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Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert
Last updated
Thursday, November 8, 2007 7:19 AM
Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert - Thursday July 26,
2007
brought to you from Philadelphia by the Delaware
Valley Ornithological Club and the Academy of Natural Sciences
Presently this RBA is only available on the web. It will also be available via phone when some technical issues are worked out.
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Current report - July 26, 2007 * PA, NJ, DE - Birds Mentioned Western Reef-heron + (Details requested by NJBRC) Northern Gannet - Transcript Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert This is 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 Regions of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I'm Steve Kacir, your guide for all things birding. For Thursday July 26, 2007 we highlight reports of WESTERN REEF-HERON, ROSEATE SPOONBILL, CURLEW SANDPIPER, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, WHITE-FACED IBIS and MISSISSIPPI KITE plus seasonal and local reports of interest. Remember to check out the website for additional content and information: www.dvoc.org/RBA/Index.htm EXTRALIMITAL: A WESTERN REEF-HERON continued to delight and frustrate
birders just outside the Delaware Valley in Brooklyn, NY. The bird at
times frequents Calvert Vaux Park, formerly Drier-Offerman Park at the
tidal edges of the flats on the east side of the park. Most of the recent
sightings have been from a Home Depot near the park. The bird was seen
in this area on July 20,22 and 24-25, but it moves around a lot and often
its location is unknown. If you try for the REEF-HERON, low tide may be
the better time to look for it, though it has been observed at both high
and low tides. Directions and additional details on the bird's feeding
range can be found on Metro Birding Briefs:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/btblue/ For New Jersey: A subadult ROSEATE SPOONBILL at Brigantine (Edwin B Forsythe NWR) continued to delight birders from July 19-24. The bird has been seen most reliably in the evening from 6-8pm at the Gull Pond, though early morning has also proved fruitful. Unless the bird decides to feed out in the open, you will need patience and persistence to spot it. Though past sightings have been from the Gull Tower, the very end of the north dike where the road returns to the mainland, the last bridge between the lily ponds before the tour road ends, and from the dike roads that are posted "Area Closed." Click Here to see recent pictures of this bird on Karl and Judy Lukens's website. A possible VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW was discovered at Brigantine on July 24. The bird was flew over the Gull Pond before heading south toward the Egret Pond. Other Brigantine highlights through the week included LEAST BITTERNS, AMERICAN BITTERN, WHIMBRELS, BLUE GROSBEAK, CATTLE EGRETS, NORTHERN HARRIER, BLUE-WINGED TEAL & BANK SWALLOW. CASPIAN TERN was noted at the refuge July 22-23. On July 24, sightings of interest included: 21 STILT SANDPIPERS, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 48 WHIMBREL, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW & CLIFF SWALLOW. On July 19, a breeding plumaged male CURLEW SANDPIPER was relocated at Stone Harbor Point. It has not been seen since. Other birds at the Point on July 19 included ~100 WESTERN SANDPIPER, 18 RED KNOT, 2 MARBLED GODWITS, STILT SANDPIPER, WESTERN WILLET and 40 BROWN PELICANS. On July 20 2 juvenile PEREGRINE FALCONS were at the point, and a TRICOLORED HERON prowled Hereford Inlet while 18 WHIMBREL were on Nummy’s Island. A ROSEATE TERN was found at Stone Harbor July 21, and the next day there were 2 MARBLED GODWITS, 25 RED KNOTS, 700 SANDERLINGS and a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. On July 26, 4 TRICOLORED HERONS were noted at Nummy’s Island. On nearby Champagne Island the tern colony has new tern chicks hatching. COMMON TERN chicks and at least one ROYAL TERN chick have been found. On July 20 there were 2 pairs of GULL-BILLED TERNS on the island. A fledgling SANDWICH TERN was roosting there on July 22. Highlights from the Meadows included, a flock of 15 WHIMBREL and BLUE GROSBEAK on July 24. The continuing NORTHERN BOBWHITE, PIPING PLOVERS, WESTERN SANDPIPERS and a first summer LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were noted July 24-25. NORTHERN GANNETS were spotted from the beach at the Meadows on July 21-23. A PARASITIC JAEGER hunted the rips on July 24 as did NORTHERN GANNETS and BROWN PELICANS. On July 24, Cape May Point State Park’s avifauna included a juvenile LITTLE BLUE HERON, 4 STILT SANDPIPERS, WESTERN SANDPIPERS and GULL-BILLED TERNS were present at the Park. A BLACK TERN frequented the area July 21-24 & 26, and juvenile COOPER’S HAWKS have been seen in the area through the week. A MISSISSIPPI KITE and a PEREGRINE FALCON were sighted at the park on a CMBO field trip July 22, and a HOODED WARBLER was heard from the second observation platform on Lighthouse Pond. On July 19 the Bunker Pond had attracted a STILT SANDPIPER and a juvenile PIPING PLOVER, and 3 PIPING PLOVERS and 4 GULL-BILLED TERNS were found July 26. Songbird migration continues to trickle in with reports of flyby BOBOLINKS in Cape May through the week. A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH put in appearances at the Rea Farm (aka Beanery) on July 24, and PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS were noted along the railroad tracks. A GREAT HORNED OWL flushed from Higbee’s Beach on July 23, and a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and 3 BLUE GROSBEAK were also present. At Cattus Island in Toms River 2 Tricolored Herons were observed on July 25. On Assiscong Marsh hosted a juvenile AMERICAN BITTERN July 22-26 and BANK SWALLOWS on the 22nd and 23rd. A CLIFF SWALLOW and six species of shorebirds were present July 23, while a LEAST BITTERN was noted on July 24. Two GLOSSY IBISES were found there on July 25-26 as well as a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH on the 25th. A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH visited a feeder at a private residence in Randolph.
On July 23 a WHITE-FACED IBIS was seen at Raymond Pool at Bombay Hook NWR. The IBIS was a drab breeding plumaged adult with red eyes, almost peach colored legs & facial skin with little white around the face. Other highlights from the refuge early in the week included GULL-BILLED TERNS, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, AMERICAN AVOCETS, BLACK-NECKED STILTS including young STILTS, YELLOW & BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, CATTLE EGRETS, NORTHERN PINTAIL, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, LITTLE BLUE HERON, NORTHERN HARRIER, CASPIAN TERN, BANK SWALLOWS and BLUE GROSBEAK. Many of these same species were noted on July 24 as well as a BLACK TERN and BALD EAGLES, but a juvenile BONAPARTE’S GULL and a male WILSON’S PHALAROPE at the north end of Raymond Pool reportedly stole the show. Taylor’s Gut highlights from July 21 included SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and flyby BOBOLINKS. The next day good numbers of BANK SWALLOWS were staging in that area. A GULL-BILLED TERN was at the pond behind the Florio house on July 24. A LEAST BITTERN flew across the road on July 21 at Port Mahon. Birders found a NORTHERN PARULA and a COOPER’S HAWK at Ted Harvey WA on July 21. GULL-BILLED TERNS were present July 21 at Prime Hook NWR. A PECTORAL SANDPIPER and a WESTERN SANDPIPER were near the road to Prime Hook Beach on July 24. Six Whimbrel flew over Herring Point at Cape Henlopen on July 24. For Pennsylvania: Water levels at John Heinz NWR at Tinicum in Philadelphia County are very good for shorebirds; 9 species were seen on the morning of July 24 including 150 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 750 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 2 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and PECTORAL SANDPIPER. A juvenile SANDERLING and a breeding plumaged LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER were seen on July 25, and 4 breeding plumaged STILT SANDPIPERS were found the next day. In Bucks County, the Pine Run Plegadis Sp. IBIS and a pair of BOBOLINK were still present as of July 20. At Tyler State Park 3 juvenile COOPER’S HAWKS and a singing YELLOW-THROATED VIREO were noted along the exercise loop on July 24. In Montgomery County, the area of the Church Rd Mudflats hosted an immature BALD EAGLE and eight species of shorebird including SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER & PECTORAL SANDPIPER on July 22. A singing male BLUE GROSBEAK was found in West Grove, Chester County. From the intersection of Guernsey and Tice Roads in West Grove, go west on Tice. Drive down Tice a few tenths of a mile to the lone tree bordering the cornfield on the left. The BLUE GROSBEAK was at the break in the corn just beyond the tree. At the Conejohela Flats in Lancaster County birds of note for July 21 included a CASPIAN TERN, LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, LESSER SCAUP, AMERICAN COOT, and 8 species of shorebird including SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and a single SANDERLING. On July 24, the Flats hosted a juvenile Plegadis IBIS Sp. and an adult GLOSSY IBIS was seen associating with the younger bird. Also present that day were 11 species of shorebirds including STILT SANDPIPERS and 2 SANDERLINGS. Highlights from July 25 included SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, HOODED MERGANSER, 11 BALD EAGLES, AMERICAN COOT and 2 CASPIAN TERNS. At Green Leaf St in the Schnecksville area, Lehigh County a birder found a leucistic juvenile HORNED LARK, GRASSHOPPER & VESPER SPARROWS on July 20. An adult BALD EAGLE was calling at the Bartram
Trail at Landingville in Berks
County on July 23. While 2 juvenile BLUE GROSBEAKS were found at Blue
Marsh. *** ANNOUNCEMENTS *** There is a DVOC field trip to Brigantine (Edwin B Forsythe NWR) scheduled for August 18, which will meet at the refuge headquarters at 8:00 am, there is no field trip fee and members and non-members are welcome to attend. Please contact the trip leader if you plan on attending. Details can be found on http://www.dvoc.org. The next meeting of the DVOC is on August 2, 2007. This is an informal meeting and will be held at Palmyra Cove Nature Center at 7:30pm. Sarah Thorp will present "The Delaware River Trail Project in Philadelphia" at this meeting. Details are on the website and guests are welcome. See Life Paulagics will be running pelagic trips in the Delaware Valley region in the next few months. Scheduled trips include an overnight trip out of Lewes, DE on Aug 23-24; a trip Aug 11 out of Lewes, DE; a trip out of Belmar, NJ on Aug 26; and a Sep 16 trip out of Freeport, NY. Details can be found on their website. The Delmarva Ornithological Society has undertaken an ambitious project to study the American Kestrel in Delaware, estimating population size, identifying reasons for the species decline in DE, and ultimately developing strategies for stabilizing the population or reversing the decline. Please report all summer kestrel sightings to the DOS website: http://www.dosbirds.org/kestrel/submit_sighting.php The New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory recently announced the launch of its new website BirdCapeMay.org, an on-line tool for birders, nature enthusiasts, and visitors to Cape May. Visit them on the web at 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
upcoming birding events and planned pelagic trips, please email
. This is Steve Kacir, good
birding to you all and thanks for calling, surfing and reporting.
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DVOC Rare Bird Alert Committee
Steve Kacir - Chair
Tony Croasdale
Bert Filemyr
Paul Guris
Rob Hynson
Mike Lyman
Nate Rice