| Current
report - Thursday April 24, 2008
- Birds Mentioned
Click Here for species
accounts for many of these birds
White-faced
Ibis +
Mississippi Kite ++
Eurasian Whimbrel +
California
Gull +
Eurasian
Collared-Dove +
Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher +
Painted Bunting
+++
White-winged
Crossbill (MD)
+ (Details requested by New
Jersey Birds Records Committee)
++ (Details requested by Pennsylvania
Ornthological Records Committee)
+++ (Details requested by Delaware
Records Committee)
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron X Great Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Black-crowned Night-heron
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Glossy Ibis
Greater White-fronted Goose
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Common Goldeneye
Mississippi Kite
Northern Goshawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Merlin
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Northern Bobwhite
Clapper Rail
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Golden-plover
Piping Plover
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Red Knot
Least Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Ruff
American Woodcock
Parasitic Jaeger
Bonaparte's Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Royal Tern
Least Tern
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Whip-poor-will
Red-headed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Horned Lark
Bank Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Sedge Wren
Blue-winged Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Summer Tanager
Vesper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Rusty Blackbird
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert
Email reports to:
Compilers: Steve Kacir and
Tony Croasdale - Delaware
Valley Ornithological Club
Phone: (215) 240-7547
URL: http://www.dvoc.org/RBA/Current/Active/Index.htm
Welcome to 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 birding in the Greater Philadelphia Region. For April 24,
2008 we highlight reports of WHITE-FACED IBIS in Cumberland County, NJ;
MISSISSIPPI KITES in Dauphin County, PA & Warren County, NJ; EURASIAN
WHIMBREL and EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE in Cape May County, NJ; CALIFORNIA
GULL in Monmouth County, NJ; SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in Atlantic County,
NJ; PAINTED BUNTING in Sussex County, DE; EVENING GROSBEAKS in Somerset
County, NJ and Cameron County, PA and RUFF in Sussex County, DE.
For New Jersey:
Cape
May County:
On Apr 23, a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was at Cape May Point near the intersection
of Lincoln Ave & Lehigh Ave. A EURASIAN WHIMBREL was noted in a flock
of WHIMBREL at Stone Harbor’s Wetlands Institute on Apr 21. Nummy’s
Island had 17 WHIMBRELS, TRICOLORED HERON and LITTLE BLUE HERON on Apr
20. That day, WHIMBRELS flew over Cape May, and The Villas WMA had 2 RED-HEADED
WOODPECKERS. On Apr 18, Higbee Beach WMA had a YELLOW-THROATED VIREO.
PIPING PLOVERS were on the beach at the The
Nature Conservancy Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge (The Meadows). A
LEAST TERN and 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS were spotted from the refuge’s
beach on Apr 23. On Apr 19, the Rea Farm had RUSTY BLACKBIRDS and AMERICAN
WOODCOCK. Highlights from Belleplain State Forest this week included PROTHONOTARY
WARBLER and WORM-EATING WARBLER.
Cumberland
County:
Heislerville WMA had 350 GLOSSY IBIS on Apr 19. A WHITE-FACED IBIS was
at Heislerville WMA Apr 22-23, seen at the large impoundment on the south
side of Matt’s Landing Rd and at the rear impoundment. On Apr 18,
a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was at Peaslee WMA.
Atlantic
County:
On Apr 23 SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was feeding in the field after the
dike road and before the woods at Edwin
B Forsythe NWR at Brigantine
. A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER and WORM-EATING WARBLER were at the Corbin City
impoundments of Tuckahoe WMA on Apr 20.
Monmouth
County:
An eBird report noted a CALIFORNIA GULL at Sandy
Hook ’s Horseshoe Cove on Apr 19. MERLINS and BROAD-WINGED HAWKS
flew by the Sandy Hook Migration Watch this week. The Migration Watch
noted RED-THROATED LOON, NASHVILLE WARBLER and PINE SISKIN on Apr 21;
an AMERICAN BITTERN on Apr 18 and 5 GLOSSY IBIS on Apr 23. On Apr 19 Sandy
Hook’s birds included an AMERICAN BITTERN at the North Pond, 2 LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS at the end of Fisherman’s Trail, a BARRED OWL
just south of Guardian Park, GLOSSY IBIS and 5 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES.
The next day, Sandy Hook had a WINTER WREN and NORTHERN PARULA.
Burlington
County:
Three PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS, along with single HOODED, BLUE-WINGED and
WORM-EATING WARBLERS were at the Hawkins Rd area on Apr 24.
Gloucester
County:
Two NORTHERN BOBWHITES called from the National Park Dredge Spoils on
Apr 21. An adult male CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, PRAIRIE WARBLER, OVENBIRD
and BLUE-HEADED VIREO were found along Floodgates Rd, Repaupo on Apr 24.
Middlesex
County:
Two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were reported through
Apr 20 at the 10 acre flooded patch of dead wood in the Avenel section
of Woodbridge, 600 yards northwest of Omar Ave and Blair Rd.
Somerset
County:
On Apr 17, three EVENING GROSBEAKS dined on maple tree flowers at Six
Mile Run State Park before flying towards the Six Mile Run floodplain.
They were in a wet area about an eighth of a mile behind the headquarters
parking lot, near where the park stores trees and shrubs for transplanting.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS sang from behind the headquarters building of Six
Mile Run on Apr 24, and a few were also at Negri-Nepote Native Grassland
Preserve. Schermann-Hoffman Sanctuary had PURPLE FINCHES at the feeders
and a WINTER WREN at a stream near Hardscrabble Rd. A PILEATED WOODPECKER
was also at the Sanctuary.
Hunterdon
County:
PURPLE FINCHES visited a feeder in Tewksbury through Apr 20. BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS flew over Califon through Apr 19. A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was
at the north end of Bull’s Island State Park on Apr 20. Spruce
Run State Park had 35 COMMON LOONS near the swimming beach
on Apr 19.
Warren
County:
On Apr 19, a pair of MISSISSIPPI KITES flew over Route 57 and Brass Castle
Rd in Washington.
NJ Extralimitals:
At the border of Orange and Sussex Counties, a TRUMPETER SWAN was at the
Liberty Loop of Wallkill NWR through Apr 18.
For Delaware:
New
Castle County:
On Apr 19, PRAIRIE WARBLER, NORTHERN PARULA, OVENBIRD and PILEATED WOODPECKER
were at Brandywine
Creek State Park, and a HOODED WARBLER was at the wooded hillside
above the old orchard. On Apr 20, a Breeding Bird Atlas survey along the
Brandywine River found WARBLING VIREO, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO and PRAIRIE
WARBLER. A flock of 80 GLOSSY IBIS flew over Hockessin on Apr 19. Six
BALD EAGLES were roosting at the Thousand
Acre Marsh
on Apr 20. A WARBLING VIREO was at Ramsey Rd on Apr 23. A WHITE-EYED VIREO
and 3 PRAIRIE WARBLERS were at Middle Run Natural Area on Apr 22.
Kent
County:
On Apr 18, two AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were across from Shearness Pool
at Bombay Hook NWR. AMERICAN AVOCETS,
BLACK-NECKED STILTS, GLOSSY IBIS and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were
seen at Bombay Hook through the week. On Apr 22, a WILD TURKEY and NORTHERN
BOBWHITE were noted near Bombay Hook’s visitor center. Five AMERICAN
PIPITS were near the Allee House at Bombay Hook on Apr 20. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL was at Kitts
Hummockon Apr 19. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was with a small flock
of Snow Geese seen near the Florio house at Woodland Beach WA on Apr 20.
Sussex
County:
On Apr 21, a RUFF was discovered at Prime
Hook NWR on the north side of Broadkill Rd just past the hard left
hand turn at the last straight-away. The previous day, BLACK-NECKED STILTS
were seen at Fowler Beach Rd, Prime Hook Beach Rd and Broadkill Rd. Fowler
Beach had a ROYAL TERN on Apr 23. The boardwalk trail at Prime Hook had
VIRGINIA RAILS Apr 19 & 21. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were near the Prime Hook
Headquarters Area, the boardwalk trail and Fowler Beach Rd this week.
That day, Deep Branch Rd had PILEATED WOODPECKER and a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
near the creek. The Cape
Henlopen State Park Hawk Watch noted 22 MERLINS and 7 GLOSSY IBIS
on Apr 18. On Apr 20, fifteen MERLINS migrated past the hawk watch. A
PRAIRIE WARBLER sang near the hawk watch on Apr 17. On Apr 20, a PIPING
PLOVER was on the bayside of the point at Cape Henlopen. Thirty PURPLE
SANDPIPERS were on the jetty at the west end of Lewes on Apr 21. The Indian
River Inlet area had TRICOLORED HERONS and a PURPLE SANDPIPER on Apr
20.
Since January, a pair of PAINTED BUNTINGS had
visited Janet Davidson’s property near Georgetown. The BUNTINGS
were last seen on Apr 19. On Apr 22, Redden State Forest
had 2 BARRED OWLS, 1 KENTUCKY, 7 PROTHONOTARY and 4 WORM-EATING WARBLERS.
A VESPER SPARROW and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were along the north end of
Hunting Club Rd off Deer Forest Rd in Redden SF on Apr 22. Another VESPER
SPARROW was found along Waller Rd near the sharp bend south of Gum Crossroads
(DeLorme P44, C-2). On Apr 19, a COMMON GOLDENEYE was on Griffith Lake.
Hunting Quarter Rd and Mesibov Rd had GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS on Apr 20.
On Apr 19, the DuPont Nature
Center at Mispillion Harbor had SEASIDE and SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED
SPARROWS and a preening CLAPPER RAIL. Six RED KNOTS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL were at Mispillion Light on Apr 21, and 2 WHIMBRELS flew by on Apr
23. Slaughter Beach had a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on Apr 19 and hundreds
of AMERICAN AVOCETS and BONAPARTE’S GULLS Apr 19-20. BARRED OWL,
GREAT HORNED OWL and WHIP-POOR-WILL called from Big Stone Beach Rd at
Milford Neck WA on Apr 20. Other birds at Milford Neck included BROWN-HEADED
NUTHATCH, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, PRAIRIE WARBLER, WHITE-EYED VIREO and
WILD TURKEY. A SEDGE WREN was at Milford Neck as well, near a water control
device down a gravel road that goes through successional field and marsh
habitat. Trap Pond State Park had a singing SUMMER TANAGER on Apr 23 and
a YELLOW-THROATED VIREO on Apr 22. The Great Cypress Swamp Conservation
Area had PILEATED WOODPECKERS, OVENBIRD, YELLOW-THROATED, WORM-EATING
and PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS on Apr 21.
For Pennsylvania:
Philadelphia
County:
John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
had a RUSTY BLACKBIRD and WILD TURKEYS on Apr 18. A WHIP-POOR-WILL sang
in northwest Philadelphia near Cresheim Valley Dr between the Mt Airy
and Chestnut Hill sections of the city on Apr 19.
Delaware
County:
The Rose Tree Park
Hawk Watch reported migrating COMMON LOONS, MERLINS and BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS this week.
Chester
County:
The previously reported RED-HEADED WOODPECKER at Hibernia
County Park
was still in tall trees between Pavilion 1 and its nearest parking lot
through Apr 20. The area can be accessed from the road that leads to the
old dam. HORNED LARKS were noted at Shamona Creek Elementary School on
Apr 20.
Montgomery
County:
On Apr 19, a YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was in a tree over Skippack
Creek at Evansburg
State Park . A yard in Green Lane has been consistently attracting
around 50 PURPLE FINCHES through Apr 17.
Bucks
County:
Peace
Valley Park
reported BONAPARTE’S GULL, 25-30 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and PURPLE
FINCHES. There were 5-6 COMMON LOONS on Lake Galena on Apr 18, and the
next day reports included BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 20 BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS and WHITE-EYED VIREO. Birds at the Bradford Dam area included a
GLOSSY IBIS and DUNLIN on Apr 19. A SPOTTED SANDPIPER was at Warminster
Community Park that day. An adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was at
Churchville Nature Center
(see also)
on Apr 20, seen from Elm Ave at the eastern end of the eastern pond. Core
Creek Park had a SPOTTED SANDPIPER on Apr 22.
Northampton
County:
GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS sang near Spring Hill Rd in Allen Twp on Apr 18.
An ICELAND GULL was at Green Pond on Apr 18. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS
were at Green Pond through the week with a high count of 69 on Apr 22.
WHIP-POOR-WILLS called from National Park Drive on Apr 13, and 2 NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSHES were seen at the end of the road on Apr 14. A YELLOW-THROATED
WARBLER was at the Bethlehem Boat Club on Apr 19. On Apr 21, the Hanoverville
Rd retention pond attracted LEAST SANDPIPERS and an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER.
That day, a RUFFED GROUSE was at Little Gap. Martin’s Creek had
SPOTTED SANDPIPER and BANK SWALLOW that day. A VESPER SPARROW was at Schlegel
Rd, and a GRASSHOPPER was at Spring Hill Rd.
Schuylkill
County:
The area around DeHaas Run had BLUE-HEADED VIREO and BROAD-WINGED HAWKS
on Apr 19. A SPOTTED SANDPIPER was at Sweet Arrow Lake on Apr 20. On Apr
22, a MERLIN was at Air Products Sanctuary, and a GRASSHOPPER was at the
reclaimed minelands outside of Kelayres.
Berks
County:
Three COMMON LOONS were on Blue Marsh Lake on Apr 18. Lake Ontelaunee
had 5 COMMON LOONS, and a TUNDRA SWAN was at School Rd. An AMERICAN BITTERN
was found near Morgantown on Apr 18. Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary had flights of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS and COMMON LOONS
this week.
Lancaster
County:
Lancaster County Central Park had WARBLING VIREOS on Apr 19. The next
day, 2 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS were at the park headquarters. A SORA
called from the lower marshy area of Woods Edge Park. On Apr 23, the Safe
Harbor area had YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, WHITE-EYED and WARBLING VIREOS.
Lebanon
County:
Up to 15 PURPLE FINCHES have been visiting a yard in southern Lebanon
County. On Apr 19, the Second Mountain Hawk Watch noted 41 BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS and 32 COMMON LOONS. SGL-145 had YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS Apr 19-20,
and WARBLING VIREO on Apr 20. Five COMMON LOONS were at Memorial Lake
State Park on Apr 20.
PA Extralimitals:
A GREAT BLUE HERON X GREAT EGRET was reported from Canonsburg Lake in
Washington County on Apr 17; this hybrid was first reported there on April
4, 2004 and returns every spring. A MISSISSIPPI KITE flew over a yard
in Harrisburg, Dauphin County on Apr 18. A flock of EVENING GROSBEAKS
visited a feeder in Emporium, Cameron County through Apr 20.
EXTRALIMITAL
MARYLAND:
On Apr 21, the WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL returned to feeders it had previously
visited in Silver Spring, Montgomery County. The bird can be seen from
the Sligo Creek Pkwy: Look north towards the hill at the wooden deck with
hanging feeders at the three sewer caps on the north side of the parkway.
*** ANNOUNCEMENTS ***
On April 26, Steve
Kacir will lead a DVOC field trip to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
Area in New Castle County, DE. The trip will meet at 3:30AM at the intersection
of S Reedy Point Rd and Dutch Neck Rd. Target species include King Rail,
Virginia Rail, Sora, Common Moorhen, Marsh Wren and Sedge Wren. Please
contact Steve Kacir if you plan on attending. Additional information,
including directions to the meeting location and contact information for
the trip leader are on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org. Details
are on the website, and guests are always welcome.
The next meeting of the DVOC is on Thursday May 1 at
7:30pm at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, when Bill Fintel
will present “Antarctica and Seabirds of the Southern Oceans.”
Sarah Warner will present an Ornithological Study entitled “Swamp
Sparrows – A Mystery Unfolds.” The meeting after that will
be on May 15, featuring Debi Shearwater’s “Penguins of the
World.” Details are on the website, and guests are always welcome.
On Apr 19,
Jane Henderson will lead a Wyncote Audubon field trip to Fort Washington
State Park in Montgomery County, PA. The trip meets at the Militia Hill
parking lot at 8:00AM. Contact the trip leader at (215) 836-1965 or jane_henderson
AT comcast.net
Spring Migration is underway. For a bird’s eye
view of the phenomenon and some birding forecasts, check out David La
Puma’s Woodcreeper.com website at http://www.woodcreeper.com
Or read his forecasts at http://birdcapemay.org/bfma
The second Delaware Breeding Bird Atlas kicks off this
year. Please consider taking part in this massive citizen science project
to study the map the distribution of birds breeding in Delaware and compare
the data with that gathered by the first Delaware Breeding Bird Atlas
from 20 years ago. For more information contact the BBA Coordinator, Anthony
Gonzon at [email protected] or (302)-653-2880.
More information is available at: http://www.fw.delaware.gov/BBA
A hybrid LESSER BLACK-BACKED X HERRING GULL hatched
and was banded this past summer at Appledore Island in Maine. The bird
has a large white-on-green “N02” band on the left leg, and
a silver ring on the right. If you see this bird, please contact Bill
Etter or email us at
and we will forward the sightings to the interested parties. For photos
of this gull, visit http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v230/billetter/Apple/
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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