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!