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7 Feb robins robins robins ["sally o'byrne" ] 7 Feb Chester Co., Bucktoe Creek Preserve [Joe Sebastiani ] 6 Feb Lewes, DE Pelagic Rescheduled to Saturday, February 27 [Paul Guris ] 6 Feb Fox Sparrow [Rodney Murray ] 6 Feb Chester Co., Bucktoe Creek Preserve Walks [Joe Sebastiani ] 6 Feb RBA: Birdline Delaware, February 5th, 2010 [Andy Ednie ] 5 Feb DOS Owl Trip canceled [Jim White ] 5 Feb art looping in the snow ? ["sally o'byrne" ] 5 Feb art looping in the snow ? [sally o'byrne ] 5 Feb Wilmington Peregrine Falcon Webcam [Bill Stewart ] 3 Feb Delaware Valley RBA, 3 FEB 2010 [Stephen E Kacir ] 3 Feb Ashland bird walk 8am thurs [joe sebastiani ] 2 Feb Friday - Kim Steininger on the Art Loop ["sally o'byrne" ] 2 Feb Friday - Kim Steininger on the Art Loop [sally o'byrne ] 1 Feb Gull ID question (Laughing or Franklin's?) [Andrew Albright ] 1 Feb Slightly Extralimital Chat [Bob Strahorn ] 1 Feb Robert Kirk to speak at Thursday's DVOC meeting ["F.Arthur McMorris" ] 1 Feb Color in snow [Charles Fullmer ] 1 Feb BALD EAGLE in the Back Yard... [Dennis Brezina ] 31 Jan Snow birds [Maurice Barnhill ] 30 Jan Brandywine Creek State Park 1/29/10 [Andy Ednie ] 30 Jan Chester Co., Bucktoe Creek Preserve [Joe Sebastiani ] 29 Jan Cackling [Charles Fullmer ] 29 Jan RBA: Birdline Delaware, Janaury 29th, 2010 [Andy Ednie ] 29 Jan Brandywine Creek Walk [Andy Ednie ] 28 Jan Reducing aircraft-wildlife strikes at airports [Matt Kennedy ] 28 Jan Re: Bald Eagle Survey [Gene ] 28 Jan Fwd: [bcaorgs] Conference Call Today at 2 pm EST to Discuss Trap, Neuter, and Release Programs [Bill Stewart ] 28 Jan Ommission [Sharon Lynn ] 27 Jan Bald Eagle Survey [Bob Rufe ] 27 Jan Red-shouldered display [Charles Fullmer ] 27 Jan Delaware Valley RBA, 27 JAN 2010 [Stephen E Kacir ] 27 Jan Cartanza Rd & Bombay Hook [Steven Graff ] 27 Jan North Indian River Inlet [Sharon Lynn ] 27 Jan Late post - Woodcock display (Redden) [Jason Beale ] 26 Jan Wilmington DE waterfront Peterson trail [robert hickman ] 26 Jan DuPont facility on Wilmington DE waterfront [robert hickman ] 25 Jan Rusty Blackbird Blitz 2010 [Matthew Sarver ] 25 Jan Oak Grove Area 1/24 ["Lovelace Glen (DelDOT)" ] 24 Jan Bird distribution questions and plug for Ebird Quiz [Andrew Albright ] 24 Jan Indian River Inlet, Saturday 1/23 [Jacob Hall ] 24 Jan DOS Gull Trip ["Michael C. Moore" ] 23 Jan No Subject [Rodney Murray ] 23 Jan Chester Co., Bucktoe Creek Preserve [Joe Sebastiani ] 23 Jan Rusty Blackbird Blitz 2010 [John & Sandy Janowski ] 22 Jan Good Place To See Northern Pintails? [Sarah Lebo ] 22 Jan RBA: Birdline Delaware, January 22nd, 2010 [Andy Ednie ] 22 Jan Re: Tagged ring-billed gull at Silver Lake [Jean Woods ] 21 Jan Silver Lake Mergansers ["Bennett Chris (DNREC)" ] 21 Jan Photo Study Of Horned Larks And Their Allies ["Howard B. Eskin" ] 20 Jan Delaware Valley RBA, 20 JAN 2010 [Stephen E Kacir ] 20 Jan Silver Lake tagged gull update [John Dunn ] 20 Jan reminder - DOS meeting at DEEC [sally o'byrne ] 20 Jan reminder - DOS meeting at DEEC ["sally o'byrne" ] 20 Jan Killen's Pond State Park [Steven Graff ] 20 Jan Orange Crowned warbler on Franklin St ["sally o'byrne" ] 19 Jan Orange-crowned Warbler [Charles Fullmer ] 19 Jan The Point at Cape Henlopen [Susan Gruver ] 19 Jan Re: Short-Eared Owls, etc. - Bombay Hook + Port Mahon [George Cathcart ] 19 Jan Jane Henderson to speak at Thursday's DVOC meeting ["F.Arthur McMorris" ] 19 Jan Sussex County, January 17 [Michael Bowen ] 19 Jan Short-Eared Owls, etc. - Bombay Hook + Port Mahon [Jacob Hall ] 18 Jan Fw: Common Goldeneye [Rodney Murray ] 18 Jan Cackling Goose Silver Lake ["Kurt R. Schwarz" ] 18 Jan Re: Tagged ring-billed gull at Silver Lake [Bill Stewart ] 18 Jan Tagged ring-billed gull at Silver Lake [John Dunn ] 18 Jan Sharpie [Diane C Freebery ] 17 Jan Nelson's Gull, Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull and More [] 16 Jan Newark Reservoir [John Barczewski ] 16 Jan Chester Co. Bucktoe Creek Preserve [Joe Sebastiani ] 16 Jan Redhead at Silver Lake [Rodney Murray ] 15 Jan RBA: Birdline Delaware, January 15th, 2010 [Andy Ednie ] 15 Jan DOS Meeting (Wed 1/20): CBC Roundup and Chili Night [Matthew Sarver ] 15 Jan DOS Meeting (Wed 1/20): CBC Roundup and Chili Night [Matthew Sarver ] 15 Jan February 6 Winter Pelagic / Dovekie Hunt to DE & MD Waters [Paul Guris ] 14 Jan Work Bird [Andy Ednie ] Subject: robins robins robins From: "sally o'byrne" <salobyrne AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 21:04:07 -0500 The robins have been going crazy for the holly in my front yard. It is a very unpopular berry earlier in the winter (which is good for the Christmas greens), but towards the end of winter, the tree becomes highly desirable. During the height of the storm, we watched them going in and out of the holly eating berries, and then we noticed that many were resting out of the wind on a 3rd floor ledge, which was totally covered with brown/red snow from holly berry droppings. This morning I noticed (easily a hundred) robins all over our yard and the surrounding yards, but what particularly interested me was that 10-15 were hanging out on a neighbor's roof. Where the snow was melting on the black asphalt roof, the robins seems to be drinking the water. With all the snow, it's odd to think that birds like it melted. Sally O'Byrne Subject: Chester Co., Bucktoe Creek Preserve From: Joe Sebastiani <bunker17 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 14:22:35 -0500 The bird walk will take place tomorrow at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve near Kennett Square, PA. Larry Lewis will be leading and the walk will begin at 8am. Be prepared for deep snow. Directions can be found at http://www.delawarenaturesociety.org/dns_sites.html. Birds seen there this weekend include adult Red-shouldered Hawk, Fox Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Great Horned Owl. Joe Sebastiani Subject: Lewes, DE Pelagic Rescheduled to Saturday, February 27 From: Paul Guris <paulagics.com AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 19:26:59 -0500 Due to this weekend's massive storm, we have rescheduled our annual annual winter pelagic to Saturday, February 27 and will run it if we can get enough people. As usual, we'll be sailing from Lewes, DE aboard either the 85' Thelma Dale IV or the 110' Thelma Dale V. We plan on visiting both Delaware and Maryland waters. This trip has been very consistent for Dovekie, with our best trip finding over 4,000 of them. Poor years have still produced counts of over 100. We have also found Northern Fulmar, Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, and Razorbill on past trips. Chumming along the way often produces Northern Gannet, Glaucous, Iceland, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and Black-legged Kittiwake. The trip cost is $165, and the boat sails at 6:00 AM, returning at roughly 6:00 PM. To make a reservation, go to our web site or you can contact us by phone or e-mail. Hope to see you aboard. -PAG -- Paul A. Guris See Life Paulagics PO Box 161 Green Lane, PA 18054 215-234-6805 info AT paulagics.com Subject: Fox Sparrow From: Rodney Murray <rodmurray_1999 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 15:27:31 -0800 In between bouts of shoveling the snow, my wife and I would throw seed all over the cleared patches and watch the birds do battle for the spoils.  After 15 years of living in my current house, I finally had a yard lifer in a gorgeous Fox Sparrow.  Get this...today is my birthday and my wife's last name is Fox.  Serendipity?  Coincidence? A nifty present?...(I hear X Files music in the background.) Rodney Murray, Middletown Subject: Chester Co., Bucktoe Creek Preserve Walks From: Joe Sebastiani <bunker17 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 17:36:25 -0500 The bird walk at Bucktoe Creek Preserve is cancelled for tomorrow. Got about 20" of snow here today. We will let you know about Monday. Joe Sebastiani Subject: RBA: Birdline Delaware, February 5th, 2010 From: Andy Ednie <ednieap AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 11:24:56 -0500 RBA * Delaware * Statewide * February 5, 2010 * DEST1002.05 *Birds mentioned Snow Goose Tundra Swan Northern Pintail Northern Shoveler Gadwall American Wigeon Canvasback Greater Scaup Ring-necked Duck Long-tailed Duck Common Eider Black Scoter Surf Scoter Common Goldeneye Bufflehead Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Great Cormorant Black Vulture Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk American Kestrel American Coot Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Dunlin Purple Sandpiper Eastern Screech Owl Great Horned Owl Northern Flicker Hairy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Horned Lark Red-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren Brown Thrasher Gray Catbird American Robin Eastern Bluebird American Pipit Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Rusty Blackbird Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: February 5, 2010 Number: 302-658-2747 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap AT verizon.net) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap AT verizon.net) For Friday, February 5th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The 2010 Unofficial Delaware State Year List now stands at 154 species. The First State was socked in snow this week, with downstate getting the brunt of the storm. SNOW GEESE and SNOW BUNTINGS were seen in several locations in the state. A big flock of SNOW GEESE sat in the snow at Cartanza Road, north of Little Creek. Cartanza Road was closed due to 8 inches of snow. The refuge road through Bombay Hook was also closed due to high snow levels. SNOW BUNTINGS and at least 5 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were counted along Whitehall Neck Road and Raymond Neck Road, outside of Bombay Hook. Approximated 300 HORNED LARKS and 100 SAVANNAH SPARROWS were also reported. Only a single AMERICAN KESTREL was seen. AMERICAN PIPITS were seen along Big Woods Road and also Big Oak Road near Smyrna. A single adult WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was found along Savannah Road. A female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was on the Leipsic River at the Rt. 9 Bridge. In Sussex County, 22 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at Haven Road, on the north side of Indian River Inlet. Those birds were flying towards Burton's Island looking for open ground. 18 COMMON GOLDENEYE were in Haven Road Cove, also known as "Bottom Hills Drain.". A peak count of 14 GREAT CORMORANTS were counted at Indian River Inlet. 3 immature drake COMMON EIDERS continue to be seen at the inlet, plus LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF and BLACK SCOTER. 30 PURPLE SANDPIPERS were found on the jetty. CANVASBACK and RUDDY DUCKS continue to get pushed into smaller area of open water on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and NORTHERN SHOVELER were also reported. HOODED MERGANSER and AMERICAN COOTS were seen at Silver Lake earlier in the week. Catch 54 in Fenwick Island had a PIED-BILLED GREBE, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREATER SCAUP, and HOODED and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. KILLDEER and DUNLIN were also found there. A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH has been coming to a feeder in Bay Vista near Rehoboth. BROWN THRASHER and NORTHERN FLICKER were also reported. GREATER YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, and DUNLIN were found there by the head of Rehoboth Bay. The RUDDY DUCK raft at Bald Eagle Creek has grown to 150 birds. A count of 85 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found at the headquarters of Prime Hook NWR near Milton. That's a good addition to the Rusty Blackbird Blitz. FIELD SPARROW and WINTER WREN were also found, plus both SCREECH and GREAT HORNED OWL. FOX SPARROW and EASTERN TOWHEE WERE reported at a feeder near Georgetown. A GRAY CATBIRD was seen at Pine Valley Farms near Port Penn. TUNDRA SWANS were seen on the ice at Taylor's Gut. About 50,000 SNOW GEESE were seen on the Delaware River at Woodland Beach. BROWN THRASHER was seen at Brandywine Creek State Park. Also reported was PILEATED WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, and 3 drake COMMON MERGANSERS on the creek. 3 PIED-BILLED GREBES were on Hoopes' Reservoir, along with RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, and COMMON MERGANSER. BALD EAGLES are again nesting at Hoopes'. A flock of 6 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS with AMERICAN ROBINS were eating berries along the Rt. 82 causeway on Sunday 80 COMMON MERGANSERS were seen on the Christiana River at the Russ Peterson Environmental Education Center this week. A BALD EAGLE was seen flying up the Christiana from I-95. A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was also seen near Frawly Stadium. COMMON and a pair of HOODED MERGANSER were seen on the Red Clay Creek this week. BLACK VULTURE, HAIRY and PILEATED WOODPECKERS were seen at Ashland Nature Center. CHIPPING SPARROWS were coming to a feeder near Yorklyn. A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen near Centerville. Now from this week's special feature from WILM News Radio: The snowstorms in central Delaware have provided birders with a unique opportunity. Snow covered fields have pushed birds to road edges in search of food, gravel, and salt. HORNED LARK, AMERICAN PIPITS and SAVANNAH SPARROWS, normally found in grasslands can easily be seen along Delaware's rural roadways. But, among these common birds you can find the LAPLAND LONGSPUR, a rare visitor from the tundra. Found circumpolar, the LAPLAND LONGSPUR is actually one of the most common birds in the world. Originally described from birds found in Lapland, part of Scandinavia, the males have a black breast, throat and face and chestnut collar on the nape. The females are a more plain brown. All have extremely variable plumage, making it easy to recognize individual birds. Related to sparrows and Old World buntings, the Longspurs exact linage is not known. Molecular studies of DNA are inconclusive for either family. Longspurs get their name from a distinctive, double-length claw on the back toe, similar to the elongated claw of the dinosaur, Velociraptor. Could this be a clue to birds evolving from reptiles or just convergent evolution? The genius name of Longspurs, Calcarius, is from the Latin name of the heal bone, calcaneus. There are four species of Longspur in the world, all occurring in North America. The Smith's Longspur breeds in the high Arctic. The McKown's and chestnut-colored Longspur breed in the northern Prairies. These similar species makes fascinating study. Special thanks this week to Lynn Smith, Jim White, Joe Sebastiani, Maurice Barnhill, Derek Stoner, and Chuck Fullmer for their observations. The Birdline needs your reports or contribution to the Unofficial Delaware State Year List. Please call your observations to 302-792-9591 or email ednieap AT verizon.net. Until next week, good birding. -end transcript Andy Ednie Claymont, Delaware Subject: DOS Owl Trip canceled From: Jim White <hylajwhite AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 17:50:29 -0500 Unfortunately I am going to have to cancel the DOS Owl field trip slated for Sunday 7 February 2010?because of the predicted snow. I am not able to reschedule as I am committed every weekend in February. There is always next year. ? Jim White Subject: art looping in the snow ? From: "sally o'byrne" <salobyrne AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:20:21 -0500 Kim Steininger at the Wilmington Library TONIGHT Kim hung her photos this morning and much beer and wine has been delivered to the library for tonight. Unless there is a massive snow fall between now and 5:30 pm, the show will go on tonight from 5:30 to 8. If you are willing to brave the conditions and are looking for a evening of wonderful bird photographs and good company, come on down (or up, as the case may be). If you prove to be one of the sensible souls who does not come tonight, Kim's photos will be on display all month at the Wilmington Library, main floor. Sally O'Byrne p.s. I'm making cookies. Subject: art looping in the snow ? From: sally o'byrne <salobyrne AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:20:21 -0500 Kim Steininger at the Wilmington Library TONIGHT Kim hung her photos this morning and much beer and wine has been delivered to the library for tonight. Unless there is a massive snow fall between now and 5:30 pm, the show will go on tonight from 5:30 to 8. If you are willing to brave the conditions and are looking for a evening of wonderful bird photographs and good company, come on down (or up, as the case may be). If you prove to be one of the sensible souls who does not come tonight, Kim's photos will be on display all month at the Wilmington Library, main floor. Sally O'Byrne p.s. I'm making cookies. Subject: Wilmington Peregrine Falcon Webcam From: Bill Stewart <hcf2 AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 11:24:24 -0500 Good morning, The much anticipated Wilmington Peregrine Falcon Webcam live stream is currently available for your viewing at Wilmington Peregrine Falcon Webcam | Delmarva Ornithological Society The project was only made possible through a unique partnership with DOS, DuPont's Clear into the Future Initiative, the USFWS and DNREC. Eighteen months in the making, the project hopes to provide a window into this magnificent bird's life in Wilmington. The live stream will be visible 24/7 through July 31st. During this time, viewers should be able to witness courtship, egg laying, hatchlings and fledglings learning to fly and hunt. Another important goal of the project is to heighten awareness to the casual observer of the extremely delicate balance between the Delaware Estuary and the life it supports. In the upcoming weeks, the live stream will also be viewable at the DuPont's Clear into the Future and DNREC's websites. A sister site filled with Peregrine Falcon facts, blog and daily reports will launch soon. During the month of February, the falcons make very infrequent visits to the nestbox, if fact, this morning was the first full view of a falcon this week. I am suspecting they will use the box as a roast during the expected snowstorm, hence, the reason for this somewhat premature posting. To learn more about the project and watch video of last year's banding efforts, click here http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100203/NEWS03/2030321/1006/NEWS Hope everyone enjoys the show. Best, Bill Stewart DOS Conservation Chair Subject: Delaware Valley RBA, 3 FEB 2010 From: Stephen E Kacir <rba AT DVOC.ORG> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 11:36:45 -0800 - RBA * PA, NJ, DE * Delaware Valley: Southeast PA, Central/Southern NJ & DE * PADV1002.03 * February 3, 2010 - Birds Mentioned Western Grebe (NJ)+ Barnacle Goose (NJ)+ Barrow's Goldeneye (NJ)+ Prairie Falcon -Extralimital- (PA)+ Spotted Towhee (NJ)+ (NJ)+ (Details requested by NJBRC) (PA)+ (Details requested by PORC) (DE)+ (Details requested by DERC) Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Cackling Goose Tundra Swan Eurasian Wigeon Canvasback Redhead King Eider Common Eider Harlequin Duck White-winged Scoter Common Goldeneye Rough-legged Hawk Virginia Rail Sandhill Crane Purple Sandpiper Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Snowy Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe Northern Shrike Horned Lark Red-breasted Nuthatch House Wren American Pipit Yellow-breasted Chat Chipping Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Rusty Blackbird Pine Siskin - Transcript Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert Email reports to: rba AT dvoc.org Compiler: Steve Kacir, Delaware Valley Ornithological Club Phone: (215) 240-7547 Voice of the Delaware Valley RBA: Cindy Ahern & Win Shafer URL: http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm Welcome to the February 3, 2010 edition of the Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert, a service provided by the joint efforts of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC), covering the Delaware Valley Region of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I'm Steve Kacir your guide for birding in the Greater Philadelphia Region. This week, we highlight reports of WESTERN GREBE and BARROW'S GOLDENEYES in Monmouth County, NJ; BARNACLE GOOSE in Hunterdon County, NJ and SPOTTED TOWHEE in Burlington County, NJ. Remember to check out our website for additional content and information: http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR NEW JERSEY: Cape May County: A drake EURASIAN WIGEON was on the Lighthouse Pond at Cape May Point State Park through Jan 30. Six TUNDRA SWANS were on the Bunker Pond at the State Park through Feb 1, but they had moved to Davey's Lake on Feb 2. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was between the bunker pond and the dune on Feb 2. A VIRGINIA RAIL was in the open at the Bunker Pond that day. Drake EURASIAN WIGEONS and a drake REDHEAD were on Lily Lake through Feb 1. AMERICAN PIPITS were at the Cape May County Airport on Jan 31. A HOUSE WREN was at Sunset Blvd on Jan 31. The Rea Farm had a VIRGINIA RAIL and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS on Jan 31, and the VIRGINIA RAIL was still in the area through Feb 1. On Feb 2, an EASTERN PHOEBE was by a roadside pond near 4065 Bayshore Rd on Cape Island. The immature drake KING EIDER at Cape May Inlet was still being seen from Poverty Beach through Feb 1. While scoping from Poverty Beach, do not go past the Coast Guard's "No Trespassing" sign. On Jan 28, 2 drake HARLEQUIN DUCKS, 5 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 107 COMMON EIDERS and PURPLE SANDPIPERS were spotted from the 8th St jetty in Avalon. COMMON EIDERS and at least one HARLEQUIN DUCK were still being seen from the 8th St jetty through Jan 31. There were COMMON EIDERS off Sea Isle City at 32nd St and 72nd St on Jan 28. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was on the middle impoundment at Tuckahoe WMA on Jan 28. Cumberland County: On Jan 31, Husted Landing had AMERICAN PIPITS and 7 SANDHILL CRANES. Atlantic County: A light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen from the platform at Corbin City WMA on Jan 31. On Jan 30, a dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen from the Gull Pond tower at the Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR. A dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was over Hammonton on Jan 29. Ocean County: On Jan 31, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park had a hen KING EIDER, 150 COMMON EIDERS, 15 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, PURPLE SANDPIPERS, an ICELAND GULL and a Harbor Seal. That day, a REDHEAD was on Barnegat Bay off Waretown. Monmouth County: On Jan 28, a WESTERN GREBE was off Seven Presidents Park in Long Branch. A hen BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was at the south end of Horseshoe Cove at Sandy Hook, and two hen BARROW'S GOLDENEYES were at the Battery Kingman area of Horseshoe Cove on Feb 2. Two ICELAND GULLS were seen from the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory on Jan 30. That day, three WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and a HORNED GREBE were off Sandy Hook's C Lot. On Jan 30, a flock of 20 SNOW BUNTINGS was just north of C Lot, and the flock was half a mile north of the entrance to Sandy Hook on Feb 2. Good numbers of Harbor Seals were seen around Sandy Hook on Jan 30. Seven COMMON EIDERS were off Deal on Feb 2. Burlington County: The SPOTTED TOWHEE was seen at Palmyra Cove Nature Park as recently as Jan 29. Salem County: On Jan 31, fifty-two AMERICAN PIPITS were at Grissom Rd near Pointers-Auburn Rd, and 30 AMERICAN PIPITS were at the corner of Haines Neck Rd and Halltown Rd. On Feb 1, fifteen AMERICAN PIPITS were at Haines Neck Rd. That day, 2 COMMON GOLDENEYES were on the Delaware River off Fort Mott State Park. Middlesex County: On Jan 30, an ICELAND GULL and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were spotted at the Raritan River Edison Boat Launch. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was reported from the lower Rahway River. Hunterdon County: The Califon BARNACLE GOOSE was seen as recently as Jan 30. On Jan 29, the BARNACLE GOOSE was on the pond across from the Methodist Church. On Jan 30, the BARNACLE GOOSE was at Melick's Orchard on Route 513. A CACKLING GOOSE was at Spruce Rune Reservoir on Feb 1. -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR DELAWARE: Kent County: On Jan 31, four LAPLAND LONGSPURS were tallied at the roadsides of Raymond Neck Rd and Whitehall Neck Rd, the two roads that run between Bombay Hook NWR and Route 9. Other birds in the area included AMERICAN PIPITS and SNOW BUNTINGS. On Jan 29, a CACKLING GOOSE was with a flock of Canada Geese near the Allee House at Bombay Hook NWR. -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR PENNSYLVANIA: Chester County: On Jan 29-Feb 1, a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was in a thicket at the State Line Woods Nature Preserve in Kennett Twp. Montgomery County: A flock of 35 CHIPPING SPARROWS was at Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust on Jan 28. Bucks County: On Jan 28, Falls Township Community Park had 3 ICELAND GULLS along with LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. On Jan 30, Falls Township Community Park had 5 ICELAND GULLS, 3 GLAUCOUS GULLS and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. A feeder in New Hope attracted PINE SISKIN and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH on Jan 31. On Jan 30, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was at the Churchville Nature Center. Peace Valley Park had a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE through Jan 30. Other sightings from Peace Valley included CACKLING GOOSE on Jan 27, CANVASBACKS on Jan 30 and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. Northampton County: The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW and CHIPPING SPARROWS were at the Koch property through Feb 2. Lehigh County: The NORTHERN SHRIKE at the Moyer's Graber Farmstead was seen through Jan 28. Lancaster County: On Feb 3, a LAPLAND LONGSPUR was in a HORNED LARK flock on the east side of School Lane Rd in Gap (Zip Code 17527). A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was near Vogansville Jan 28-30. On Jan 30, the ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was perched in tall trees south of Linden Grove Rd near the junction of Wissler Rd and Voganville Rd. On Jan 28-29, the ROUGH- LEGGED HAWK was east of Wissler Rd and north of Linden Grove Rd. On Jan 28, Middle Creek WMA had 3 CACKLING GEESE, three thousand SNOW GEESE, 500 TUNDRA SWANS and a COMMON GOLDENEYE. However, the recent cold snap has frozen most of the open water, resulting in lower diversity and overall numbers of waterfowl at Middle Creek. Lebanon County: The SANDHILL CRANE at Lake Duffy in SGL 145 was reported as recently as Feb 1. Carbon County: On Jan 28, a RED-NECKED GREBE and COMMON GOLDENEYES were seen near the boat launch at Beltzville State Park. PA Extralimitals: The Crawford County SNOWY OWL at the Miller Farm (10734 Shadeland Rd, Springboro) was seen through Feb 2. The Millers are well known Amish birders and welcome birders to their farm to see the owl. In Cumberland County, the PRAIRIE FALCON continued to be seen from Mud Level Rd through Jan 30. -------------------------------------------------------------- ANNOUNCEMENTS: On Feb 7, Tony Croasdale will lead a DVOC field trip to Manahawkin WMA in NJ. The trip will focus on winter raptors, waterfowl and passerines. The trip will meet at noon at the Stafford Diner on Route 72 and Mermaid Drive, next to the Wawa. Please contact Tony if you plan on attending. Additional information about this trip including the 2009 trip report and contact information for the trip leader can be found on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org The next meeting of the DVOC is on Feb 4, 2010, featuring a program by Robert Kirk, entitled "Behind the Scenes of a Field Guide." The meeting takes place at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia at 7:30PM. The meeting after that will take place on Feb 18. More details are available on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org See Life Paulagics is running a pelagic trip out of Lewes, DE on Feb 6 and a trip out of Belmar, NJ on Feb 28. Target birds include such winter seabirds as Northern Fulmar, Razorbill, Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, Dovekie, Atlantic Puffin, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger, Great Skua and Black-legged Kittiwake. For more information, call 215-234-6805 or visit them on the web at http://www.paulagics.com The Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert is a weekly report on birding in the Delaware Valley Region including Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. To report birds or significant birding events and planned pelagic trips, please email rba AT dvoc.org. This is Steve Kacir, good birding to you all and thanks for calling, surfing and reporting. - End Transcript Steve Kacir rba AT dvoc.org DVOC Rare Bird Alert Committee Chair Academy of Natural Sciences Delaware Valley Ornithological Club Philadelphia Subject: Ashland bird walk 8am thurs From: joe sebastiani <joe AT DELAWARENATURESOCIETY.ORG> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 13:19:41 -0500 Delaware Nature Society staff are beginning the free Thursday Ashland Bird Walk tomorrow. Each Thursday through the end of May, we will walk the trails at Ashland to see what birds are around. Tomorrow I will be leading the walk starting at 8am in the parking lot at Ashland Nature Center, Hockessin. Joe Sebastiani Members Program Team Leader Delaware Nature Society P.O. Box 700 Hockessin, DE 19707 (302) 239-2334 ext. 115 fax (302) 239-2473 joe AT delawarenaturesociety.org website: www.delawarenaturesociety.org blog: www.delawarenaturesociety.org/blog Subject: Friday - Kim Steininger on the Art Loop From: "sally o'byrne" <salobyrne AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 14:47:42 -0500 KIM STEININGER - FRIDAY ART LOOP This Friday is the Wilmington Art Loop from 5:30 - 8 pm, and Kim Steininger's photographs will be featured at the Wilmington Library. Come meet her and see her work while enjoying an evening of DOS comaraderie. Her work has been featured in the Delaware Birding Trail, Bird-A-Thon brochures, and Kim will be using many of her photos in the new peregrine falcon website that will partner with the Peregrine web cam. February 25th will be the kick-off Gala for the Wilmington Peregrine Falcon Webcam Project, also at the Library, but come get a headstart this Friday and enjoy Kim's 'drop-dead' gorgeous photos. To get a preview of this collection, check out Kim's website http://www.birdsbykim.com . The Art Loop is free and open to the public. The Wilmington Library, which is located on Rodney Square, is one stop on the multi-location Art Loop that happens every first Friday of the month. Brochures detailing the full art loop will be available at the library, and several other venues are within walking distance of the library. Sally O'Byrne Delmarva Ornithological Society Subject: Friday - Kim Steininger on the Art Loop From: sally o'byrne <salobyrne AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 14:47:42 -0500 KIM STEININGER - FRIDAY ART LOOP This Friday is the Wilmington Art Loop from 5:30 - 8 pm, and Kim Steininger's photographs will be featured at the Wilmington Library. Come meet her and see her work while enjoying an evening of DOS comaraderie. Her work has been featured in the Delaware Birding Trail, Bird-A-Thon brochures, and Kim will be using many of her photos in the new peregrine falcon website that will partner with the Peregrine web cam. February 25th will be the kick-off Gala for the Wilmington Peregrine Falcon Webcam Project, also at the Library, but come get a headstart this Friday and enjoy Kim's 'drop-dead' gorgeous photos. To get a preview of this collection, check out Kim's website http://www.birdsbykim.com . The Art Loop is free and open to the public. The Wilmington Library, which is located on Rodney Square, is one stop on the multi-location Art Loop that happens every first Friday of the month. Brochures detailing the full art loop will be available at the library, and several other venues are within walking distance of the library. Sally O'Byrne Delmarva Ornithological Society Subject: Gull ID question (Laughing or Franklin's?) From: Andrew Albright <albrigh_1999 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 19:44:22 -0800 Pictures taken 8/30/09 at Cape Henlopen State Park: sandbar bay say at low tide. Five pictures of a gull that I have a question of with many juvenile, 2nd cycle, and adult Laughing Gull for comparison: http://img535.imageshack.us/i/pic5.jpg/ Eye - There is a lot of white around the eye and in one closeup the back is all white. There are one or two Laughing Gulls that have the same amount of white. Bill - definitely shorter and not-"drooped" like the typical Laughing Gull. Nape and Underparts - clearly all white. Head - I see some websites suggesting that Franklin's Gull retains more of the hood and at the end of August this is the only bird on the sandbar with that much black. Size - Definitely smaller than a lot of the Laughing Gulls on the sandbar but I think some of the Laughing Gulls seem to be the same size. Primaries appear to be all black - From my guide book, I'm not sure on this point. Seems to point to 2nd cycle of either but I'm not sure. What's your assessment? Non-breeding Laughing Gull or 2nd cycle or adult non-breeding Franklin's Gull? Sincerely, Andrew Albright Lafayette Hill, PA Subject: Slightly Extralimital Chat From: Bob Strahorn <bstrahor AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 18:24:51 -0500 This morning on the Bucktoe Preserve Bird Walk in Kennett Square, PA we heard about a Yellow-breasted Chat that had been seen yesterday at the State Line Woods Preserve. State Line Woods is at the end of Merrybell Lane off Old Kennett Road southeast of Kennett Square. Hank Davis and I went over there and found the bird in a hedgerow in the middle of the field furthest south of the preserve entrance (across a small stream, then up and down hill). It would come up and feed on berries for one or two minutes. Then it would drop out of sight for about ten minutes. This went on for the hour and a half that we were there. A Sharp-shinned Hawk showed up and perched near where the Chat was for a few minutes. I think we were just a little too close, and are members of the Chat Preservation Society. The bird was originally seen in that field yesterday by Joe Sebastiani. When I say "Slightly Extralimital", the bird was about 250 yards north of the Delaware state line. Bob Strahorn Newark, DE Subject: Robert Kirk to speak at Thursday's DVOC meeting From: "F.Arthur McMorris" <mcmorris AT MAC.COM> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 16:10:24 -0500 The next meeting of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) is this Thursday, February 4, 2010, at 7:30 PM at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Details at http://www.dvoc.org. Everyone is invited to attend. Visitors are always welcome. Featured speaker: Robert Kirk, “Behind the Scenes of a Field Guide” Robert Kirk will explain the many steps involved in the creation and publication of field guides and other books about birds and nature. Robert is the Executive Editor for Biological Sciences and Natural History for the Princeton University Press, a world leader in the publication of field guides. Ornithological Study: Frank Windfelder, "Identification of Scaup" Art McMorris Bala-Cynwyd, Montgomery County, PA Vice President, DVOC Subject: Color in snow From: Charles Fullmer <cmfullmer AT MCHSI.COM> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 13:22:58 -0500 1/31/10 After the blizzard I trudged around the yard and found a pair of Eastern Towhees (M/F), Pine Warbler, Fox Sparrow, Hairy woodpecker, Red-shouldered & Sharp-shinned. Then my feet froze and called it quits. Chuck Fullmer Georgetown http://www.flickr.com/photos/allseasonshooter Subject: BALD EAGLE in the Back Yard... From: Dennis Brezina <alumanon AT earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 10:56:19 -0500 Last week an adult Bald Eagle perched in one of our Sycamore trees... now on the Maryland Big Tree list -- about 80 years old, 110 feet tall... What a blessed sight... and a snippet from an incredible environmental success story... Dennis Brezina Chesapeake City, MD Subject: Snow birds From: Maurice Barnhill <mvb AT UDEL.EDU> Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:58:02 -0500 I spent the bulk of the day in the general area of Bombay Hook, cruising back roads looking for field birds driven by the snow to feed at the edges of the road. I had rather more pipits than I expected (just outside Smyrna), lots of Horned Larks, 4 Lapland Longspurs, and 4-5 Snow Buntings. The Longspurs were all along the two roads that go toward Bombay Hook from route 9, one each with two different Lark flocks and 2 with a third Lark flock. Lots of photographs, including a few hopefully decent ones. I'm pretty sure of good ones of Horned Lark and Pipit, and probably a decent one of one of the Longspurs. The Cartanza road area had a large flock of Snow Geese, which I guesstimate at 10,000 birds. They were too skittish to allow me a good chance for a scan for Ross's. Driving Cartanza road itself is recommended only for 4-wheel drive, and even then getting through the leavings of the plowing of the Quaker Rd. end is tricky. The refuge was closed. -- Maurice Barnhill mvb AT udel.edu Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Delaware Newark, DE 19716 Subject: Brandywine Creek State Park 1/29/10 From: Andy Ednie <ednieap AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:32:02 -0500 It was cold today but didn't seem that bad with a morning temperature of 19 degrees. No wind and approaching storm made for excellent birding. 5 observers total only 25 species. Best birds of the day were Pileated Woodpecker, 3 drake Common Mergansers on the creek, and a Brown Thrasher. A Ring-billed Gull was flying up the creek, must be looking for McDonald's. Two Northern Flickers were found at the Freshwater Marsh Preserve, along with Eastern Bluebird. Lots of Titmice singing their spring song. Andy Ednie Claymont, Delaware Subject: Chester Co., Bucktoe Creek Preserve From: Joe Sebastiani <bunker17 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:06:16 -0500 Attend the free bird walks this Sunday and Monday morning at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve near Kennett Square, Chester County, PA. Walks begin at 8am and last 2 to 3 hours. Holly Merker will lead the walk on Sunday, and Larry Lewis will lead on Monday. Walks will focus on the Rusty Blackbird Blitz, to locate any Rusty Blackbirds on the property in wooded wetlands. Directions to the property can be found at http://www.delawarenaturesociety.org/dns_sites.html. Joe Sebastiani, Delaware Nature Society Results from last week's walks are below: Location: Bucktoe Creek Preserve Observation date: 1/24/10 Notes: Sunday Bird Walk: Holly Merker Number of species: 35 Canada Goose 40 Common Merganser 3 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Merlin 1 Ring-billed Gull 12 Herring Gull 4 Mourning Dove 43 Great Horned Owl 1 Belted Kingfisher 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 18 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 Downy Woodpecker 6 Hairy Woodpecker 3 Northern Flicker 7 Blue Jay 10 American Crow 15 Fish Crow 3 Carolina Chickadee 10 Tufted Titmouse 17 White-breasted Nuthatch 6 Carolina Wren 6 Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Eastern Bluebird 10 American Robin 40 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 35 Eastern Towhee 4 Field Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 20 White-throated Sparrow 45 Dark-eyed Junco 60 Northern Cardinal 2 Red-winged Blackbird 6 American Goldfinch 7 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Location: Bucktoe Creek Preserve Observation date: 1/25/10 Notes: Monday Bird Walk - Larry Lewis Number of species: 32 Great Blue Heron 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Mourning Dove 7 Great Horned Owl 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 7 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Downy Woodpecker 2 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 10 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Blue Jay 6 American Crow 15 Carolina Chickadee 5 Tufted Titmouse 5 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 2 Winter Wren 1 Eastern Bluebird 2 American Robin 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 European Starling 1 Cedar Waxwing 4 Eastern Towhee 1 Field Sparrow 7 Fox Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 15 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 10 Dark-eyed Junco 10 Northern Cardinal 18 American Goldfinch 1 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Subject: Cackling From: Charles Fullmer <cmfullmer AT MCHSI.COM> Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:27:24 -0500 Thursday at BBH, the usual seasonal birds were present with the exception of a lone Cackling Goose found in a large group of Canadians near the Allee House. This goose can be seen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allseasonshooter Chuck Fullmer Georgetown Subject: RBA: Birdline Delaware, Janaury 29th, 2010 From: Andy Ednie <ednieap AT verizon.net> Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:06:35 -0500 RBA * Delaware * Statewide * January 29, 2010 * DEST1001.29 *Birds mentioned Cackling Goose Mute Swan Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Long-tailed Duck Common Eider Black Scoter Surf Scoter Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Ruddy Duck Common Loon Red-throated Loon Great Cormorant American Bittern Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk American Coot Black-bellied Plover American Avocet Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Ruddy Turnstone Purple Sandpiper American Woodcock Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Eastern Phoebe Horned Lark Black-capped Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren Gray Catbird American Pipits Cedar Waxwing Palm Warbler Chipping Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Lapland Longspur Purple Finch Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: January 29, 2010 Number: 302-658-2747 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap AT verizon.net) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap AT verizon.net) For Friday, January 29th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The 2010 Unofficial Delaware State Year List now stands at 153 species. This week a pair of WILLETS were seen at Short's Beach, also known as Prime Hook Beach in Sussex Co. Four LESSER YELLOWLEGS were also seen there. MUTE SWAN was also reported along the Prime Hook Beach Rd. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were seen at Fowler's Beach. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were seen at the refuge headquarters. An AMERICAN AVOCET was seen at Bombay Hook NWR near Smyrna, the first of the year. 2 CACKLING GEESE were also among the CANADA GEESE behind the Alle House. All three species of MERGANSER found in North America were found at the refuge this week; RED-BREASTED, COMMON, and HOODED. 4 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were reported along Cartanza Road. 50 AMERICAN PIPITS and many HORNED LARKS were also seen. An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at the Logan Tract near Kitts Hummock. A big load of ducks was reported at Indian River Inlet. There was a peak count of 10 COMMON EIDER, including one adult drake. Lots of LONG-TAILED DUCK, BLACK and SURF SCOTER were also reported. GREAT CORMORANT, RED-THROATED and COMMON LOON were seen. PURPLE SANDPIPER and RUDDY TURNSTONE were seen on the rocks. A GRAY CATBIRD was found in the brush to Burton's Island along with a large flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS. The previous reported REDHEAD was not found this weekend at Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. About 400 CANVASBACK, along with RUDDY DUCKS, NORTHERN SHOVELER, and 2 AMERICAN COOTS were seen. 2 HOODED MERGANSERS and a few RUDDY DUCKS were seen at nearby Spring Lake. BUFFLEHEAD, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, and RUDDY DUCKS were also seen at Bald Eagle Creek near Old Landing. A hen REDHEAD was found at the Wilmington Sewage Treatment Plant, along with a COMMON GOLDENEYE. Downriver, LESSER SCAUP and RUDDY DUCKS were seen along the Delaware River below New Castle at Army Creek. 2 BALD EAGLES and a GREAT CORMORANT were also seen there. There were a phenomenal count of gulls at the Cherry Island Landfill last weekend. Highlights of the count there included 20+ LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, 10 ICELAND GULLS and 2 sub-adult GLAUCOUS GULLS. A pair of BALD EAGLES were also seen at Hoopes' Reservoir. About 50 COMMON MERGANSERS and several HOODED MERGANSERS were seen there. HOODED MERGANSER and RING-NECKED DUCK were seen at the Rt. 100 ponds across from Brandywine Creek State Park. The state survey of BALD EAGLES reported 120 birds this year, 77 adults and 43 immatures. Two new nests were found, making 42 known in the state. 34 BALD EAGLES were seen on the Bombay Hook Christmas count while 41 were seen at the Cape Henlopen- Prime Hook count, 11 on one hammock along Prime Hook Beach Road. 6 more BALD EAGLES were seen at the Newark Reservoir last week. Holy cow, I remember when seeing one EAGLE a year was a big event! Some more birds in northern Delaware includes 2 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES still coming to Ester Speck's feeder in Walnut Ridge. PURPLE FINCHES were reported coming to a feeder near Hockessin. A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH was reported at Carpenter Recreation Area near Newark. Ashland Nature Center had RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, WINTER WREN, and YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. Spring is just around the corner, although it might not seem that way this weekend. AMERICAN WOODCOCK were doing their courtship display, the timberdoodle dance last week at the Barr Tract of Redden State Forest. RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were also seen doing courtship near Georgetown. EASTERN PHOEBE, PALM WARBLER and 6 CHIPPING SPARROWS were seen at Oak Grove near Seaford. Now from this week's special feature from WILM News Radio: Feathers are a uniquely avian feature. Birds use them for flight, courtship, and protection. But ornithologists are just now beginning to unlock their secrets. Feathers are epidermal growths made of Keratin. It's the same protein that forms our hair and fingernails. The feather is composed of a hollow shaft, vein, barbs, and rachis with a downy afterfeather. They grow in tracts on the skin, each feather has a unique placement to protect the bird and improve flight. Every year, sometimes twice a year, a bird molts to produce new feathers. During breeding season, fueled by raging hormones, these feathers can be ornate shafts. EGRETS and HERONS produce a downy plumage to attract mates. The MAGNIFICENT QUETZAL, the sacred bird of the Mayans, grows meter-long iridescent green tail feathers for courtship. The best feathers though are from the BIRDS OF PARADISE in New Guinea. Some feathers are made for protective coloration. Doc Sutton, the primer ornithologist of the 20th century, maintained no camouflage was better then a PAURAQUE'S tail. A recent discovery was that the PITOHOUI'S of New Guinea produces a toxin in its feathers to discourage predators. Clever creatures! Remember, Birds of a feather flock together. Special thanks this week to Lynn Smith, Randy Murphy, Jason Beale, Glen Lovelace, Sharon Lynn, Rod Murray, Steve Graff, Bill Stewart, Derek Stoner, and Chuck Fullmer for their observations. You can call 302-792-9591 or email ednieap AT verizon.net to report your observations or make a contribution to the Unofficial Delaware State Year List for 2010. Thanks for calling and until next week, good birding. -end transcript Andy Ednie Claymont, Delaware Subject: Brandywine Creek Walk From: Andy Ednie <ednieap AT verizon.net> Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:00:16 -0500 Brandywine Creek State Park is hosting monthly bird walks for the fifth year starting tomorrow. We'll meet at the headquarters at 8 am, back around 10:30. All are welcome and dress warm. Andy Ednie Claymont, Delaware Subject: Reducing aircraft-wildlife strikes at airports From: Matt Kennedy <kennedym2009 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:25:56 -0800 Dear fellow birding enthusiasts,   As a lifelong birder and professional aviator for over 16 years, I am conducting a nation-wide study on the level of community support for the mitigation measures used at airports to reduce the wildlife strike hazard to commercial aircraft.  Getting input from different regions of the country is necessary to gauge whether there are regional differences due to varying bird populations or possible high profile incidents involving wildlife strikes on aircraft.    Responses are submitted electronically to a database that does not identify users, so your answers will be completely confidential.  Findings will be released only as analyzed data or summaries in which no individual’s answers can be identified.  Please take a few moments to share your opinions and experiences.  I appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to contribute toward this important research about community views on wildlife mitigation measures at airports.   The survey can be accessed at:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XTVS225   If you would like a summary of my findings, please send me your e-mail address at kennedym2009 AT yahoo.com.  Once the study is complete, I will e-mail the summary to you. Best Regards, Matt Kennedy Graduate student in Aeronautical Science Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Subject: Re: Bald Eagle Survey From: Gene <gene AT NEOPALEO.NET> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:07:52 -0700 This is wonderful news. I, as I'm sure some of you do, remember when there were only single digit numbers of nests in the state and watching it very slowly creep upwards. I had no idea it was approaching 60. Gene -----Original Message----- From: Delaware Birding [mailto:de-birds AT Princeton.EDU] On Behalf Of Bob Rufe Sent: Wednesday, 27 January, 2010 9:18 PM To: de-birds AT Princeton.EDU Subject: [de-birds] Bald Eagle Survey News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. NEWS FROM THE DELAWAREDEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL Jan. 22, 2010 Vol. 40, No. 15 For more information, contact AnthonyGonzon, Wildlife Biologist, 302-653-2880, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902. DNRECsannual mid-winter survey finds record number of bald eagles DOVER - In past years, the Delaware Divisionof Fish and Wildlifes annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey conducted as part of a nationwide survey has found fewer than 40 birdsin the state. However, in the just-completed 2010 survey, DNREC WildlifeBiologist Anthony Gonzon tallied a record 120 bald eagles 77 adults and43 immature birds, including resident nesting birds as well as winter visitors.The survey also located two new eagle nests, increasing the number of eagleterritories in Delaware to 60. The Division had been receivingrecent reports from the public of up to 40 eagles in one place at one time, andthe numbers we observed during the mid-winter flight further support thatDelaware can be a great place for bald eagles during the winter, saidGonzon. He also noted that the actual number of bald eagles currently inDelaware could be higher, as more eagles are likely overwintering in parts ofwestern Sussex County and north of the C&D Canal in New Castle County, bothareas not covered by the survey. Federallyde-listed as an endangered species by the United States Fish and WildlifeService in 2007, bald eagles remain listed as endangered in Delaware. Althoughthey are not as rare as in the last century, bald eagles continue to face manythreats such as disturbance, pollutants and habitat loss. Coordinated throughthe United States Geological Survey and the United States Army Corps ofEngineers, the mid-winter survey produces data that allows state and federalagencies to examine population trends in our national bird. During the winter, Delaware issecond home for some bald eagles whose breeding grounds are farther north.These visitors come south to take advantage of food resources ranging from fishto carrion that may not be as plentiful in their northern territories in thewinter. Because many birds will feed on road-killed animals and may notperceive the threat of an oncoming vehicle, winter can be a dangerous time. In October2009, a bald eagle was struck and killed by car while feeding along a roadsidenear Seaford, so motorists need to be especially aware of their possiblepresence on the roadways, Gonzon said. In January, Delawaresresident bald eagles are conducting nest maintenance, preparing to nest anddefending their nesting territories from the northern invaders and each other.Once numbering as few as two to four nesting pairs during the 1980s, baldeagles continue to rebound in Delaware, largely due to federal protections. Delawaresmid-winter survey also marks the beginning of the Divisions annual nestmonitoring program. From January through May, the Division conducts monthlyaerial surveys of all known bald eagle nest sites. In 2009, the Divisionmonitored 56 active bald eagle nesting territories in Delaware. In these territories, 48 eagle pairsattempted nesting and successfully raised 60 young. That was nine fewer than2008 when Delawares eagles produced an astounding 69 young,Gonzon noted. During the mid-winter survey, we observed a number of ourbirds that are already close to laying the first eggs of 2010, he added. With the high number of wintering and resident baldeagles, Delawareans could potentially see a bald eagle perched in a tree orsoaring high overhead in many locations throughout the state. As part of theannual monitoring program, the Division encourages citizens to report suchsightings to help track our resident bald eagles and locate possible new nestsites. Here are some tips for reporting bald eaglesightings: Note the number of eagles observed and whether each eagle is an adult or immature. Adults display the distinctive completely white heads and tails. Immature bald eagles have mostly brown heads and tails, often with some white on their breasts and bellies, as well as under the wings. Note what the eagle is doing. Is it flying or sitting? Is it carrying something or eating on the ground? If the bald eagle is flying, please note the direction that it flew from and the direction in which it was headed. Note the time, date and location of the observation. Use nearest towns and intersections or prominent landmarks as reference points (for example, on Route 6, a half mile west of the intersection with Route 9). If you believe you have located a bald eagle nest, please contact the Division as soon as possible. Please do not approach nesting eagles, as some pairs may be highly disturbed by innocent spectators. The Division of Fish and Wildlife also receives manycalls about possibly injured eagles, often sitting in fields or yards for longperiods of time. In most cases, the eagles are perfectly healthy. Bald eaglesmay remain in a single location for hours as they recover from a territorialbattle with other adult eagles or as they feed, rest and conserve energy. These are large, strong birds that arecapable of injuring a would-be rescuer, so we encourage the public not toapproach or attempt to capture any potentially injured eagle. Instead, observethe bird from a distance and note whether it appears to be in distress orhaving difficulty flying, before contacting someone with the proper training tohelp, Gonzon said. To report observations, potential nests or possibleinjuries, or to ask other questions, please contact Wildlife Biologist AnthonyGonzon, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered SpeciesProgram, at 302-653-2880, or by email at anthony.gonzon AT state.de.us. Subject: Fwd: [bcaorgs] Conference Call Today at 2 pm EST to Discuss Trap, Neuter, and Release Programs From: Bill Stewart <hcf2 AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:56:56 -0500 De-Birder's, I am passing along this announcement from Bird Conservation Alliance for those who may be interested in calling in for the conference. Even if you can not participate, I encourage you to scroll down this e- mail and read the "Background" section of the post. Best, Bill Stewart DOS Conservation Chair Begin forwarded message: From: Steve Holmer Date: January 27, 2010 12:27:15 PM EST To: "bcaorgs AT npogroups.org" Subject: [bcaorgs] Conference Call Tomorrow at 2 pm EST to Discuss Trap, Neuter, and Release Programs To: All Bird Conservation Alliance Members From: Steve Holmer, Director, Bird Conservation Alliance Date: January 27, 2010 Conference Call Thursday at 2 pm EST to Discuss Trap, Neuter, and Release Programs There will be a conference call Thursday January 28 at 2pm eastern time to discuss the problems of bird mortality caused by free-roaming cats, and concerns about the management system known as trap, neuter, and release. A panel of three experts will make presentations which will be followed by questions and discussion: Nico Dauphine, Zoological Society of London – The impacts of free- roaming cats on bird populations Catherine Rich, J.D., M.A., The Urban Wildlands Group – Trap, Neuter, and Release: a case study from Los Angeles. Tom Will, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - What can federal agencies do: policy options to address impacts to birds and their habitats. The call in number is 1-800-250-2600 and participant code is 6610 0520#. There will also be an online meeting site available to share photos, graphics, and documents. To join the online meeting ------------------------------------------------------- 1. Go to https://abcbirds.webex.com/abcbirds/j.php?ED=131873367&UID=913943897&PW=NMTk3ZDAxMTIw&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D 2. Enter your name and email address. 3. Enter the meeting password: birds 4. Click "Join Now". 5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen. Below is some background information that we hope you will find helpful for the discussion. Background There are currently 80 million pet cats in the U.S. according to a pet trade association, and that number is growing. In addition, it is estimated that there may be 60-100 million free-ranging feral cats in the U.S., and that these cats may collectively kill more than one million birds each day. Reducing this mortality even a small amount could potentially save millions of birds each year. Studies by veterinarians indicate that only one-third of cat owners currently keep their cats indoors. To increase that percentage, American Bird Conservancy has been conducting a Cats Indoors! Education campaign utilizing our communications networks, downloadable materials on our website, and a printed Cats Indoors! Brochure. This is a popular item at veterinarian’s offices that can be tailored with the logos of BCA members. The feral cat problem is a growing challenge because a number of organized cat enthusiasts are successfully promoting trap, neuter and release programs that usually perpetuate the existence of feral cat colonies. Under a trap, neuter and release program, feral cats are trapped, neutered and released back into the wild. The unfortunate reality, however, is that these programs usually fail to eliminate feral cat colonies because not all of the cats can be captured and neutered, and because the cat colonies become dumping grounds for unwanted cats. In addition, the cats living at these colonies often suffer from disease, exposure, predation, and collisions with cars. Cat enthusiasts are pushing to make trap, neuter and release programs standard practice in towns, counties and states across the country. To begin raising awareness about this problem American Bird Conservancy has developed information for decision makers to consider including a nine-minute documentary, Trap, Neuter, and Release: Bad for Cats, Disaster for Birds. It is also available on DVD and can be ordered along with the Cats Indoors Brochures. Additional information is available on American Bird Conservancy’s website at http://abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats . Steve Holmer Director of the Bird Conservation Alliance & Senior Policy Advisor American Bird Conservancy 202/234-7181 ext. 216 sholmer AT abcbirds.org www.birdconservationalliance.org www.abcbirds.org The Bird Conservation Alliance (BCA) is a network of organizations working together to conserve wild birds. BCA is facilitated by American Bird Conservancy which conserves native wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ____________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: bcaorgs AT npogroups.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: bcaorgs-unsubscribe AT npogroups.org For all list information and functions, see: http://npogroups.org/lists/info/bcaorgs Subject: Ommission From: Sharon Lynn <slynn001 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:02:34 -0500 When I posted my report yesterday, I neglected to mention that I had a GRAY CATBIRD calling from a greenbrier patch at Burton's Island. I had many email inquiries about Burton's Island after my post-I am sure someone could elaborate on this more, but the trail was fully open. It is a lovely place. Sharon Lynn Rehoboth Beach Subject: Bald Eagle Survey From: Bob Rufe <rrufe1 AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:18:23 -0500 News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. NEWS FROM THE DELAWAREDEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL Jan. 22, 2010 Vol. 40, No. 15 For more information, contact AnthonyGonzon, Wildlife Biologist, 302-653-2880, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902. DNREC’sannual mid-winter survey finds record number of bald eagles DOVER - In past years, the Delaware Divisionof Fish and Wildlife’s annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey –conducted as part of a nationwide survey – has found fewer than 40 birdsin the state. However, in the just-completed 2010 survey, DNREC WildlifeBiologist Anthony Gonzon tallied a record 120 bald eagles – 77 adults and43 immature birds, including resident nesting birds as well as winter visitors.The survey also located two new eagle nests, increasing the number of eagleterritories in Delaware to 60. “The Division had been receivingrecent reports from the public of up to 40 eagles in one place at one time, andthe numbers we observed during the mid-winter flight further support thatDelaware can be a great place for bald eagles during the winter,” saidGonzon. He also noted that the actual number of bald eagles currently inDelaware could be higher, as more eagles are likely overwintering in parts ofwestern Sussex County and north of the C&D Canal in New Castle County, bothareas not covered by the survey. Federallyde-listed as an endangered species by the United States Fish and WildlifeService in 2007, bald eagles remain listed as endangered in Delaware. Althoughthey are not as rare as in the last century, bald eagles continue to face manythreats such as disturbance, pollutants and habitat loss. Coordinated throughthe United States Geological Survey and the United States Army Corps ofEngineers, the mid-winter survey produces data that allows state and federalagencies to examine population trends in our national bird. During the winter, Delaware issecond home for some bald eagles whose breeding grounds are farther north.These visitors come south to take advantage of food resources ranging from fishto carrion that may not be as plentiful in their northern territories in thewinter. Because many birds will feed on road-killed animals and may notperceive the threat of an oncoming vehicle, winter can be a dangerous time. “In October2009, a bald eagle was struck and killed by car while feeding along a roadsidenear Seaford, so motorists need to be especially aware of their possiblepresence on the roadways,” Gonzon said. In January, Delaware’sresident bald eagles are conducting nest maintenance, preparing to nest anddefending their nesting territories from the northern invaders and each other.Once numbering as few as two to four nesting pairs during the 1980s, baldeagles continue to rebound in Delaware, largely due to federal protections. Delaware’smid-winter survey also marks the beginning of the Division’s annual nestmonitoring program. From January through May, the Division conducts monthlyaerial surveys of all known bald eagle nest sites. In 2009, the Divisionmonitored 56 active bald eagle nesting territories in Delaware. “In these territories, 48 eagle pairsattempted nesting and successfully raised 60 young. That was nine fewer than2008 when Delaware’s eagles produced an astounding 69 young,”Gonzon noted. “During the mid-winter survey, we observed a number of ourbirds that are already close to laying the first eggs of 2010,” he added. With the high number of wintering and resident baldeagles, Delawareans could potentially see a bald eagle perched in a tree orsoaring high overhead in many locations throughout the state. As part of theannual monitoring program, the Division encourages citizens to report suchsightings to help track our resident bald eagles and locate possible new nestsites. Here are some tips for reporting bald eaglesightings: Note the number of eagles observed and whether each eagle is an adult or immature. Adults display the distinctive completely white heads and tails. Immature bald eagles have mostly brown heads and tails, often with some white on their breasts and bellies, as well as under the wings. Note what the eagle is doing. Is it flying or sitting? Is it carrying something or eating on the ground? If the bald eagle is flying, please note the direction that it flew from and the direction in which it was headed. Note the time, date and location of the observation. Use nearest towns and intersections or prominent landmarks as reference points (for example, on Route 6, a half mile west of the intersection with Route 9). If you believe you have located a bald eagle nest, please contact the Division as soon as possible. Please do not approach nesting eagles, as some pairs may be highly disturbed by innocent spectators. The Division of Fish and Wildlife also receives manycalls about possibly injured eagles, often sitting in fields or yards for longperiods of time. In most cases, the eagles are perfectly healthy. Bald eaglesmay remain in a single location for hours as they recover from a territorialbattle with other adult eagles or as they feed, rest and conserve energy. “These are large, strong birds that arecapable of injuring a would-be rescuer, so we encourage the public not toapproach or attempt to capture any potentially injured eagle. Instead, observethe bird from a distance and note whether it appears to be in distress orhaving difficulty flying, before contacting someone with the proper training tohelp,” Gonzon said. To report observations, potential nests or possibleinjuries, or to ask other questions, please contact Wildlife Biologist AnthonyGonzon, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered SpeciesProgram, at 302-653-2880, or by email at anthony.gonzon AT state.de.us. Subject: Red-shouldered display From: Charles Fullmer <cmfullmer AT MCHSI.COM> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:08:54 -0500 Last evening I was serenaded by a pair of Great Horned Owls at dusk in the forest across from my home and the concert was again repeated tonight. On the way home from the salt mine this late afternoon, I took one of the longer routes and in a field along Deep Branch Rd. in Georgetown I spotted a pair of Red-shouldered hawks copulating in the middle of the corn stubble. They were not bothered by my roadside voyeurism and remained in the open for 10 minutes until I put the window down for a paparazzi moment. Checking the safe dates on RSHA, it states courtship displays as early as January. Chuck Fullmer Georgetown Subject: Delaware Valley RBA, 27 JAN 2010 From: Stephen E Kacir <rba AT DVOC.ORG> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:21:07 -0800 - RBA * PA, NJ, DE * Delaware Valley: Southeast PA, Central/Southern NJ & DE * PADV1001.27 * January 27, 2010 - Birds Mentioned Barnacle Goose (NJ)+ Prairie Falcon -Extralimital- (PA)+ Spotted Towhee (NJ)+ Le Conte's Sparrow (PA)+ (NJ)+ (Details requested by NJBRC) (PA)+ (Details requested by PORC) (DE)+ (Details requested by DERC) Horned Grebe Northern Gannet Great Cormorant Tricolored Heron Black-crowned Night-heron Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Cackling Goose Barnacle Goose X Canada Goose Tundra Swan Eurasian Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Common Teal (Eurasian Green-winged Teal) Canvasback Redhead King Eider Common Eider Harlequin Duck White-winged Scoter Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Ruffed Grouse Wild Turkey Sandhill Crane Sandhill Crane X Common Crane Common Crane American Avocet Purple Sandpiper American Woodcock Bonaparte's Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Dovekie Razorbill Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Pileated Woodpecker Northern Shrike Common Raven Horned Lark Red-breasted Nuthatch Marsh Wren American Pipit Palm Warbler Chipping Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Lark Sparrow Ipswich Sparrow Fox Sparrow Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Rusty Blackbird - Transcript Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert Email reports to: rba AT dvoc.org Compiler: Steve Kacir, Delaware Valley Ornithological Club Phone: (215) 240-7547 Voice of the Delaware Valley RBA: Cindy Ahern & Win Shafer URL: http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm Welcome to the January 27, 2010 edition of the Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert, a service provided by the joint efforts of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC), covering the Delaware Valley Region of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I'm Steve Kacir your guide for birding in the Greater Philadelphia Region. This week, we highlight reports of BARNACLE GOOSE in Hunterdon County, NJ; SPOTTED TOWHEE in Burlington County, NJ and LE CONTE'S SPARROW in Chester County, PA. Remember to check out our website for additional content and information: http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR NEW JERSEY: Cape May County: A LARK SPARROW was at the intersection of Shunpike Rd and Sandman Blvd on Jan 24. On Jan 26, the LARK SPARROW was in bushes on the east side of Shunpike Rd south of Route 9 near where a new winery field is being developed. On Jan 25-27, an immature drake KING EIDER was south of the coast guard jetty, and could be viewed from Poverty Beach along with COMMON EIDERS and HORNED GREBE. While attempting to see these seabirds, do not go past the Coast Guard's "No Trespassing" sign. A drake REDHEAD and 2 drake EURASIAN WIGEONS were at the Lighthouse Pond of Cape May Point State Park through Jan 25. Other sightings from Cape May Point State Park included SNOWY EGRET, TUNDRA SWANS, IPSWICH SPARROWS and SNOW BUNTINGS. The Nature Conservancy's Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge still had BLUE-WINGED TEAL, and a SNOWY EGRET was there on Jan 23. AMERICAN WOODCOCKS were displaying at Higbee Beach WMA. On Jan 21, a flock of 25 COMMON EIDERS and 2 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were off the 8th St jetty in Avalon. An IPSWICH SPARROW was there on Jan 22. Over 15 SNOW BUNTINGS were at Stone Harbor Point on Jan 22. A SHORT- EARED OWL was at Jake's Landing on Jan 23. Other reports from Jake's Landing mentioned MARSH WRENS and AMERICAN PIPIT. Cumberland County: The crane flock at Husted Landing was seen as recently as Jan 24, complete with COMMON CRANE, SANDHILL CRANES and SANDHILL CRANE X COMMON CRANE hybrids. A SHORT-EARED OWL and a flock of AMERICAN PIPITS were spotted from Husted Landing on Jan 24. Four SHORT- EARED OWLS, 22 WILD TURKEYS and a TRICOLORED HERON were at Turkey Point on Jan 23. On Jan 23, two SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen from Ragged Island Rd at the mouth of the Cohansey River. That day, two more SHORT-EARED OWLS were at Newport Landing. Fifteen COMMON GOLDENEYES were off East Point on Jan 21. Atlantic County: On Jan 24, a light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was near the Mott's Creek Inn. The NORTHERN GOSHAWK at the Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR was seen as recently as Jan 24. The GOSHAWK has been spending a fair amount of time around the road to the Gull Pond. Ocean County: On Jan 24, a dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen from the south side of Dock St at Barnegat Bay. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park had HARLEQUIN DUCKS, PURPLE SANDPIPERS and Harbor Seal. COMMON EIDERS were at Barnegat Inlet on Jan 24. Monmouth County: The drake COMMON TEAL (aka EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL) was at Lake Takanassee through Jan 23. Two GLAUCOUS GULLS were at Sandy Hook on Jan 23. On Jan 23-24, two ICELAND GULLS were on the bay offshore from the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory, and one was still there on Jan 27. Another ICELAND GULL was at the False Hook on Jan 24. All three scoters, including WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, were off Lot B that day. Other reports from Sandy Hook featured HORNED GREBES, COMMON GOLDENEYES. On Jan 27, six COMMON EIDERS and a RAZORBILL were spotted from Clem Conover Rd in Deal. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was on Spring Lake on Jan 24. That day, a GLAUCOUS GULL was on the beach at Point Pleasant, just south of Manasquan Inlet, and a GLAUCOUS GULL was at the inlet on Jan 26. An ICELAND GULL and PURPLE SANDPIPERS at Manasquan Inlet on Jan 23. That day, Wreck Pond had 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, and 6 COMMON EIDERS were off Allenhurst. A Harbor Seal was floating around the docks of the Belmar Marina on Jan 23. Belmar's Silver Lake had BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS. An IPSWICH SPARROW was on the beach north of the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center on Jan 23. On Jan 23, a CACKLING GOOSE was on Assunpink Lake. Burlington County: The SPOTTED TOWHEE was seen at Palmyra Cove Nature Park as recently as Jan 24, when it was at the northwest corner of the big pit. On Jan 24, a drake REDHEAD, 250 CANVASBACKS, 22 COMMON GOLDENEYES and 11 GREAT CORMORANTS were on the Delaware River, seen from Howard St in Riverton. Mercer County: On Jan 23, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at Etra Lake near Hightstown. Somerset County: On Jan 23, four COMMON RAVENS were spotted from Sourland Preserve in Hillsborough. Hunterdon County: The Califon BARNACLE GOOSE was seen as recently as Jan 23, when it was in the fields about a mile north of town on CR513, near the Raritan Inn. An apparent BARNACLE GOOSE X CANADA GOOSE hybrid was at the pond across from the Methodist Church on Jan 23. Morris County: A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was at the Troy Meadows on Jan 24. Great Swamp NWR had RUSTY BLACKBIRDS and WILD TURKEYS on Jan 22. NJ Extralimitals: In Bergen County, the DeKorte State Park NORTHERN SHRIKE was reported as recently as Jan 23, when it was spotted from the Transco Trail along the West Pool. The SHRIKE was at the intersection of the Saw Mill Creek Trail and Disposal Rd on Jan 20. -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR DELAWARE: New Castle County: A Delmarva Ornithological Society field trip to the Cherry Island Landfill found a hen REDHEAD, a pair of COMMON GOLDENEYES, 10-12 ICELAND GULLS, 15-20 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS. Kent County: On Jan 23, four LAPLAND LONGSPURS were at Cartanza Rd; they were close to the dirt farm road bisecting the huge agricultural field. On Jan 27, Cartanza Rd had 50 AMERICAN PIPITS. That day, Bombay Hook NWR had TUNDRA SWAN, 2 CACKLING GEESE and an AMERICAN AVOCET. On Jan 23, WILLETS were at Shorts Beach. Sussex County: Ten COMMON EIDERS were at Indian River Inlet on Jan 24. On Jan 27, the north end of Indian River Inlet had 3 COMMON EIDERS, 4 NORTHERN GANNETS, 4 GREAT CORMORANTS, 100 BONAPARTE'S GULLS and 15 PURPLE SANDPIPERS. A FOX SPARROW was at Burton's Island that day. A PALM WARBLER and 6 CHIPPING SPARROWS were at Oak Grove Rd on Jan 24. Two AMERICAN WOODCOCKS displayed at the Barr Tract of Redden State Forest on Jan 23. A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH has been seen in the vicinity of the nature center at Abbott's Mill Nature Center. -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR PENNSYLVANIA: Chester County: The Struble Lake LE CONTE'S SPARROW was reported through Jan 23. The LE CONTE'S SPARROW has favored an overgrown area just west of the peninsula on the back side of the lake; this area is accessed by foot from Suplee Rd (east of Honey Brook and south of Fontaine). Montgomery County: Bucks County: The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was at the Morrisville Levee through Jan 23. A GLAUCOUS GULL and two ICELAND GULLS were seen from the levee on Jan 23, and COMMON GOLDENEYES have been in the area. Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at Core Creek Park on Jan 25. Recent reports from the Churchville Nature Center mentioned LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. A GREATER WHITE- FRONTED GOOSE was at Peace Valley Park on Jan 26. Other reports from Peace Valley featured CACKLING GOOSE, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, PILEATED WOODPECKER and RUSTY BLACKBIRD. Northampton County: On Jan 22, forty-five SNOW BUNTINGS and 15 HORNED LARKS were at Graver's Hill, while a flock of 50 HORNED LARKS were at Arrowhead Rd in East Allen Twp. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was at the Koch property on Jan 22-26. Lehigh County: The NORTHERN SHRIKE at the Moyer's Graber Farmstead was seen through Jan 22. The farm is at the southern intersection of Kings Highway and Janes Lane just outside of East Greenville in the extreme southern corner of the county. A GOLDEN EAGLE was west of Leaser Lake on Jan 23. A possible GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at Dorney Pond on Jan 24. Berks County: Two COMMON RAVENS flew over Blue Marsh National Recreation Area on Jan 27. Lancaster County: On Jan 23, three GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at Middle Creek WMA along with TUNDRA SWANS. That day, a PALM WARBLER was at the Willow Point parking lot. Waterfowl numbers at Middle Creek continued to build through the week, with a Jan 27 report mentioning thousands of SNOW GEESE, 300 TUNDRA SWANS and a COMMON GOLDENEYE. A flock of 37 BRANT and a hen RED-BREASTED MERGANSER were on the Susquehanna at Peach Bottom on Jan 22. The next day, small numbers of COMMON GOLDENEYES and two flocks of TUNDRA SWANS were seen there, and a GOLDEN EAGLE was seen from Peach Bottom on Jan 27. On Jan 24, Peach Bottom had a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and COMMON GOLDENEYES. On Jan 25, the Conojohela Flats had 175 TUNDRA SWANS, 24 COMMON GOLDENEYES and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. The GREAT EGRET was fishing at Stauffer Run just off William Penn Way and Greenfield Rd on Jan 25. Lebanon County: The SANDHILL CRANE at Lake Duffy in SGL 145 was reported as recently as Jan 27. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at Memorial Lake State Park through Jan 22, and a REDHEAD was there on Jan 23. Carbon County: On Jan 23, seven COMMON GOLDENEYES were on the Delaware River at Smith Beach, and PILEATED WOODPECKER was in the area. A RUFFED GROUSE was on Walnut Rd in Lower Towamensing on Jan 23. That day, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH was at Penn Forest. PA Extralimitals: On Jan 26-27 SNOWY OWL was on a fence post at the Miller Farm at 10734 Shadeland Rd, Springboro, Crawford County. The Millers are well known Amish birders and welcome birders to their farm to see the owl. In Cumberland County, the PRAIRIE FALCON continued to be seen from Mud Level Rd through Jan 24. -------------------------------------------------------------- ANNOUNCEMENTS: On Jan 30, Tom Reeves will lead a DVOC field trip to Conowingo Dam in MD and Perryville, PA. Among other things, the trip will be looking to enjoy the large numbers of Bald Eagles likely to be found at Conowingo. The trip will meet at 9:00AM at Fisherman's Park at Conowingo Dam. Please contact Tom if you plan on attending. On Jan 31, Debbie Beer will lead a DVOC field trip to Roosevelt Park in Philadelphia. The focus for this trip will be winter waterfowl, and the trip may be extended to visit John Heinz NWR at Tinicum. The trip will meet at 9:00AM at the parking lot on the south side of the main lake at Roosevelt Park. Please contact Debbie if you plan on attending. Additional information about these trips including directions past trips' reports and contact information for the trip leaders can be found on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org The next meeting of the DVOC is on Feb 4, 2010, featuring a program by Robert Kirk, entitled "Behind the Scenes of a Field Guide." The meeting takes place at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia at 7:30PM. More details are available on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org See Life Paulagics is running a pelagic trip out of Lewes, DE on Feb 6 and a trip out of Belmar, NJ on Feb 28. Target birds include such winter seabirds as Northern Fulmar, Razorbill, Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, Dovekie, Atlantic Puffin, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger, Great Skua and Black-legged Kittiwake. For more information, call 215-234-6805 or visit them on the web at http://www.paulagics.com The Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert is a weekly report on birding in the Delaware Valley Region including Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. To report birds or significant birding events and planned pelagic trips, please email rba AT dvoc.org. This is Steve Kacir, good birding to you all and thanks for calling, surfing and reporting. - End Transcript Steve Kacir rba AT dvoc.org DVOC Rare Bird Alert Committee Chair Academy of Natural Sciences Delaware Valley Ornithological Club Philadelphia Subject: Cartanza Rd & Bombay Hook From: Steven Graff <steven_graff_2004 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:20:30 -0800 Went through Cartanza Rd. this morning on the way to the hook and had 12 horned larks and a flock of about 50 A. Pipits.   At Bombay Hook: R. W. Blackbird Tundra Swan Black Duck Mallard Canada Goose Cackling Goose - 2 Snow Goose Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Common Merganser N. Pintail Shoveler R. B. Gull H. Gull G. B. B. Gull Bufflehad Avocet - 1 N. Harrier R. T. Hawk A. Kestrel (male) Titmouse C. Chickadee Song Sparrow W. T. Sparrow C. Wren T. V. G. B. Heron Screech Owl - 1 Killdeer - 3 Bluebirds   Steve Graff Felton, DE   Subject: North Indian River Inlet From: Sharon Lynn <slynn001 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:16:02 -0500 I spent some time at the North end of the Indian River Inlet today. Notable birds were approx 200 SURF SCOTERS, 30 BLACK SCOTERS, 35 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 3 COMMON EIDERS(1 adult male), 100 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, 10 RED-THROATED LOONS, 3 COMMON LOONS, 4 NORTHERN GANNETS, 4 GREAT CORMORANTS, and 15 PURPLE SANDPIPERS. But the most amazing sight was seeing an approx 4,000 sq ft house being moved across the Indian River Bridge. Amazing. Burton's Island was quiet, but I did enjoy watching a flock of 40 CEDAR WAXWINGS eat juniper berries at close range, and spotted a lovely FOX SPARROW there as well. Sharon Lynn Rehoboth Beach Subject: Late post - Woodcock display (Redden) From: Jason Beale <jaybirdbeale AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:33:57 -0500 Sorry about the tardiness of this post. Last saturday, January 23rd, I encountered 2 Woodcocks "peenting" and doing the flight display at Barr Tract (Redden State Forest), from 6:30-6:45am. This is a small (~145 acre) tract off of Rt. 16, just west of the 113 intersection. You need to park at the sign and walk in through a right-of-way through private land to reach it. There were turkey tracts and feathers in a few places and the majority of the habitat is a young pine plantation with some wet sections and fringed with mature woods. Looks like a good spot for Prairie Warblers and other succession species. There are standing dead snags as well. Abbott's Pond and the surrounding millponds are hosting a few hundred Ring- necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, American Wigeon, American Black Ducks, and a few Green-winged Teal. There is still a Red-breasted Nuthatch hanging around the Nature Center. We're hosting our weekly walk tomorrow at 8am, starting at Abbott's Mill. Jason Beale Abbott's Mill Nature Center Milford, DE Subject: Wilmington DE waterfront Peterson trail From: robert hickman <hickman102 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:32:31 -0500 Any interesting birds on the Wilmington waterfront recently? Bob Hickman Subject: DuPont facility on Wilmington DE waterfront From: robert hickman <hickman102 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:25:31 -0500 Is a visit to the Wilmington waterfront Peterson trail worthwhile today, - to see birds, not the building. I assume that low tide is better than high tide. Boo Hickman Subject: Rusty Blackbird Blitz 2010 From: Matthew Sarver <ammodram AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:41:58 -0800 All - There was an extra space in the link to the Rusty Blackbird Blitz. Here is the correct link: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/Research/Rusty_Blackbird/blitz.cfm Also check out the Rusty Blackbird Blitz info at eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/rubl-survey-2010 Please get out and help with this survey! Remember - negative data is also very important. If you search for Rustys but don't find them, you can enter that information as well. Good Birding! Matt Sarver New Castle, DE ________________________________ From: John & Sandy Janowski To: de-birds AT Princeton.EDU Sent: Sat, January 23, 2010 8:35:54 AM Subject: [de-birds] Rusty Blackbird Blitz 2010 Rusty Blackbird Blitz 2010 January 30th to February 15th Hello DOS members and all the Delaware birders state wide. Our friends at the Smithsonian have asked for assistance again this year. As many of you know, one of our most declining song birds over the past 40 years in North America is the Rusty Blackbird. In an effort to locate those wintering populations the Smithsonian is partnering with Cornell/e-bird to conduct a 17 day survey from January 30th to February 15th. We have been asked to report our sightings (go anywhere any time you want and as often as you like). Simply submit your Rusty Blackbird sightings via e-bird. Your past sighting experience of bird in Delaware's wetlands could be very helpful. This survey data will help locate Rusty concentrations for future research. They have created a great web site giving much more detail on the Rusty Blackbird Blitz. I encourage everyone to check it out. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/Migratory Birds/Research/Rusty_Blackbird/blitz.cfm Bruce Lantz, Middletown Subject: Oak Grove Area 1/24 From: "Lovelace Glen (DelDOT)" <Glen.Lovelace AT STATE.DE.US> Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:19:15 -0500 Hello All, I birded my little corner of the world (on the state line between Seaford and Federalsburg) yesterday morning and was pleasantly surprised to find 51 species. That matches my best January total. The best bird was a flyby Lesser Black-backed Gull on Oak Grove Rd in Caroline Co. Turns out it was a county bird. There were 1300 or more swans flying in from the SW all morning along with a few Snow Geese and Canada Geese. Also on Oak Grove Rd was a flock of 20 Meadowlark. I have encountered this flock in the area three times since late fall. It seems strange to me that since Meadowlark has become so hard to find that my 3 highest counts have been from this flock. Also had a Phoebe (DE) a yellow Palm Warbler (DE), a western Palm Warbler (MD) and 6 Chipping Sparrows (DE). It seems to be a really good winter for Chippers around here. Good Birding, Glen Lovelace III Seaford, DE Subject: Bird distribution questions and plug for Ebird Quiz From: Andrew Albright <albrigh_1999 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:36:14 -0800 Someone asked the best place to find Northern Pintails. This type of question can be investigated nicely in Ebird. This link is for all of the US: http://ebird.org/ebird/GuideMe?speciesCodes=norpin&reportType=species&bMonth=12&bYear=1900&eMonth=02&eYear=2010&parentState=US-DE&countries=US&states=US-DE&getLocations=northAmerica&continue.x=55&continue.y=17 BTW, looks like your best bet would be to hit some hotspots on your way You have many choices for narrowing your searches, including winter distribution in individual Delaware Counties or Birding hotspots. If you find this sort of activity fun and/or educational, there's a fun quiz that they started recently. Essentially they post a ebird map and you have to guess the species. I was happy to guess 2 out of 7 on my first guess without any checking. However, there were a couple that literally took me hours to figure out. Delaware even gets a mention in one of the quiz answers! Sincerely, Andrew Albright Lafayette Hill, PA albrigh_1999 AT yahoo.com Subject: Indian River Inlet, Saturday 1/23 From: Jacob Hall <jacob.s.hall AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:41:01 -0500 Following birding stops in Ocean City, MD on Saturday afternoon (where I had great looks at Horned + Eared Grebes, Brant, Common Eider, Long-tailed Ducks, and all three scoters) I stopped at Indian River Inlet to see what I could find. Late in the afternoon, from the south jetty, I observed a large raft of ducks including many Surf Scoters, a few Black Scoters and Bufflehead, two Long-tailed Ducks, and about ten Common Eiders. There was also a Common Loon right up in the surf. There were many gulls as well but nothing notable. I headed up to Silver Lake next, where the lake was covered with Canvasbacks. No Redhead--but I was consoled by getting incredible close-up shots of that species on the Choptank River in Cambridge, MD earlier that day. With the Canvasbacks there were a few Ruddies, as well as Black Ducks and Mallards. As the sun was setting I headed further up the coast thinking I might pull off into a marsh and look for Short-Eared Owls or listen for rails. As darkness fell I stopped at Fowlers Beach where I observed a few Gadwall and Shovelers, as well as Black Ducks, one Savannah Sparrow, and one Northern Harrier. The real show was the tens of thousands Snow Geese (with a few Tundra Swans) flying in for the night just to the south in the direction of Prime Hook. Spectacular. Another fantastic birding trip in DE! My friends don't believe me when I tell them that Delaware is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, but boy are they missing out! -Jake Hall College Park, MD Subject: DOS Gull Trip From: "Michael C. Moore" <michael.moore AT ASU.EDU> Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 07:52:51 -0500 Greetings, I participated in the DOS field trip expertly led by Mike Smith to the Cherry Island Landfill yesterday (23 Jan 2010). Numbers were hard to estimate among the swirling masses of mostly Herring Gulls, but we had approximately 10-12 Iceland Gulls (mostly first cycle, with a couple of second cycle), 15-20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (mostly adults with one second cycle) and 2 first-cycle Glaucous Gulls. On the sewage ponds among hundreds of commoner ducks were a pair of Common Goldeneyes and a female Redhead. Mike Moore Newark, DE Subject: No Subject From: Rodney Murray <rodmurray_1999 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:54:42 -0800 I didn't expect to see Willets this time of year, but there they were -- two of them not far from the 1,000 or more N Pintails and other waterfowl near Short's Beach. Also what I think were four Lesser Yellowlegs (could have been Greater) were with the Willets. Cartanza Rd had four Lapland Longspurs very close to the dirt farm road that bisects the huge ag field.  Rodney Murray, Middletown Subject: Chester Co., Bucktoe Creek Preserve From: Joe Sebastiani <bunker17 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:13:54 -0500 Free bird walks will take place at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve this Sunday and Monday starting at 8am. Access to this private 300-acre preserve is limited to guided walks. Directions can be found at http://www.delawarenaturesociety.org/dns_sites.html. Below are the results from last Monday the 18th of January. Joe Sebastiani Snow Goose 100 Canada Goose 500 Common Merganser 17 Great Blue Heron 1 Black Vulture 10 Turkey Vulture 6 Bald Eagle 1 Northern Harrier 1 Coopers Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 3 American Kestrel 1 Ring-billed Gull 12 Herring Gull 1 Mourning Dove 35 Great Horned Owl 1 Belted Kingfisher 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 8 Downy Woodpecker 4 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 6 Blue Jay 12 American Crow 15 Fish Crow 2 Carolina Chickadee 8 Tufted Titmouse 6 White-breasted Nuthatch 10 Carolina Wren 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Eastern Bluebird 20 American Robin 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 European Starling 15 Eastern Towhee 2 Chipping Sparrow 1 Field Sparrow 5 Fox Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 10 Swamp Sparrow 2 White-throated Sparrow 50 Northern Cardinal 15 Red-winged Blackbird 4 Common Grackle 1000 Brown-headed Cowbird 4 American Goldfinch 7 House Sparrow 5 Subject: Rusty Blackbird Blitz 2010 From: John & Sandy Janowski <jsbirders AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:35:54 -0500 Rusty Blackbird Blitz 2010 January 30th to February 15th Hello DOS members and all the Delaware birders state wide. Our friends at the Smithsonian have asked for assistance again this year. As many of you know, one of our most declining song birds over the past 40 years in North America is the Rusty Blackbird. In an effort to locate those wintering populations the Smithsonian is partnering with Cornell/e-bird to conduct a 17 day survey from January 30th to February 15th. We have been asked to report our sightings (go anywhere any time you want and as often as you like). Simply submit your Rusty Blackbird sightings via e-bird. Your past sighting experience of bird in Delaware's wetlands could be very helpful. This survey data will help locate Rusty concentrations for future research. They have created a great web site giving much more detail on the Rusty Blackbird Blitz. I encourage everyone to check it out. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/Migratory Birds/Research/Rusty_Blackbird/blitz.cfm Bruce Lantz, Middletown Subject: Good Place To See Northern Pintails? From: Sarah Lebo <birdsinde AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:44:27 -0500 I live around the Newark area in Delaware. I've only been a birder for the last couple of years and recently I realized I haven't seen enough ducks. I think the Northern Pintail is beautiful. I've only seen them once at the 1000 acre marsh for last year's Great Backyard Bird Count. Are there any good places to get a good look at a Northern Pintails? P.S. I own a pair of Eagle Optics Denali 8x42 Roof Prism Binoculars (if that helps). -- Sarah Lebo A member of DOS, DNS and TSBRR Subject: RBA: Birdline Delaware, January 22nd, 2010 From: Andy Ednie <ednieap AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:29:24 -0500 RBA * Delaware * Statewide * January 22, 2010 * DEST1001.22 *Birds mentioned Tundra Swan White-cheeked Pintail (escape) Canvasback Ring-necked Duck Long-tailed Duck Common Eider Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Goldeneye Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Common Loon Red-throated Loon Great Cormorant American Bittern Black-crowned Night Heron Bald Eagle Peregrine Falcon American Kestrel Ruddy Turnstone Purple Sandpiper Black-headed Gull Iceland Gull Nelson's Gull Glaucous Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Short-eared Owl Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Pileated Woodpecker Black-capped Chickadee Winter Wren Orange-crowned Warbler Pine Warbler Chipping Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: January 22, 2010 Number: 302-658-2747 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap AT verizon.net) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap AT verizon.net) For Friday, January 22nd, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The 2010 Unofficial Delaware State Year now stands at 144 species this week. Two ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were reported at opposite ends of the state this week. One was found in a yard in downtown Wilmington off Franklin Street, near the intersection of Rt. 52 and I-95. This is behind Ursuline Academy off Pennsylvania Ave. The other ORANGE-CROWN was at the end Oyster Rocks Road in Prime Hook NWR. Also, PINE WARBLER and WINTER WREN were reported at the Prime Hook headquarters area. A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen off Cods Rd. A large number of gulls were seen at Prime Hook this weekend, as the farmer off Thirteen Curves Road was spreading manure. 3 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and both NELSON'S GULL and 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL were reported. A NELSON'S GULL is a GLAUCOUS X HERRING GULL hybrid. An adult ICELAND GULL was seen at Fowler's Beach and 5 more LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were see off Prime Hook Beach. The BLACK-HEADED GULLS continue to be reported at the Wolfs' Neck Water Treatment Plant. The turn for Wolfe's Neck is next to the Wawa opposite Rt. 24 on Rt. 1 near Rehoboth. Ask at the gate for directions to view the gulls. A Redhead was found this weekend at Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. That bird was in with about 400 Canvasback. A Cackling Goose was found on Silver Lake on Monday. COMMON EIDER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF and BLACK SCOTER, GREAT CORMORANT, RED-THROATED and COMMON LOON and RUDDY TURNSTONE and PURPLE SANDPIPER were reported at Indian River Inlet this weekend. 40 HORNED GREBES were seen off Bethany Beach. An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at the north marina at Indian River Inlet, from the bluffs at the causeway to Burton's Island. A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was seen over the marshes at Delaware Seashore State Park, south of Dewey Beach. SNOW BUNTINGS were reported in the dunes at The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park. 14 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen flying offshore. 2 BALD EAGLES were also perched on posts along the breakwater. A NORTHERN FLICKER, reported as a RED-SHAFTED FLICKER along with a PILEATED WOODPECKER was reported at Killen's Pond State Park this week. CHIPPING and FOX SPARROW were also reported. Not many CHIPPING SPARROWS were found on the Christmas counts this year. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen along the Port Mahon Road this week, by the fishing pier. Another SHORT-EARED OWL was seen at Bombay Hook NWR, from the dike at the southeast corner of Bear Swamp, over Leatherbury Flats. A third SHORT-EARED has been reported in northern Delaware, seen on Delaware Nature Center lands off the Ashland-Clinton Rd. Several AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen on the wires along Whitehall Neck Rd, coming to the entrance to Bombay Hook. A COOPER'S HAWK was seen in the refuge, along with up to 9 BALD EAGLES on Saturday. TUNDRA SWAN, COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD, and RUDDY DUCK were also reported. Up to 9 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS are still being seen by the feeders at the headquarters. A big raft of over 170 COMMON MERGANSERS was seen on Silver Lake in Dover on Wednesday. This is a traditional feeding area for this species in downtown Dover. A nice collection of waterfowl was found on Thousand Acre Marsh this weekend, including COMMON GOLDENEYE, RING-NECKED DUCK, and COMMON MERGANSER. BUFFLEHEAD and COMMON MERGANSER were seen out on the Delaware River. Some feeder birders in northern Delaware include a pair of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES coming to Esther Speck's feeder in Walnut Ridge. No PURPLE FINCH or PINE SISKINS have been seen, but a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was also reported. A peak of 5 WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAILS (probably an escape) was reported on the ponds at Rt. 100 and 92, across from Brandywine Creek State Park. These birds were seen by Adams Dam Rd. HOODED MERGANSER was seen on the Winterthur Pond. The field at Winterthur had singing EASTERN MEADOWLARK. Hoopes' Reservoir had a few PIED-BILLED GREBES on Sunday. About 70 RING-NECKED DUCKS were reported, along with BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON, and HOODED MERGANSER. Special thanks this week Susan Gruver, Chris Bennett, Rod Murray, Frank Rohrbacher, Steve Graff, Bill Stewart, Derek Stoner, Sally O'Byrne, Mike Bowen, and Chuck Fullmer for their observations. You can call 302-792-9591 or email ednieap AT verizon.net to report your observations or make a contribution to the Unofficial Delaware State Year List for 2010. Thanks for calling and until next week, good birding. -end transcript Andy Ednie Claymont, Delaware Subject: Re: Tagged ring-billed gull at Silver Lake From: Jean Woods <JWoods AT DELMNH.ORG> Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:08:01 -0500 Hi, You can always report any banded or color tagged bird to the Bird Banding Lab and they will make sure the information gets back to the person who put the tag on the bird. A permit from the Banding Lab is required to put a band or color marker on any bird. You can make the report online at this link: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/ Jean Dr. Jean L. Woods Phone: 302-658-9111 x314 Curator of Birds Fax: 302-658-2610 Delaware Museum of Natural History e-mail: jwoods AT delmnh.org 4840 Kennett Pike, P.O. Box 3937 web: www.delmnh.org Wilmington, DE 19807 -----Original Message----- From: Delaware Birding [mailto:de-birds AT Princeton.EDU] On Behalf Of Bill Stewart Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 1:32 PM To: de-birds AT Princeton.EDU Subject: Re: [de-birds] Tagged ring-billed gull at Silver Lake Hello John, I had a similar sighting in Northern Delaware back in 2008 and sent my info to the following individual. He was happy to receive the report and shared that the gull I had reported was wing-tagged in Massachusetts back in 2007. Dan Clark Director Natural Resources Section MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Water Supply Protection 180 Beaman Street West Boylston, MA 01583 508-792-7423 ext. 215 - office 857-334-5686 - cell dan.clark AT state.ma.us Good luck! Bill Stewart On Jan 18, 2010, at 11:46 AM, John Dunn wrote: At Rehoboth's Silver Lake Saturday, I spotted a ring-billed gull with a circular orange tag under a wing reading A308. Anyone have an idea of who to report this to and why they're tracking them? John D. Subject: Silver Lake Mergansers From: "Bennett Chris (DNREC)" <Chris.Bennett AT STATE.DE.US> Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:27:19 -0500 Last night around 5:00 pm I stopped at Silver Lake after work and had at least 171 Common Mergansers (some were actively diving so there may have been more). There were 142 in a large ice free section of the lake across from Sheridans on North State Street and 29 on the far northern part of the lake behind the Delaware Agriculture Museum. There were also 2 Bald Eagles perched in a tree at the northern end of the lake. Chris Bennett Milford, DE "The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?'" Aldo Leopold A Sand County Almanac Subject: Photo Study Of Horned Larks And Their Allies From: "Howard B. Eskin" <hbeskin AT VOICENET.COM> Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:50:01 -0500 Ed Norman and I went to Bombay Hook NWR in Smyrna, DE yesterday. Near the entrance, we found Horned Larks who were very willing to pose in the sun for us. This photo study shows some of the Bombay Hook photos of the Horned Larks but also others taken this year in NJ, DE and PA of other Horned Larks and their good friends, the Snow Buntings, American Pipits and the Lapland Longspurs. Please click on the following link: http://www.howardsview.com/HornedLarks/HornedLarks.html Howard B. Eskin Harleysville, PA Subject: Delaware Valley RBA, 20 JAN 2010 From: Stephen E Kacir <rba AT DVOC.ORG> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:31:25 -0800 - RBA * PA, NJ, DE * Delaware Valley: Southeast PA, Central/Southern NJ & DE * PADV1001.20 * January 20, 2010 - Birds Mentioned Pacific Loon (NJ)+ possible Mew Gull -Extralimital- (NJ)+ Le Conte's Sparrow (PA)+ (NJ)+ (Details requested by NJBRC) (PA)+ (Details requested by PORC) (DE)+ (Details requested by DERC) Common Loon Horned Grebe American Bittern Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Black-crowned Night-heron Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Ross's Goose Cackling Goose Tundra Swan Eurasian Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Common Teal (Eurasian Green-winged Teal) Canvasback Redhead King Eider Common Eider Harlequin Duck White-winged Scoter Common Goldeneye Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Virginia Rail Sandhill Crane Sandhill Crane X Common Crane Common Crane Greater Yellowlegs Purple Sandpiper Wilson's Snipe American Woodcock Black-headed Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Nelson's Gull (Glaucous X Herring Hybrid) Black-legged Kittiwake Razorbill Short-eared Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Red-shafted Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe Northern Shrike Red-breasted Nuthatch Marsh Wren American Pipit Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat Yellow-breasted Chat Clay-colored Sparrow Ipswich Sparrow Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Dickcissel Rusty Blackbird Purple Finch - Transcript Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert Email reports to: rba AT dvoc.org Compiler: Steve Kacir, Delaware Valley Ornithological Club Phone: (215) 240-7547 Voice of the Delaware Valley RBA: Cindy Ahern & Win Shafer URL: http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm Welcome to the January 20, 2010 edition of the Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert, a service provided by the joint efforts of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC), covering the Delaware Valley Region of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I'm Steve Kacir your guide for birding in the Greater Philadelphia Region. This week, we highlight reports of PACIFIC LOON in Monmouth County, NJ; LE CONTE'S SPARROW in Chester County, PA; RED- SHAFTED NORTHERN FLICKER in Kent County, DE and an extralimital possible MEW GULL in Bergen County, NJ. Remember to check out our website for additional content and information: http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR NEW JERSEY: Cape May County: Two SANDHILL CRANES were behind Lucky Bones Restaurant on Jan 14, and the CRANES were seen from Seashore Rd/Broadway on Jan 15-16. On Jan 18, the two SANDHILL CRANES circled the Coast Guard Ponds on Ocean Dr before landing at the saltmarsh near the Two Mile Landing Restaurant on the north side of Ocean Dr. A TRICOLORED HERON flew over the Coast Guard Ponds that day. Two SNOWY EGRETS were also in the area. On Jan 13 & 15, a LITTLE BLUE HERON and SNOWY EGRET were seen from Ocean Dr. On Jan 18, Two Mile Marina at Two Mile Landing had 2 GREAT EGRETS, 2 LITTLE BLUE HERONS, 2 SNOWY EGRETS, TRICOLORED HERON, 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 2 SANDHILL CRANES, 6 SHORT-EARED OWLS and an IPSWICH SPARROW. That day, Two Mile beach had a SNOW BUNTING and an IPSWICH SPARROW. On Jan 17, a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE flew out of Townsend's Inlet as seen from Avalon's 8th St jetty. The 8th St jetty had PURPLE SANDPIPERS on Jan 16, 2 HARLEQUIN DUCKS Jan 13 & 16, a lone drake HARLEQUIN DUCK on Jan 18, 2 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on Jan 18 and COMMON EIDERS Jan 14-18, with a high count of 38 COMMON EIDERS on Jan 13. On Jan 18, a COMMON EIDER was off Sea Isle City. A drake a REDHEAD and 2 EURASIAN WIGEONS were at Cape May Point State Park through Jan 19. On Jan 16, three EURASIAN WIGEONS were at the Lighthouse Pond. On Jan 15, the park had a REDHEAD and 2 drake EURASIAN WIGEONS on Lighthouse Pond, while a hen EURASIAN WIGEON was on the Bunker Pond. Six TUNDRA SWANS were on the Bunker Pond through Jan 19. A flock of 30 SNOW BUNTINGS flew over the dunes on Jan 16 & Jan 19. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT were near the State Park hawk watch that day. A VIRGINIA RAIL was in the grass along the Bunker Pond on Jan 16. A CACKLING GOOSE and 3 BLUE-WINGED TEALS were at The Nature Conservancy Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge on Jan 18. An ORANGE- CROWNED WARBLER was at the refuge's west path on Jan 15. An EASTERN PHOEBE was at the Rea Farm on Jan 19. A CACKLING GOOSE was at Lily Lake on Jan 15, and one was at the Hidden Valley Parking lot the next day. A PURPLE SANDPIPER was at the Cape May Ferry Terminal on Jan 18. The Villas WMA had RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. Jake's Landing had SHORT-EARED OWLS on Jan 14-16. Jake's Landing also had a MARSH WREN and AMERICAN PIPIT on Jan 18 and a GREAT EGRET on Jan 15. A COMMON GOLDENEYE was off Kimbles Beach on Jan 19. Cumberland County: The flock of 18 cranes was at Husted Landing through Jan 18, featuring the COMMON CRANE, SANDHILL CRANES and SANDHILL CRANE X COMMON CRANE hybrids. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was in the hedge at the entrance drive to Husted Landing on Jan 19. Ten AMERICAN PIPITS were also in the area. A dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was at Glade Rd (near Thompson's Beach) on Jan 18. That day, a dozen COMMON GOLDENEYES were off East Point Lighthouse, and an AMERICAN PIPIT was at Heislerville WMA. Atlantic County: On Jan 16, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was at the end of the Gull Pond Rd at the Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR. Other sightings from Brigantine included TUNDRA SWANS and PURPLE FINCHES. Ten HORNED GREBES and a CANVASBACK were at Lakes Bay on Jan 18. Ocean County: On Jan 19, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park had COMMON EIDERS and a hen KING EIDER. Other reports from Barnegat included HARLEQUIN DUCKS, PURPLE SANDPIPERS and IPSWICH SPARROWS. COMMON EIDERS were at the mouth of the jetty on Jan 15. A GLAUCOUS GULL was at Barnegat Inlet on Jan 16. Monmouth County: On Jan 16, a PACIFIC LOON and a RAZORBILL were seen from a jetty near Avenel Blvd at Seven Presidents Park in Long Branch. The COMMON TEAL (aka EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL) was at Lake Takanassee through Jan 16. On Jan 18, five COMMON EIDERS spent most of the day off Clem Conover Rd in Deal. Two COMMON EIDERS and a first year WHITE-WINGED SCOTER were seen from the Philips Ave jetty on Jan 16. On Jan 18, a HORNED GREBE flew past Shark River Inlet. That evening, forty-seven COMMON LOONS were offshore of the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center. On Jan 16, a COMMON GOLDENEYE was at Sandy Hook's Horseshoe Cove, and an ICELAND GULL was across the bike path from the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory. Belmar's Silver Lake had BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS. Salem County: Two WILSON'S SNIPES were at the Sunset Rd area of Mannington Marsh on Jan 16. Gloucester County: Twenty CANVASBACKS were on the Delaware River off the National Park dredge spoils on Jan 13. Mercer County: A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was at Assunpink WMA on Jan 20. Two ICELAND GULLS and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were spotted from the "Trenton Makes" Bridge on Jan 14. Hunterdon County: On Jan 17, the Cushetunk Trail at Round Valley Reservoir had REDHEADS. NJ Extralimitals: A possible MEW GULL was reported from Andreas Park in Teaneck, Bergen County, NJ on Jan 18. The possible MEW GULL was on the Hackensack River not far from the intersection of Grenville Rd and River Rd. The Bergen County NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen at Disposal Rd near DeKorte State Park through Jan 18. -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR DELAWARE: New Castle County: A PILEATED WOODPECKER was near Winterthur on Jan 17. An ORANGE- CROWNED WARBLER was at a yard in downtown Wilmington on Jan 20. The Thousand Acre Marsh had a COMMON GOLDENEYE on Jan 17. Kent County: A RED-SHAFTED NORTHERN FLICKER and PILEATED WOODPECKER were at Killens Pond State Park on Jan 20. Bombay Hook NWR had TUNDRA SWANS at Raymond Pool on Jan 18. TUNDRA SWANS were reported at the refuge on Jan 13 & 15, with a high count of 80 TUNDRA SWANS on Jan 13. Two SHORT-EARED OWLS patrolled Port Mahon Preserve on Jan 18. On Jan 13, Cartanza Rd had AMERICAN PIPITS. Sussex County: A BLACK-HEADED GULL was at the Wolfe Neck Water Treatment Plant on Jan 13. On Jan 19, fourteen WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS flew past the point at Cape Henlopen State Park, and SNOW BUNTINGS were heard in the area. Sixty SNOW BUNTINGS worked the point on Jan 16, and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen from the point on Jan 13. On Jan 17, a flock of 25 SNOW BUNTINGS were near the parking lot and the sand trail to the east beach at Cape Henlopen. A COMMON EIDER was at Indian River Inlet on Jan 13 & 16. Indian River Inlet had a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and a probable NELSON'S GULL (HERRING GULL X GLAUCOUS GULL hybrid) on Jan 16. A Harbor Seal and PURPLE SANDPIPERS were there on Jan 13. An AMERICAN BITTERN was in the marsh at the north marina of Indian River Inlet on Jan 16. The Indian River Inlet marina had 3 COMMON GOLDENEYES on Jan 13. A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON flew over the marsh north of the inlet that day. On Jan 16, forty HORNED GREBE were offshore of Bethany Beach. On Jan 18, a CACKLING GOOSE was at Silver Lake in Rehoboth, and a REDHEAD was on Silver Lake on Jan 16. Three LESSER BLACK- BACKED GULLS, a GLAUCOUS GULL and an adult NELSON'S GULL (HERRING GULL X GLAUCOUS GULL hybrid) were at Thirteen Curves Rd on Jan 16. That day, Fowler Beach had an ICELAND GULL, and a LESSER BLACK- BACKED GULL was at Fowler Beach on Jan 13. On Jan 14 & 16, GREATER YELLOWLEGS were at Prime Hook Rd. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at the end of Oyster Rocks Rd on Jan 19. On Jan 16, the bay at the end of the road hosted 5 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, 4 CACKLING GEESE and a ROSS'S GOOSE. Twenty COMMON GOLDENEYE were off Slaughter Beach on Jan 14. -------------------------------------------------------------- FOR PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia County: The Pleasant Hill Park DICKCISSEL was between the ponds on Jan 14, and the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was at the main parking lot. Chester County: The Struble Lake LE CONTE'S SPARROW was reported through Jan 14. The LE CONTE'S SPARROW has favored an overgrown area just west of the peninsula on the back side of the lake; this area is accessed by foot from Suplee Rd (east of Honey Brook and south of Fontaine). The DICKCISSEL visiting Gail Dillon's feeder at 46 King Rd, Cochranville (Zip Code: 19330) was seen through Jan 18. Gail welcomes birders attempting to see the DICKCISSEL. The feeder is outside the patio door of the rear lower level of the house on the north side, and can be viewed outside from the northern corners of the house. On Jan 18, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was in the woodlot across the road from Chambers Lake. On Jan 17, Pocopson Twp had six GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE in a field off Route 926 between railroad tracks and Brandywine Creek. Bucks County: The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was still at the Morrisville Levee through Jan 17. That day, 3 GLAUCOUS GULLS and 4 ICELAND GULLS were on exposed rocks in the Delaware River offshore of the Morrisville Levee. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE has been at Peace Valley Park through Jan 16. Peace Valley had a CACKLING GOOSE and 52 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS on Jan 16. The Churchville Nature Center reported LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Northampton County: The adult female DICKCISSEL was at the Koch property through Jan 13. On Jan 16, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and a REDHEAD were on the north side of Bethlehem. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was in a SNOW GOOSE flock on Weaversville Rd near the State Farm facility on Jan 15. On Jan 13, a LAPLAND LONGSPUR and 2 SNOW BUNTINGS were at Arrowhead Rd in East Allen Twp. Lehigh County: The NORTHERN SHRIKE at the Moyer's Graber Farmstead was seen through Jan 19. The farm is at the southern intersection of Kings Highway and Janes Lane just outside of East Greenville in the extreme southern corner of the county. Berks County: A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was at Bastian Rd on Jan 14. That day, Lake Ontelaunee had 3 COMMON GOLDENEYES. Lancaster County: A GOLDEN EAGLE flew over Peach Bottom on Jan 18. A GREAT EGRET was hunting in a small farm pond off Willow Rd through Jan 16. A RED- HEADED WOODPECKER was near Willow Point at Middle Creek WMA on Jan 20. On Jan 18, Middle Creek WMA had 75 TUNDRA SWANS and PURPLE FINCH. Lebanon County: The SANDHILL CRANE at Lake Duffy in SGL 145 was reported as recently as Jan 18, and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD was there on Jan 18. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at Marquette Lake on Jan 18, and was near the spillway at Memorial Lake on Jan 19-20. -------------------------------------------------------------- ANNOUNCEMENTS: On Jan 24, Tony Croasdale will lead a DVOC field trip to Cumberland and Cape May Counties in NJ, including a search for the Husted Landing crane flock. The trip will meet at noon at the Wawa at the northern intersection of Route 47 and Route 347. Please contact Tony if you plan on attending. Additional information, past trip reports and contact information for the trip leader can be found on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org The next meeting of the DVOC is on Jan 21, 2010, featuring a program by Jane Henderson, entitled "A Trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands." The meeting takes place at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia at 7:30PM. The meeting after that will take place on Feb 4, featuring "Behind the Scenes of a Field Guide" by Robert Kirk. More details are available on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org See Life Paulagics is running a pelagic trip out of Lewes, DE on Feb 6 and a trip out of Belmar, NJ on Feb 28. Target birds include such winter seabirds as Northern Fulmar, Razorbill, Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, Dovekie, Atlantic Puffin, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger, Great Skua and Black-legged Kittiwake. For more information, call 215-234-6805 or visit them on the web at http://www.paulagics.com The Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert is a weekly report on birding in the Delaware Valley Region including Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. To report birds or significant birding events and planned pelagic trips, please email rba AT dvoc.org. This is Steve Kacir, good birding to you all and thanks for calling, surfing and reporting. - End Transcript Steve Kacir rba AT dvoc.org DVOC Rare Bird Alert Committee Chair Academy of Natural Sciences Delaware Valley Ornithological Club Philadelphia Subject: Silver Lake tagged gull update From: John Dunn <VCRail AT MSN.COM> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:07:12 -0500 Well, I received a response to "my" gull. If they caught it with such exotic cuisine at a mall, wait'll this gull see Rehoboth in the summer. Maybe someone can stick a GPS unit on the Mew gull being seen in Brooklyn. John D. Thanks for the gull sighting - it is excellent information. Below are some specific details about the bird you saw. It's an adult female ring-billed gull captured 10/29/09 at Searstown Mall, Leominster, MA using a rocket net baited with French fries. Florescent orange wing-tags: A308 Federal leg band: 0994-03415 Released on site, seen 10/30/09 at the Clinton High School athletic field Thanks again for the sighting, and please let me know if you see more. Dan Dan Clark Director Natural Resources Section MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Water Supply Protection 180 Beaman Street West Boylston, MA 01583 508-792-7423 ext. 215 - office 857-334-5686 - cell dan.clark AT state.ma.us Subject: reminder - DOS meeting at DEEC From: sally o'byrne <salobyrne AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:10:54 -0500 This is a last minute reminder that tonight's DOS meeting will be at the DuPont Environmental Education Center, down along the riverfront. If you haven't been there before, come enjoy the wonderful architecture of the building, which is located beyond the Blue Rock's stadium. Tonight's meeting will be a Christmas count wrap up by Jim White plus a chili night, with several varieties of chili provided by DOS members. Come join the social hour, beginning at 7, meeting begins at 7:30. All are welcome, especially if you participated in this year's Christmas counts. Directions to the meeting: Directions to the Dupont Environmental Education Center 1400 Delmarva Lane Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 656 - 1490 From I-95 North Take the Rte 4/ Martin Luther King blvd exit Follow the riverfront signs and turn left on Martin Luther King/ Lancaster Ave. Turn right on Justison St. Turn right onto Stadium St. (across from the Big Fish Restaurant) Stadium St. merges with Delmarva Lane Stay straight until reaching the DuPont Environmental Education Center driveway From I-95 South Take the Martin Luther King Blvd exit (exit 6) onto Maryland Ave. Turn Right on Martin Luther King Blvd Turn right on Justison St. Turn right onto Stadium St. (across from the Big Fish Restaurant) Stadium St. merges with Delmarva Lane Stay straight until reaching the DuPont Environmental Education Center driveway GPS Coordinates 39.723042 N, 75.561657 W (c) 2009 Delaware Nature Society, PO Box 700, Hockessin, DE 19707 (302) 239-2334 E-mail Us! Subject: reminder - DOS meeting at DEEC From: "sally o'byrne" <salobyrne AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:10:54 -0500 This is a last minute reminder that tonight's DOS meeting will be at the DuPont Environmental Education Center, down along the riverfront. If you haven't been there before, come enjoy the wonderful architecture of the building, which is located beyond the Blue Rock's stadium. Tonight's meeting will be a Christmas count wrap up by Jim White plus a chili night, with several varieties of chili provided by DOS members. Come join the social hour, beginning at 7, meeting begins at 7:30. All are welcome, especially if you participated in this year's Christmas counts. Directions to the meeting: Directions to the Dupont Environmental Education Center 1400 Delmarva Lane Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 656 - 1490 From I-95 North Take the Rte 4/ Martin Luther King blvd exit Follow the riverfront signs and turn left on Martin Luther King/ Lancaster Ave. Turn right on Justison St. Turn right onto Stadium St. (across from the Big Fish Restaurant) Stadium St. merges with Delmarva Lane Stay straight until reaching the DuPont Environmental Education Center driveway From I-95 South Take the Martin Luther King Blvd exit (exit 6) onto Maryland Ave. Turn Right on Martin Luther King Blvd Turn right on Justison St. Turn right onto Stadium St. (across from the Big Fish Restaurant) Stadium St. merges with Delmarva Lane Stay straight until reaching the DuPont Environmental Education Center driveway GPS Coordinates 39.723042 N, 75.561657 W (c) 2009 Delaware Nature Society, PO Box 700, Hockessin, DE 19707 (302) 239-2334 E-mail Us! Subject: Killen's Pond State Park From: Steven Graff <steven_graff_2004 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:00:37 -0800 Woke up this morning and ran down to Killen's Pond State Park and had the followng species:   A. Crow - 5 Junco - 53 C. Grackle - 130 R. W. Blackbird - 45 Blue Jay - 4 Cardinal - 14 Mockingbird - 3 W. T. Sparrow - 54 C. Wren - 7 E. Towhee - 1 Titmouse - 4 E. Bluebird - 1 Y. R. Warbler - 2 C. Chickadee - 4 Snow Goose - 48 N. Flicker - 12 (one of which was a Red-Shafted!!!!) Hermit Thrush - 1 Song Sparrow - 3 Field Sparrow - 4 Turkey Vulture - 2 R. B. Gull - 9 Robin - 1 R. B. Woodpecker - 1 Chipping Sparrow - 2 Black Vulture - 1 Downy Woodpecker - 1 Hairy Woodpecker - 1 G. B. Heron - 1 Pileated Woodpecker - 1 Fox Sparrow - 3 Canada Goose -12   Steve Graff Felton, DE Subject: Orange Crowned warbler on Franklin St From: "sally o'byrne" <salobyrne AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:37:06 -0500 I have orange crowned warbler in my back yard on Franklin St. in downtown Wilmington this morning. I got some good photos which I am happy to send to anyone. I plan to post them on the DOS photo gallery. Anyone who would like attempt to re-find the bird is welcome. This morning , it is hanging out in the azalea bush near my back door - it is still here, staying near the junco flock. Sally O'Byrne Subject: Orange-crowned Warbler From: Charles Fullmer <cmfullmer AT MCHSI.COM> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:19:27 -0500 1/19/2010 Oyster Rocks Rd. Lewes I had a short time this afternoon to return to the area where a month ago I thought I had an OCWA near the end of Oyster Rocks Rd. After a short time viewing Cedar Waxwings and Yellow-rumped Warblers in the tree tops, activity in the low brush caught my eye. The OCWA was working the brush just out of clear view until phished out for several photos. What a great way to start the New Year with a lifer. Pics at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allseasonshooter Chuck Fullmer Georgetown Subject: The Point at Cape Henlopen From: Susan Gruver <srgruver AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:52:15 EST Today Lynn Smith and I walked around the Point and the highlights were two adult Bald Eagles sitting on wooden posts on the break water behind the red light house and 14 White-winged Scoters flying very close to shore line heading South. We also heard the Snow Buntings several times but were unable to locate them Sue Gruver Subject: Re: Short-Eared Owls, etc. - Bombay Hook + Port Mahon From: George Cathcart <george.cathcart AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:06:51 -0500 A great report, Jake. I was at BBH on Saturday and saw that same lone snow goose beside the road along Shearness. I think it has an injured wing, because it stayed right there all day, giving me numerous opportunities for close-up looks and photos. A couple of times, when the wedges of snow geese passed overhead, honking madly, this goose looked up, almost sadly, wishing he was there. gc On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 8:46 AM, Jacob Hall wrote: > I spent yesterday afternoon birding Bombay Hook and nearby sites. It was a > fairly typical day bird-wise (until the end), but people-wise Bombay Hook > was hopping! > > BOMBAY HOOK HIGHLIGHTS: 2 White-Crowned Sparrows and 2 House Finches were > found among Goldfinches and House Sparrows at the Visitor Center feeders. > An > American Kestrel was on the power line just oustide the entrance to the > refuge (where I always find him). A Sharp-Shinned Hawk perched low on a > branch at the entrance to the Boardwalk Trail. On the Boardwalk Trail > itself > I had great looks at a male and female Downy Woodpecker feeding together, > and abundant Yellow-Rumped Warblers were flycatching. Raymond Pool was > fairly quiet with a few Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, Mallards, and Pintails. > There was a lone Snow Goose giving excellent close-up looks about 2 feet > off > the road on the way back to Shearness. Out toward Leatherbury Flats--which > was flooded with a very high tide--there were many Black Ducks and a group > of about 15 Common Mergansers. There were also a few Bufflehead chasing > each > other around, and a pair of Hooded Mergansers. A Northern Harrier flew just > along the edge of the road, here, as well, and I got some great flight > shots. A Cooper's Hawk also flew along the woods' edge here. On the back > side of Bear Swamp on the way to Finis Pool a group of Savannah Sparrows > was > in the thistles along the road, and a Bald Eagle flew over. At Finis Pool a > Kingfisher was diving for fish right along the road. Out of all the Canada > Geese I saw yesterday I couldn't find any Cackling. > > On my way out of Bombay Hook I spotted a Peregrine Falcon perched on the > ground in a field. As soon as I stopped for a photo, of course, it flew. > > At Woodland Beach I found only Mallards and Ring-Billed Gulls. > > The highlight of the day, though, was Port Mahon. I pulled in around 415 > hoping for a Short-Eared Owl. I pulled off the road just in front of the > fishing pier and sent a quick text message home that I'd be leaving in > about > 30min but was hoping for a cool bird, first, and that very moment a > Short-Eared Owl leapt up out of the grass about 30feet from me! It was > spectacular--and a life bird for me. I watched it swoop around with a > Northern Harrier for a few minutes, in and out of the grass, before I lost > sight of it in the distance. It's floppy, erratic flight style was > definitely unique--it made the Harrier's casual gliding look like precision > flying. Right around sunset the owl returned low and close by, accompanied > by a second owl, much higher up, barking a loud call that reminded me of a > Nighthawk. The lower owl perched on a post for a few minutes in the fading > light, giving a nice view to end my afternoon. Definitely a great > experience! > > -Jake Hall > College Park, MD > -- George Cathcart Columbia, Maryland http://picasaweb.google.com/george.cathcart I intend to live forever or die trying! -- Groucho Marx Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. The world needs people who have come alive. Subject: Jane Henderson to speak at Thursday's DVOC meeting From: "F.Arthur McMorris" <mcmorris AT MAC.COM> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:54:56 -0500 The next meeting of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) is this Thursday, January 21, 2010, at 7:30 PM at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Details at http://www.dvoc.org. Everyone is invited to attend. Visitors are always welcome. Featured speaker: Jane Henderson “A Trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands” The diversity of bird life in Ecuador is overwhelming: one sixth of the species on earth can be found within its borders. Equally diverse are the habitats, from the rain forests of the Andes to the volcanic moonscape of the Galapagos Islands. Jane will take us on a virtual tour of mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, places that have inspired generations of birders and naturalists. Art McMorris Bala-Cynwyd, Montgomery County, PA Vice President, DVOC Subject: Sussex County, January 17 From: Michael Bowen <dhmbowen AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:42:32 -0500 January 17 -- Day 3 of a 3-day field trip with members of the Montgomery Bird Club, an MOS chapter based just outside DC -- was spent entirely in Sussex County. After two delightful, dry and almost warm Days 1 and 2 in Maryland, it was a shame that we had to endure increasingly wet and windy conditions during our day in The First State. We still had some highlights, though, chief among which were a perched and soggy Merlin near Fort Miles, which stayed put and allowed photos, and a group of 25 Snow Buntings, which came very close to the parking lot for the Cape Henlopen Point and landed on the sand trail down to the east beach. Indian River Inlet gave us a single immature male Common Eider, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, and a gull that probably was a Glaucous-Herring hybrid. We did not find a Redhead in with the Canvasbacks at Silver Lake in Rehoboth, but judging from others' reports, it must have been there somewhere. We dried out partially lunchtime in the Lewes Bake Shoppe, where the floor is probably still flooded with all the water pouring off our clothing. Good (and dry) Birding. Mike Bowen Montgomery Bird Club, MOS Bethesda, MD D.H. Michael Bowen 8609 Ewing Drive Bethesda, MD 20817 Telephone: (301) 530-5764 e-mail: dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom -- I use GoodSearch to benefit the American Birding Association -- http://www.goodsearch.com/ Subject: Short-Eared Owls, etc. - Bombay Hook + Port Mahon From: Jacob Hall <jacob.s.hall AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:46:06 -0500 I spent yesterday afternoon birding Bombay Hook and nearby sites. It was a fairly typical day bird-wise (until the end), but people-wise Bombay Hook was hopping! BOMBAY HOOK HIGHLIGHTS: 2 White-Crowned Sparrows and 2 House Finches were found among Goldfinches and House Sparrows at the Visitor Center feeders. An American Kestrel was on the power line just oustide the entrance to the refuge (where I always find him). A Sharp-Shinned Hawk perched low on a branch at the entrance to the Boardwalk Trail. On the Boardwalk Trail itself I had great looks at a male and female Downy Woodpecker feeding together, and abundant Yellow-Rumped Warblers were flycatching. Raymond Pool was fairly quiet with a few Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, Mallards, and Pintails. There was a lone Snow Goose giving excellent close-up looks about 2 feet off the road on the way back to Shearness. Out toward Leatherbury Flats--which was flooded with a very high tide--there were many Black Ducks and a group of about 15 Common Mergansers. There were also a few Bufflehead chasing each other around, and a pair of Hooded Mergansers. A Northern Harrier flew just along the edge of the road, here, as well, and I got some great flight shots. A Cooper's Hawk also flew along the woods' edge here. On the back side of Bear Swamp on the way to Finis Pool a group of Savannah Sparrows was in the thistles along the road, and a Bald Eagle flew over. At Finis Pool a Kingfisher was diving for fish right along the road. Out of all the Canada Geese I saw yesterday I couldn't find any Cackling. On my way out of Bombay Hook I spotted a Peregrine Falcon perched on the ground in a field. As soon as I stopped for a photo, of course, it flew. At Woodland Beach I found only Mallards and Ring-Billed Gulls. The highlight of the day, though, was Port Mahon. I pulled in around 415 hoping for a Short-Eared Owl. I pulled off the road just in front of the fishing pier and sent a quick text message home that I'd be leaving in about 30min but was hoping for a cool bird, first, and that very moment a Short-Eared Owl leapt up out of the grass about 30feet from me! It was spectacular--and a life bird for me. I watched it swoop around with a Northern Harrier for a few minutes, in and out of the grass, before I lost sight of it in the distance. It's floppy, erratic flight style was definitely unique--it made the Harrier's casual gliding look like precision flying. Right around sunset the owl returned low and close by, accompanied by a second owl, much higher up, barking a loud call that reminded me of a Nighthawk. The lower owl perched on a post for a few minutes in the fading light, giving a nice view to end my afternoon. Definitely a great experience! -Jake Hall College Park, MD Subject: Fw: Common Goldeneye From: Rodney Murray <rodmurray_1999 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:05:08 -0800 ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Rodney Murray To: DE-Birds AT princeton.edu Sent: Mon, January 18, 2010 8:46:42 PM Subject: Common Goldeneye Yesterday at 1,000 Acre Marsh I spotted one C Goldeneye, two Ring-necked ducks and numerous Common Mergansers.  Also out on the river by Augustine Beach were 16 more Common Mergansers and 3 Buffleheads.  Today at Prime Hook I finally found a long-time nemesis (don't laugh) --  my first Winter Wren which was scurrying among some dead logs short of the boardwalk trail.  Also had 2 Pine Warblers.  One male Common Eider was still at Ind Riv Inlet along with several Surf Scoters , 2 Bl Scoters, many Com Loons, 1 Red-throted Loon, a few Long-tail Ducks, and both Cormorants. Rod Murray, M'town  Subject: Cackling Goose Silver Lake From: "Kurt R. Schwarz" <goawaybird AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:23:58 -0500 A single Cackling Goose was present at Silver Lake this morning. Body size was smaller than nearby Great Black-backed Gulls, comparable to Herring, flat crown, short bill, dusky breast. I photo'd the critter. No sign of the Redhead. As for the wing-tagged gull, one bearing an orange patagial tag and the number 377 was present at West Ocean City Pond in MD on Saturday. Kurt Schwarz Ellicott City, MD krschwa1 at verizon dot net Subject: Re: Tagged ring-billed gull at Silver Lake From: Bill Stewart <hcf2 AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:31:51 -0500 Hello John, I had a similar sighting in Northern Delaware back in 2008 and sent my info to the following individual. He was happy to receive the report and shared that the gull I had reported was wing-tagged in Massachusetts back in 2007. Dan Clark Director Natural Resources Section MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Water Supply Protection 180 Beaman Street West Boylston, MA 01583 508-792-7423 ext. 215 - office 857-334-5686 - cell dan.clark AT state.ma.us Good luck! Bill Stewart On Jan 18, 2010, at 11:46 AM, John Dunn wrote: At Rehoboth's Silver Lake Saturday, I spotted a ring-billed gull with a circular orange tag under a wing reading A308. Anyone have an idea of who to report this to and why they're tracking them? John D. Subject: Tagged ring-billed gull at Silver Lake From: John Dunn <VCRail AT MSN.COM> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:46:55 -0500 At Rehoboth's Silver Lake Saturday, I spotted a ring-billed gull with a circular orange tag under a wing reading A308. Anyone have an idea of who to report this to and why they're tracking them? John D. Subject: Sharpie From: Diane C Freebery <Diane.C.Freebery AT USA.DUPONT.COM> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:33:20 -0500 Thought some might be interested in this report. We had a Sharpie in our backyard on Saturday morning. We regularly have Coopers, and this fall have occasionally seen Sharpies. Our bird feeders, and our neighbor's feeders are a great source of meals for them, we are sure. However, this particular one either had an infected eye or an eye injury. One eye was completely covered / filmed over and closed. Don't know if this is the same disease that affects House Finches or not. Believe this one was a female, as she was on the large size for a Sharpie. She landed on top of our birdfeeder, and sat there for about 20 minutes, even though we were sitting about 30 feet away on the deck, and talking and moving around. Her bad eye was away from us, but we did get some good looks at it with the bins. Obviously, she was tilting her head in funny ways to look around. Diane & Steve Freebery 257 Delaplane Av Newark DE This communication is for use by the intended recipient and contains information that may be Privileged, confidential or copyrighted under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby formally notified that any use, copying or distribution of this e-mail, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender by return e-mail and delete this e-mail from your system. Unless explicitly and conspicuously designated as "E-Contract Intended", this e-mail does not constitute a contract offer, a contract amendment, or an acceptance of a contract offer. This e-mail does not constitute a consent to the use of sender's contact information for direct marketing purposes or for transfers of data to third parties. Francais Deutsch Italiano Espanol Portugues Japanese Chinese Korean http://www.DuPont.com/corp/email_disclaimer.html Subject: Nelson's Gull, Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull and More From: rohrbaf AT AOL.COM Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:35:53 EST I certainly felt that I needed a break from the cold, windy weather that met me in southern Delaware the past two weekends, and I got it yesterday. It was a great day both weather and bird-wise in Sussex County. I met up with Bruce Peterjohn at the gate at Prime Hook NWR - the refuge was closed for deer hunting. We went south to the north marina at Indian River, climbed the hill at the Burton Island causeway and scoped the marsh. There weren't many waterfowl around because of hunting pressure, but an American Bittern standing at the edge of the marsh enjoying the morning sun more then made up for that. Then, we quickly birded the VFW (250 Brant), Bethany Beach (40 Horned Grebe just off shore) and Indian River Inlet (same as during my Head Start Field Trip except the Great Cormorants were back and the Common Eiders were gone). As we headed north, we saw a Black-crowned Night-Heron flying over the marsh just north of the inlet. A quick stop at Silver Lake produced a Redhead (thanks Rodney) as well as the usual. At Cape Henlopen SP, the point was quiet, but we did enjoy watching the flock of 60 or so Snow Bunting work their way toward us from way out at the point to the dunes 100 yards away. With Prime Hook NWR closed, we decided to move towards Fowler Beach. We stopped at a large field on Thirteen Curves Road where the farmer was plowing and spreading liquid manure. Hundreds of gulls and a few vultures were eating worms in the freshly plowed area right along the road edge. Within a few minutes we had three Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Bruce found an adult Nelson's Gull. This bird is a Herring Gull X Glaucous Gull hybrid and is an old friend having winter in the area for at least the past three years. We moved on and had just turned onto Cods Road and stopped to admire a Peregrine Falcon when my cell rang. I answered and Ed Sigda told me that he was sitting on Thirteen Curves Road at a plowed field and he had a first year Glaucous Gull. We made a U-turn and three minutes later we were back where had been a few minutes earlier looking a Glaucous Gull. We joined up with Ed and moved on to Fowler Beach where Ed located the adult Iceland Gull; another old friend that has wintered at Fowler Beach for at least five years. We ended the day with a trip down Prime Hook Beach Road (two Greater Yellowlegs in the marsh) to Delaware Bay at the southern end of Prime Hook Beach. Before us were 20,000+ Snow Geese with hundreds more pouring in by minute. The geese were in two large rafts with the closest one beginning to displace the gulls including five Lesser Black-backed Gulls from the sandbar just off the beach. Surely, we could find a Ross's Goose in this mix. Ed had one for a moment but it was quickly lost in the moving mass of white before Bruce and I could get on. After a half hour, we gave up and had to be satisfied with the four Cackling Geese that were found. Frank Rohrbacher Wilmington, Delaware Subject: Newark Reservoir From: John Barczewski <cosmo123 AT EARTHLINK.NET> Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:11:46 -0500 During my walk today at the Newark Reservoir, 3-4pm, I watched six Bald Eagles fly over from East to West. In a 20 minute span, they flew the same path, individualy- four adults and two juveniles. My guess is that they were headed back to Conowingo after a day on the Bay. Though mostly frozen, the open water on the Reservoir held 100+ Canada Geese, one Snow Goose, Mallards and Ring-Billed Gulls. Yesterday at Bombay Hook, with great company and after lunch at the Smyrna Diner, we spotted a Hairy Woodpecker, Great Blue Herons, Whistling Swans, three Bald Eagles, a Coopers Hawk, a Red-Tailed Hawk, a Kestrel, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Black Ducks, Pintails and one Grey Ghost. The only Snow Goose population was seen in a field on Route 9 North of Whitehall Neck Road. Subject: Chester Co. Bucktoe Creek Preserve From: Joe Sebastiani <bunker17 AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:52:18 -0500 Join us Sunday and Monday at 8am for the free bird walk at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve near Kennett Square, PA. Sunday Andrew Homsey will lead and Monday, it will be Carol Majors. The weather is supposed to be wet Sunday, and if there is a cancellation it will be posted at http://bucktoecreekpreserve.org where you can also find directions to the site. Joe Sebastiani Delaware Nature Society Subject: Redhead at Silver Lake From: Rodney Murray <rodmurray_1999 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:15:53 -0800 I ran into a couple of MD birders at Silver Lake in Rehoboth who spotted a REDHEAD not far from the little pull-off by the road.  It seemed to spend most of its time separate from all the Canvasbacks, but I suppose it mixes in as well.  It was located in the general area where the Black-bellied Whistling Duck stayed for most of last year.  (No, not the lawn across the street!) Rodney Murray, Middletown Subject: RBA: Birdline Delaware, January 15th, 2010 From: Andy Ednie <ednieap AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:26:39 -0500 RBA * Delaware * Statewide * January 15, 2010 * DEST1001.15 *Birds mentioned Northern Shoveler Gadwall American Wigeon Canvasback Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Long-tailed Duck Common Eider Black Scoter Surf Scoter Common Goldeneye Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Ruddy Duck Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Red-throated Loon Brown Pelican Great Cormorant Bald Eagle Golden Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk American Coot Black-bellied Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Ruddy Turnstone Purple Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Black-headed Gull Bonaparte's Gull Iceland Gull Thayer's Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Barred Owl Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Golden-crowned Kinglet Winter Wren Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Brown Thrasher Gray Catbird American Pipit Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Common Yellowthroat Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: January 15, 2010 Number: 302-658-2747 To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE) Compiler: Andy Ednie (ednieap AT verizon.net) Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern New Jersey, Maryland Transcriber: Andy Ednie (ednieap AT verizon.net) For Friday, January 15th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The 2010 Unofficial Delaware State Year now stands at 137 species this week Last Saturday, an adult THAYER'S GULL was reported at Fowler's Beach, on the north side of Prime Hook NWR. Fowler's Beach has had limited access due to storm damage this winter. Two adult ICELAND GULLS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were also reported there. HOODED MERGANSER and PIED BILLED GREBE were seen along Cods Rd. A WILSON'S SNIPE was seen along Truitt Rd. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and an EASTERN PHOEBE, two rare species in the state this winter, were reported at the Cemetery at Prime Hook Headquarters. A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was seen along the Dike Trail. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and BROWN THRASHER were also seen near the headquarters. FOX SPARROWS were seen near Turkle Pond. A dozen CHIPPING SPARROWS and 2 EASTERN TOWHEES were seen at Deep Branch Road. The previously reported BLACK-HEADED GULLS were present all week at the Wolfs' Neck Sewage Treatment Plant between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. An adult and immature were both present yesterday, along with a BONAPARTE'S GULL. The turn for Wolfe's Neck is next to the Wawa opposite Rt. 24 on Rt. 1 near Rehoboth. A BROWN PELICAN was spotted on the docks at the north marina at Indian River Inlet last week. Up to 4 COMMON EIDERS, plus LONG-TAILED DUCK, SURF and BLACK SCOTER continue to be seen at the Inlet. GREAT CORMORANT, RED-THROATED LOON, RUDDY TURNSTONE and PURPLE SANDPIPERS are also being seen there. 400-500 CANVASBACKS were seen on Silver Lake in Rehoboth Beach. Good numbers of RUDDY DUCK and NORTHERN SHOVELER, plus 2 AMERICAN COOTS were also seen there. About 200 RUDDY DUCKS were seen along Bald Eagle Creek near Rehoboth Country Club, along with 12 KILLDEER and 75 DUNLIN. A big flock of 40 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were seen at Mispillion Inlet along with several hundred DUNLINS and a GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Ducks offshore included GREATER SCAUP, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and BUFFLEHEAD. A single RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, plus YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, BROWN THRASHER, WINTER WREN and EASTERN BLUEBIRD were near Abbott's Mill Nature Center. Blair's Pond near Milford had a single drake CANVASBACK, AMERICAN WIGEON, GADWALL, RING-NECKED DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, and PIED-BILLED GREBE. A LONG-EARED OWL was reported at Finis Pool in Bombay Hook NWR this week. AMERICAN PIPITS were reported at the refuge, along with HOODED MERGANSERS. 7-9 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were at the feeders this week. 9 WILD TURKEYS were along Rt. 9 at the Alle House Road. EASTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen along Whitehall Neck Rd. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen at sunset from the fishing pier along the Port Mahon Road. In northern Delaware, a GOLDEN EAGLE was reported at Rockland near Brandywine Creek State Park. A BARRED OWL was seen along the lower White-Clay Creek at Stanton, across from the entrance to Delaware Park. 2 BALD EAGLES were seen over the Astra Zeneca headquarters at the intersection of Rt 202 and 141. Another BALD EAGLE was seen eating on the ice at the bridge over Churchman's Marsh off I-95 today. PIED-BILLED GREBE and COMMON MERGANSERS were seen at Hoopes' Reservoir. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS continue to be seen at the Hillside Mill Road cove. An immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK has been seen daily at Ashland Nature Center in the vicinity of Hawk Watch Hill. A GRAY CATBIRD was reported at the Baxter Tract near Odessa. Birding the Tybout's section of Blackbird State Forest near Townsend produced PILEATED WOODPECKER and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, along with YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and HERMIT THRUSH. And now for this week's special feature from WILM News Radio. It is written in the Bible, "Consider the fowl of the air". So today, let's reflect back about avian happenings in Delaware last year. The final state year list recorded 328 species in the state, that's about 80% of the species know to occur here. Last year, Delaware was in the pink with ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, a species previously never seen in the state. Not just one showed up, but as many as 2-4 birds were reported in all 3 counties. This big pink wader related to Flamingos is normally found in Florida. Another new state record was a TROPICAL KINGBIRD found last fall in Broadkill Beach. This Austral migrant normally moves south for the summer in South America during our winter. Occasional, one gets its navigation backwards and shows up on the east coast of North America. Other rare visitors include WHITE-WINGED DOVE, EURASIAN GOLDEN PLOVER, RUFF and CURLEW SANDPIPER, all near Bombay Hook. No place in America beats Kent Co. for birding in late July and August! The state continues its Breeding Bird Atlas. Compared to the atlas 25 years ago, this will determine how much change occurred in our ecology. Birds are an excellent barometer of change because of their rapid generational cycle. Two hawk watches continue to monitor Delaware's raptors (Red-tail SFx). But, both watches perform an even greater duty, observing the fall migration. Cape Henlopen had WESTERN KINGBIRD and LARK SPARROW, while at Ashland, WOOD STORK and SHORT-EARED OWL were seen. Maintaining both of these sites is essential, we are just beginning to understand Delaware's role in fall migration. Birding is a great outdoor activity because each year starts a new season and the next surprise is just around the corner. Special thanks this week Maurice Barnhill, Lynn Smith, Frank Rohrbacher, Steve Graff, Colin Campbell, Barbara Conway, Ed Sigda, Jason Beale, and Mike Moore for their observations. You can call 302-792-9591 or email ednieap AT verizon.net to report your observations or make a contribution to the Unofficial Delaware State Year List for 2010. Thanks for calling and until next week, good birding. -end transcript Andy Ednie Claymont, Delaware Subject: DOS Meeting (Wed 1/20): CBC Roundup and Chili Night From: Matthew Sarver <ammodram AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:48:19 -0800 (PST) Greetings all, Please join the Delmarva Ornithological Society for our monthly meeting this Wednesday, 1/20 at the DUPONT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTERon the riverfront in Wilmington, DE. ****PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENT LOCATION!**** We are taking advantage of the opportunity to meet in this brand new facility for this special meeting! Speaker: Jim White (and friends) Topic: Christmas Bird Count Roundup and Chili Night Join us for the annual wrap-up of this year's Christmas Bird Counts. The weather this year was uncharacteristically brutal during several of the state's counts, so there will be plenty of great stories! Find out who saw what where, and learn about all of the trends, tallies, and twitches of the 2009-2010 Delaware CBC season! Take the chill off by sampling the fare as we continue the tradition of our Annual Chili Night! If you'll be attending and would like to bring chili, bread / cornbread, or dessert, please email me at ammodram AT yahoo.com The meeting will begin at 7:00 PMwith a social half-hour, followed by Society business at 7:30. Our main program will begin at approximately 8:15. The DuPont Environmental Education Center is located on the Wilmington Riverfront at 1400 Delmarva Lane, south of Frawley Stadium. After passing the former Shipyard Shop outlets on your left, follow the signs to the driveway of the center. Directions and a map can be found at: http://www.duponteec.org/?page_id=54 I hope to see all of you there! Matt Sarver Vice President and Program Chair Delmarva Ornithological Society Subject: DOS Meeting (Wed 1/20): CBC Roundup and Chili Night From: Matthew Sarver <ammodram AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:48:19 -0800 Greetings all, Please join the Delmarva Ornithological Society for our monthly meeting this Wednesday, 1/20 at the DUPONT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTERon the riverfront in Wilmington, DE. ****PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENT LOCATION!**** We are taking advantage of the opportunity to meet in this brand new facility for this special meeting! Speaker: Jim White (and friends) Topic: Christmas Bird Count Roundup and Chili Night Join us for the annual wrap-up of this year's Christmas Bird Counts. The weather this year was uncharacteristically brutal during several of the state's counts, so there will be plenty of great stories! Find out who saw what where, and learn about all of the trends, tallies, and twitches of the 2009-2010 Delaware CBC season! Take the chill off by sampling the fare as we continue the tradition of our Annual Chili Night! If you'll be attending and would like to bring chili, bread / cornbread, or dessert, please email me at ammodram AT yahoo.com The meeting will begin at 7:00 PMwith a social half-hour, followed by Society business at 7:30. Our main program will begin at approximately 8:15. The DuPont Environmental Education Center is located on the Wilmington Riverfront at 1400 Delmarva Lane, south of Frawley Stadium. After passing the former Shipyard Shop outlets on your left, follow the signs to the driveway of the center. Directions and a map can be found at: http://www.duponteec.org/?page_id=54 I hope to see all of you there! Matt Sarver Vice President and Program Chair Delmarva Ornithological Society Subject: February 6 Winter Pelagic / Dovekie Hunt to DE & MD Waters From: Paul Guris <paulagics.com AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:37:42 -0500 Seabirders & Potential Seabirders- We are once again running our annual winter pelagic on Saturday, February 6. As usual, we'll be sailing from Lewes, DE aboard either the 85' Thelma Dale IV or the 110' Thelma Dale V. We plan on visiting both Delaware and Maryland waters. If conditions are right, the captain may once again drop the boat right on the state line for a while so that birds on one side of the boat count in DE, birds on the other side count in the MD, and anything that crosses the bow or stern is countable is BOTH states! I'm always nervous making statements like this, but we've never missed Dovekie on this trip. Our best year found over 4,000, and even "bad" years have produced close to 100. The water conditions that we want for finding these neat little birds are setting up nicely off the coast, so we have an excellent chance of finding them again. Other birds we've seen on this trip in the past include Razorbill, Common and Thick-billed Murre, Northern Fulmar, Northern Gannet, Glaucous, Iceland, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and Black-legged Kittiwake. We also expect to find more common seabirds like Common and Red-throated Loons, all 3 species of scoter, Long-tailed Duck, and Red-breasted Merganser. The trip cost is $165, and the boat sails at 6:00 AM, returning at roughly 6:00 PM. To make a reservation, go to our web site or you can contact us by phone or e-mail. Hope to see you aboard. -PAG -- Paul A. Guris See Life Paulagics PO Box 161 Green Lane, PA 18054 215-234-6805 info AT paulagics.com Subject: Work Bird From: Andy Ednie <ednieap AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:17:43 -0500 I had an interesting bird while leaving work today. Pulling out onto Rt. 7near Stanton, a Barred Owl flew over the road at the bridge over the White Clay Creek. It landed along the golf course near the entrance to Delaware Park. Years ago, we regularly saw Barred Owls near this spot, at the Artesian Water pine woods. Maybe now that they removed houses at Glenville from storm flooded Stanton, the owls will move back. Judging by the current trend of anthropomorphism that I've been reading, I guess I'll call this bird "Floyd the Barred Owl". Andy Ednie Claymont, Delaware