Date: 10/17/25 4:35 pm
From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...>
Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, October 17th, 2025
RBA
* Delaware
* Statewide
* October 17, 2025
* DEST 25.10.17

*Birds mentioned
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Cinnamon Teal
Black Scoter
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Virginia Rail
Sora
Sandhill Crane
American Oystercatcher
American Avocet
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden Plover
Semipalmated Plover
HUDSONIAN GODWIT
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Spotted Sandpiper
Willet
Wilson’s Snipe
American Woodcock
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Phalarope
Dunlin
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
PARASITIC JAEGER
Common Tern
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Common Loon
Red-throated Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Northern Gannet
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
White Ibis
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
GOLDEN EAGLE
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Blue-headed Vireo
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Northern House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Swainson’s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Pipit
Pine Siskin
Purple Finch
Saltmarsh Sparrow
NELSON’S SPARROW
Seaside Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
American Redstart
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Northern Parula
Cape May Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager

Hotline: Birdline Delaware
Date: October 17, 2025
To Report: Andy Ednie 302-792-9591 (VOICE)
Compiler: Andy Ednie (<ednieap...>)
Coverage: Delaware, Delmarva Peninsula, nearby Delaware Valley, Southern
New Jersey, Maryland

For Friday, October 17th this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The Birdline is sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society (DOS). Statements made on the Birdline do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. This is Andy Ednie, glad to be with you. The unofficial Delaware Annual increased to 331 species this week.

Delaware had a big Nor’easter last weekend that cancelled both hawkwatches on Sunday. Travel around the beach was difficult due to coastal flooding. Route 1 in Dewey Beach was closed, as was Route 9 at Flemings Landing. Unfortunately, there was not a big fallout of pelagic species, only a single RED-NECKED PHALAROPE at Cape Henlopen Point and PARASITIC JAEGERS along the beach. On Saturday before the storm, there was a huge flight of scoters along the coast. 4000 BLACK, 250 SURF and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER plus nearly 2000 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were seen from the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch.

It is getting to the end of warbler season. Lingering Warblers included, AMERICAN REDSTART, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, NORTHERN PARULA, MAGNOLIA, CAPE MAY, plus BLACK-THROATED BLUE and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. Numerous PALM and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS continue to be reported this week. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS was found at The McCabe Nature Preserve and behind the visitor center in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. TENNESSEE WARBLER was reported at Ashland Nature Center. Several NASHVILLE WARBLERS were seen at William Redd Park in Newark today, Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area on Tuesday, Bombay Hook and the James Farm Eco=Preserve near Ocean View. Late CHESTNUT-SIDED and BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERS were seen at the Brandywine Unit of First State National Historical Park.

There were 3 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS at First State yesterday, an adult, 2nd year immature and 1st year immature birds seen south of Ramsey Road at the beginning of the corn field. A WHITE-CROWNED and LINCOLN’S SPARROW was found behind the Ashland Nature Center Hawk Watch. LINCOLN’S SPARROWS were also seen at First State, Hoopes Reservoir, Carousel County Park, Ashton Tract, Bombay Hook, and Gordon’s Pond near Cape Henlopen State Park, A female COMMON MERGANSER was seen along the Red Clay Creek. PIED BILLED GREBE was seen at Carousel Park. AMERICAN WOODCOCK and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW were seen at White Clay Creek State Park.

A few RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS are still coming to feeders right now. If you see an unusual hummer, please contact the Birdline at the sites above. Some new arrivals for the fall included RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, SWAINSON’S and HERMIT THRUSH plus several PURPLE FINCH. SANDHILL CRANES were seen at the Ashton Tract in Augustine Wildlife Area. A SPOTTED SANDPIPER was on the jetty at Augustine Beach.

A possible family group of 3 CINNAMON TEAL was seen at the south end of Shearness Pool in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna on Thursday. The photos are still being reviewed. A winter plumaged WILSON’S PHALAROPE was seen at Bombay Hook this week, along with MARBLED and HUDSONIAN GODWIT, AMERICAN AVOCETS, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, plus SPOTTED, WHITE-RUMPED, PECTORAL, and WESTERN SANDPIPER. SANDHILL CRANE, SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL, WHITE IBIS, SNOWY EGRET, LITTLE BLUE HERON, SNOW and CACKLING GOOSE were reported, plus BONAPARTE’S GULL and CASPIAN TERN. AMERICAN PIPIT was heard flying over. A late WOOD THRUSH was seen at Killen’s Pond State Park, along with RUDDY DUCK.

RED KNOT, BLACK-BELLIED, SEMIPALMATED and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, DUNLIN, SANDERLING, RUDDY TURNSTONE, plus CASPIAN and ROYAL TERNS were seen at Mispillion Inlet from the Dupont Nature Center. CASPIAN TERN and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON were seen from the Dike Trail and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. WILLET, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, and PECTORAL SANDPIPER were seen at Oyster Rocks Road.

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, TURNSTONE, WILLET plus SPOTTED, WHITE-RUMPED and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen at Cape Henlopen State Park along with BROWN PELICAN, NORTHERN GANNET plus RED-THROATED and COMMON LOON. WHITE IBIS, COMMON, CASPIAN and ROYAL TERN were seen at Cape Henlopen Point. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, NORTHERN HOUSE WREN, SCARLET TANAGER, AMERICAN PIPIT, PINE SISKIN, and SCARLET TANGER were migrants through the park this week. WILD TURKEY, BROWN-HEADED and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH was seen at the Seaside Nature Center.

NELSON’S, SALTMARSH and SEASIDE SPARROW were all seen at Gordon’s Pond State Park. PIED-BILLED GREBE, BLACK-CROWNED and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON were reported at Burton’s Island in Delaware Seashore State Park. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen at the Peninsula Golf Course on Long Neck

Ashland Nature Center Hawk Watch had its first GOLDEN EAGLES of the season yesterday and today. A late immature BROAD-WINGED HAWK was also reported today. Good numbers of BALD EAGLES, SHARP-SHINNED and COOPER’S HAWKS were seen. COMMON RAVENS, and PURPLE FINCH were also reported. Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch reported good numbers of OSPREY, BALD EAGLES, AMERICAN KESTRELS, and MERLIN There was a big flight off approximately 4500 TREE SWALLOWS after the storm. Thanks to our hawk counters Jen Ottinger and David Brown.

And thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Tom McKeeman, Ada Alden, Chris Hinkle, Chris Pettnati, Andrew Albright, Kent Raymond, Martin Selzer, Lynn Jackson, Ed Wrzesnieski, Joanne Wood, Rod Murray, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Michael Bowen, Rob Blye, Sue Gruver, Greg Gough, Phil Misseldine, Richard Jullian, Ellen and Jake Jacobson, Chris and Karen Bennett, Anthony Gonzon, Jim and Amy White, Holly Merker, Kim Steininger, Dave Brown, Wendy Cesario, Will Krohn, Aaron Coolman, Melissa Lafferty, Pauletta Brown, Jean-Marie Gauthier, David Kee, Jenna Christy, Sam VanHorne, Alan Belford, Kathy Brown, Steve Vaughn, Megan Kasprzak, Mike Moore, Bruce Peterjohn and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico who distributes this list to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-792-9591 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!

-end transcript

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