January 21, 2012 ..... Cape May, NJ

The weather forecast for the day scared off everyone but Peter Burns, who was determined to join me birding this day. Once we were south of Milleville on Route 55 all signs of the snow were behind us. Now the day was still overcast and we had periods of light rain throughout the morning and much the afternoon but we still managed to target bird our way through Cape May County to a successful day. That’s not to say the initial journey was uneventful until we escaped the snowy roads of the immediate Philadelphia area. While we didn’t encounter any trouble ourselves other than a slower than normal trip but we did witness several accidents being cleared up and the evidence of cars having spun out. Apparently people weren’t following Sgt Phil Esterhaus’s warning to the watch patrol at the beginning of every shift on Hill Street Blues and “being careful out there”.

Using a combination of bird highlights posted in the days leading up to the field trip and text notices from Louise Zemaitis who was feeding me updates all day (Louise had spoken to Wyncote Audubon the night before) so she knew I would be leading this trip. Peter and I criss-crossed our way from the bay to the coast and the Point to Avalon and back again (more on that to come).

We started with the Rufus Hummingbird at CMBO Goshen after a quick stop at the Wawa meeting location to see if anyone else would be joining us. Since no one had indicated they still would be joining us I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there.

Then we took looks down Reed’s and Cook’s Beach Roads before the first notice from Louise set us off in search of a Black-headed Gull and a Black- headed Kittiwake around Norbury Landing. By the time we were just about there, the kittiwake was reported east heading into the canal but we did find the Black-headed Gull somewhere in the North Cape May area along Beach Drive in North Cape May and then a group of Bonaparte’s Gulls at the Ferry Terminal for good measure.

We knew the Eurasian Collared Doves and Dickcissel were being seen in the Whildin Avenue vicinity so that was our next stop. As we turned down Whildin Avenue sitting on the wires crossing Harvard Avenue was one of the Collared Doves. We didn’t even have to get out of the car for this bird either. We were having a really good day and I was beginning to worry about the trip report and all those people who had decided not to come along because of the weather. Do I tell the truth or do I swear Peter to secrecy that the trip wasn’t so good because of the snow and rain. If you are reading this you know which path I chose.

At the un-developed lot at the corner of Harvard and Whildin, the House Sparrow flock could be heard in the brush in the so we grabbed our umbrellas (it was raining now) and quietly stood across the street and waited for the birds to emerge from the cover of the multiflora rose tangles. After a few minutes the House Sparrows began to come into view but no DIckcissel, then from down the street more House Sparrows flew into the multiflora rose and sure enough, the Dickcissel joined them. It took a few more minutes before we got a full-frontal view but we were now 4 for 5 for the day and went to have lunch back at the Lighthouse State Park. By the end of the day, Peter had collected 4 lifers which may have explained his enthusiasm for wanting to make the trip.

After lunch we found a pair of Fox Sparrows around the entrance gate feeding amongst the White-throated Sparrows. We then made our way to the Beanery where we did not see either the Bell’s Vireo or the Yellow-Breasted Chat but we did see a couple Swamp Sparrows, 2 more Fox Sparrows and a Gray Catbird.

Next stop was Nummies Island, where we found four Marbled Godwits, numerous Black-bellied Plovers and American Oystercatchers, Brandt, Long-tailed Ducks and Common Loons. Stone Harbor Point yielded some Sanderling and not much else before we headed to the Avalon Seawatch where we had a small flock of Common Eider and Black and Surf Scoter. While we were there we received our last message from Louise which was about a Glaucous Gull at the St Peter’s Jetty in Cape May Point. So we were southward bound again. We arrived in time to find the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull on the jetty. We also had 2 Tree Swallows fly over our heads and had Ruddy Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers also on the jetty here before it was time to call it a day without going down Jake’s Landing Road and trying for Short-eared owls. It would have been dark by the time we got there and really could we have asked for much more today?

I then had to shovel out an ice encrusted side-walk and driveway in the dark when I got home but it was worth it!!

~ Martin Selzer

January 7, 2012 ..... Peace Valley

Ten people joined me for our first field trip of 2012 as we visited Peace Valley Park on a fall-like winter’s day. Highlights included a pair of Long-eared Owls, an Eastern Screech Owl, a Cackling Goose, several Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, large numbers of Common Mergansers and a nice mix of birds on the trails and at the feeding station. This included: White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, Ring-necked and Ruddy Ducks, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey and Black Vultures.

Thanks to everyone who joined me on starting the New Year off right.

~ Martin Selzer

Nov. 19, 2011 .....Cape May, NJ

Why a mystery field trip? Why did we end up going where we did? Well I could tell you we wanted to see where the “good birds” would be in November. But the honest to goodness truth was we couldn’t make up our minds about where to run this trip when we put together the field trip calendar in June. So we pulled the ye olde mystery field trip trick out of our hats so we had something to go to press. Then following the October Cape May field trip, I thought it would be a good idea to start at the Avalon Sea Watch and work our way south to Cape May then back up the Bay Shore. Turns out the birds and the weather cooperated and we had a rather successful field trip.

Meeting at the sea watch, meant we could bird while the group gathered and we were treated to a wonderful Northern Gannet display as well as a steady stream of scoter and Red-throated Loons flying south. The overwhelming majority of the scoter we Black Scoter but a fair number of Surf Scoter were mixed into the flocks and at least 6 White-Winged Scoters were observed during the morning. Also seen from the sea watch was a fly-by Razorbill, a few Common Loons, some Horned Grebes, Forster’s and Royal Terns, Double-crested Cormorants, Red-breasted Mergansers, Long-tailed Ducks and Green- winged Teals.

After at least an hour in Avalon we moved down to Stone Harbor Point. In the parking lot at the point we were greeted by at nice sized flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers. On the beach was a large flock of Dunlin and Sanderling with a few Black-bellied Plovers. We continued to see lines of scoter moving south and scanned them for eiders and Harlequins but could not pull any out. Throughout the morning we had Herring, Ring-billed and Great Black-backed Gulls although I have to admit we didn’t spend a great deal of time looking at the gulls. Our return trip to the cars was rewarded with a perched Merlin and more yellow-rumps.

We stopped at the base of the bridge to Nummies Island to look at the Brant and large group of American Oystercatchers roosting on the sand bar in the channel. We didn’t want to pass these guys by. There also was another group of Horned Grebes feeding under the bridge. In the marsh were Great Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets and Boat-tailed Grackles. From here we all headed down to the Lighthouse State Park where we had lunch. Lighthouse and Bunker Ponds held a good mix of waterfowl including American Coots, Ruddy Duck, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Mute Swan, Pied-billed Grebes, Green-winged Teal, American Widgeon and the star of the visit a gorgeous drake Eurasian Widgeon. As we ate lunch we also had a Purple Finch and Carolina Chickadee. Walking the Red Trail we had several Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Northern Flickers and Carolina Wrens. Raptors while at the State Park included a Bald Eagle, Turkey and Black Vultures, Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned and Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers.

We then went in search of the elusive Eurasian Collared Doves that are in the area. Well they are elusive for me in my two half-hearted attempts to find them. So we came, walked around Lincoln and Whildin Streets a bit and then headed to the Villas or Cox Creek WMA when we didn’t find them. I get much greater satisfaction in traveling to see birds in their nature habitats, so when I dip out on misplaced visitors like these, I don’t get too worked up about it.

There we did find Red-headed, Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers before moving on to Jake’s Landing Road to end the day with a beautiful sunset. No Short-eared Owls this day but a beautiful sunset to end a great day of birding in Cape May county.

Thanks to everyone who joined me, see you again soon.
~Martin Selzer

October 22, 2011 .....Cape May, NJ

Cape May is a great attraction to birders from around the world and sometimes it lives up to its reputation. Of course one might also say an ok day at Cape May is still a very good day. This past Saturday was exceptional! The weather was very nice and the birds were plentiful. We began our day at the Cox Hall WMA (the Villas) in North Cape May. Right from the start, we were surrounded by ruby and golden-crowned kinglet, yellow rump and palm warblers and a blue- headed vireo. Pulling ourselves away from this very active spot and walking not more than fifteen feet Judy spotted an immature redheaded woodpecker. Someone in the group described its head as a garnet or ruby red. Red headed woodpecker is an uncommon and very welcome find here on the east coast.

A merlin was perched on a tall spire nearby taking in the bright morning sun. An osprey flying overhead was harassed by two bald eagles and eventually was stripped of a fish it was carrying; the eagle snatched it out of the air with adept precision. Lighthouse Point hawk watch was very active with many people and birds. The sky was peppered with sharp shinned, coopers, and at least one red shouldered hawk.

photographed by Steve Huber

Waterfowl were present in the ponds, but mostly still in eclipse plumage. From there we went to two mile landing to try for the brown booby, which has been widely reported. Alas, no one was home at channel marker 475. A visit to Nummy’s Island added black bellied plover, American oyster catcher and tri-colored heron to end our day.

~ Rick

September 17, 2011 .....Brandywine Creek State Park

Six people joined me for what I believe was our first official fall field trip to Brandywine Creek State Park. My hopes for a good day were high as a strong cold front came through the region late on Thursday afternoon and there were reports of migrants in the area on Friday. Both were encouraging of good conditions for Saturday Morning. We had a pair of Eastern Phoebes as soon as we entered the Tulip Poplar field, indicating that we might have one of those outstanding mornings you hope for when you schedule a field trip months earlier. We then stumbled into a busy flock at the bottom of the hill. Maybe, just maybe?

It took some work to sort through that flock but we finally pulled out a few Black & White Warblers, American Redstarts and a pair of Black-throated Blue Warblers. The flock also had a couple Scarlet Tanagers, Eastern Pewees and a probable Least Flycatcher. There were also numerous, Carolina Chickadees, a few Downy Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, Catbirds, Northern Cardinals and a Brown Thrasher in the mix.

We then wandered around the trails of the park looking for migrants and while we found many of the parks residents including White-breasted Nuthatches, Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Carolina Wrens, etc we never caught up with any migrants. When we finally made our way to the Marsh we had an Osprey heading down the Brandywine Creek and an adult Bald Eagle heading up the Brandywine Creek. Thanks to a group of Blue Jays and American Crows raising a ruckus, we found a Great Horned Owl and that was beginning to look like the bird of the day unless we were able to find some migrant warblers.

We came back out to the far edge of the field below the hawk watch and found a large flock of Common Grackles, a couple Common Yellowthroats, Chipping and Field Sparrows and a probable Blackpoll Warbler. We then started waking another loop through the park this time heading along the trail up the Brandywine Creek when we finally came upon a large group of birds. The flock was feeding in both the tree tops and in the debris that the recent floods have left in the understory. Most of the birds were either grackles or robins but there were several Wood Thrushes and smaller birds all gathering insects. This was the first significant sign of migrants we found all day.

We continued walking the trail that parallels the Brandywine towards Thompson’s Bridge and I had just commented how we had passed a couple of spots that usually are really good in both spring and fall migration when we found a couple birds. Well the American Redstart turned into a Redstart and a Black-throated Green Warbler and then Redstart and a Black-throated Green and a Northern Parula and then those three plus a 2nd Redstart and then the dam broke wide open.

Our group birded this one spot for at least 30 minutes and had multiple Northern Parulas, American Redstarts, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black & White, Black-throated Blue, a Black-Throat Green, and a Blackburnian warbler. There were also Red-eyed Vireos and a Yellow-throated Vireo in this flock along with a couple Scarlet tanagers and an Eastern Pewee or two. It may have taken us over 3 hours to find a group of warblers like this but once we did we found a really good flock of birds. There were probably 30+ birds in this flock, it was quite a challenge to try to make sure everyone got on all the birds as there was so much activity. Fortunately the birds stayed in a cluster of trees in front of us along the river.

That was pretty much the end of the productive birding even though we had to make our way back to the nature center. While, we only ran into the one fantastic flock of birds and the one smaller flock initially, this is the beauty of BCSP and why I love birding there.

~ Martin

September 12, 2011 - Chimney Swift Field Trip

For a number of reasons (my own travel schedule, the birds’ unpredictability, and day- in-day-out monsoons) this year’s Chimney Swift Field Trip was very sparsely attended. Five observers showed up to see 800 birds swirl down the chimney at Jenks School in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia.

We’ll try for a more successful field trip next fall.

~ Jane Henderson

September 10, 2011 ... Fort Washington State Park Field Trip

About 20 people turned up for the joint DVOC/Wyncote Audubon field trip at Fort Washington State Park on Saturday, September 10. We had two young birders, both accompanied by their fathers; several experienced birders, and some who were new to birding. Locating and identifying fall warblers is a huge challenge for new birders, so we offered help wherever we could.

photograph by Bert Filemyr

We greeted everyone in the Militia Hill parking lot at 8:00 AM, and shortly thereafter began the walk up Ridge Road. It wasn’t long before we found a feeding flock of warblers, and people began pointing out, “Blackburnian, Black-and White, Parula, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Yellow, American Redstart!” It was a great start to the rather gloomy, humid morning. We continued up the hill, continuing to find feeding flocks.

We walked down the steep, rocky trail toward Park Avenue and stopped at the bottom where Mike and Ann saw a bird that looked like either a Mourning or a Connecticut Warbler, but the bird moved farther back in the bushes and was never seen again, though we all stuck around for a while, pishing and squeaking.

As we walked along the lower road toward the pavilion I pointed out the bench across the meadow which had been placed there by Wyncote Audubon in memory of Pam Seretny, an active Wyncote member who passed away recently.

Behind the pavilion we saw a Common Yellowthroat, and also a few Cedar Waxwings high in a tree. A Cooper’s Hawk and an American Kestrel were high in the sky.

On the way back up the hill we found additional feeding flocks. We added Canada Warbler and immature Rose-breasted Grosbeak to our day list. Other assorted birds included Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Pewee, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, White-breasted Nuthatches, two Common Nighthawks, one Red-tailed Hawk and a few American Goldfinches. Before the group scattered, I told them they have an assignment: learn the warbler songs and chip notes between now and the spring migration. Around 11:00 AM some folks walked up on the hawkwatch deck, others went home or to other activities. It was a very good day. ~ Jane henderson

photograph by Bert Filemyr

July 16, 2011 ... Bombay Hook, DE. Field Trip

The day was sunny and gorgeous with a nice wind and, for most of us, the bugs were a minor issue. That could explain the large number of Wyncote Audubon and DVOC members who showed up for our annual summer trip to Bombay Hook. I prefer to think it was because Delaware is the place to be to welcome back the southbound shorebird migration.

American Avocets
photograph by Steve and Laura Huber

Raymond Pool was the place to be with hundreds of egrets and heron and thousands of shorebirds. The rest of the refuge was extremely dry reminding everyone how desparately this area needs the rain. Shearness and Bear Swamp were mostly devoid of water forcing the birds to concentrate in Raymond.

We found a nice collection of Great and Snowy Egrets and managed to pull out an immature Little Blue. We also spent some time searching through the flocks of Glossy Ibis hoping to find a reported White-faced Ibis but without any luck. We sorted through Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and thousands of Short-billed Dowitchers before finding several Stilt Sandpipers. American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts were fortunately very easy to find and, although distant, we worked on the "peeps" finding Least, Semi-palmated and Western Sandpipers. We were working so hard to study the shorebirds, we almost failed to notice the Bald Eagles and Ospreys soaring overhead. Shorebirds can be tough and sometimes an ID is impossible but Bombay Hook is great place to learn because many of the birds are so close.

Glossy Ibis photograph by Steve and Laura Huber

Traveling around the refuge people added Clapper Rail with chicks, an immature Yellow-crowned Night-heron, lots of Indigo Bunings, Blue Grosbeaks, Orchard Orioles, Eastern Kingbirds, Brown Thashers plus multiple great looks at Marsh Wren. Clouds of swallows turned up Tree, Barn and Bank Swallows and Cedar Waxwings flew overhead.

After a cool and pleasant lunch stop back at the Visitor's Center where we had Bluebirds, Purple Martins, American Goldfinch, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Chat, we did a quick stop back at Raymond to see if anything new had come in.

It was a fun day. Thanks to everyone who came out to join us. And a special thanks to Steve and Laura Huber for their fantastic photos.

~ Lynn C. Jackson

photograph by Steve and Laura Huber

May 15, 2011 ... Brandywine Creek State Park, DE Field Trip

A year ago when Jane Henderson and I pulled into Brandywine Creek State Park, we found a Yellow-breasted Chat singing just beyond the pay booth. We also found Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats here as well as Tree and Barn Swallows. By the parking lot we found Chipping Sparrows and Bluebirds and we hadn’t even started to walk the trails. By the time we had finished our walk we had 16 species of warblers, several vireos that nest in the park, orioles and tanagers and the idea for a field trip was born.

It was an overcast, wet morning however once again; there was a Yellow-breasted Chat singing in the trees beyond the pay booth and an Indigo Bunting on the fence post. We also had Field Sparrows singing, Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats here as well as Tree Swallows. Is it any wonder, people like birding in this park? As Lynn and Peter and I drove up to the parking lot, an Eastern Meadowlark flew off the wall across the field and perched on a tree top. Not a bad start to our morning.

Well, there wasn’t any more evidence of a migrant fallout today than there was on Saturday at Palmyra but we did find a few warblers including American Redstarts, Black-throated Blue, Magnolia, Ovenbird, and Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireo as we wandered the trails. There were a few woodpeckers about and a pair of Wood Ducks on the Brandywine.

As we were leaving the park heading for pancakes and waffles, I heard Bobolinks and then we saw a flock of about 20+ birds looking for a place to land in the grass. We watched them land and disappear, then take off and circle some more and disappear several times before we did manage to get a look at them before heading off for breakfast at Lucky’s Cafe.

Maybe this fall we’ll catch up with a fall out or maybe next spring. Because, we’ll be back to Brandywine Creek State Park!

~ Martin Q. Selzer

May 14, 2011 ... Palmyra Nature Cove Field Trip

Well even with the main pit cleared in preparation to receive additional dredge spoils, we hoped the wooded areas would attract migrants so we would find them as we walked the trails. In theory this was a good idea/plan unfortunately in practice this was not to be the case on this overcast morning in mid-May. From reading many postings after the weekend, it was not a good weekend to catch a Neotropical migrant fallout. We still managed to a few good birds and the pit held a nice mix of shorebirds that would not have been there otherwise.

As the group gathered in the parking lot, it was evident that Baltimore Orioles were not at all impacted by all the work going on at Palmyra as we had several pairs chasing each other around. We also had a few Yellow Warblers so at least these two residents seemed unaffected. We also had a couple Rufous-sided Towhees, Warbling Vireos, American Redstarts, Common Yellowthroats and Indigo Buntings throughout the walk. During our walk we had heard a few Wood Thrush, Ovenbirds, Great Crested Flycatchers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, both House and Carolina Wrens and observed a pair or two of Orchard Orioles so it wasn’t as if we didn’t find any birds. Plus every nest box seemed to have a Tree Swallow sticking its head out.

In the pit feeding at the edges of the small pools of water that had collected from the overnight rain were a mix of Least Sandpipers, a few Semipalmated Plovers, a couple Killdeer, and a pair of Solitary Sandpipers. When we finally made our way around the large pit to the smaller group of willows that is always a hot spot (except today), we had had a group of 3 Greater Yellowlegs flyover and then found two Spotted Sandpipers in the corner of the main pit. Thus our warbler walk turned into an ad hoc shorebird walk out of necessity. I’d like to say we found lots and lots of migrant birds but....

~ Martin Q. Selzer

May 8, 2011 ... Woodlawn Trust, DE Field Trip

The second half of our Delaware migration double-header started in the little parking lot along Ramsey Road of the Woodlawn Trust with a pair of Eastern Bluebirds that were tending to a natural nesting cavity. We watched this pair carrying out fecal sacks and bring food into for their young. We also had Eastern Kingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats and Redwing Blackbirds from here.

We then headed down to the trailhead along the Brandywine and there we had a few Northern Orioles, Tree Swallows, Yellow Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Warbling Vireos (the common nesting vireo here) and two of our better birds of the day. Somebody, asks what’s this big brown bird with a red eye? Is it a cuckoo? Where are you looking? Well it was a cuckoo, in fact it was a Black-billed Cuckoo and we were able to get the entire group on it. Not a bad start to the walk considering it was a lifer for at least 3 people. We then had a Chestnut-sided Warbler and a couple Yellow-rumped Warblers here. Unfortunately, we didn’t have too many other warblers.

Black-billed Cuckoo
c. Lynn C. Jackson

Solitary Sandpiper
c. Lynn C. Jackson

We did have a Bald Eagle fly up river and we heard a Louisiana Waterthrush calling nearby but there was a lot of water in the Brandywine so there weren’t a lot of places for it to walk along the bank. Fortunately there was just enough of a rock exposed so that we found a Solitary Sandpiper at the little stone bridge that usually has a Phoebe nesting under it.

When we came to the farm field we did have an Indigo Bunting and our walk along the Brandywine towards Thompson Bridge had more Warbling Vireos and Northern Orioles but there was little evidence of migrants.

May 7, 2011 ...White Clay Creek, DE Field Trip

Our Delaware migration double-header weekend started in Newark, DE and the White Clay Creek Preserve and State Park on Saturday morning. After meeting at the McDonalds on 896 in Newark, we car caravanned through the still sleeping college town to the parking area at Wedgewood Road. From here we took an hour-long walk along Creek Road back towards town.

Highlights on this stretch of the walk included numerous Northern Orioles, Northern Parulas, Common Yellowthroats, Scarlet Tanagers, House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, signing Louisiana Waterthrush, Ovenbirds, Acadia Flycatcher and Woodthrush. We had already noticed lots and lots of Red-eyed Vireos about in the canopy and would find them to be the most common bird of the day by far. We wandered down this road about 40 minutes before turning around to where we parked.

By the time we had returned to the cars, the gates to the proper parking area had been opened and we moved our cars and paid our state park fees. We then crossed the bridge over the creek and began the loop from Wedgewood Road to Hopkins Road. From the Wedgewood Road Bridge, we had a couple female Scarlet Tanagers, more Red-eyed Vireos and another Northern Parula. Things began to pick up near the pond near the pumping station, where we heard a Yellow-throated Vireo called in the tree tops at the far side of the pond and an Indigo Bunting in the Willows along the creek. We also had a fly-by Pileated Woodpecker and 2 Green Herons at the pond. Along Hopkins Road from the Bridge we had a much better look at a pair of Yellow-throated Vireos and a Belted Kingfisher. We then took the short walk to the nature center to use the facilities before making the return walk along Creek Road to our cars. That short walk is almost guaranteed for American Restart and Warbling Vireo and we had both birds there. At the feeder we had Carolina Chickadees, Indigo Bunting, White-breasted Nuthatch and calling somewhere behind the hedgerow was a Yellow-breasted Chat. We heard it growling and “chattering” away but never saw it hope up. On the walk back to our cars, we managed White-eyed Vireo making it a 4 vireo day and a nice look a Hairy Woodpecker and Black-throated blue Warbler. After hearing Kentucky Warbler, we followed a trail up the hill side a short way and while standing between a pair of males defending their territories, caught a glimpse of this skulker. We also found an Overbird along this trail.

After returning to the cars, we moved to the nature center where we had lunch before taking a walk along the creek. Highlights from this short walk included a very cooperative Northern Parula, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, several Northern Rough-winged Swallows, a Solitary Sandpiper and a pair of Orchard Orioles. Thanks to everyone who joined us on this walk.

~ Martin Selzer for Rick White

May 1, 2011 ..Belleplain State Forest Field Trip

About 20 people joined me on a beautiful spring morning as we visited Belleplain State Forest along Narrows Road, Sunset Road and Pine Swamp Road. By the time we left a few hours after lunch we had seen or heard all the key breeding warblers of the area plus many other birds.

Highlights of the days birding included:

• Multiple outstanding looks at Worm-eating Warblers everywhere we stopped
• Hooded Warbler singing out in the open
• Several Yellow-throated Warblers
• Prothonotary Warbler at the bridge at Sunset Road with a male American Redstart putting in a guest appearance at the bridge as well
• A pair of Louisiana Waterthrush were enjoyed from the small bridge
• Several White-eyed Vireos perched well out in the open proclaiming their territories, while all the Red-eyed Vireos, stayed hidden in the tree tops
• Ovenbirds were heard calling throughout the day wherever we stopped; however only one or two birds were glimpsed briefly
• Common Yellowthroats, Pine, Black & White, Blue-winged, Prairie and Northern Parula Warblers were heard and seen during the course of the day.
• We also had Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Phoebe and Acadian Flycatcher

And the day ended with a Summer Tanager along Pine Swamp Road as we were heading home to prove that good things come to those who drive around with their car windows down listening.

Yellow-throated Warbler
c. Lynn C. Jackson

April 30, 2011 ..... Wyncote Audubon/DOVC Field Trip to Fort Washington State Park for Spring Migrants

The field trip began at 7:45 AM in the Militia Hill parking lot with several Baltimore Orioles and three Scarlet Tanagers, all in good view. The twenty or so participants lingered around that area for a while, and then headed up Ridge Road to see what we could see. Our route took us past the campgrounds, across Joshua Road and then back through the lower park entrance. Chimney Swifts and Tree Swallows circled overhead. Gray Catbirds kept us company most of the way. It's nice to see them back. Other notable birds included Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Indigo Bunting, and several warblers species: Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, Black-and White, American Redstart, and Ovenbird. On our walk back to the parking lot on Park Avenue we found the Eastern Screech-Owl peeking out of his favorite tree.

~ Jane Henderson

April 17, 2011 ..Birds and History at Red Bank, Fort Mifflin & John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

Wyncote Audubon did its second Birds and History field trip on Sunday, April 17, 2011. We went from Red Bank Park New Jersey, to Fort Mifflin, and finally to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, all located within the Philadelphia’s city limits. The intrepid group of eight was lead by Bob Berghaier, who provided historic commentary, accompanied by Martin Selzer, Jane Henderson & Lynn Jackson, who helped with bird identification.

Our first very windy stop was Red Bank New Jersey, and the Red Bank Battlefield Park part of the Gloucester County Park System. Except for a wind- blown Red-tailed Hawk and some ubiquitous Canada Geese, bird watching was nearly non-existent.

c. Jane Henderson

Now for the history. After the capture of Philadelphia on September 26, 1777 and of the failure of the American surprise attack against the British at the Battle of Germantown on October 4, the Americans tried to deny the British the use of the city by blockading the Delaware River. To that end, two forts were constructed to command the river. One was Fort Mercer on the New Jersey side at Red Bank (now National Park, New Jersey). The other was Fort Mifflin on Mud Island, in the Delaware River just south of the confluence of the Schuylkill River, on the Pennsylvania side opposite Fort Mercer. As long as the Americans held both forts, the British army in Philadelphia could not communicate with the outside world or be resupplied.

The Battle of Red Bank ocurred on October 22, 1777. A German mercenary force of 2000 Hessians sent to take Fort Mercer on the left bank (New Jersey) of the Delaware, just south of Philadelphia, were decisively defeated by a far inferior force of Rhode Island Colonial defenders. The victory supplied a sorely-needed morale boost to the American cause. With their commanding officer mortally wounded, the Hessian army reported casualties of 377 killed and wounded with 20 missing or captured, while the Americans reported their losses at 14 killed and 27 wounded.

It was then that the Bristh Commander General Howe turned his attention to our next destination on this birding excursion – Fort Mifflin. Howe made plans to attack Fort Mifflin by a massive artillery bombardment. By early November the British artillery perparations were complete, and a number of warships were available in support. On November 10, 1777 the British opened a full-scale bombardment of Fort Mifflin which lasted for five days. After five days, on November 15, the commanding officer of Fort Mifflin, with 250 reported casualties among his 400 men and with ammunition running low, abandoned the fort that evening, leaving the American flag flying, and evacuated his men to Fort Mercer. The next morning a small party of British troops landed unopposed at deserted Fort Mifflin, hauled down the American flag, and ran up the British Union Jack atop the ruined fort. The bombardment of Fort Mifflin cost the British only a reported 13 sailors and troops killed with 24 wounded, and with some damage to some of their warships and land batteries. Howe then sent Lord Cornwallis with 5,000 men to attack Fort Mercer, landing them by ferry three miles to the south. Rather than let the garrison be captured in an overwhelming British assault, its commander decided to abandon the fort on November 20, leaving the British to occupy it the following day.

However the delaying action by the Americans at both Forts Mercer and Mifflin prevented General Howe from getting much needed supplies. This allowed General Washington to go safely into winter quarters at Valley Forge. Washington retrained and resupplied the Continental Army over the winter. In the spring, the British, finding their postion in Philadelphia undefendable, evacuated the City and retreated through New Jersey back to New York City from whence they had come. Many historians think that Howe’s attack on Philadelphia was a great error in judgement on his part which led directly to American Independence. General Howe was supposed to support General Burgoyne’s army coming south along the Hudson River. Had he done so, the 13 Colonies would have been cut in two. Instead, General Burgoyne was forced to surrender to Generals Gates & Benedict Arnold (!) at Saratoga, New York. This defeat convinced the French to enter the war on the American side. As a result, we became an independent “land of the free and home of the brave”.

Birding at Fort Mifflin was, except for a healthy number of Red-winged Blackbirds uneventful. The soggy Fort itself (the Delaware River had crested over its banks the previous evening) was the main attraction. We also met, unexpectedly, a group of 17th Century French Musketeer re-enactors who had had an overnight at the Fort during a nasty deluge of rain.

photos of Fort Mifflin - c. Lynn Jackson

It was then on to the “real birding destination” of our day, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, also known as Tinicum. It was here that I saw in the field for the first time both Eastern Phoebe and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. The next best personal highlight for me was watching a mature Bald Eagle and an Osprey tangle in the air just over the Refuge’s parking lot on our departure.

Other birds seen that day included Mute Swan, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and White-throated and Song Sparrows.

In spite of the windy and damp start, it turned out to be a pleasant day. Thanks to Martin, Jane & Lynn for providing birding expertise and thanks to everyone else for joining us.

~ Bob Berghaier with Jane Henderson

c. Lynn Jackson

April 16, 2011 ..... Coastal Delaware

Yes it was cold and windy and, at times, rainy... but, as always, it was also a fun day birding in Delaware. Our route began at Dragon Run Marsh where we had amazing looks at a Caspian Tern cruising back and forth right in front of us. We also had a couple of Wood Ducks and the usual Eagles (we would eventually see at least 10) before moving on. The forecast was for heavy rain later in the day so we needed to move quickly to get in as much birding we could.

Moving south we travelled along the C&D Canal where we watched the resident Peregrine dismembering his breakfast on one of the girders under the bridge. Ducks, gulls and egrets were in the marshes and turkey vultures were perched on every telephone pole. One of the target birds along this road is Cattle Egrets and we were well rewarded with great looks at a large flock by the side of the road, their rich breeding plumages making them look very spiffy indeed.

The plan had originally called for traveling south along Rt 9 to check out the coastal marshes along the way but Mother Nature had other plans. We'd gotten only a few miles below Augustine beach when we were met with a slight obstacle. DRAT!! This might have been a real problem since I was hoping to get a little further down the road to check the next bridge for the small colony of Cliff Swallows that have called small patch of Delaware home for the last few years.

Luckily, while we were contemplating the obstacle before us, someone looked up and noticed a lovely Cliff Swallow zooming around overhead. I'd never seen the birds at this bridge but, luckily for us, this little guy decided to venture a bit further north. Perhaps he was blown in by the ever increasing gusts of wind.

September 11, 2010 Wyncote Audubon / DVOC Field Trip to FWSP

Saturday, September 11 dawned cool and sunny, and the warblers and other migrants turned up to celebrate with us at Fort Washington State Park. I’d birded the park every day during the previous week, and the birding had been very slow. I was nervous about whether we’d have some migrants for everyone to get good looks at. I was not disappointed.

We began the walk on the grass hillside next to the hawkwatch deck at Militia Hill. People were already there and scanning the adjacent trees when I arrived at 8:00 AM when the walk was to begin. People were calling out, “Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, Redstart, Pewee.” So we stayed in that spot for a few minutes, waiting for everyone to turn up, before we headed up Ridge Road to make a long loop around the park.

At that point we had 25 or so participants, including two youngsters, and decided to split the group. Rich Conroy agreed to lead one group, and I set out with the other. But it wasn’t long before the two groups merged around the first flock of migrants on the way up the road. By the time we had finished the walk, around 11:00 AM, we had seen 11 warbler species: Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, Tennessee, Nashville (many), Northern Parula, Black-and-White (many), American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird.

Other migrants included: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Pewee, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Scarlet Tanager.

At the conclusion of the walk, we saw a small kettle of Broadwing Hawks, one Bald Eagle, one Osprey, and Black and Turkey Vultures from the hawkwatch deck.

Everyone got good looks at the birds. We were all happy to have had such a good day at our local park.

July 17, 2010 Field Trip Report - Bombay Hook NWR

On a day promising to hit the mid 90's, it was a good idea to start our annual summer Bombay Hook trip at 8AM when there was still a nice breeze.

The trip started so well, it took us close to an hour to even reach Raymond Pool with great looks at: Chimney Swift , lots of Purple Martins, American Robins, Gray Catbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, 2 Brown Thrashers, 10+ Cedar Waxwings, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Swamp Sparrow, Northern Flickers, a very cooperative Willow Flycatcher, lots of Eastern Kingbirds, several Blue Grosbeak and tons of American Goldfinch.

American Goldfinch
c. Lynn C. Jackson

Wyncote Audubon tried something new on March 27, 2010: A Birds and History field trip to Gettysburg National Battle Field and Park. The trip was most ably led by Bob Berghier, who provided historic commentary as we toured the battle field. Bob was aided by his great nephew Augie, a Civil War enthusiast. The day was focused on history, with birds as an added attraction. Martin Selzer was responsible for finding the birds, though everyone pitched in.

We were at Gettysburg on a cold March day. We had to try to imagine the stifling heat of July 1863 and the horror of the bloody battles.

As is customary with a Gettysburg tour, our route followed the 3-day battle. The two armies, The Army of the Potomac (the North) and The Army of Northern Virginia (the South) first met on July 1, 1863 at a location west of town. General John Buford’s cavalry valiantly defended this site while General Meade organized the North’s defenses closer to town. Buford’s men were successful in holding the high ground. This was a key factor in the North’s victory.

Gen. Buford's Monument
c. Lynn C. Jackson

March 13, 2010 Field Trip Report - Middle Creek NWR, Lancaster Co. PA

Well, you know something is wrong when there are more hunters than birders at Middle Creek on the second weekend of March. I am afraid that I am getting the reputation of being a bad weather field trip leader. As I am sure you know, this past weekend of rain and wind was no exception. In spite of conditions that can only be described as despicable, we managed two trips around the impoundment. Thanks to the other two thirds of the executive board, Martin and Jane, Pam and I were not alone.