| Current
report - Thursday August 14, 2009
- Birds Mentioned
Click Here for species
accounts for many of these birds
(NJ)+ (Details requested by
New Jersey Birds
Records Committee)
(PA)+ (Details requested by Pennsylvania
Ornthological Records Committee)
(DE)+ (Details requested by Delaware
Records Committee)
Common Loon
Cory's Shearwater
Greater Shearwater
Audubon's Shearwater
Wilson's Storm-petrel
Northern Gannet
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Snow Goose
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Surf Scoter
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
RUFF
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet
Western Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Upland Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Hudsonian Godwit
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Stilt Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
American Woodcock
Wilson's Phalarope
Laughing Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Nelson's Gull (Glaucous X Herring Hybrid)
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Tern
Black Skimmer
Monk Parakeet
Eastern Screech-owl
Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Mourning Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Summer Tanager
Grasshopper Sparrow
Blue Grosbeak
Dickcissel
Eastern Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow
Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert
Email reports to:
Compiler: Michael Lyman, Delaware
Valley Ornithological Club
Phone: (215) 240-7547
Voice of the Delaware Valley RBA: Cindy Ahern and Win Shafer
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 Michael Lyman filling in for the vacationing Steve
Kacir and I will be your guide for birding in the Greater Philadelphia
Region. This week, we highlight reports of migrating shore birds and the
continuing Roseate Spoonbills, one each in Atlantic County New Jersey
and Sussex County 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.
On August 12 birders at the Higbee Dike flight watch
had COMMON LOON, NASHVILLE WARBLER, 28 YELLOW WARBLERS, 34 AMERICAN
REDSTARTS, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, 64 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, LOUISIANA
WATERTHRUSH AND WORM-EATING WARBLER amongst other more common birds.
Also a WHITE- RUMPED SANDPIPER was the standout amongst a few hundred
shorebirds at the Higbee Dike impoundment this day.
At the Cape May State Park on August 12 species seen
were a juvenile COOPER'S HAWK and a juvenile male MERLIN. The NELSON'S
GULL was seen off the beach of Cape May State Park this same day. On
August 11 here were seen 20 roosting ROYAL TERN AND 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.
On August 7 an early YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was found at the Cape May
State Park.
At the Cape May Nature Conservany Meadows on August
11 were seen WHITE-EYED VIREO, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, BOBOLINKS, NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH and flyover SANDWICH TERN and 6 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.
Around Cape Island between August 6 and August 8 were
seen BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, WORM-EATING WARBLER, HOODED WARBLER and OVENBIRD.
Reports from Stone Harbor Point on August 10
included SANDERLINGS, RUDDY TURNSTONE, SAMIPALMATED and WESTERN SANDPIPERS
along with 15 WESTERN WILLET, RED KNOTS and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, approximately
100 of each, COMMON TERN and ROYAL TERN, 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS
and 5 BROWN PELICANS.
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.
Johnson Sod Farm continues to host multiple UPLAND
SANDPIPERS, the latest report on August 10 from Olivet road. PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS have also been reported this past week from this location.
Atlantic County:
Click
Here for Atlantic County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
At Edwin B.Forsythe NWR AKA Brigantine, this past
week continues the ROSEATE SPOONBILL, along with sightings of BLUE-WINGED
TEAL, and masses of shorebirds including WESTERN WILLET, WESTERN SANDPIPER,
LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, MARBLED GODWIT, WHIMBREL, WILSON'S
PHALAROPE, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER STILT SANDPIPER and over 5,000 SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS. Also seen this past week here included CASPIAN TERN, GULL-BILLED
TERN, LEAST BITTERN and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON and a SNOW GOOSE.
Monmouth County:
Click
Here for Monmouth County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
Sandy Hook reports from August 11 included 8 WILSON'S
STORM-PETRELS off the end of the fisherman's trail, MERLIN, a juvenile
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER on the Spermaceti Cove sandbar, YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER,
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, CERULEAN WARBLER, and WORM-EATING WARBLER along
Raccoon Alley, and a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH at the salt pond.
A group of 4-6 MONK PARAKEETS have been regular in
the evenings at the Maplewood Memorial Park this past week.
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.
Nine PINE SISKINS continue to visit feeders
at Wells Mills County Park in Waretown, August 11.
Salem County:
Click
Here for Salem County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On August 13, 3 UPLAND SANDPIPERS were seen at the
DeLea (East Coast) Sod by the Forest Lane section.
On August 10 along Compromise Road observers had 22
CATTLE EGRETS.
Also on August 10, along Featherbed Lane WMA
birders had 1 BALD EAGLE, 60 CATTLE EGRETS, 40+ BANK SWALLOWS, and on
Pointers Auburn Road 4 UPLAND SANDPIPERS.
Gloucester County:
Click
Here for Gloucester County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
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.
No reports
Somerset County:
Click
Here for Somerset County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
At Six Mile Run on August 9, birders spotted GRASSHOPPER
SPARROW, BLUE GROSBEAK and many ORCHARD ORIOLES.
This past week there has been a CATTLE EGRET at a
pond at Negri-Nepote
Morris County:
An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was noted in a Flanders,
New Jersey backyard on August 11.
Union County:
No Reports
Bergen County:
Liberty State Park on August 11 hosted a TRICOLORED
HERON opposite the boat ramp, a MARBLED GODWIT in the muddy cove next
to the Head Quarters, a DICKCISSEL within the HOUSE SPARROW flock in
the meadow next to the interpretive center, and a continuing SURF SCOTER
on the bay. Passerines here this day included NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH,
YELLOW WARBLER and AMERICAN REDSTART.
On August 9 at the Meadowlands 5 YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-
HERON, CATTLE EGRET AND PEREGRINE FALCON were seen.
NJ Extralimitals:
A pelagic trip to the Hudson Canyon on August 9, recorded
611 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, 19 GREATER SHEARWATERS, 18 CORY'S SHEARWATERS,
8 AUDUBON'S SHEARWATERS, and 2 NORTHERN GANNETS.
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 August 8, observers on a canoe trip along Dragon
Run reported 75 LITTLE BLUE HERONS, 100+ WOOD DUCK and many GREEN HERON;
a BARRED OWL was heard as day turned to night.
Kent County:
Click
Here for Kent County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On August 8, reports from Thousand Acre Marsh were
2 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, PECTORAL and SOLITARY SANDPIPER.
Bombay Hook NWR had TRI-COLORED HERON, 427 AMERICAN
AVOCETS, 12 STILT SANDPIPERS, 100+ SHORT- BILLED DOWITCHERS, DUNLIN
and CATTLE EGRET on August 8.
BLACK TERNS were reported from Ted Harvey NWR on August
8.
On August 11 along RT 9 and Cartanza Road, birders
had 2 UPLAND SANDPIPERS along with several PECTORAL SANDPIPER and KILLDEER.
Also on August 11, along RT 9 between Liepsic and
Little Creek west side opposite Edgewater Farm Road were seen BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, BLACK BELLIED PLOVER, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER and GULL BILLED
TERN
On August 9 Port Mahon road held PECTORAL SANDPIPER
On August 9 Mispillion Harbor reports included MARBLED GODWIT, 21 WILLETS
all EASTERN save for one WESTERN and BLACK SKIMMER.
Sussex County:
Click
Here for Sussex County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On August 9 around 8 PM reports of the ROSEATE SPOONBILL
were from the area of the Catch 54 restaurant on Fenwick Island.
On August 13 a RUFF was spotted along Broadkill
Beach Road along with numerous STILT SANDPIPERS.
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 August 14 a SUMMER TANAGER was a welcomed surprise
for a field trip for the AOU conference at John Heinz NWR.
Delaware County:
Click Here
for Delaware County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.No reports
No reports
Chester County:
Click Here
for Chester County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On August 12 at the corner of Lincoln
Hwy and Country Club Dr. (western corner of the plaza with BJ's and
Wegmans) in downtown Downingtown, PA there were 6 GREEN HERONS in and
around the pond. Also seen here were 2 BELTED KINGFISHERS.
Struble Lake on August 7 had 3 CASPIAN TERNS
hunting and plunge diving for fish at this location.
Montgomery County:
Click
Here for Montgomery County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.No Reports
No reports
Bucks County:
Click
Here for Bucks County Birding Resources including an interactive map
with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On August 7 along the Scudders Falls Bridge, also
known as the I-95 portion that crosses over the Delaware River, was
perched a PEREGRINE FALCON, this is a reliable location for this species,
often found perched on the tall light towers on the New Jersey side
of the bridge or less often on the lamppost of the bridge itself.
Also, on August 7, at Shady Brook Farm in Newtown, LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULLS were present, mixed in with LEAST SANDPIPERS and LAUGHING GULLS.
Along the levee that runs beside Delmorr Avenue in Morrisville, perched
on rocks exposed in the high Delaware River, the evening of August 7,
were approximately 60 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, of all age classes,
with an estimated 40% juvenile. Reports of ACADIAN FLYCATCHER and 40
NORTHERN ROUGH- WINGED SWALLOWS came from the levee as well.
Northampton County:
Green Pond produced GREAT EGRET, SOLITARY SANDPIPER and 14 LEAST SANDPIPER
despite the highest water levels an experienced observer of this locale
can remember for this time of year.
On August 7 a property in William's Township had BROAD-WINGED
HAWK, PEREGRINE FALCON and multiple RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.
Northampton County:
Click
Here for Northampton County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Lehigh County:
Click
Here for Lehigh County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On an early ridge count at Bake Oven Knob on August
11, observers had impressive numbers of raptors for this time of year.
Species recorded include 16 BROAD-WINGED HAWK, 4 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK,
2 COOPER'S HAWK, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, 3 OSPREY, 2 AMERICAN KESTREL,
MERLIN and 7 BALD EAGLES
Schuylkill County:
Click
Here for Schuylkill 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
On August 11 at Blue Marsh Lake, a CASPIAN TERN was
being harassed by a COMMON TERN.
While listening to nocturnal flight calls in Eastern
Berks County on August 7, an observer heard 43 VEERY, while EASTERN
SCREECH OWLS were vocal during the whole experience.
An observer in Leesport had YELLOW and MOURNING
WARBLERS by their bird bath
Lancaster County:
Click
Here for Lancaster County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On August 8 at the Lancaster Airport, an observer
recorded 3 UPLAND SANDPIPER, reports from Sunday August 9 from this
same location also reported 3 UPLAND SANDPIPER.
On August 12 observers birding the Conejohela
Flats had 13 SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, 52 KILLDEER, 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
15 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 3 SOLITARY SANDPIPER, 12 SPOTTED SANDPIPER, 17
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, 148 LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER and 4
PECTORAL SANDPIPER. Also seen here this day included 6 BALD EAGLE, OSPREY,
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, PEREGRINE FALCON, LAUGHING GULL, FORSTER'S TERN
and CASPIAN TERN. On August 8 from this location observers had BLACK
BELLIED PLOVER as well as many of the same species reported above.
Lebanon County:
Click
Here for Lebanon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Carbon County:
No reports
Monroe County:
On August 11, 5 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen by Discovery
Drive and Route 611 in Swiftwater.
From a private residence in Monroe County a birder
had this past week VEERY, SWAINSON'S THRUSH and EASTERN SCREECH OWL.
On August 8 in Kunkletown an AMERICAN WOODCOCK
and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK were observed.
Pike County:
No reports
Wayne County:
No reports
PA Extralimitals:
On August 7 a Juvenile WHITE IBIS was observed at
a wetland outside of Picture Rocks, Lycoming County. Subsequent searches
to relocate the bird were unsuccessful.
An interesting find from this winters Pine Siskin
influx was observed in Alberta Canada. A Pine Siskin banded in Bangor,
Pa. on March 15, 2009 was found on July 27, 2009 just south of Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada.
Extralimital Reports
No reports
Announcements
On Aug 30, Steve Kacir will lead a DVOC field trip to
Green Lane Reservoir in Montgomery County, PA. The trip will meet at the
Church Rd parking lot at Green Lane at 7:00AM. If high water levels persist
at Green Lane, this trip will be cancelled. Please contact Steve by email
if you plan on attending. Additional information and contact information
for the trip leader are on the DVOC website: http://www.dvoc.org
The next meeting of the DVOC is on September 3 at 7:30pm
at John Heinz NWR in Philadelphia,this meeting will be one of the informal
Summer Meetings.
A reminder from renowned Author and experienced Hummingbird
Bander Scott Weindensaul,
"Just a reminder that we're coming into the season
when vagrant hummingbirds are most likely to be noticed, especially once
ruby-throated numbers start to decline next month.
Although the number of fall/winter rufous hummer reports
declined the past two years throughout the East and Southeast, we're still
getting a dozen or more a year in Pennsylvania. But there's been an explosion
of other western and southwestern species showing up in the East, including
this spring's incredible violet-crowned hummer in Virginia. Allen's, broad-billed,
calliope and broad-tailed are all more or less likely in the East each
year, and this is the time of year when the tropical mega-rarities like
green violet-ear and green-breasted mango start to show up - in fact,
there's a mango in Texas right now. Seem unlikely? There was an unconfirmed
but probable violet-ear in Centre County very briefly a few years ago.
As in the past, there are several hummingbird banders
across the state anxious to band these vagrants so we can learn more about
their movements -- I'm in Schuylkill County, Nick Pulcinella is down in
the southeast, and Wayne Laubscher is in Lock Haven. The Powdermill folks
do a great job patrolling southwestern and western PA. We also have a
newly licensed hummingbird bander, Ember Jandebeur, who will be
covering northeastern Pennsylvania. Ember was trained by the
legendary Nancy Newfield in Louisiana, and I'm pleased to have her working
under my banding permit.
If you have a strange hummingbird, let one of
us know. Photos
always help, if you're not sure of the ID. And be sure to keep at
least one feeder up through at least Thanksgiving, because the main migration
of western hummingbirds through Pennsylvania comes in October and November."
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 Michael Lyman, good birding to you all and
thanks for calling, surfing and reporting.
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