| Current
report - Wednesday October 1, 2008
- Birds Mentioned
Click Here for species
accounts for many of these birds
Leach's Storm-petrel +
White-cheeked Pintail (WV)
Swallow-tailed Kite ++
Swainson's Hawk +
Sabine's Gull (MD)
Ross's Gull (DC)
Northern Wheatear (RI)
Lark Sparrow +++
Lark Bunting (NY)
+ (Details requested by New
Jersey Birds Records Committee)
++ (Details requested by Pennsylvania
Ornthological Records Committee)
+++ (Details requested by Delaware
Records Committee)
Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Northern Gannet
American Bittern
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Glossy Ibis
Brant
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Mississippi Kite
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Wild Turkey
Common Moorhen
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
American Avocet
Western Willet
Hudsonian Godwit
Red Knot
Western Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Dunlin
Stilt Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Ruff
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Parasitic Jaeger
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Sandwich Tern
Eurasian Collared-dove
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Blue Jay
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
American Pipit
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Clay-colored Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Blue Grosbeak
Dickcissel
Bobolink
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Purple Finch
Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert
Email reports to:
Compilers: Steve Kacir and Win Shafer - 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.
This week, we highlight reports of LEACH’S STORM-PETREL
and SWAINSON’S HAWK in Cape May County, NJ; SWALLOW-TAILED KITE
in Delaware County, PA and LARK SPARROW in Sussex County, DE
For New Jersey: Click
Here for the New Jersey Birding List
Cape May County:
Click
Here for Cape May County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen around Cape May Point
on Sep 29-Oct 1, with sightings coming from Higbee Beach WMA, the Rea
Farm and Cape May Point State Park. A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was seen
around the brush pile near the plover ponds at Cape May Point State
Park on Sep 27. The Cape May Point State Park Hawk Watch noted a SWAINSON’S
HAWK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROW on Sep 30. That day, a LARK SPARROW was
at the park as well. Some high counts from the hawk watch this week
were 1,079 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 299 COOPER’S HAWKS and 439 AMERICAN
KESTRELS all on Sep 29. A COMMON MOORHEN was at the Bunker Pond on Sep
29. Other highlights from Cape May Point State Park included TRICOLORED
HERONS, COMMON NIGHTHAWKS and AMERICAN PIPIT. The view from Cape May’s
Beach Ave included a PARASITIC JAEGER and 30 BLACK SCOTERS on Sep 30.
A female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD flew past the dike at Higbee Beach
WMA on Sep 29. On Sep 28, a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, LARK SPARROW and
DICKCISSEL were seen at Higbee’s dredge spoils. Other highlights
from Higbee included BLUE GROSBEAKS; CONNECTICUT, ORANGE-CROWNED, CAPE
MAY and BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was at the intersection
of Crystal Ave and Alexander Ave at Cape May Point on Sep 28. The CMBO’s
Sunset Cruise for Fall Migrants enjoyed TRICOLORED HERONS and CASPIAN
TERNS at Grassy Sound on Sep 27.
On Sep 25, the Wetlands Institute had a HUDSONIAN
GODWIT, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and WESTERN WILLETS. On Sep 24, Nummy’s
Island had AMERICAN BITTERN, TRICOLORED HERON, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON,
SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS and NELSON’S SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS.
That day, Stone Harbor Point had PIPING PLOVERS, WHITE-RUMPED and WESTERN
SANDPIPERS. On Sep 27, Stone Harbor Point had a SANDWICH TERN and 11
PIPING PLOVERS, while Nummy’s Island had RED KNOTS. On Sep 29,
the Stone Harbor Heron Rookery Bird Refuge had a CONNECTICUT WARBLER,
and 8 RED KNOTS were on mudflats accessed by a boardwalk at the south
end of the second bridge south of Stone Harbor. A LEACH’S STORM-PETREL
was spotted from the Avalon Sea Watch on Sep 26. Other highlights from
the Avalon Sea Watch included BRANT, SURF SCOTER, BLACK SCOTER, NORTHERN
GANNETS, BROWN PELICANS, TRICOLORED HERONS, PARASITIC JAEGERS and RED
KNOTS.
Cumberland County:
Click
Here for Cumberland County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Atlantic County:
Click
Here for Atlantic County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Sep 28, a juvenile RUFF was near grid #C-11 at
the Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR, and a NELSON’S
SHARP-TAILED SPARROW was found near the beginning of the south dike.
Five AMERICAN AVOCETS and a WILSON’S PHALAROPE were found just
before the south dike’s observation tower that day, and RED KNOTS
were seen at the refuge as well. Other highlights from Brigantine included
CASPIAN TERNS, WHITE-RUMPED and WESTERN SANDPIPERS.
Monmouth County:
Click
Here for Monmouth County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Sep 30, birds at Sandy Hook included SWAINSON’S
THRUSH, NASHVILLE WARBLER and YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS. That day, a flyby
DICKCISSEL was at the North Pond, and a SUMMER TANAGER was at the Scout
Camp restroom area
Burlington County:
Click
Here for Burlington County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Camden County:
Click
Here for Camden County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Ocean County:
Click
Here for Ocean County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Monmouth County:
Click
Here for Monmouth County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Salem County:
Click
Here for Salem County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Gloucester County:
Click
Here for Gloucester County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Click
Here for information on DVOC member Sandra
Keller's Gloucester County Big Year.
No reports2.
Hunterdon County:
Click
Here for Hunterdon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Oct 1, twenty COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen from
the Stockton Bridge.
Mercer County:
Click
Here for Mercer County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Warren County:
Click
Here for Warren County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Sep 27, a RED-NECKED GREBE flew past the Scott’s
Mountain Hawk Watch, and a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen there on Sep
30. Other highlights from Scott’s Mountain this week included
COMMON LOONS, MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCONS, COMMON NIGHTHAWK and COMMON
RAVEN. The Raccoon Ridge Hawk Watch noted COMMON RAVENS on Sep 29.
Somerset County:
Click
Here for Somerset County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Morris County:
No reports
NJ Extralimitals:
No reports.
For Delaware: Click
Here for the Delaware Birding List
New Castle County
Click
Here for New Castle County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A walk on private property near Barley Mill Rd on
Sep 25 revealed YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS and BLUE-HEADED VIREO. A LINCOLN’S
SPARROW was near the entrance booth at Brandywine Creek State Park on
Sep 28. A BARRED OWL was at the Brandywine’s Freshwater Marsh
Preserve on Sep 27. On Oct 1, an adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER flew over
the Ashland Nature Center Hawk Watch, and an adult GOLDEN EAGLE flew
past Ashland’s Hawk Watch on Sep 28. A BLUE-HEADED VIREO was at
Ashland on Sep 30. Other highlights from Ashland this week included
MERLINS and PEREGRINE FALCONS. Flint Woods Preserve had BOBOLINKS, SWAINSON’S
and GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES on Sep 30.
Kent County:
Click
Here for Kent County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Sussex County:
Click
Here for Sussex County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A LARK SPARROW was in a brushy area near the Prime
Hook NWR Headquarters on Sep 30. A CONNECTICUT WARBLER and BLUE-HEADED
VIREO were located along Prime Hook’s boardwalk trail on Sep 29,
and the Broadkill Rd area had 3 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS near the first
pull off. That day, a juvenile YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was at Fowler
Beach’s Slaughter Canal. Prime Hook’s Deep Branch Rd had
MOURNING WARBLER and PHILADELPHIA VIREO on Sep 27. The Cape Henlopen
State Park Hawk Watch set several high count records for the hawk watch
on Sep 29: 45 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 539 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 82 COOPER’S
HAWKS, 96 AMERICAN KESTRELS and 64 PEREGRINE FALCONS on Sep 29. On Sep
30, the hawk watch noted BRANT and AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER. Eight BROWN
PELICANS and a flock of BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were noted at Cape Henlopen’s
Hawk Watch on Oct 1. Other notable sightings from the hawk watch that
day included RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and 2 CAPE MAY WARBLERS. On Sep 26,
the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch noted COMMON LOONS, NORTHERN GANNET, SURF
and BLACK SCOTERS, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, PHILADELPHIA VIREO and
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERS. The next day, 6 BROWN PELICANS flew past the
hawk watch. Thousands of TREE SWALLOWS were covering the landscape around
the hawk watch platform on Sep 25. Other highlights from Cape Henlopen
this week included RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCONS and
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS. On Oct 1, a BARRED OWL flushed from the gates of
the White Cedars at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center. On Sep 28, a
WILSON’S WARBLER and 2 PHILADELPHIA VIREOS were at Rehoboth Beach.
For Pennsylvania: Click
Here for the Pennsylvania Birding List
Philadelphia County:
Click
Here for Philadelphia County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Sep 28, John Heinz NWR at Tinicum
had COMMON NIGHTHAWKS and WILD TURKEYS. The Fairmount Park banding station
banded SWAINSON’S THRUSH; CONNECTICUT, NASHVILLE and TENNESSEE
WARBLER on Sep 29.
Delaware County:
Click Here
for Delaware County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Highlights from the Rose Tree Hawk Watch
this week included RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCONS and
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. A SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was reported from Tyler
Arboretum.
Chester County:
Click Here
for Chester County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Montgomery County:
Click
Here for Montgomery County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Click
Here for information on DVOC member Steve
Kacir's Montgomery County Big Year.
A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was at the Church Rd area of
Green Lane Reservoir on Sep 29. The Flourtown Area of Fort Washington
State Park had a TENNESSEE WARBLER on Sep 27. The Militia Hill Hawk
Watch at Fort Washington State Park had MERLIN, PEREGRINE FALCON and
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS this week. A possible LINCOLN’S SPARROW was
seen at Memorial Park in Pottstown. A GLOSSY IBIS flew over the Pennsylvania
Turnpike on Sep 30; it appeared to be heading towards Mermaid Lake.
Bucks County:
Click
Here for Bucks County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found at the canal towpath
of Washington Crossing Historic Park on Sep 30. A BAY-BREASTED WARBLER
was at Churchville Nature Center on Sep 28, and LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULLS were noted at Churchville this week. A LITTLE BLUE HERON was at
the Woodbourne Rd causeway at Core Creek Park on Sep 26. Recent highlights
for Peace Valley Park were LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK and PHILADELPHIA VIREO. On Oct 1, twenty COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were
seen over New Hope.
Northampton County:
Click
Here for Northampton County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A CONNECTICUT WARBLER was seen from the Appalachian
Trail out of Little Gap. The fly ash pond at PPL Martins Creek had 5
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS and a juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. A LINCOLN’S
SPARROW was at Jacobsburg State Park. On Oct 1, over 10 LINCOLN’S
SPARROWS were at the Koch Property.
Lehigh County:
Click
Here for Lehigh County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Highlights from Bake Oven Knob this week were MERLINS,
PEREGRINE FALCONS, COMMON RAVENS and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES.
Schuykill County:
Click
Here for Schuykill County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Berks County:
Click
Here for Berks County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.No reports
A significant BLUE JAY flight was witnessed
at Hawk Mountain on Sep 30, with 1,951 BLUE JAYS counted. Other highlights
from the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary this week were RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS,
MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCONS, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES and PURPLE FINCHES.
Lancaster County:
Click
Here for Lancaster County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Four STILT SANDPIPERS were at the pond on Blue Gill
Rd at Octoraro Reservoir on Sep 28, and a STILT SANDPIPER was found
at Octoraro on Sep 30. That day, the Conejohela Flats had 2 BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVERS, 6 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 4 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 2 WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPERS and 2 DUNLIN.
Lebanon County:
Click
Here for Lebanon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Highlights from the Second Mountain Hawk Watch included
COMMON LOON, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, MERLINS and PEREGRINE FALCONS.
Carbon County:
No reports
Monroe County:
No reports
Pike County:
Highlights from the Milford area of the Delaware
Water Gap National Recreation Area this week included PILEATED WOODPECKER,
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, CANADA and MOURNING WARBLER.
PA Extralimitals:
On Sep 20, a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen from private
property on Wenger Rd just west of Chambersburg, Franklin County.
Extralimital Reports
MARYLAND:
On Sept 26, a possible SABINE’S GULL was at Ocean City Inlet in
Worcester County.
DISTRICT of COLUMBIA:
A ROSS’S GULL flew over the Potomac River near the Theodore Roosevelt
Bridge in Washington, DC on Sep 21.
NEW YORK:
The LARK BUNTING at Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk County was still
near the Park Office & Police Station through Sep 21.
RHODE ISLAND:
A NORTHERN WHEATEAR has been on a private turf farm in Slocum, Washington
County since about September 15. The property is owned by SODCO but
the WHEATEAR can be viewed with a scope from Exeter Road. Please respect
the property owner's rights, and do not trespass in anyway if you attempt
to see this bird.
WEST VIRGINIA:
A WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAIL has been at a pond in a Huntfield subdivision,
west of Charles Town, Jefferson County since mid September. Though the
bird appeared soon after hurricane Hanna, the origin of this bird remains
unknown. The most recent report of the PINTAIL was on Oct 1.
Announcements
On Oct 4, Frank Windfelder will lead a DVOC field
trip to the Tuckerton Marshes in Atlantic County, NJ. The trip will
focus on finding Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows,
and Frank will detail how to separate the subspecies of Nelson’s
Sharp-tailed Sparrows. The trip will meet at
the end of Seven Bridges Rd at 7:30AM sharp, and Frank will continue
the trip on to the Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR after
Tuckerton. If you go, bring high boots for Tuckerton and a packed lunch
if you plan on following Frank to Brigantine. Please contact Frank if
you plan on attending the field trip. Additional information, including
trip reports from previous trips 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 Thursday Oct 2 at
7:30pm at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA. The main
program of the meeting features Howard Eskin’s "The Challenges
of Bird Photography.” Debbie Beer will present an Ornithological
Study entitled “Refuges by the Numbers.” Details are on
the website, and guests are always welcome. The meeting after that will
take place on Oct 16, and will feature “Urban Bird Ecology and
Conservation” by Rob Fergus.
The Nature Conservancy has closed the Cape May
Migratory Bird Refuge also known as the South Cape May Meadows or “The
Meadows” for spraying to control phragmites.
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 [email protected]. This is Steve
Kacir, good birding to you all and thanks for calling, surfing and reporting.
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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