Date: 12/19/25 3:55 pm From: Andrew Ednie <000006be14ba5998-dmarc-request...> Subject: [de-birds] RBA: Birdline Delaware, December 19th, 2025
RBA * Delaware * Statewide * December 19, 2025 * DEST 25.12.19
*Birds mentioned Ross’s Goose Brant BARNACLE GOOSE Cackling Goose Tundra Swan Mute Swan EURASIAN WIGEON CINNAMON TEAL Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup HARLEQUIN DUCK Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter COMMON EIDER Long-tailed Duck Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser American Coot Sandhill Crane American Avocet Ruddy Turnstone Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Wilson’s Snipe Purple Sandpiper Bonaparte’s Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Iceland Gull Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Great Cormorant Northern Gannet Brown Pelican GOLDEN EAGLE Bald Eagle Barn Owl Short-eared Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-headed Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Common Raven Horned Lark Red-breasted Nuthatch Sedge Wren American Pipit Purple Finch Lapland Longspur American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Fox Sparrow Yellow-breasted Chat Boat-tailed Grackle Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat Pine Warbler PAINTED BUMTING
Hotline: Birdline Delaware Date: December 19, 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, December 19th this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science 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 List remains at 339 species this week. The big freeze is on; Delaware received its first measurable snowfall in two years on Sunday.
A female PAINTED BUNTING was found at Bear Swamp in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday. This bird was seen just past the parking area to the Bear Swamp tower at the edge of the marsh. This is probably the same bird that was reported last month. A GOLDEN EAGLE was picked out over the marsh near Raymond Pool with multiple BALD EAGLES and a PEREGRINE FALCON. A pair of ROSS’S GEESE were seen with the huge flock of snow geese returning to Raymond Pool in the evening. Other waterfowl reported were CACKLING GOOSE, TUNDRA and MUTE SWAN, RING-NECKED DUCK, plus COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER. Shorebirds seen included AMERICAN AVOCET, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, and WILSON’S SNIPE. SANDHILL CRANES were found at the Finis Pool. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, FOX and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW were found along Parson Point Lane along the backside of Finis Pool.
The previously reported BARNACLE GOOSE was seen sitting on the ice at Duck Creek from Route 13 north of Smyrna. A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was reported at Woodland Beach. Lots of HORNED LARKS and AMERICAN PIPITS were seen along the roadways during the snowstorm on Sunday, along with LAPLAND LONGSPURS seen at North Little Creek Road and Bergold Road across from the Dover Air Force Base.
The previously reported adult drake CINNAMON TEAL was re-found at the Port Mahon impoundments in Little Creek Wildlife Area on Sunday. This bird was seen at the southwest corner of the impoundment, and later joined by a drake EURASIAN WIGEON. Lots of waterfowl are in the impoundment including GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER, plus AMERICAN COOTS. These birds were seen later in the week on the Delaware Bay north of Pickering Beach when the impoundments froze over. There were numerous sightings of SHORT-EARED OWLS this week in Little Creek, from Port Mahon Road and Pickering Beach Road. BARN OWL was found at Port Mahon. A flock of BOAT-TAILED GRACKLES were found at Port Mahon impoundments. WHITE-WINGED, BLACK and SURF SCOTER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, CANVASBACK, REDHEAD and an immature ICELAND GULL were also seen at Pickering Beach.
ROSS’S GOOSE was seen at Cods Road in Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. SANDHILL CRANE and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW were seen at Fowlers Beach. AMERICAN AVOCET was seen at Broadkill Marsh. PIED-BILLED GREBE and a SEDGE WREN were found at Oyster Rocks Road. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was coming to feeder near Lewes. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was reported at Angola Neck.
A female HARLEQUIN DUCK with 2 COMMON EIDERS was seen at Indian River Inlet along with BRANT, LONG-TAILED DUCK, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, HORNED GREBE and GREAT CORMORANT. BONAPARTE’S and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were feeding in the inlet. PURPLE SANDPIPER and RUDDY TURNSTONE were seen on the jetty. BROWN PELICAN and NORTHERN GANNET were seen flying up the coast.
The previously reported RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to be seen at the First State Historical Park, Brandywine Unit south of Ramsey Road. RING-NECKED DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, FOX SPARROW, and COMMON RAVEN were found at Harry’s Pond at the Brandywine Town Center. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH is coming to a feeder in Greenville. CACKLING GOOSE was reported at Carousel County Park. PURPLE FINCH and YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER were seen at Ashland Nature Center and a PINE WARBLER Was seen coming to a feeder in Hockessin. A CHIPPING SPARROW was seen at a feeder in Newark. A pair of TUNDRA SWANS were seen on Newark Reservoir.
Thanks to all the people that make the Birdline possible, including Michael Lyman, Leo Custer, Kelly White, Bert Filemyr, Dave Belford, John Skibicki, Bryan Feyock, Jeff Buler, Don Holcomb, Martin Selzer, Lynn Jackson, Armas Hill, Jason Horn, Ed Wrzesnieski, Carolyn Holland, Mary Braun, Rob Blye, Sue Gruver, Greg Gough, Richard Jullian, Phil Misseldine, Debbie Blair, Nancy Cunningham, Anthony and Kyla Gonzon, Kim Steininger, David Brown, Will Krohn, Melissa Lafferty, Jean-Marie Gauthier, Alison Ellicott, Amy and Declan O’Neil, Sam VanHorne, Joe Francis, Andrea Martin, Mike Moore, Bruce Peterjohn, and Joe Swertinski. Special thanks to Joe Tricarico who recently completed his 200th list distribution to DOS members. Birdline needs your sightings. Please call your reports into 302-463-0113 or email <ednieap...> Until next week, this is Andy Ednie wishing you good birding!
