RBA * Delaware * Statewide * July 1, 2006 * DEST0606.01
* Birds mentioned:
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (from shore) ANHINGA (extralimital, ny) Little Blue Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK (pa) CINNAMON TEAL (pa) Ruddy Duck Common Merganser (pa) Common Moorhen Black-necked Stilt Black-bellied Plover (belated report) Red Knot (belated report) Dunlin (belated report) Semipalmated Sandpiper (belated report) White-rumped Sandpiper (belated report) Short-billed Dowitcher (belated report) Wilson's Phalarope Roseate Tern (nj) Common Tern Forster's Tern Royal Tern Black Tern Black Skimmer Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Ruby-throated Hummingbird Acadian Flycatcher (pa) Willow Flycatcher Warbling Vireo (pa) Purple Martin Cliff Swallow Wood Thrush (pa) Veery (pa) Eastern Bluebird (pa) Cedar Waxwing (pa) Louisiana Waterthrush (pa) Yellow-breasted Chat Blue Grosbeak Grasshopper Sparrow Seaside Sparrow Swamp Sparrow
Birdline Delaware Date: July 1, 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: Risë Hill
For Saturday, July 1st, this is Birdline Delaware - from the Delaware Museum of Natural History, and supported by a number of regional birders. I'm Armas Hill, glad again to be with you.
Among birds observed at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in central Delaware on Monday, June 26th, there was a BLACK TERN in breeding plumage, always nice to see in these parts. Also, there were about 35 BLACK-NECKED STILTS.
Among birds reported at Bombay Hook the previous week, June 18 to 24, there were these: WILSON'S PHALAROPE, BLACK SKIMMER, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, and BLUE GROSBEAK. Near the refuge headquarters, there's been a nice number of PURPLE MARTINS at the colony, and a very nice number of RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS coming to the feeders. One day, recently, about 2 dozen HUMMINGBIRDS were tallied there. Where such a number of HUMMINGBIRDS gather, it's worthwhile to look at them carefully, and not just assume that they're all RUBY-THROATED. Last week, for instance, in upstate New York, a BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD was observed.
Just over a week ago, there was a nice number of another good bird to see at Bombay Hook, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS in the area of Bear Swamp.
North of Bombay Hook this week on June 28th, at Taylor's Gut, along Route 9, near Woodland Beach, a female RUDDY DUCK was seen. A couple weeks earlier maybe that same bird was seen in that area.
Just over a week ago, at Woodland Beach itself, along the Delaware Bay, a single ROYAL TERN was observed on at least a couple occasions.
This week, on June 28th, these birds were noted in the Woodland Beach area, from the Delaware Bay to Route 9: YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, both YELLOW-BILLED and BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS, CLIFF SWALLOW, and SEASIDE and the "COASTAL PLAIN" SWAMP SPARROW.
Further south in Delaware, last weekend, on Saturday, June 24th, these birds were observed in the area of the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge: 2 WILSON'S PHALAROPES and 2 LITTLE BLUE HERONS along Broadkill Beach Road, 2 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS along Deep Branch Road, a dozen MOORHENS along Prime Hook Road, and several WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS seen over the Delaware Bay from Prime Hook Beach. At the end of the Dike Trail at the Prime Hook Refuge, a single BLACK TERN was seen.
Some of the last reports of SHOREBIRDS during their northward migration, that we're aware of, follow. We're not aware, of course, how far these birds would continue, if they would, on their way north. Over the weekend of June 17-18, at Mispillion Harbor: 3 RED KNOTS, 3 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 25 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 15 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and 2 DUNLIN. On the South Bowers side of Brockambridge Gut that weekend: about 40 RED KNOTS, almost 40 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 2 DUNLIN, and a single BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER in breeding. Now, as we're into July, SHOREBIRDS will be migrating again, on their way south.
In the Piedmont, just north of the DE-PA state line, in the White Clay Creek Valley in Pennsylvania, birds this week on June 26th, included: 3 YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS, 2 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES, 2 WARBLING VIREOS, a dozen CEDAR WAXWINGS, both ACADIAN and WILLOW FLYCATCHERS, many BLUEBIRDS, and both WOOD THRUSHES and VEERIES.
Back in northern Delaware, in the area of the Brandywine Creek Valley, at Harry's Pond, a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was a nice sight this morning, July 1st.
Now, here, some updates to reports given yesterday on the Philadelphia Birdline (for June 30th):
The male CINNAMON TEAL at Tinicum Refuge in Southwest Philadelphia was seen this morning, July 1st.
At Cape May Point NJ, early this morning, before the beach got covered with people, birds there included: the previously-reported single ROSEATE TERN, and COMMON and FORSTER'S TERNS resting on the beach, and ROYAL and BLACK TERNS flying by.
Regarding BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS that have been in Maryland and Pennsylvania:
The BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was seen after June 21st (on the Philadelphia Birdline yesterday that was noted as the last report). However, the bird was seen there on Sunday, June 25th. A birder from Pennsylvania went there that day and saw it.
In relation to the BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (noted on the Philadelphia Birdline as seen there on June 24th - and it was said that it was not known if the bird was seen since): Actually, it was seen the next day, Sunday, June 25th, when actually 2 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS were observed there at the Alcoa Marsh, off the Fruitville Pike, just north of Lancaster.
There was a report on yesterday's Philadelphia Birdline of a female COMMON MERGANSER seen on June 23rd in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, with 25 young in tow. Another birder, who was canoeing in upstate Pennsylvania last year, in June '05, notes that he encountered several female COMMON MERGANSERS with chicks in tow. The average number of ducklings seemed to be about a dozen, but he did see one female with 24, and another with an astounding 36 in tow! (It's interesting that the numbers all were in dozens!) The female MERGANSERS, he says, were always solitary.
Now, here, lastly, another extralimital report:
On Friday afternoon, June 30th, at about 4:20pm, an AHHINGA was said to be seen at New York City's Central Park, at the north end of the reservoir. The bird was seen in flight.
And that's it for now. More next time, including the resumption of our Birdline Feature, as it's also given each week on the radio.
Until next time, thank you for tuning in, and good birding, wherever you may be.
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