| Current
report - Thursday May 1, 2008
- Birds Mentioned
Click Here for species
accounts for many of these birds
White-faced
Ibis +
Yellow Rail +
Yellow Rail +++
Wilson's Plover
++
White-winged Tern +++
+ (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
Horned Grebe
Great Cormorant
American Bittern
Least Bittern
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Greater White-fronted Goose
Eurasian Wigeon
Common Eider
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Broad-winged Hawk
Merlin
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Northern Bobwhite
King Rail
Virginia Rail
Sora
Common Moorhen
American Golden-plover
Piping Plover
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Whimbrel
Upland Sandpiper
Marbled Godwit
Red Knot
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Parasitic Jaeger
Little Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
Nelson's Gull (Glaucous X Herring Hybrid)
Great Black-backed Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Royal Tern
Common Tern
Least Tern
Black Skimmer
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Long-eared Owl
Chuck-will's-widow
Whip-poor-will
Red-headed Woodpecker
Acadian Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Common Raven
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Veery
American Pipit
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Vesper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Rusty Blackbird
Orchard Oriole
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 May 1,
2008 we highlight reports of WHITE-WINGED TERN in Kent County, DE; YELLOW
RAILS in Kent County, DE and Cumberland & Cape May Counties, NJ; WHITE-FACED
IBIS in Cumberland County, NJ; WILSON’S PLOVER in Erie County, PA
and EVENING GROSBEAKS in Cameron County, PA & New Castle County, DE.
For New Jersey:
Cape
May County:
A YELLOW RAIL called from Jake’s Landing on Apr 24. On Apr 26, the
Cruisin’ for Loons trip on the Cape May Whale Watcher found a MARBLED
GODWIT on Thorofare Island and had sightings of COMMON EIDER and WHIMBREL.
A MARBLED GODWIT was across the street from the
Two Mile Beach
Unit of the Cape May NWR on Apr 29, and Two Mile Beach had 8 GREAT
CORMORANTS, ROYAL TERNS, 34 PURPLE SANDPIPERS and 44 RED KNOTS on Apr
30. Five PARASITIC JAEGERS were at the rips off Cape May Point on Apr
30. An Apr 30 CMBO Cape May Point Walk saw PURPLE SANDPIPERS from the
dune crossover. On Apr 30, Nummy's
Islandhad
GREAT CORMORANT, TRICOLORED HERONS, 75 WHIMBREL, 150 RED KNOTS and an
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER that was in the thickets just south of the free
bridge. The high count for WHIMBREL at Nummy’s Island was 300 WHIMBREL
on Apr 26, and 150 WHIMBREL were at Stone Harbor Blvd that day. Three
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were seen from the bay side of 37th St in
Avalon on Apr 26.
A BLUE GROSBEAK was at the Rea Farm on Apr 26.
A CATTLE EGRET was seen near the Rea's
Farm (The Beanery)
and at the The
Nature Conservancy Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge (The Meadows) on
Apr 25. PIPING PLOVERS were on the beach at the refuge through the week.
An albinistic GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL and a NELSON’S GULL (Glaucous
X Herring Gull) were there on Apr 27. Highlights from Higbee Beach WMA
this week included RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BLUE GROSBEAKS and HOODED WARBLER.
A NORTHERN BOBWHITE called from Wilson Ave on Apr 25. The Villas WMA had
1-2 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS on Apr 27. Highlights from Belleplain State
Forest this week included BROAD-WINGED HAWK, BLUE-WINGED and HOODED WARBLERS.
Beaver Swamp WMA had GULL-BILLED TERNS on Apr 30.
Cumberland
County:
YELLOW RAILS called at Turkey Point Wildlife Area at the Glades Wildlife
Refuge through Apr 25, with 5 YELLOW RAILS heard on Apr 23. Turkey Point
had a YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON on Apr 25. The WHITE-FACED IBIS was seen
at Heislerville WMA through Apr 26, and BLACK SKIMMERS were there on Apr
30. BANK SWALLOWS and PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS were at Ackley Rd near the
railroad tracks.
Salem
County:
BOBOLINKS were at Featherbed Lane on Apr 29.
Atlantic
County:
Edwin B Forsythe NWR
at Brigantine
had over 60 WHIMBRELS through Apr 25, and a BLUE GROSBEAK was at the field
at the end of the wildlife drive on Apr 24. A shorebird survey at Great
Bay Blvd in Tuckerton noted 6-8 WHIMBRELS on Apr 29.
Ocean
County:
A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was at Mill Creek County Park on Apr 27. On Apr
29, Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station had GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS and
displaying UPLAND SANDPIPER.
Monmouth
County:
On Apr 24, a LONG-EARED OWL was near Sandy
Hook ’s parking area K and the locust grove, and an AMERICAN
BITTERN was at the North Pond. An immature female NORTHERN GOSHAWK was
seen in the area of the locust grove on Apr 30. A COMMON RAVEN flew past
the hawk watch platform on Apr 25. On Apr 25, a drake EURASIAN WIGEON
was on the small pond in Rumson, just north of the intersection of Hartshorne
and Navesink Roads. VEERY and WINTER WREN were noted from the Sandy Hook
Migration Watch on Apr 26. Other highlights from the count included BROAD-WINGED
HAWK and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH on Apr 25. MERLINS migrated past the hawk
watch platform Apr 24-26, with a high count of 25 MERLINS on Apr 24.
Burlington
County:
On Apr 24, Taylor’s Refuge in Cinnaminson had a LEAST BITTERN at
the southernmost marsh and a SORA at the north side of the west end. On
Apr 26, Palmyra Cove Nature Park had MARSH WREN, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH,
SCARLET TANAGER and WORM-EATING WARBLER. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were
at Florence on Apr 26. The Hawkins Rd area this week had YELLOW-BILLED
CUCKOO, possible KENTUCKY WARBLER, HOODED, PROTHONOTARY and WORM-EATING
WARBLERS.
Somerset
County:
Scherman-Hoffman
Sanctuary had PURPLE FINCHES on Apr 26. On Apr 26, GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS
sang at Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve. A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
was at the Delaware & Raritan Canal near the DeMott Lane footbridge
on May 1.
Warren
County:
HOODED WARBLERS sang from Old Mine Rd on Apr 26.
For Delaware:
New
Castle County:
On Apr 27, White
Clay Creek State Park had YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS and 6 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES.
A VEERY was noted there on Apr 29. ACADIAN FLYCATCHER was seen at White
Clay Creek on Apr 23. Highlights from the Ashland
Nature Center this week included WARBLING VIREOS, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER
and ORCHARD ORIOLE. Five possible EVENING GROSBEAKS flew over Ashland
on Apr 25. Middle Run Natural Area had ORCHARD ORIOLE and PRAIRIE WARBLER
on Apr 30. A vireo fallout occurred at Ramsey Rd on the morning of Apr
30, featuring many WARBLING VIREOS, YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS and WHITE-EYED
VIREOS. That day Flint Woods Preserve had a ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAKS and
a calling WHIP-POOR-WILL.
On Apr 26, a DVOC field trip to the Chesapeake
& Delaware Canal area heard SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL and COMMON MOORHEN
calling from the Thousand
Acre Marsh and 3-4 KING RAILS calling from the base of the Reedy Point
Bridge. On Apr 26, a KING RAIL called from Dragon Run, and a CLIFF SWALLOW
called from under a Route 9 bridge that evening. Blackbird State Forest
had BLUE GROSBEAKS and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK at the feeders. Blackbird
Creek Preserve had a HOODED WARBLER was along the Cypress Branch.
Kent
County:
An adult WHITE-WINGED TERN in non-breeding plumage was discovered at the
north pond of the Logan Tract of Ted
Harvey Wildlife Area on Apr 26, and was also reported in that area
Apr 27 & 30. On Apr 28 & 30, the WHITE-WINGED TERN was seen in
the area of Ted Harvey’s south pond. A LITTLE GULL was also at the
North Pond Area on Apr 26. AMERICAN AVOCETS, SEDGE WRENS and a first winter
LITTLE GULL that was transitioning into first summer plumage were found
at the north pond area on Apr 27. A late drake EURASIAN WIGEON was in
that area the next day. A YELLOW RAIL was at Port
Mahon Road on Apr 28. AMERICAN PIPITS were at Cartanza Rd on Apr 26.
The fields along Whitehall Neck Rd just outside Bombay
Hook NWR had AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER Apr 26-27, and 10 RED KNOTS on
Apr 27. Bombay Hook NWR had YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS at Bear Swamp
and AMERICAN AVOCETS at Raymond Pool. On Apr 25, thirteen AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS
were seen from the Shearness tower. Other highlights from Bombay Hook
this week included VIRGINIA RAIL, BLACK-NECKED STILT, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
and BLUE GROSBEAK. The Florio house area of Woodland Beach WA still hosted
a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE through Apr 28.
Sussex
County:
Redden State Forest had a SUMMER TANAGER at the Redden
Rd picnic area on Apr 26. Other highlights from Redden this week included
PROTHONOTARY, PRAIRIE and WORM-EATING WARBLERS. MERLINS flew past the
Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch this week, with a high count of 138 MERLINS on
Apr 24. On Apr 26, a HORNED GREBE was noted from the Cape Henlopen fishing
pier. PIPING PLOVER were on the beach while BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were
at the visitor center at Cape Henlopen. A trip on the Cape
May/Lewes Ferry provided views of 2 young male COMMON EIDERS at the
outer breakwater and a light morph PARASITIC JAEGER 4-5 miles out of Lewes.
A BLACK-NECKED STILT and LEAST TERN were at Gordon’s Pond on Apr
26. Indian River Inlet
had ROYAL TERNS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on Apr 26, while Burton’s
Island had a TRICOLORED HERON and WHIMBREL. On Apr 26, Thompson’s
Island had a BLUE GROSBEAK and a flyby RED-THROATED
LOON. Trap Pond State Park had SUMMER TANAGER on Apr 29 and SCARLET TANAGER
Apr 29-30.
On Apr 26, the Broadkill Rd area of Prime
Hook NWR had CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW and NORTHERN BOBWHITE, while
BLACK-NECKED STILTS have been in that area through the week. Other birds
at Prime Hook included PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS at the Turkle Pond area,
and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS at a swampy woodlot. On Apr 25, a WILD TURKEY was
near Prime Hook’s maintenance road. That day, Fowler’s Beach
had BLACK-NECKED STILTS and AMERICAN AVOCETS. The RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
at Deep Branch Rd made an appearance on Apr 26. RED KNOTS were seen in
the area of Mispillion Inlet, Slaughter Beach and the DuPont
Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor r through Apr 26, with a high count
of 76 RED KNOTS accompanied by 4000 DUNLIN north of Evans Ave on Apr 25.
A GLAUCOUS GULL put in an appearance near the DuPont Nature Center on
Apr 26. On Apr 26, a WHIP-POOR-WILL called from the intersection of Big
Stone Beach and Scotts Corner Roads at Milford Neck WA.
For Pennsylvania:
Philadelphia
County:
Highlights this week from John
Heinz NWR at Tinicum
included WARBLING VIREO and LOUSIANA WATERTHRUSH.
Delaware
County:
Three ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS flew over the Rose
Tree Park Hawk Watch on Apr 24, and the hawk watch noted BROAD-WINGED
HAWK and MERLIN on Apr 30.
Chester
County:
A WHITE-EYED VIREO was at Warwick County Park on Apr 25. On Apr 28, a
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was at Struble Lake, while 9 COMMON LOONS and a HORNED
GREBE were at Marsh
Creek State Park .
Montgomery
County:
A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH and SCARLET TANAGER were
at White’s Mill near Tylersport on Apr 25; White’s Mill can
be accessed from Whites Mill Rd from Route 563. A first winter male BLACK
SCOTER was at the Church Rd area of Green
Lane Park on Apr 27. PINE SISKINS were at a feeder in Audubon on Apr
30.
Bucks
County:
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were at Silver
Lake Nature Center on Apr 26. Two WILD TURKEYS were near the covered
bridge entrance to Tyler
State Park on Apr 24. Bradford Dam had 4 AMERICAN PIPITS on Apr 24,
and BLUE-WINGED WARBLER on Apr 27. Highlights from Bowman’s Hill
Wildflower Preserve included SCARLET TANAGERS, PURPLE FINCHES, PRAIRIE
WARBLER and WORM-EATING WARBLERS. On Apr 25, the Kelly Tract of Churchville
Nature Center (see
also) had a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and PURPLE FINCHES. Churchville had
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER on Apr 27 and WARBLING VIREO on Apr 26. A CLIFF SWALLOW
was at Core
Creek Park that day, and WARBLING and WHITE-EYED VIREOS were there
on Apr 30. On Apr 28, a hen RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was on Lake Galena
at Peace
Valley Park,
and 24 COMMON TERNS were there on Apr 29. Other highlights from Peace
Valley this week included COMMON LOONS, WARBLING VIREO, BANK SWALLOW and
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK.
Northampton
County:
On Apr 27, the Bethlehem Boat Club had YELLOW-THROATED and WARBLING VIREOS.
Green Pond had LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS through Apr 30 and a DUNLIN on
Apr 27. On Apr 25, a LONG-TAILED DUCK and 4 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were
at Nazareth Quarry. That day, a WHIP-POOR-WILL called from the base of
Blue Mountain in Lehigh Twp. One or two COMMON RAVENS flew over Little
Gap on Apr 25. Later that day, a VESPER SPARROW sang from Schlegel Rd,
and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were noted from Spring Hill Rd. Other highlights
from Apr 25 included RUSTY BLACKBIRDS at Bangor Vein Rd and PURPLE FINCH
at Columcille on Quaker Plains Rd.
Lehigh
County:
A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER and 4 CERULEAN WARBLERS were seen from Bake
Oven Rd on Apr 26.
Schuylkill
County:
Sweet Arrow Lake had a GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER on Apr 26. A NASHVILLE WARBLER
was at Frog Hollow near Friedensburg on Apr 30.
Berks
County:
RUFFED GROUSE, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO and WINTER WREN were noted on a morning
walk to the Pinnacle on Apr 25. On Apr 27, SGL-106 hosted 14 species of
warbler including GOLDEN-WINGED, CHESTNUT-SIDED, BLACK-THROATED BLUE,
and HOODED WARBLERS. Highlights from Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary this week included migrating COMMON LOONS, BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS and MERLIN. A Boyertown feeder attracted PURPLE FINCHES and PINE
SISKINS on Apr 29.
Lancaster
County:
A probable COMMON RAVEN flew over Columbia on Apr 26. On Apr 30, Homewood
Nature Preserve had ORCHARD ORIOLE and a SCARLET TANAGER.
Lebanon
County:
Second Mountain
Hawk Watch
had BROAD-WINGED HAWKS migrate past it through the week, with 130 BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS on Apr 26. Second Mountain had PURPLE FINCHES and BLACK-THROATED
BLUE WARBLERS on Apr 26. Eight WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and CHESTNUT-SIDED
WARBLER were at Memorial Lake State Park on Apr 27.
PA Extralimitals:
On Apr 26, a WILSON’S PLOVER was at Presque Isle State Park in Erie
County. A flock of 12-18 EVENING GROSBEAKS continued to visit a feeder
in Emporium, Cameron County through Apr 26.
*** ANNOUNCEMENTS ***
On May 4, Bill
and Naomi Murphy will lead
a DVOC field trip to the Fort Washington State Park in Montgomery County,
PA for spring migrants. The trip will meet at 7:30AM at the Militia Hill
Hawk Watch platform at Fort Washington SP. Please contact Bill and Naomi
Murphy if you plan on attending. Additional information, including contact
information for the trip leaders are on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org
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 30, Rick White will lead a Wyncote Audubon morning
bird walk at Carpenters Woods in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.
The trip meets at the 7:00AM at the intersection of Wayne and Sedgwick
Avenues. Note: Do not park in the bus turn around zone. Contact the trip
leader at (215) 483-9321 if you plan to attend.
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
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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