| Current
report - Wednesday October 15, 2008
- Birds Mentioned
Click Here for species
accounts for many of these birds
Eared Grebe ++
Great White Heron (VA)
Swainson's Hawk ++
Calliope Hummingbird (MD)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (MD)
Harris's Sparrow +++
+ (Details requested by New
Jersey Birds Records Committee)
++ (Details requested by Pennsylvania
Ornthological Records Committee)
+++ (Details requested by Delaware
Records Committee)
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Northern Gannet
Brown Pelican
American Bittern
Tricolored Heron
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Cackling Goose
Brant
Wood Duck X Mallard
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Ruddy Duck
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Ruffed Grouse
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
American Avocet
Hudsonian Godwit
Red Knot
White-rumped Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Ruff
Long-billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Barred Owl
Short-eared Owl
Common Nighthawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
American Pipit
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Clay-colored Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Blue Grosbeak
Dickcissel
Bobolink
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
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 EARED GREBE in Lancaster
County, PA; SWAINSON’S HAWK in Delaware County, PA and HARRIS’S
SPARROW in New Castle 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.
On Oct 9, the view from the Cape May Point State Park
Hawk Watch revealed BROWN PELICAN, 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS and over 200
SCOTERS including BLACK and SURF SCOTERS. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK flew past
the hawk watch on Oct 10. Other highlights from the State Park this
week were NORTHERN GANNETS, PARASITIC JAEGERS, STILT and WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPERS, RED-SHOULDERED and BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, MERLINS, PEREGRINE
FALCONS, CAPE MAY WARBLER, RUSTY BLACKBIRDS and BOBOLINKS. On Oct 12,
at least 5 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were on Cape Island: one near the
entrance to the stat park and a second one near the park’s hawk
watch platform, two at State Street in West Cape May, and another at
Hidden Valley Ranch. A PINE SISKIN was at Hidden Valley on Oct 12. The
Morning Flight Project noted a CONNECTICUT WARBLER at Higbee WMA on
Oct 8. The Morning Flight had DICKCISSELS and PINE SISKINS on Oct 11
& 14. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at Higbee on Oct 10. Other birds
at Higbee included AMERICAN PIPITS, PURPLE FINCHES, RUSTY BLACKBIRDS,
BOBOLINKS, TENNESSEE and NASHVILLE WARBLERS. Stone Harbor Point still
had 8 PIPING PLOVERS on Oct 14 along with BROWN PELICAN, BLACK SCOTER,
TRICOLORED HERON, WESTERN SANDPIPERS and 45 RED KNOTS. The week’s
highlights from the Avalon Sea Watch were COMMON and RED-THROATED LOONS,
NORTHERN GANNETS, BROWN PELICANS, BRANT, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, BLACK
SCOTERS, SURF SCOTERS and PARASITIC JAEGERS. A HUDSONIAN GODWIT flew
by the Sea Watch on Oct 12, and 11 PINE SISKINS were seen there on Oct
13. On Oct 14, the sea watch noted a POMARINE JAEGER.
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.
The Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR had
5 AMERICAN AVOCETS and the continuing juvenile RUFF on Oct 9; they were
in grid areas F6-F7. A HUDSONIAN GODWIT was near the south dike observation
tower on Oct 13, and HUDSONIAN GODWITS were reported from Oct 11 as
well. Other reports from Brigantine included a female YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD, NELSON’S and SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS, AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVERS, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and WESTERN, STILT and WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPERS. SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were at Tuckerton WMA’s
Great Bay Blvd on Oct 9.
Monmouth County:
Click
Here for Monmouth County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Burlington County:
Click
Here for Burlington County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Oct 11, Palmyra Cove Nature Park had LINCOLN’S
SPARROW, TENNESSEE and NASHVILLE WARBLERS.
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.
On Oct 12, the Wheelabrator site had CAPE MAY and
NASHVILLE WARBLER. The Robert Stahl Natural Area in Bedminster had LINCOLN’S
SPARROW on Oct 12.
Hunterdon County:
Click
Here for Hunterdon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Middlesex County:
No reports
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 Oct 9, a GOLDEN EAGLE flew past the Scott’s
Mountain Hawk Watch. Other highlights from Scott’s Mountain were
RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, PEREGRINE FALCON, MERLINS and COMMON RAVENS. This
week, Raccoon Ridge noted PEREGRINE FALCONS, MERLINS and COMMON RAVENS.
Somerset County:
Click
Here for Somerset County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
The Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve had LINCOLN’S
SPARROWS on Oct 10 & 13, and a BOBOLINK on Oct 13.
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.
An adult HARRIS’S SPARROW was at Brandywine
Creek State Park Oct 11-15. To get to where the HARRIS’S SPARROW
was seen, go to the main park entrance off Addams Dam Road. Just past
the entrance booth, the road makes a sharp left. A long driveway goes
up the hill to a farmhouse. The HARRIS’S SPARROW was with WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROWS at a rock wall on the left side of the driveway. The HARRIS’S
SPARROW was also found across the road and downhill in brush by the
picket fence at the sharp turn, and sang from the area of a little creek
called Wilson’s Run. LINCOLN’S SPARROWS were also in that
area Oct 12 & 14. Brandywine Creek State Park had PILEATED WOODPECKER
and LINCOLN’S SPARROWS on Oct 9.
Picture by Bert Filemyr
A GOLDEN EAGLE flew past the Ashland Nature
Center Hawk Watch on Oct 10. The hawk watch also noted RED-SHOULDERED
HAWKS, MERLINS and PEREGRINE FALCONS this week. On Oct 12, the Big Sit
at Ashland noted COMMON LOON, AMERICAN BITTERN, SHORT-EARED OWL, BARRED
OWL, GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES, AMERICAN PIPIT, PRAIRIE WARBLER, SCARLET
TANAGER and BOBOLINKS. An AMERICAN WOODCOCK was at Ashland on Oct 9,
and a TENNESSEE WARBLER was present on Oct 10.
Kent County:
Click
Here for Kent County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Nearly 3,000 SNOW GEESE, 2 ROSS’S GEESE and
a CACKLING GOOSE were at Taylor’s Gut on Oct 15.
Sussex County:
Click
Here for Sussex County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Oct 9, Cape Henlopen State Park had some large
mixed species flocks with at least 110 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS and 25
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES. On Oct 10, the view from the Cape Henlopen
State Park Hawk Watch included a flyby CAPE MAY WARBLER and 9 SURF SCOTERS.
The next day, the hawk watch had 50 SURF SCOTERS, 75 BLACK SCOTERS,
COMMON LOONS, BROWN PELICAN and NORTHERN GANNET. Some highlights from
the Cape Henlopen Big Sit on Oct 12 included RED-THROATED LOON, WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER, SWAINSON’S THRUSHES, PINE SISKIN, NASHVILLE and CAPE MAY
WARBLER. On Oct 13, the hawk watch noted SNOW GEESE and a CAPE MAY WARBLER.
The next day, PINE SISKINS were seen there. Other highlights from the
hawk watch this week were RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, MERLINS and PEREGRINE
FALCONS. Two AMERICAN PIPITS were seen from Teatown Rd on Oct 15.
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.
A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and 3 VESPER SPARROWS
were in the Community Gardens of Benjamin Rush State Park on Oct 13.
The next day, Benjamin Rush had 2 VESPER SPARROWS, LINCOLN’S SPARROW
and MARSH WREN.
Delaware County:
Click Here
for Delaware County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A juvenile SWAINSON’S HAWK and
an adult GOLDEN EAGLE were seen from the Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch on
Oct 13. The hawk watch also had COMMON LOONS, RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS,
MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCON and PILEATED WOODPECKERS this week.
Chester County:
Click Here
for Chester County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Three LINCOLN’S SPARROWS were at
Struble Lake on Oct 9. A LINCOLN’S SPARROW was at Hibernia Park
on Oct 11.
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 VESPER SPARROW was at the warm season grasses at
the Park Office area of Fort Washington State Park on Oct 12. On Oct
11, a GOLDEN EAGLE flew past the Militia Hill Hawk Watch at Fort Washington
State Park. Other highlights from Militia Hill this week were RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK, MERLINS and COMMON NIGHTHAWK.
Bucks County:
Click
Here for Bucks County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Peace Valley Park had a CACKLING GOOSE at the Chapman
Rd bridge on Oct 8, and a WOOD DUCK X MALLARD Hybrid was there on Oct
11. Other recent sightings from Peace Valley included LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULLS, LINCOLN’S SPARROW and PURPLE FINCH. A LINCOLN’S SPARROW
was at Washington Crossing Historic Park on Oct 9. Twenty LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULLS were at the Morrisville Levee on Oct 10.
Northampton County:
Click
Here for Northampton County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was in Bath, East Allen Twp
on Oct 10. That day, a DICKCISSEL was at the Koch Property in Easton,
and three DICKCISSELS, NASHVILLE WARBLERS and LINCOLN’S SPARROWS
were in the lower fields on Oct 11. CLAY-COLORED and VESPER SPARROWS
were noted at the Koch Property this week, and a juvenile BLUE GROSBEAK
was seen there on Oct 14. On Oct 12, Kirkridge had MERLIN, GOLDEN EAGLE
and PEREGRINE FALCON.
Lehigh County:
Click
Here for Lehigh County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
GOLDEN EAGLES flew past Bake Oven Knob Oct 8-12. A
RUFFED GROUSE was at Bake Oven Knob’s North Lookout on Oct 11
& 15. Other highlights from the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch this week
were COMMON LOONS, RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCONS,
PILEATED WOODPECKERS and COMMON RAVENS. On Oct 11, a VESPER SPARROW
and HORNED LARK were seen from Smith Lane near Mertztown Lane.
Schuykill County:
Click
Here for Schuykill County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Oct 13, the Tremont Area had 20-30 PINE SISKINS.
Berks County:
Click
Here for Berks County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.No reports
The Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hawk Watch noted
RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, MERLINS and PEREGRINE FALCONS this week. On Oct
9-10, two GOLDEN EAGLES flew past Hawk Mountain and another flew by on
Oct 12. PURPLE FINCHES were at Hawk Mountain on Oct 10, 12 & 15, with
a high count of 24 PURPLE FINCHES on Oct 15. PINE SISKINS were at Hawk
Mountain Oct 10-12 & Oct 14-15, with a high count of 100 SISKINS on
Oct 14. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at Hawk Mountain on Oct 10. On
Oct 12, SGL-110 had 2 RUFFED GROUSE, COMMON RAVENS, NASHVILLE WARBLER,
51 PINE SISKINS, and 12 PURPLE FINCHES. Two PURPLE FINCHES were there
on Oct 14.
Lancaster County:
Click
Here for Lancaster County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Two EARED GREBES were at the Conejohela Flats at Washington
Boro Oct 12-13. On Oct 12, other birds at the flats included 5 COMMON
LOONS, 55 FORSTER’S TERNS, 1 COMMON TERN, 3 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS,
3 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and 28 AMERICAN PIPITS. On Oct 11, a DICKCISSEL
was at Strasburg Boro Park. On Oct 10, two WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS were
at the Bluegill Rd area of Lake Octoraro.
Lebanon County:
Click
Here for Lebanon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
This week, the Second Mountain Hawk Watch noted NORTHERN
GOSHAWKS, GOLDEN EAGLES, MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCONS and COMMON RAVENS.
A high count of 6 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS was noted on Oct 12. On Oct 12-15,
PINE SISKINS were at Second Mountain with a high count of 30 SISKINS
on Oct 13.
Carbon County:
An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at the lower lot of
the Blue Mountain Ski Area on Oct 11, and a NASHVILLE WARBLER was at
the upper lot.
Monroe County:
About 50 PINE SISKINS were in the Saylorsburg on Oct
13.
Pike County:
No reports
PA Extralimitals:
No reports
Extralimital Reports
MARYLAND:
A CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD was at a feeder in North Beach, Calvert County
on Oct 9. A few days before that, a CALLIOPE was seen in Woodbine, Carroll
County. On Oct 13, a probable BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER was at Kinder
Farm Park in Millersville, Anne Arundel County.
VIRGINIA:
From Oct 4-14, a BROWN BOOBY has been at Claytor Lake State Park in
Pulaski County, and a GREAT WHITE HERON was there on Oct 11.
Announcements
On Nov 1 or Nov 2 (exact date to be determined), Frank
Windfelder, Bill Murphy and Chris Walters will lead a DVOC field trip
to Bake Oven Knob in Lehigh County, PA for migrating raptors. This is
a good time of year for migrating Golden Eagles and Northern Goshawks.
The trip will meet at the Bake Oven Knob Parking Lot at 8:30AM, and
attendees should bring a packed lunch. Please contact Frank Windfelder
if you plan on attending the field trip.
Additional information, including trip reports from previous trips 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 Thursday Oct 16 at
7:30pm at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA. The main
program of the meeting features a presentation by Rob Fergus entitled
"Urban Bird Ecology and Conservation." Steve Kacir will present
an Ornithological Study entitled "Giving up the Heavens: Ten Flightless
Birds." Details are on the website, and guests
are always welcome.
The DVOC Annual Banquet will take place on Thursday
November 20.
Please set aside November 20 for the Annual Banquet, which is always
a great time. Speakers Clay & Pat Sutton will present "Birds
& Birding at Cape May (a Bird Walk Through Time)," and book
signing. The evening begins with a cash bar at 6PM, and dinner is served
at 7pm. The cost is $46 per person. Menu choices, prices, and more information
including the reservation form can be found on-line at: http://www.dvoc.org/Banquet/Banquet.htm
At 7:30PM on October 17, the Wyncote Audubon Society
will meet at the Plymouth Meeting House located at the intersection
of Germantown and Butler Pikes in Plymouth Meeting, when Connie
Goldman will present "A Rite of Spring - Migrants to Nebraska
with the Sandhill Cranes." The program is free and open to the
public. On Oct 18, Rick White will lead a Wyncote Audubon field trip
to Cape May. The trip meets at the Cape May Point State Park parking
lot at 9AM; contact Rick White at 215-483-9321 for more information.
Jeff Gordon will present "The Delaware Birding Trail: a Birder's
View of the First State" at the Wyncote Audubon Annual Dinner on
Sunday Dec 7. For more information and registration contact Marlene
Morano at 215-342-7996 or email Jane Henderson at: [email protected]
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.
|
On this page....
Links
General
Guidelines for Submission
- Rarities
- Good concentrations (e.g. 8 sp. of shorebirds at Green Lane)
- High numbers (e.g. 2,000 Common Mergansers at Peace Valley)
- Early/late occurrences (1st Indigo Bunting, lingering Phoebe)
- Unusual breeders
- BRIEF report on out of area mega rarities(e.g. Red-footed Falcon or
even a stint in MA)
- Announcements (DVOC meetings and field trips, Academy events, CBC
dates and pelagics!)
What
is the Delaware Valley?
The Delaware Valley is the name given
to the region that lays on either side of the Delaware River, centered
on Philadelphia. This consists of southeastern Pennsylvania, central
and southern New Jersey and the state of Delaware.
The following counties fall within our boundaries.
(Click on a county name for information specific to the county)
In Pennsylvania;
Berks County
Bucks
County
Carbon County
Chester
County
Delaware County
Lancaster County
Lebanon County
Lehigh County
Monroe County
Montgomery
County
Northampton
County
Philadelphia County
Pike County
Schuykill
County
Wayne County
In New
Jersey;
Atlantic
County
Burlington County
Camden County
Cape May County
Cumberland County
Gloucester County
Hunterdon County
Mercer County
Middlesex County
Monmouth County
Ocean County
Salem County
Somerset County
Union County
Warren
County
In Delaware;
New
Castle County
Kent County
Sussex County
|
Click Here for Jack
Siler's eBird Rarities Map