Delaware Trip, 3/7/99
KurtCapt87@aol.com
Mon, 8 Mar 1999 23:36:41 EST
Folks,
A windy day kept the passerines numbers down but a few birds and birders (Todd
Day, Sue Heath and myself) managed. The trip locations included Cubbage and
Mill Creek Ponds, Indian River Inlet and Silver Lake, Little Creek, Port Mahon
Rd, and Bombay (as well as the roads into those locations). Highlights were 4
Short-eared Owls hunting over the great marsh near Port Mahon Rd including one
bird at 30 feet and two others talon locking and food exchanging over the
nearby Delaware Bay, adult Bald Eagle hunting and catching a (prob.) Pintail
at Bombay, and Eurasian Widgeon hanging out with many Ring-necked Ducks at
Mill Creek Pond. Other interesting sightings included huge numbers of Ring-
necked Ducks at Mill Creek Pond, Canvasbacks and Redheads still on Silver
Lake, Ruddy Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers on Indian River Inlet jetties,
huge numbers of Dunlin at Bombay Hook, great looks at Common Snipe at 15 feet
on the road into Bombay, Lesser Black-backed Gull on the north side of Indian
River Inlet (hunkered down with 200 or so Herring Gulls), scattered
individuals of Horned Larks in the grasslands near the roads indicating
breeding areas being developed, Am. Pipits outside of Leipsic, Palm Warbler at
Indian River inlet (south side), and blackbirds scattered about also setting
up breeding areas. The totals for the 91 species are below but not broken out
into specific location. We also ran into Colin Campbell who told us of a
Harlequin Duck in the marina on the south side of Indian River Inlet earlier
that day.
Red-throated Loon (8), Common Loon (2), Pied-billed Grebe (8), Horned Grebe
(12), American Bittern (1), Great Blue Heron (8), Tundra Swan (300), Mute Swan
(2), Brant (1), Snow Goose (3000), Canada Goose (120), Wood Duck (1), Green-
winged Teal (400), Black Duck (400), Mallard (400), Blue-winged Teal (2),
Gadwall (2), E. Widgeon (1), Am. Widgeon (140), No. Shoveler (275), No.
Pintail (750), Canvasback (350), Redhead (8), Ring-necked Duck (1400), Greater
Scaup (75), Lesser Scaup (12), Oldsquaw (10), Surf Scoter (3), Bufflehead
(26), Common Goldeneye (1), Hooded Merganser (6), Common Merganser (1), Red-
breasted Merganser (16), Ruddy Duck (60), Black Vulture (1), Turkey Vulture
(40), Bald Eagle (2, 1 ad.), No. Harrier (15), Cooper's Hawk (1), Red-tailed
Hawk (1), Am. Kestrel (2), Pheasant (1), Am. Coot (65), Killdeer (15), Am
Avocet (32), Greater Yellowlegs (9), Ruddy Turnstone (40), Sanderling (25),
Purple Sandpiper (12), Dunlin (850), Common Snipe (7), Boneparte Gull (26),
Ring-billed Gull (500+), Herring Gull (200+), Lesser Black-backed Gull (1),
Greater Black-backed Gull (10), Forster's Tern (1), Rock Dove (60), Mourning
Dove (24), Eastern Screech Owl (1), Great Horned Owl (1), Short-eared Owl (4),
Kingfisher (1), Am Crow (50), Fish Crow (2), Horned Lark (12), C. Chickadee
(8), Tufted Titmouse (4), Carolina Wren (1), E. Bluebird (3), Hermit Thrush
(1), Am. Robin (300+), No. Mockingbird (12), E. Starlings (1000), Am. Pipit
(32), Yellow-rumped Warbler (16), Palm Warbler (1), No. Cardinal (5), E.
Towhee (2), Chipping Sparrow (1), Savannah Sparrow (1), Song Sparrow (16),
Swamp Sparrow (3), White-throated Sparrow (26), Junco (6), Red-winged
Blackbird (1000), E. Meadowlark (4), Common Grackle (1100), Boat-tailed
Grackle (75), House Finch (52), and House Sparrow (6)
Kurt Gaskill