NEWSLETTER OF THE DELMARVA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY … · strap as well as a personalized birding tour! Start 2017 on a high! CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR DOS FELLOWS & ... the Delaware

As we flip the last page of our calen-dars signifying the end of one year while starting a new one, most of us take some time to reflect backwards, then look for-ward and if you are like me, mostly scratch your head. As the calendar turned, I suspect a number of DOS members made a resolu-tion or two that involved birding such as: bird more, become a better birder, go on more DOS field trips, add species to my DE State List and chase a rarity or two. In an effort to help all of you reach towards your birding goals for 2017 or just enhance your state birding adventures, the following re-sources will certainly come in handy while birding in our Delmarva region.

DELAWARE BIRDING TRAIL:

The #1 birding resource for exploring the state’s top birding locations, complete with directions, favorable seasons and

species expected. http://delawarebirding-trail.com

DELAWARE BIRDING LISTSERV/DEBIRDS: DE-BIRDS is the e-mail discussion list for Delaware birders and those interested in Delaware birds and their ecology. This discussion list is hosted by Princeton Uni-versity. http://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=de-birds To receive email notices of bird sightings, subscribe to the list at http://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=de-birds&A=1 (Many many DOS members subscribe to this service) ABA BIRDING NEWS: A great resource for checking all the bird sightings submitted to state birding listservs. Just click on the state and the submissions are listed chronologically. A wonderful way to discover the most recent and interesting birds sighted in neighboring states as well. http://birding.aba.org

DELAWARE BIRDING FACEBOOK GROUP:

An open Facebook group for folks to post and share their birding experiences in

Delaware. https://m.facebook.com/groups/124482741040741

DOS FIELD TRIPS:

And, one of the VERY best ways to ad-vance your birding skills is to join in on some DOS field trips, you will be happy you did! http://www.dosbirds.org/events/cate-gory/field-trip/ Good Birding,

Bill Stewart, DOS President

Greetings FROM THE PRESIDENT

issueIN THIS

GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT ....................

MONTHLY MEETINGS ..........................................

MEMBERSHIP NEWS ...........................................

FIELD TRIPS .......................................................

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT RECAP ........................

GET OUT AND BIRD! ...........................................

WATERFOWL WORKSHOP RECAP ........................

AMERICAN KESTREL SYMPOSIUM .......................

WHAT’S THIS BIRD? ............................................

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TheflyerNEWSLETTER OF THE DELMARVA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

JANUARY 2017Volume 48 | Number 5

Happy New Year From DOS! Start the year off right with a DOS membership

Your membership helps DOS fund field trips, meetings, and conservation efforts! Help support your local birds by

becoming a DOS member today!

Join DOS Today Online or Renew Your Membership at: http://www.dosbirds.org/membership/

2 The Flyer | January 2017 | www.DOSbirds.org

Curl-crested Aracari by Lonnie Huffman

JANUARY 2017 | VOLUME 48 | NUMBER 5

Delmarva Ornithological

Society

COMMITTEES Publications Committee

Jean Woods, Chair Kelley Nunn, Flyer Editor

Hannah Greenberg, Flyer Co-Editor Gene Hess, Delmarva Ornithologist Editor

ELECTED OFFICERSPresident

Vice President Treasurer Secretary

Council 2017 Council 2018 Council 2019

Flyer Editor

Bill Stewart Anthony Gonzon Jim Lewis Holly Merker Lisa Smith Joe Sebastiani Kim Steininger Kelley Nunn

Conservation Matthew Sarver

Membership Ian Stewart

Programs Anthony Gonzon

Hawkwatch Sally O’Byrne

Field Trips Amy O’Neil

Parker O’Neil

Spring Round-up Chris Bennett

Outreach & Publicity Derek Stoner

Delaware Records Frank Rohrbacher

CBC Jim White

Webmaster Andrew Homsey

MISSION STATEMENT

The object and purpose of this Society shall be the promotion of the study of birds, the advancement and diffusion of ornithologi-

cal knowledge, and the conservation of birds and their environment.

ONLINE DOSbirds.org

FACEBOOK facebook.com/DOSbirds

TWITTER twitter.com/DOS_birds

Flyer Inquiries: [email protected]

Front Page Photo: Northern Cardinal by Derek Stoner Header photo: Shorebirds at Pickering Beach by Kelley Nunn

Based upon the most recent studies and scientific-based publications, our birds are more and more challenged for survival as each year turns. Bill will spend the evening reviewing and discussing some of the findings, both from the most challenging and distressing species, and also to the good news makers. Bill Stewart is the Director of Conservation and Community along with Young Birder Program Coordinator for the American Birding Association. A passionate birder for over 37 years, Bill is currently serving as the President of the Delmarva Ornitholog-ical Society. Previously, Bill served as the Conserva-tion Chair for DOS and is the founder and coordina-tor of the Delaware Bird-A-Thon, the Wilmington Peregrine Falcon Webcam Project, and the Lights Out! Wilmington initiative. Most recently, Bill was awarded the 2014 Rosalie Edge Conservation Award from the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club. In his free time, Bill likes to spend time with his five chil-dren, grandson, and do a little surfing.

Come join us as Master MC Jim White will host the night's activities in reviewing the 2016 National Audubon CBC's from Delaware. Listen in as each Count Circle's Compiler reports on the birds, effort and surprises discovered during this 116th CBC, the longest running citizen science project in North America! It is also our traditional Chili Night and we encourage you to bring your favorite crock-pot chili and some fresh bread. If you plan on con-tributing your heralded chili and or bread, p l e a s e c o n t a c t K e l l e y N u n n a t [email protected]. We hope to see many of you there - the meeting is open to the public, bring your appetite and grab a birding friend or two and plan on attending Wednesday night, February 15th!

Anthony Gonzon, DOS Vice President

Monthly Meetings: Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month from September through May at

Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin, DE. Social hour and refreshments are at 7:00pm, followed by the meeting and presentations at 7:30pm. If you’d like to bring snacks to share or contribute

photographs to the pre-meeting slideshow, please contact our meeting hostess, Kelley Nunn at: [email protected].

MONTHLY Meetings

Wednesday, Feb. 15th Delaware CBC Reports &

Annual Chili Night! with Jim White @ 6:30pm (early)

Wednesday, Jan. 18th 2016 State of the Birds - A Presidential Address

with Bill Stewart

DOS Membership News: Renew Your Membership, Plus Call For Nominations!

MEMBERSHIP News

The Flyer | January 2017 | www.DOSbirds.org 3

PLEASE RENEW YOUR DOS MEMBERSHIP! We realize the holiday period is stressful and renewing your society memberships is something that is easily pushed aside, but if you haven’t renewed this year please make it your New Year’s Resolution to do so! Either make out a check to DOS and mail it to us at PO Box 4247 Wilmington DE 19807 or renew online using a credit card or PayPal via our website (http://www.-dosbirds.org/membership/ - the ‘Renewals’ button is in the lower right hand corner.) If you’re still feeling the Christmas spirit why not renew at a higher level?! All monies we receive benefit Delaware’s birds and if you renew at the stilt or peregrine level you qualify for free DOS merchandise. If you take the plunge and become a Life Member ($500) you qualify for a free cap and ‘lucky’ binocular strap as well as a personalized birding tour! Start 2017 on a high!

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR DOS FELLOWS & HONORARY MEMBERS! It’s that time of year again when we start accepting nom-inations for DOS Fellows and Honorary Members - check out your Membership Directory to see the honor roll of previous awardees! DOS FELLOWS must have made a significant contribu-tion to the affairs of the Society, preferably as a Committee or Council member, and/or must have made a significant contribu-tion to the ornithology of the Delmarva Peninsula or nearby area. HONORARY MEMBERS should have national prominence

in the field of ornithology or a closely related field and have been of service to the Society, or the area’s birds for an extended peri-od of time. Nominations for either category can be submitted to me at [email protected].

Ian Stewart, DOS Membership Chair

Jeff Chambers Hockessin, DE

Eric Ivankevich Stevensville, MD

Ashley Kennedy Newark, DE

Thomas & Laura Lamphear Newark, DE

Cynthia Martin Wilmington, DE

Tim Zador Newark, DE

New Members, WELCOME

TO THE FLOCK!

DOS CONSERVATION SCIENCE GRANTS For the second year, DOS will be offering a small grants program open to qualifying projects that address issues of ap-plied ecology and bird conservation on the Delmarva Peninsula. A request for proposals will be sent out soon. If you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about this program, please direct them to contact the Conservation Chair, Matt Sarver.

CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEMBER RECRUITMENT

The DOS Conservation Committee is actively seeking DOS Members who are interested in joining the committee and helping with several project-oriented tasks, including web page updates, tracking active conservation issues, etc. Please let Matt know if you are interested ([email protected]).

Matt Sarver, DOS Conservation Chair

CONSERVATION CornerDOS Conservation Updates!

Top: Wood Duck Fledglings by Kim Steininger Bottom: Long-eared Owl by Kelley Nunn

All members and guests are welcome! Only trips that are noted are restricted to DOS members, due to space limitations. Participation in field trips is at your own risk. Please help our leaders and our environment by carpooling, especially on trips which include several locations. Half day trips

will usually end before lunchtime unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to contact trip leaders if you have any questions. Please Note: Check our website (www.dosbirds.org), The Flyer, or the

DEBirds Listserv in case of trip changes, cancellations, or trip additions. * = Locations Requiring Entrance Fees DD = Delaware Dunlins Recommended

UPCOMING Field Trips

Owl TripSUN • 5 February • Multiple Locations

Leader: Jim WhiteSeven species of owl may be seen and/or heard in a single full day. Various locations. Registration Required. Must call Jim if you are attending (302-593-9622). DOS members only due to

space limitations. Meet at the New Castle County Airport. Bring lunch. Full day.

Barred Owl by Jim White

Midwinter Bird WalkWED • 18 January • Alapocas Run SP

Leaders: Sally O’ByrneCome out and get to know some of the birds that are at home in the woods & fields during winter! Meet Sally O'Byrne at the Blue

Ball Barn, near the traffic circle on Rte. 141 at 8:30AM.

SAT • 21 January • Indian River InletLeader: Anthony Gonzon & Chris Bennett

Join Anthony and Chris to ID and document seabirds such as Northern Gannet, scoters, loons, gulls, & cormorants, plus find a rarity or two. Check the forecast and dress appropriately. Meet at the Delaware Seashore State Park lot on the south side of the In-

dian River Inlet along the ocean at 8AM.

Sea Watch III

Long-tailed Ducks by Anthony Gonzon

4 The Flyer | January 2017 | www.DOSbirds.org

List Head StartSAT • 7 January • Multiple Sites

Leaders: Frank Rohrbacher

Join Frank to get an early start on your 2017 list! Visit various Delaware sites in the race to find as many year birds as possible. Full day. Meet Frank at the Park & Ride at Rte 299 & Rte 1 in Mid-

dletown, opposite Wawa at 7:30AM.

Trip At Indian River Inlet by Hannah Greenberg

The Flyer | January 2017 | www.DOSbirds.org 5What’s This Bird Photo Quiz Answer: Northern Pintail

DUNLINS Field Trips

Delaware Dunlins Christmas Bird Count Recap

This year was the 117th Christmas Bird Count, and counters for the Wilming-ton area were Judy Montgomery, Tom Laz-lo, and Ryan Lazlo. Our small group origi-nally planned to begin counting at 7 am on Saturday Dec. 17th at Ashland Nature Cen-ter in Hockessin, but because of icy weather, we postponed the count until 12 pm. Due to an open window for a pause in hunting, we decided to begin our count at Coverdale Farms, Upon our arrival, we saw a large amount of Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows in the garden next to the parking lot. Our first stop on our walk brought us to a group of Fir trees on the property where we were surprised to lo-cate a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Red-breasted Nuthatch. As we continued our walk and headed down to the trail, we decided to check 2 owl boxes. The first box was empty, however we were excited to find in the second box an Eastern Screech-

Owl guarding a fresh dead baby squirrel. A couple of photos and we were on our way. Our next stop was to an area that is known to have Long-eared Owls. During our hike to this location, we located Song Sparrow, Northern Flicker, and Belted Kingfisher. Arriving at the secluded group-ing of trees, we looked under a low hang-ing tree branch bent by the accumulated ice and witnessed a perched sleeping Long-Eared Owl. Our excitement grew when not just one, but two owls took flight as they were as surprised to see us as we were to see them. Since Coverdale Farms is private property, permission is required if you want to bird there and have a chance to witness these beautiful birds. Our walk back to the parking lot gave us good looks at Pileated Wood-pecker, Eastern Bluebirds, and an imma-ture Bald Eagle. We left Coverdale Farms at 2 pm with 34 species. Not too bad for a

couple of hours birding in beautiful icy conditions! At Ashland Nature Center, we walked to the recently constructed bird blind and watched a large variety of birds feed. We saw Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco and other typical birds you would expect to see at the bird feeders during this time of year. We decided to walk along the Red Clay Creek and saw a Red-shouldered Hawk, Brown Creeper and Carolina Wren. We ended the day with 36 species by 4 pm.

Good Birding,

Ryan Lazlo, Delaware Dunlin

Eastern Screech Owl by Tom Lazlo

Ryan Lazlo on the Wilmington CBC by Tom Lazlo

Get Out and Bird in January! Who says winter is a boring time for birding? Cold, sure. But boring? Hardly! Those who have been out to play “Find the in the flock of ” have been re-warded with sightings of Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings in flocks of Horned Larks, and a Greater White-Front-ed Goose was spotted in with some Cana-da cousins. What else will be found? Yel-low-headed Blackbirds, Ross’s Goose, Cackling Goose, Barnacle Goose, and odd gulls, finches, and sparrows are all possi-bilities through the winter months. Keep your eye out for that one bird that doesn’t quite look like the others in the flock! In the yard and at the feeders: Did you know you can differentiate male and female White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches by the color/contrast of their caps (and eye stripes, in the Red-

breasted)? The females have grayer/duller plumage in these areas—take a close look and see if you can tell them apart at your feeder. Snowfall will often bring gorgeous Fox Sparrows closer to feeders. Look for them foraging on the ground with the jun-cos and towhees. Speaking of sparrows, January is a great month to go out and look for un-usual sparrows like American Tree, Le Con-te’s, and Nelson’s Sparrows. On the water: Common Eider have been seen at Cape Henlopen and Indian River Inlet, which is also a great spot for Red-throated and Common Loons, three species of scoter, and Long-tailed Ducks. With our wintering waterfowl molting into resplendent breeding plumage, January is a terrific month to enjoy these seasonal residents. Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Ameri-

can Wigeon, Ruddy Ducks, Bufflehead, and Northern Pintail are all very common at Bombay and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuges, so take a trip out to say hello! In the air: This is the time of year when Northern Harriers are commonly seen cruising just above the grasses in marshy areas; their buoyant, graceful flight is mesmerizing to watch. In the same habitat, Short-eared Owls can often be found at dawn and dusk (Port Mahon Road is a particularly reliable spot). Keep your eyes out for the “odd” raptor at this time of year, like the Rough-legged Hawk, which has avoided Delaware in the most recent winters. And, of course, every morning and every evening is the specta-cle of the “mega flocks” of mixed Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and European Starlings streaming… Continued page 7

GET OUT AND Bird!

6 The Flyer | January 2017 | www.DOSbirds.org

Horned Lark by Marian Quinn

*Sale price can not be used on optics or gift cards. No other discounts will be applied. Not good on previous purchases.

—Your backyard bird feeding special ist—

Lancaster Pike & Yorklyn Road Hockessin, DE

(302) 239 - 9071 www.wbu.com/hockessin

Wild Birds Unlimited

DOS Members Receive 10% Off*

Happy New Year from your

feathered friends at Wild Birds Unlimited in

Hockessin, DE!

The Flyer | January 2017 | www.DOSbirds.org 7

American Wigeon by Mike Hudson

GET OUT AND BIRD CONTINUED…

…overhead as they move from their roost-ing grounds in the river marshes to their feeding grounds and back again. Look for a Cooper’s or a Sharp-shinned Hawk dis-rupting these flocks as it works for a meal. Listen for: Great-horned Owls singing their seasonal duet as they renew pair bonds and begin nesting. Wait, what? Yes, Great-horned Owls start nesting be-haviors in January and generally lay eggs in late January or early February. Love is in the air! Speaking of Love: Bald Eagles start their courtship in December while our other resident raptors begin in Feb-ruary - keep a lookout for pairs of raptors sitting in a tree shoulder to shoulder. When hawks and eagles are perched next to one another, take a look to see if there’s

a noticeable difference in their size. If there is, the larger one is likely the female, and the smaller one will be the male. And finally… here’s a New Year’s resolution for you—Get Out and Bird at least once every month! Or - go to at least one new place you haven’t birded before each month. With so many great birding spots in the area, there are surely a few you haven’t been to lately (or ever)! Not sure where to go? Check out the Delaware Birding Trail at http://delawarebirding-trail.com or come along on a DOS field trip! We have some great trips lined up this winter! See page 4 for upcoming trips. So, bundle up, plan your destina-tion, pack that thermos of hot coffer or cider, and Get Out and Bird—you will be happy you did!

Lisa Smith, DOS Council

Barred Owl by Marian Quinn

Do You Love Birds & Facebook? DOS is looking for a

new Facebook Manager! We’re searching for someone who can post

weekly updates. If you think you would be a good fit for this position, we want to hear from you!

To Inquire, Contact Us At: [email protected]

8 The Flyer | January 2017 | www.DOSbirds.org Header photo: American Oystercatchers by Kim Steininger

Our Winter Waterfowl Identifi-cation program at Bombay Hook NWR was another well-received program with 23 participants. The DOS workshop was hosted by Dr. Jean Woods, Curator of Birds at the Delaware Museum of Natural History and held in Kent County at the Bombay Hook NWR Visitor’s Center. The program offered participants the oppor-

tunity to examine closely, study and dis-cuss the skins of a variety of waterfowl common to Delmarva in the winter. I would like to thank Dr. Woods and the Museum for taking their water-fowl skins on the road and for sharing this educational resource with the public. Also we would like to thank Tina Watson and

the Bombay Hook NWR staff for their hos-pitality and for co- hosting the workshop. Watch for DOS Flyer announce-ments on our next workshop, Spring S h o r e b i r d s , o n M a r c h 2 5 , 2 0 1 7 , 9:30-11:30am at Delaware Museum of Natural History.

Bruce Lantz, DOS Field Trip Leader

FIELD TRIP Review

Waterfowl Workshop Recap Upcoming Shorebird Workshop - March 25th

Photos by Bruce Lantz

Conference Hosts

Location

Blue Ball Barnat Alapocas Run State Park

1914 W Park DrWilmington, DE 19803

A project of The Peregrine Fund

Who?Citizen Scientists

&Professional Researchers

Contact

Registraion

BrandywineZoo.org/ DelawareKestrelPartnership

Registration Fee:$25/person

Symposium Accommodations

The Inn @ Wilmington

AMERICAN KESTREL

JANUARY 28 & 29, 2017

Friday January 27

9 AM - 5 PM

6-8 pm, at The Brandywine ZooEvening Ice Breaker

Check-in starts at 8:30am

SYMPOSIUMThe Delaware Kestrel Partnership, in collaboration with the American Kestrel Partnership, cordially invites you to spend a weekend with kestrel researchers at our American Kestrel Symposium.

Please direct all questions to [email protected]

Register by January 15,2017

[email protected]

The weekend will include:Presentations by citizen and professional scientists Q&A sessions and panel discussionsTopics focusing on research techniques, nest box programs, data collection, and future projects Opportunities for professionals, citizen scientists, and students to mingleLunch and light refreshments will be provided

Limited travel scholarships available for AKP Members.

(Scroll down to access application)

The Flyer | January 2017 | www.DOSbirds.org 9

WEBSITE dosbirds.org

FACEBOOK facebook.com/DOSbirds

TWITTER twitter.com/DOS_birdsDOS Online:

Non-profit OrgU S Postage

PAIDPermit 314

Wilmington DE

DELMARVA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY P.O. BOX 4247 WILMINGTON DE 19807

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Thank you to DOS Member Nick Pulcinella for contributing another ‘What’s This Bird?’ photo quiz!

WHAT’S THIS Bird?

A. Blue-winged Teal B. Cinnamon Teal C. Garganey D. Northern Pintail E. Mallard F. Northern Shoveler G. American Black Duck

What’s This Bird?

For the answer, check under the Field Trip Schedule on Flyer Page 5!

Photo Taken In North America In December | Possible Choices: