| Current
report - Wednesday December 2, 2009
- Birds Mentioned
Click Here for species
accounts for many of these birds
American White Pelican (NJ)+
Swainson's Hawk (NJ)+
Ivory Gull (NJ)+
Eurasian Collared-dove -Extralimital- (PA)+
Selasphorus Hummingbird Sp. (NJ)+
Ash-throated Flycatcher (PA)+
Spotted Towhee (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
Brown Pelican
Great Cormorant
American Bittern
Tricolored Heron
Glossy Ibis
Cackling Goose
Brant
Tundra Swan
Eurasian Wigeon
Redhead
King Eider
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Common Goldeneye
Osprey
Northern Goshawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Virginia Rail
Common Moorhen
Sandhill Crane
American Avocet
Willet
Marbled Godwit
Red Knot
Western Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
American Woodcock
Parasitic Jaeger
Little Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Short-eared Owl
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Western Kingbird
Common Raven
Cave Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Pipit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Ipswich Sparrow
Snow Bunting
Dickcissel
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Purple Finch
Hotline: Delaware Valley Rare Bird Alert
Email reports to:
Compiler: Steve Kacir, 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.
This week, the IVORY GULL in Cape May County, NJ tops the sightings list,
but we also highlight reports of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS in Cape May &
Monmouth Counties, NJ; SWAINSON’S HAWK & SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRDS
in Cape May County, NJ; ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in Lebanon County, PA
and SPOTTED TOWHEE in Burlington County, NJ.
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 subadult IVORY GULL was discovered at Cape May Harbor
on Nov
27. The IVORY GULL is the fourth or fifth modern record for NJ. The
IVORY GULL flew a circuit of Cape May Harbor most of the day on Nov
27, with reports from the Lobster House, the cannery at the Ocean Dr
drawbridge, the Coast Guard Base, Utsch’s Marina, Harborview Marina,
the Cape Harbor Marine Services area and the Nature Center of Cape May.
On Nov 28, the IVORY GULL spent most of the day feeding on fish carcasses
at the Bree-Zee-Lee Yacht Basin marina off Ocean Dr, and was seen reliably
at Bree-Zee-Lee through Dec 2. The IVORY GULL was also spotted from
the Ocean Dr drawbridge on Nov 28. Eleven AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS flew
north over the Bree-Zee-Lee Marina on Nov 29.
The Cape
May SWAINSON’S HAWK was reported through Dec 1, with sightings
from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Cape Island Preserve (accessible from
Wilson St off Seashore Rd), the Rea Farm, Stevens St, Bayshore Rd and
the West Cape May canal bridge. A WESTERN KINGBIRD was at Cape Island
Preserve on Nov 28-29.
Up to two
unidentified SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRDS frequented a feeder at the corner
of Coral Ave and Cambridge Ave on Nov 29-Dec 2. A RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
has been visiting a feeder at Stevens St.
On Nov 27-28
& Dec 1, CAVE SWALLOWS were reported from the Cape May Point State
Park Hawk Watch. A NORTHERN GOSHAWK, WESTERN KINGBIRD and YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD were spotted from the hawk watch on Nov 28. The Lighthouse
Pond at Cape May Point State Park had 3-4 EURASIAN WIGEONS through Nov
29, and 2 hen REDHEADS on Nov 29. On Dec 1, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
was at the park, seen from the stream crossing on the Yellow Trail.
That day, the Lighthouse Pond had a COMMON MOORHEN and flyby GLOSSY
IBIS. Other sightings from the Cape May Point State Park included AMERICAN
BITTERNS, TUNDRA SWANS, VIRGINIA RAIL and SNOW BUNTINGS. On Nov 29,
the aforementioned SWAINSON’S HAWK and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
were seen at the Rea Farm. Other sightings from the Rea Farm included
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. An AMERICAN AVOCET was at the “Gull Island”
at TNC Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge on Nov 29.
A
record-setting 227 COMMON EIDERS were tallied in Cape May on Nov 28,
with some seen around the Coral Ave jetty and the Second Ave jetty.
All three species of SCOTER were seen from the Second Ave jetty on Nov
28. On Nov 27, four HARLEQUIN DUCKS and a KING EIDER were seen from
Poverty Beach, and 5 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were there on Dec 1. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL and southbound COMMON EIDERS were spotted at the Two Mile Beach
Unit of Cape May NWR on Nov 29. On Nov 26, sightings from Nummy Island
included a dozen MARBLED GODWITS, WILLETS, RED KNOTS, WESTERN SANDPIPERS
and a COMMON EIDER. The Avalon Sea Watch noted COMMON EIDERS on Nov
26-Dec 1, HARLEQUIN DUCKS on Nov 28 & Nov 30-Dec 2, PARASITIC JAEGER
on Dec 1 and a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE on Nov 26. Other sightings from
the Avalon Sea Watch included BROWN PELICAN, GREAT CORMORANTS, TUNDRA
SWANS, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, COMMON GOLDENEYES, PURPLE SANDPIPERS, BONAPARTE’S
GULLS and SNOW BUNTING.
Ivory Gull by Bert Filemyr
Swainson's Hawk by Bert Filemyr
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.
No reports
Atlantic County:
Click
Here for Atlantic County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
On Nov 29, Mott’s Creek near Brigantine had
a SHORT-EARED OWL, 2 dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and 80 flyby TUNDRA
SWANS. On Nov 29, the Brigantine Division of Edwin B Forsythe NWR had
a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and AMERICAN BITTERN. A COMMON GOLDENEYE was on
Lilly Lake that day. A TRICOLORED HERON was at Brigantine on Nov 26
Monmouth County:
Click
Here for Monmouth County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A flock of 12 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were reported
from Deal on Nov 29. A LITTLE GULL was spotted in a flock of 500 BONAPARTE’S
GULLS off Deal on Nov 28. That day, a hen COMMON EIDER was off the Phillips
Ave Jetty. On Nov 26, three CAVE SWALLOWS, 3 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS,
31 SNOW BUNTINGS and 3 PURPLE FINCHES were at Sandy Hook.
Burlington County:
Click
Here for Burlington County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A female SPOTTED TOWHEE was at Palmyra Cove Nature
Park Nov 26-28, the sixth record of that species in NJ. The SPOTTED
TOWHEE was seen near the intersection of the Red-winged Blackbird Trail
and the Saw-whet Trail on Nov 26-28, and it was between the Big Pit
and the Little Pit or in the Little Pit on Nov 29-30. On Dec 2, the
SPOTTED TOWHEE was reported from the southwest corner of the main pit.
Four drake LONG-TAILED DUCKS and a COMMON LOON were on the Delaware
River off of Palmyra Cove Nature Park on Nov 29.
Spotted Towhee by Bert Filemyr
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.
On Nov 26-29, COMMON EIDERS and HARLEQUIN DUCKS
were seen from the jetty at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. On Nov 28,
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was reported from the jetty, and 8 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES
were at the mouth of the inlet. That day, 5 IPSWICH SPARROWS and a SNOW
BUNTING were also reported from the park. Two IPSWICH SPARROWS were there
on Nov 26. On Nov 29, PURPLE SANDPIPERS and COMMON EIDERS were reported
from the 8th St access to the beach at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park.
A juvenile WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was at Manahawkin WA on Nov 28.
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.
No reports
Hunterdon County:
Click
Here for Hunterdon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A flock of 14 CACKLING GEESE were at Assiscong Marsh
on Nov 29. Five RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were at a farm in Delaware Twp
that day.
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.
At least 12 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were at the Warren
Green Acres (AKA Glenhurst Meadows) on Dec 2. The Scott’s Mountain
Hawk Watch reported LONG-TAILED DUCKS on Nov 29. Other sightings from
Scott’s Mountain included COMMON LOONS. Four GOLDEN EAGLES flew
past the Raccoon Ridge Hawk Watch on Nov 29. Other sightings from Raccoon
Ridge included COMMON RAVEN and a Milk Snake.
Somerset County:
Click
Here for Somerset County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
No reports
Morris County:
On Dec 2, there were 124 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS at Great
Swamp NWR, reported from the north side Primitive Access area.
Union County:
No reports
Bergen 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.
No reports
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.
On Nov 26, seven COMMON EIDERS flew past Indian River
Inlet, while a young drake COMMON EIDER bobbed in the surf. Eight PURPLE
SANDPIPERS were on the jetties at the inlet that day.
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.
No reports
Delaware County:
Click Here
for Delaware County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.No reports
The Rose Tree Park Hawk Watch reported COMMON LOONS.
Chester County:
Click Here
for Chester County Birding Resources including an interactive map with
locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
The RED-THROATED LOON was still at Marsh
Creek State Park through Nov 26. On Dec 1, AMERICAN PIPITS flew over
the Chambers Lake dike in Hibernia Park. That day, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
was at the Coatesville Reservoir.
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 Nov 26, a RED-THROATED LOON was seen off the fishing
pier of Lake Nockamixon in Nockamixon State Park. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL and 4 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were at the Churchville Nature Center
on Dec 2.
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 Nov 28, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE and late
OSPREY flew past the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch. Bake Oven Knob also
reported COMMON LOONS and COMMON RAVENS.
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
An immature male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD continued to visit
a feeder in Robeson Twp through Nov 28. GOLDEN EAGLES flew past the
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hawk Watch on Nov 28-29. A RED-THROATED LOON
and 11 BRANT flew by Hawk Mountain on Nov 28. Other reports from Hawk
Mountain included COMMON LOON, COMMON RAVENS and Black Bears
Lancaster County:
Click
Here for Lancaster County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
A TUNDRA SWAN, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, AMERICAN PIPIT and
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were at Speedwell County Park on Nov 29.
Lebanon County:
Click
Here for Lebanon County Birding Resources including an interactive
map with locations, satellite views, driving directions, etc.
The ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER at Gen Biddle Rd in SGL
145 in Mount Gretna was reported through Nov 28. To reach the area where
the bird was first seen, take Route 72, and then head west on Pinch
Rd for 2 miles. Go past a power-line cut and up a hill to the first
parking area on the left, and park there. The flycatcher was seen 100-300
yards down the road that is blocked by a gate at this location. There
is hunting in the area, so wear blaze orange. The SANDHILL CRANE at
Lake Duffy in SGL 145 was reported as recently as Dec 1. A SHORT-EARED
OWL was seen near Gobblers Run Rd in West Lebanon on Nov 27. A GOLDEN
EAGLE flew past the Second Mountain Hawk Watch on Nov 29. Other sightings
from Second Mountain included COMMON LOONS and COMMON RAVENS.
Carbon County:
No reports
Monroe County:
No reports
Pike County:
No reports
Wayne County:
Two COMMON LOONS and a LONG-TAILED DUCK were on Lake
Wallenpaupack on Nov 26.
PA Extralimitals:
On Nov 26, six EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were at Shady
Grove in Franklin County.
Extralimital Reports
No reports
Announcements
The next meeting of the DVOC is on Dec 3 at 7:30pm
at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, when DVOC Vice President
Frank Windfelder and Howard Eskin will emcee the Annual DVOC Photo Contest.
Howard Eskin will also present an Ornithological Study entitled “A
Fly Fisherman’s Observations About Some Diving Ducks.” The meeting
after that will be on Dec 17, featuring “A Montgomery County Big Year”
by Stephen Kacir. Details are on the website, and guests are always welcome.
See Life Paulagics is leading a pelagic out of
Belmar, NJ on Dec 6 and a trip out of Lewes, DE is scheduled for Dec 13.
Both of these trips will focus on winter seabirds such as Northern Fulmar,
Razorbill, Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, Dovekie, Atlantic Puffin,
Red Phalarope, Great Skua and Black-legged Kittiwake. More details on
these pelagic trips can be found at http://www.paulagics.com/
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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Siler's eBird Rarities Map