creek State Park, a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was
seen. Also, among other birds there: nearly 90
RUDDY DUCKS, 10 PIED-BILLED GREBES, and 2 HORNED GREBES.
2 CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS were, on November 20th,
in Williams Township, Northampton County.
At the Green Lane Reservoir, in northern
Montgomery County, there was a GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE on November 22nd, in the Church Road area.
Overhead, above Glenside, in Montgomery County
PA, north of Philadelphia, about 200 SNOW GEESE
were flying southeast on November 24th.
At Lake Nockamixon, in northern Bucks County PA,
134 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were tallied on November 18th.
In New Jersey, yesterday, November 24th, 2
winter-plumaged EARED GREBES were still seen off
of Cordova Avenue, in Lakes Bay, Atlantic County.
They were with about a dozen HORNED GREBES.
From the intersection of Routes 9 & 40/322, go
east about a mile on 40,322 to Cordova Ave. Turn
right. Sometimes the GREBES have been seen from nearby Genoa Avenue.
Birds seen at the Brigantine (or Forsythe)
National Wildlife Refuge, northwest of Atlantic
City, on November 24th, included as many as 250
TUNDRA SWANS, and a dozen CANVASBACKS among other ducks.
During rough weather at Cape May on November
22nd, 6 COMMON EIDERS were in the white surf off
2nd Avenue, an adult male, a young male, and 4
hens. Rafts of SCOTERS were offshore, and a PEREGRINE came in from the sea.
Onshore, HERMIT THRUSHES were on the deserted wet
streets in Cape May Point by Lily Lake.
North of Cape May, along the Delaware Bay, a
first-winter male COMMON EIDER was at the end of
the Reed's Beach jetty in the afternoon on November 23rd.
On Monday, November 20th, at Cape May, a GOLDEN
EAGLE was seen near the beanery, and 3 or 4 CAVE
SWALLOWS were over the Cape May Point State Park.
A large number of RED-THROATED LOONS were seen
offshore, from Avalon, on November 20th, flying south.
In Maryland, 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.
Yesterday, November 24th, "there must have been
over a hundred of them". Some were photographed,
and are now in the Birdline Photo Gallery: www.focusonnature.com
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.
And that's it for now. More next time. Wishing
everyone a fine holiday weekend, with good birding, wherever you may be.
- end transcript
* Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* November 25, 2006
* PAPH0611.25
* Birds mentioned:
Common Loon
Red-throated Loon
Red-necked Grebe
EARED GREBE
Horned Grebe (a fallout of over 1300)
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Cormorant
Great Egret
GLOSSY IBIS (pa)
Tundra Swan
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
American Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Common Goldeneye
Long-tailed Duck (pa)
Common Eider
all 3 scoters
Common Merganser
Red-brested Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle (photographed in groups)
Golden Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Lesser Black-backed Gull
CAVE SWALLOW (pa)
Hermit Thrush
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
LECONTE'S SPARROW (pa)
Fox Sparrow (heard singing)
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (pa)
Philadelphia Birdline
Date: November 25, 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, November 25th, 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.
Let's start with a LECONTE'S SPARROW, that was
found in Bucks County PA yesterday, November
24th, in the central part of the county at a place called Pine Run.
From Route 313, go west on Ferry Road. Go left
on Limekiln Pike, and then right onto Sandy Ridge
Road. When Sandy Ridge goes left, continue
straight onto Iron Hill Road. A white gate for
Pine Run is on the left. Parking (not much of it) is along the road.
The LECONTE'S SPARROW was seen yesterday, until
the end of the day, and it was re-found this morning at about 10:30.
Also in Bucks County, on Sunday, November 19th,
there was a sighting of a CAVE SWALLOW, maybe 2,
on private property. One was photographed, and
the photo is in the Birdline Photo Gallery 2006
Part 2, reached from the homepage of the website: www.focusonnature.com
There have also been CAVE SWALLOW sightings,
during the past week or so, in New Jersey at Cape
May, and in Massachusetts.
In southern Bucks County, a RED-THROATED LOON was
seen on November 24th at Core Creek Park. More
reports of RED-THROATED LOONS elsewhere in our region follow.
At Levittown Lake, in southern Bucks County, on
November 24th, there was a HORNED GREBE, with RUDDY DUCKS.
Info follows regarding a fallout of HORNED GREBES
(over 1,300 of them) in south-central
Pennsylvania on November 23rd, and pertaining to
a nice number of RUDDY DUCKS (230) in Philadelphia.
Referring to GREBES, a report follows of 2 EARED
GREBES that continued as of yesterday in southern
New Jersey near Atlantic City.
At Tinicum Refuge, in Southwest Philadelphia, 2
GLOSSY IBIS continued, as of Friday, November
24th. They've been there since November 19th.
As many as 230 RUDDY DUCKS were counted at
Tinicum on November 24th. Also seen there that
day were: 3 HOODED MERGANSERS, COMMON GOLDENEYE,
20 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and 1 GREAT EGRET and a
BALD EAGLE. A FOX SPARROW was heard singing.
In South Philadelphia, 2 REDHEADS were among
ducks observed on November 24th at the FDR Park.
Others included: 3 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 15
SHOVELERS, and 16 GADWALL, and 7 RUDDY DUCKS,
along with 5 PIED-BILLED GREBES and a dozen COOTS.
In south-central Pennsylvania, along the
Susquehanna River, there was a significant
fallout of HORNED GREBES on Thanksgiving Day,
November 23rd. That morning, over 1,300 HORNED
GREBES were seen on the river at Harrisburg. Also
seen there were all 3 SCOTERS, 2 LONG-TAILED
DUCKS, a RED-NECKED GREBE, 2 RED-THROATED LOONS, and 15 COMMON LOONS.
Before the observer left, about half of the
HORNED GREBES did. They were seen taking off,
gaining altitude, and flying south. By the end of
the afternoon, about 500 or so remained.
There have been fallouts of HORNED GREBES in
Pennsylvania in the past. The biggest have been
in April. A reported 1700 came down on the
Susquehanna during an ice storm on April 9, 1979,
at Lock Haven. On another occasion, 1600 were at
the Bald Eagle State Park, upstate, on April 5, 1973.
Further south along the Susquehanna, on Thursday,
November 23rd, over a hundred HORNED GREBES and a
half-dozen RED-THROATED LOONS were seen near Long
Level Road (on the York County side of the river).
Elsewhere in York County, 5 RED-THROATED LOONS
were observed on Friday, November 24th, at the Gifford Pinchot State Park.
East of the Susquehanna, in Berks County PA, at
Lake Ontelaunee, there were 3 RED-THROATED LOONS
on November 23rd. Also: 2 COMMON LOONS, a
RED-NECKED GREBE, a juvenile GREAT CORMORANT,
about a dozen RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, twice that
many COMMON MERGANSERS, and 1 COMMON GOLDENEYE.
South of there, at the Octararo Reservoir, along
the Lancaster-Chester County border, 2
RED-THROATED LOONS were found in the morning on
November 24th. They were seen from the boat
launch parking lot. To get there, take Spruce Grove Road, off Route 472.
Nearby, in Chester County, that same day, an
adult male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was found in a
mixed flock of about a thousand blackbirds, on
the east side of Octararo, by Worthsbridge Road,
not far from Jackson School Road. That blackbird
flock, of course, moves about.
Also in Chester County, on November 24th, at the
Marsh Creek State Park, a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was
seen. Also, among other birds there: nearly 90
RUDDY DUCKS, 10 PIED-BILLED GREBES, and 2 HORNED GREBES.
2 CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS were, on November 20th,
in Williams Township, Northampton County.
At the Green Lane Reservoir, in northern
Montgomery County, there was a GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE on November 22nd, in the Church Road area.
Overhead, above Glenside, in Montgomery County
PA, north of Philadelphia, about 200 SNOW GEESE
were flying southeast on November 24th.
At Lake Nockamixon, in northern Bucks County PA,
134 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were tallied on November 18th.
In New Jersey, yesterday, November 24th, 2
winter-plumaged EARED GREBES were still seen off
of Cordova Avenue, in Lakes Bay, Atlantic County.
They were with about a dozen HORNED GREBES.
From the intersection of Routes 9 & 40/322, go
east about a mile on 40,322 to Cordova Ave. Turn
right. Sometimes the GREBES have been seen from nearby Genoa Avenue.
Birds seen at the Brigantine (or Forsythe)
National Wildlife Refuge, northwest of Atlantic
City, on November 24th, included as many as 250
TUNDRA SWANS, and a dozen CANVASBACKS among other ducks.
During rough weather at Cape May on November
22nd, 6 COMMON EIDERS were in the white surf off
2nd Avenue, an adult male, a young male, and 4
hens. Rafts of SCOTERS were offshore, and a PEREGRINE came in from the sea.
Onshore, HERMIT THRUSHES were on the deserted wet
streets in Cape May Point by Lily Lake.
North of Cape May, along the Delaware Bay, a
first-winter male COMMON EIDER was at the end of
the Reed's Beach jetty in the afternoon on November 23rd.
On Monday, November 20th, at Cape May, a GOLDEN
EAGLE was seen near the beanery, and 3 or 4 CAVE
SWALLOWS were over the Cape May Point State Park.
A large number of RED-THROATED LOONS were seen
offshore, from Avalon, on November 20th, flying south.
In Maryland, 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.
Yesterday, November 24th, "there must have been
over a hundred of them". Some were photographed,
and are now in the Birdline Photo Gallery: www.focusonnature.com
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.
And that's it for now. More next time. Wishing
everyone a fine holiday weekend, with good birding, wherever you may be.
- end transcript