| Current
report - Wednesday November 20, 2008
- Birds Mentioned
Click Here for species
accounts for many of these birds
Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird (NJ)+
Cave Swallow (DE)+
Cave Swallow (PA)+
Cave Swallow (NJ)+
(NJ)+ (Details requested
by New Jersey
Birds Records Committee)
(PA)+ (Details requested by Pennsylvania
Ornthological Records Committee)
(DE)+ (Details requested by Delaware
Records Committee)
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
American Bittern
Cattle Egret
Greater White-fronted Goose
Ross's Goose
Cackling Goose
Brant
Tundra Swan
Eurasian Wigeon
King Eider
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Common Goldeneye
Northern Goshawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Ruffed Grouse
Sandhill Crane
American Golden-plover
Marbled Godwit
Western Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Parasitic Jaeger
Little Gull
Black-headed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Forster's Tern
Razorbill
Barn Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Alder Flycatcher
Northern Shrike
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Sedge Wren
American Pipit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Pine Warbler
Vesper Sparrow
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Dickcissel
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
White-winged Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert
Email reports to:
Compilers: Steve Kacir and Cinndy Ahern - 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 RUFOUS/ALLEN’S
HUMMINGBIRD in Cape May County, NJ; CAVE SWALLOWS in Cape May and Atlantic
Counties, NJ, Philadelphia County, PA and every county in Delaware.
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 female RUFOUS/ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD visited
a feeder at 709 Foster Ave through Nov 16, and the host family welcomes
birders, but asks that visitors park on the road and walk in on the
right side of the house. The feeder is over the deck in the back, and,
at times, the hummingbird will sit in butterfly bushes and feeds on
sage flowers in the yard. On Nov 16, nearly 200 CAVE SWALLOWS were on
the beach at Avondale, and 120 CAVE SWALLOWS roosted at the Inn of Cape
May and Aleathea’s Restuarant. CAVE SWALLOWS were seen around
Cape May through Nov 17, with sightings coming from Lily Lake, Cape
May Point State Park’s Lighthouse Pond and Bunker Pond, Higbee
Beach WMA, the Second Ave area and Poverty Beach. A VESPER SPARROW was
found in Cape May on Nov 17. The SEDGE WREN was still at Higbee Beach
WMA through Nov 17, but the field it had inhabited was recently mowed,
causing the SEDGE WREN to move to the end of the central path before
the little pond.
A CATTLE EGRET was at the intersection of Stevens
St and Bayshore Rd through Nov 19. On Nov 13, the Cape May Point State
Park Hawk Watch noted a flock of 12 COMMON EIDERS and an unidentified
JAEGER. Two SNOW BUNTINGS and 15 CAVE SWALLOWS were seen from the hawk
watch on Nov 16. A BARN OWL and AMERICAN BITTERN were spotted from The
Nature Conservancy’s Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge on Nov 17,
and a DICKCISSEL has been seen at the refuge in a hedge along Sunset
Blvd. On Nov 19, RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were at the Villas WMA, and
a CACKLING GOOSE was on Lilly Lake. On Nov 15, Cape Island Creek had
9 NELSON’S SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS and 14 SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED
SPARROWS. An EMPIDONAX Sp. that may be an ALDER FLYCATCHER was at the
Cape Island Preserve on Nov 17. The Avalon Sea Watch saw a BLACK-LEGGED
KITTIWAKE, KING EIDER and RED-NECKED GREBE on Nov 13. A KING EIDER was
noted on Nov 13 & 14, and RAZORBILLS made the count on Nov 13-14
& Nov 18. On Nov 18, the sea watch also noted SNOW BUNTINGS and
LAPLAND LONGSPUR. A CAVE SWALLOW flew past the sea watch on Nov 16.
Other highlights from the Sea Watch were WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, COMMON
EIDERS, PARASITIC JAEGERS and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. Townsend’s
Inlet had a BLACK-HEADED GULL and 8 MARBLED GODWITS on Nov 18.
Click
here for Karl and Judy Lukens's website where there are pictures
of various interesting birds that have been seen in Cape May County
and in New Jersey.
Cumberland County:
Click
Here for Cumberland County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Nov 15, twelve SANDHILL CRANES were seen on the
road to Dix WMA near the Green Swamp area. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was spotted
from Sea Breeze Rd near Dix WMA on Nov 16.
Atlantic County:
Click
Here for Atlantic County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Multiple CAVE SWALLOWS were at the entrance to the
auto loop of the Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR on Nov
16. Two KING EIDERS were at the end of Great Bay Blvd at Tuckerton WMA
on Nov 16.
Monmouth County:
Click
Here for Monmouth County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A LITTLE GULL, PARASITIC JAEGER and PURPLE SANDPIPER
were seen from Manasquan Inlet on Nov 17. On Nov 15, a first year BLACK-HEADED
GULL was at Asbury Park, and an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL, LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL and PURPLE SANDPIPER were at Allenhurst. A first winter LITTLE
GULL was at the Deal Lake outflow on Nov 16; a dozen TUNDRA SWANS flew
by that area as well. Two LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen at the
North Shore that day. Reports from Sandy Hook over the weekend included
TUNDRA SWAN, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL and LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
On Nov 20, Sandy Hook had over 180 SNOW BUNTINGS and 5 LAPLAND LONGSPURS
on the beach and dunes between Fisherman’s Trail and C-Lot. That
day, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at Sandy Hook’s North Pond.
Burlington County:
Click
Here for Burlington County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Fourteen TUNDRA SWANS and 20 PINE SISKINS were in
the area of the upper reservoir area of Whitesbog Village on Nov 15.
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.
Birds at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park this week
included HARLEQUIN DUCKS, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, COMMON EIDERS and PURPLE
SANDPIPERS.
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.
On Nov 15, a RED-THROATED LOON flew up the Delaware
River near the National Park dredge spoils. That day, 4 PINE SISKINS
were seen from the scenic trail at Riverwinds, and 11 AMERICAN PIPITS
were in a bare field along Route 602.
Hunterdon County:
Click
Here for Hunterdon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Spruce Run State Park had LAPLAND LONGSPUR and SNOW
BUNTING at the boat launch parking area.
Middlesex County:
No reports.
Mercer County:
Click
Here for Mercer County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Three CACKLING GEESE were at Veteran’s Park
in Hamilton on Nov 16.
Warren County:
Click
Here for Warren County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Six GOLDEN EAGLES flew past Raccoon Ridge on Nov 16,
and GOLDEN EAGLES were also spotted on Nov 17-18. NORTHERN GOSHAWKS
flew past Raccoon Ridge on Nov 17-18. Other highlights noted by the
Raccoon Ridge Hawk Watch included COMMON RAVENS, SNOW BUNTINGS and PINE
SISKINS. The Kittatinny Ridge had PINE SISKINS and RUFFED GROUSE on
Nov 16. That day, the Scott’s Mountain Hawk Watch had 49 LOONS
including both RED-THROATED and COMMON LOONS and 109 TUNDRA SWANS. GOLDEN
EAGLES flew past Scott’s Mountain on Nov 16-17, and NORTHERN GOSHAWK
was spotted on Nov 17-18. On Nov 19, forty-five SNOW BUNTINGS were seen
at the spillway, and other highlights from Scott’s Mountain included
COMMON GOLDENEYES and COMMON RAVENS.
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
Union 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.
On Nov 16-19, three CAVE SWALLOWS were spotted from
Route 9 just south of Port Penn and around the first pond south of Augustine
Beach. A NASHVILLE WARBLER was seen from the north side of the Chesapeake
and Delaware Canal on Nov 19. A RUSTY BLACKBIRD and partially albino
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD were at Cox Neck Rd that day, and 16 SNOW BUNTINGS
were at the spoil tip south of Reedy Point. The small cemetery at Dragon
Run Park had 160 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS on Nov 13. Twenty-seven PINE SISKINS
were on private property in Pine Valley Farms on Nov 16. Ashland Nature
Center’s hawk watch noted 7 TUNDRA SWANS on Nov 16, and GOLDEN
EAGLES flew past Ashland on Nov 17-18. Other sightings at Ashland included
COMMON LOONS, MERLINS, PEREGRINE FALCON and PURPLE FINCH.
Kent County:
Click
Here for Kent County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Three CAVE SWALLOWS were seen around the Taylor’s
Gut area and along the road to the Tony Florio house at Woodland Beach
WA on Nov 13 & 15. A juvenile NORTHERN GOSHAWK flew over Route 13
in Dover on Nov 14, just north of the DSU campus.
Sussex County:
Click
Here for Sussex County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Nov 14, three CAVE SWALLOWS, a CLIFF SWALLOW and
an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER were at the Fowler Beach Rd area of Prime
Hook NWR. A EURASIAN WIGEON was on the bay at Fowler Beach on Nov 17.
On Nov 15, the impoundments at Broadkill Beach Rd had WESTERN SANDPIPER,
and PINE SISKINS were seen along Fowler Beach Rd. On Nov 15, three CAVE
SWALLOWS and 5 PINE SISKINS were seen near the south end of the town
of Prime Hook Beach off of Prime Hook Rd. Oak Grove had PINE SISKINS
and PURPLE FINCHES. On Nov 18, the main road out to Slaughter Beach
had 15 SNOW BUNTINGS, 5 AMERICAN PIPITS, 6 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS. The deck of the DuPont Nature Center had 4
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS that day.
Eight CAVE SWALLOWS were seen flying towards
Lewes from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry on Nov 16, and 15 COMMON EIDERS
were seen near the inner breakwater at Lewes Harbor. Over 200 PINE SISKINS
were foraging in the dunes at Cape Henlopen State Park through Nov 20.
Eight BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were at the park’s campground area
on Nov 20. Other sightings from the park this week included MERLIN,
PEREGRINE FALCONS and SNOW BUNTING. Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve
had PINE SISKINS on Nov 15. The Abbott’s Mill Nature Center’s
feeders had PINE SISKINS and a PURPLE FINCH on Nov 18.
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 Nov 13-20, one to three CAVE SWALLOWS
were seen from the Delaware Ave side of the Northeast Water Pollution
Control Plant, north of the Tioga Marine Terminal. The CAVE SWALLOW
was associating with NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS in the area.
Delaware County:
Click Here
for Delaware County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.No reports
COMMON LOONS migrated past the Rose Tree Hawk
Watch, and 20 SNOW BUNTINGS were spotted on Nov 17.
Chester County:
Click Here
for Chester County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A PINE WARBLER was at Bucktoe Creek Preserve
on Nov 14. On Nov 19, two RED-THROATED LOONS were on Chambers Lake at
Hibernia Park, and the ROSS’S GOOSE was seen at the pond at the
Tel Hai Retirement Community.
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.
Green Lane Reservoir experienced a waterfowl fallout
over the weekend including COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE, CACKLING GOOSE
and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. A DICKCISSEL and 2 HORNED LARKS were
at Norristown Farm Park on Nov 16. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were at the Crosswicks
Audubon Preserve in Abington Twp on Nov 19.
Bucks County:
Click
Here for Bucks County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
An ICELAND GULL and 20 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were
at Van Sciver Lake on Nov 14, and a BRANT with a broken wing was there
the day before. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at Peace Valley Park
on Nov 15, and a GAMBEL’S WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was at Sailor
Point through Nov 15. Two LONG-TAILED DUCKS and a MERLIN were at Peace
Valley on Nov 16, and a RED-THROATED LOON was spotted on Lake Galena
between Sailor’s Point and the southwest parking lot on Nov 19.
Other sightings from Peace Valley included CACKLING GEESE, BONAPARTE’S
GULL and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. A NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL was seen
on private property in Bucks County on Nov 14. Churchville Nature Center
had 3 CACKLING GEESE and a LONG-TAILED DUCK on Nov 18.
Northampton County:
Click
Here for Northampton County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
PINE SISKINS and PURPLE FINCHES were at the Koch Property,
and a BALTIMORE ORIOLE was there on Nov 20.
Lehigh County:
Click
Here for Lehigh County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
The Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch noted 4 GOLDEN EAGLES
on Nov 16, 7 GOLDEN EAGLES on Nov 17, 8 GOLDEN EAGLES on Nov 18 and
6 GOLDENS on Nov 19. The Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch reported NORTHERN
GOSHAWKS on Nov 18-19. PINE SISKINS continued to shoot past Bake Oven
Knob through Nov 19, with a high count of 199 SISKINS on Nov 19. ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWKS were spotted from Bake Oven Knob on Nov 17 & 19. On Nov 19,
twenty-five SNOW BUNTINGS were seen from Bake Oven Knob. Other sightings
from the hawk watch this week included COMMON LOONS and COMMON RAVENS.
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
Blue Marsh Lake had a MERLIN and 3 SNOW BUNTINGS
on Nov 15. On Nov 18, two SNOW BUNTINGS were at the parking lot for Blue
Marsh’s Sheidy Boat Launch. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary noted a MERLIN
and 185 PINE SISKINS on Nov 15. GOLDEN EAGLES were reported from Hawk
Mountain Nov 17-19, with 3 GOLDENS on Nov 17, ten on Nov 18 and eight
on Nov 19. The Hawk Mountain Hawk Watch noted 2 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS on Nov
17, one on Nov 18, and four on Nov 19. Two ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS made the
count on Nov 18. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary had 12 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS
on Nov 18 and eleven WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS the next day, when 161 SNOW
BUNTINGS and 20 HORNED LARKS were also tallied. Three GOLDEN EAGLES were
spotted from the Auburn Hawk Watch on Nov 16. On Nov 16, Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary’s Hawk Watch noted 75 BRANT, 2 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 8 GOLDEN
EAGLES and 780 PINE SISKINS.
Lancaster County:
Click
Here for Lancaster County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A LITTLE GULL fed with 400 BONAPARTE’S GULLS
in the Conowingo Pond area of the Lower Susquehanna River on Nov 15.
FORSTER’S TERNS and 500-600 BONAPARTE’S GULLS were at the
Susquehanna River near Peach Bottom, and a NASHVILLE WARBLER was in
the area on Nov 18. A GOLDEN EAGLE was spotted near the Holtwood Dam
on Nov 16.
Lebanon County:
Click
Here for Lebanon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A COMMON RAVEN was at the power line cut off Pinch
Rd, and later flew into the Lancaster County area of the cut. The Second
Mountain Hawk Watch noted GOLDEN EAGLES on Nov 16-19 with 5 GOLDEN EAGLES
as the high count on Nov 18. The hawk watch noted NORTHERN GOSHAWK on
Nov 16 & 18. Other sightings from Second Mountain included COMMON
LOONS, TUNDRA SWANS, COMMON RAVENS, SNOW BUNTINGS, PINE SISKINS and
PURPLE FINCHES.
Carbon County:
No reports
Monroe County:
No reports
Pike County:
No reports
Wayne County:
No reports
PA Extralimitals:
No reports
Extralimital Reports
No reports
Announcements
On Nov 22, Sandra Keller will lead a DVOC field trip
to the Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR in Atlantic County,
NJ. If conditions are better on Sunday, the trip will be rescheduled
for Nov 23. This trip is geared towards beginning birders and will focus
on waterfowl and sparrows, but last year a Cave Swallow made an appearance
on the field trip. The trip will meet at the parking lot near the restrooms
at 11:30AM, and attendees should plan to bring a packed lunch. Please
contact Sandra Keller 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 will take place at 7:30pm
on Thursday Dec 4 at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia,
PA. The main program of the meeting features a presentation by Scott
Weidensaul entitled "Of a Feather.” Details are on the website,
and guests are always welcome.
At 7:30PM on Nov 21, the Wyncote Audubon Society will
meet at the Plymouth Meeting House located at the intersection of Germantown
and Butler Pikes in Plymouth Meeting, when Cliff Hence will present
"Birding Spain and England." The program is free and open
to the public. 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.
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