Winter Pelagic Birding Trip out of Lewes

I am posting this for our OLLI birding class participants because several of you asked me about local pelagic birding.

I have been on many of these winter trips, and have enjoyed them immensely. My personal highlight has been the thousands of Dovekies encountered. Concerned about winter cold? Don't be, because the sea is actually keeping temps well above 32 deg F. Concerned about rough seas? If it is too rough the trip will not go, and usually you will be notified 24 hrs in advance..... and you will get a full refund. If you are prone to motion sickness, but still want to go, check with your doctor for his recommendations. "The patch" works very well for Sally, but does require a prescription.

The trips are run by long time pelagic birder Paul Guris of See Life Paulagics . His web site has an abundance of information on pelagic birding, but for a quick easy read about the upcoming Jan 31, 2015 pelagic trip, following is Paul's post on de-birds:

"We have scheduled a pelagic out of Lewes, DE aboard the 110' Thelma Dale V
on Saturday, January 31.  The trip is scheduled from 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM and
the cost is $175.

Target species include Dovekie, Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Common &
Thick-billed Murres, Northern Fulmar, Red Phalarope, Black-legged
Kittiwake, Iceland, Glaucous, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, all of which
have been found on past trips.  We also expect to see more common birds
like loons, cormorants, sea ducks, Gannets, and Bonaparte's Gull.  Possible
cetaceans we've seen in winter before include Fin, Minke, and Humpback
Whales and Common Dolphin.

We will carry chum to try to keep a flock of gulls behind the boat all
day.  These in turn attract other birds that are curious about what’s going
on.  Be sure to bring your camera.  The Gannets come in so close on most
trips that they can be well photographed even with a short lens or even a
quick point and shoot!

This boat is spacious and stable with a birdable upper decked, heated
cabin, and separate men's and ladies facilities. The captain and mates are
experienced with birding trips, and as always we'll have multiple leaders
to help find and get people on the birds.


To make a reservation or for more information, contact us by phone at
215-234-6805 or e-mail us at info@paulagics.com."

Osher Fall 2014 Bird Class Summary

We observed a very respectable total of 113 species on our eight field trips. The check list can be found HERE. There is one additional write-in of Purple Sandpiper not shown on this list.

Some highlight birds were Hudsonian Godwit at Gordons Pond, Great Cormorant at Indian River Inlet, and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow at Fowler Beach. Have a good winter of birding, and try to join at least one of the 4 local Christmas Bird Counts listed below along with the contact information:

Milford - 28 Dec - Chris Bennett   cpb2564@gmail.com   302-424-1126
Seaford -  2 Jan - Glen Lovelace  glenlovelace@verizon.net   302-628-3978
Rehoboth - 3 Jan - Sally O'Byrne   salobyrne@gmail.com   302-945-3236
Prime Hook/Cape Henlopen - Jan 4  Fran Rohrbacher  rhorbaf@aol.com  302-475-5771

Tree Swallows - they are tough, attractive and work together

The above pics were taken at the Cape Henlopen Point parking lot Oct 26, 2013. The Tree Swallows are feeding on Wax Myrtle berries. It is an amazing sight, when you catch it right.

Many thanks for such an enthusiastic Fall 2014 Osher class

Sally and I have been working on the cumulative bird list for this fall's Osher Lifelong Learning class in Lewes, DE, and I will post it soon.

In the meantime, to get you adventuresome, attached are 2 pictures from offshore birding (and fishing). They are of Wilson's Storm-petrels, a bird about the size of a Purple Martin. It spends 90+% of its life at sea, only coming ashore to breed on Southern hemisphere islands. They can usually be seen from shore at Cape Henlopen in mid summer, but much better from a boat.

Nov 5 Osher Birding Class at Indian River Inlet

Weather Update, 6 am Wed: West winds, 10 to 15, partly sunny, high 68 deg F.
Birds observed in our area recently include: Horned Grebes, N. Gannets, Common and Red-throated Loons, Bonaparte's Gulls, Black and Surf Scoters, Red-breasted Nuthatches and Pine Siskens.

DIRECTIONS:
As a reminder from the schedule, we will meet at the south side ocean front parking lot at 8 am.

Weather looks great right now, so hope you can make the field trip. I will make a Nov 5, 6 am update just in case there are any last minute adjustments or recommendations. The ocean front is usually cool, so bring wind-breaker jackets and a few more layers underneath.

Indian River Inlet is one of my favorite places in Sussex County DE to bird from November through March. We are on the early side of the best birds, but I will take time to describe some of the specialties you can see in the-dead-of-winter, and how and where to search for them.

Below is a Black-legged Kittiwake (im) which can on occassion be seen in winter at Indian River Inlet.

10/29 Reminder - NO CLASS

As on your original class schedule, we do NOT have a class tomorrow because of my other commitments.

That does not stop you from birding on your own. Couple birds recently seen and photographed in our backyard are attached.

Homework: ID these birds.

Best,
Bill

Tommorow's 10/22/14 OLLI Birding Field Trip

As promised, 7 pm Tue update.... 

NO Class tomorrow!!!

From NOAA: Rain. High near 64. Breezy, with a north wind 13 to 18 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. 

...............................................................................................................................

Final verdict by 7pm tonight, to let you sleep in if probability of a go-trip is less than 10%.

After-all, youngsters and oldsters, are more weather sensitive.

So why "My Tern" as a blog name?

Why not?

And see below pics of Forster's Terns at Prime Hook NWR where I bird a lot. 

.
These terns were feeding at one of the culvert outfalls under Prime Hook Road, as was this Great Blue Heron. So these locations often present great photo opportunities.

Pics from our 10/8 class field trip

Ptery ('Terry') Iris took the following pics on this field trip, and then the Red-tailed Hawk at the OLLI classroom building just before my blog class. Everyone in the blog class got to see the Red-tail out the classroom window......thanks so much, Ptery.
Bill

Class Wed Oct 8 - 5:30 am report

Class is a GO. The moon and stars are visible, the radar looks clear, and the forecast is "A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am. Sunny, with a high near 78. West wind 13 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%."

Meet at the Fintel's home at 8 am. We will do a few back roads as stated in the schedule, and we will do some portions of Prime Hook. Sparrows have been arriving, so be ready for LBJ's. Bill

Wed 10/8 Possibilities

The above "Shelf Mushroom" is less than a block away from us, so good possibility to see in real life. (click on image for a full size view)

As far as birds, we are in between the outgoing summer breeders, and the incoming wintering birds. But with the latest cold front, hopefully we get a new influx of incoming wintering birds. Sally and I scouting today did pick up Northern Harrier and Savannah Sparrow as new arrivals from the north.

Cape Henlopen State Park 50th Anniversary

From the Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park:

"Friday, October 17^th is the 50^th Anniversary of the day the park opened.  There is free entrance into the park all day.  “50 Years of Cape Henlopen” will be presented at noon at the Nature Center that day.  Pre-registration is required, call 645-6852.  The Friends will be there selling their 50^th Anniversary Commemorative t-shirts."   Linda Gaskill, President, FOCHSP

Oct 1 Osher Birding Field Trip and Lunch

Looks like we may have some showers tomorrow, but as of now, the field trip is still a GO. The luncheon at Janice Erich's is indoors, so it is a definite GO. In the event you decide to just attend the luncheon, be at Janice's house at about 11:30 am. She lives in Cape Shores right next to Cape Henlopen State Park. You should have received directions via an email from Janice, and you should have RSVP'd with your choice of vegan or meat entree. If you have any questions, call my cell.

Check here before 6 am Wed for any last minute updates.

6 AM Update - Today's Weather Looks Good......just a bit windy out of the NE.

Bill

Wind Turbines and Bird Kills

On this morning's bird class, while standing at Cape Henlopen point and looking at the UD wind turbine, someone asked me what the latest studies showed about wind turbines and bird kills.

By chance, I received a recent report from Renewable Energy World about that topic. Agreed, they have a stake in playing down the impact, but they are also highly scrutinized, and in my review of their article, I feel they make a fair representation that the overall impact is actually quite low....much lower than tall buildings, especially those clad with reflective surfaces, and also much lower than from natural causes, like flying off course during migration and drowning in the N. Atlantic

For this article, see New Research Improves on Earlier Bird-killing Turbine Studies .....and note the comments and pics of the very old Altamont CA wind turbines with the unintended raptor perch cross bars which I mentioned this morning.

Sept 24 - This morning's Bird Walk

Rain is not forecast until after 1 pm today, but things can change, so a rain resistant jacket is recommended. The winds are presently 25 mph out of the east, and forecast to increase. While this not good for woodland birding, it can bring in some good seabirds, and we will be at a good overlook for observing any that may get blown in.

See you at 8 am at the Herring Point parking lot at Cape Henlopen State Park .

Wood Bark Suet Sandwich Woodpecker Feeder

Works like a charm, you saw it today, below is the link to buy one....AND I make no profit from any sales of it......AND yes, nuthatches also like it.

Birds Choice

"Safe Haven" Bird Feeder

This has been my "mainstay bird feeder" for 40+ years. It provides seed and suet for small birds, like Chickadees, Titmice, Wrens, Nuthatches, etc, AND excludes the big bullies like Starlings, Grackles and Blue Jays.

I have made many versions of this feeder, and believe the bigger the better, so I will describe my latest version, which is pictured below (pic from today, click to enlarge).

The overall INSIDE dimensions are height 16 inches, depth and width 22 inches. The wire is nominally 1 x 2 inch hardware cloth. I use pliers to squeeze every other opening to a clearance dimension of  approximately 1 1/4 inch wide. The vertical dimension remains constant at about 1 3/4 inches (less than 2 inches because of wire thickness).

The sides are 2 pieces of wire cloth. One is a single piece 66 inches long by 16 inches high, folded twice at 22 inches to make the left, back and right sides. The other piece is 22 inches wide by16 inches high, and attached to a back side by simple wire hinges (just wrap single pieces of wire to connect the front and sides in 2 places.......see left side of enlarged pic).

We usually put black oil sunflower seed and peanuts in the center floor of the feeder, and peanut butter suet (see prev. post) in the suet stick.

You will want to mount the feeder on a sturdy pole with a squirrel/raccoon baffle below it. They can't get in the feeder, but they can work it over pretty good (see gnawing on right side where a squirrel jumped over to it). Squirrels can jump horizontally 9 ft (yes I did my own measurements). So position any feeder at least 10 ft from a solid squirrel jumping point.

And then enjoy the little guys not being harassed by the big bullies.

No-melt Peanut Butter Suet

No Melt Peanut Butter Suet – by Sally Fintel

18 oz. crunchy peanut butter

2 cups (1 lb.) lard – no substitutions

4 cups quick oats

4 cups yellow corn meal

2 cups white flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

Melt lard and peanut butter together over low heat. Remove from heat and thoroughly mix in remaining ingredients. Transfer to shallow Styrofoam veggie or meat containers. Cover & store in refridge or freeze. Slice and use to fill suet stick, as needed. Birds love this all year round.

September 10 Field Trip

Weather looks okay as of 4:30 pm Tue. We may get some light showers, and I will recheck at 5 am Wed in case there is a big change, and I will update before 6 am if a change in plans is required.

I scouted my "back roads route" this afternoon, and yes the habitat still looks great, BUT with strong east winds, the birding is NOT good. So I am working on a modified route which will enable us to see more birds. We will still meet here at 31395 Point Circle at 8 am. Backyard birds have been very good here, including White-breasted Nuthatch for 2+ years (unusual in east Sussex County).

Best,
Bill

OLLI Fall 2014 Birding Schedule

Osher Lifelong Learning Fall 2014 Birding Schedule

We will spend all our class time birding in the field. On any day when the weather does not permit a field trip, the class will be cancelled. For the latest information on class status see Bill’s blog at http://billfintel.blogspot.com/ . This will be updated by 6 am on any field trip day with questionable weather. Also more detailed directions  and trip info will be added as needed.

All classes will begin at 8:00 am at the meeting locations noted below. Also note that while some meeting locations are the same, the routes we take from them will be different, and will be based on what good birds are being found nearby. Be sure to bring binoculars. Also check the weather forecast and dress appropriately with a rain resistant windbreaker and footwear suitable for walking about one mile. Insect repellent, sunscreen, water and a snack are recommended. Classes will end by 11 am at the meeting location.

Sep 3 - Cape Henlopen Nature Center (park sticker required). Shorebirds and early raptors. Low tide 9:20 am.

Sep 10 - Fintel’s home, 31395 Point Circle, Mill Pond Acres, Lewes (see Google maps).

The Fintels have managed their yard to attract birds and will show you what they have done. From there we will bird the back roads, McCabe Preserve, Milton, etc. Hi tide 10:07 am.

Sep 17 - Prime Hook NWR Headquarters (HQ).  Shorebirds and woodland migrants.

Low tide 9:54 am.

Sep 24 - Cape Henlopen Herring Point parking lot. We will bird the new trail to Rehoboth. This will involve the most walking of any field trip, but we will have a shortened version.

Hi tide 8:45 am.

Oct 1 - Cape Henlopen Nature Center. This is prime time for migrating falcons, and also excellent for shorebirds, plus the bay beach should have just been opened to walk it. Low tide 7:57 am

Oct 8 - Fintel’s home (see above). From here we will travel new back roads, like Oyster Rocks, plus if conditions are right, we may revisit the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch. Hi tide 8:57 am.

Oct 15 - Prime Hook HQ. Today we have low tide at 8:15 am, so we will focus on shorebirds, terns and waders.

Oct 22 - Prime Hook HQ. Time for early waterfowl and migrant sparrows. Hi tide 7:33 am.

Oct 29 - Cancelled.  

Nov 5 - Indian River Inlet south ocean front parking lot (park sticker required). Our targets will be Gannets, scoters, loons and marsh birds. Hi tide 6:51 am. Note that it can be cold and windy at the inlet, so dress warmly with a good winbreaker.

OLLI Class 4 Agenda - Your Selections

On 6/25, I will present the following 4 programs:

Europe North - Scotland, Holland, Norway and Iceland

The Galapagos - 3 visits by us and the Edelins

Hawaii - Featuring the islands of Kauai and Hawaii (the Big Island)

Cuba - Our friends just south of Key West.

We also have a special guest, Colin Campbell, who went to Cuba with us, and will be attending the program, and of course will also be happy to answer world travel questions.

And remember, I promised a few older pics from "The Honeymoon of Bill and Sally".

Plus I promised Waterfall statistics.

Shackleton's Antarctica original Photos

Photographer Frank Hurley's photos of the Shackleton voyage are really amazing, considering they are from 1914-1916. Antarctica seen in colour a century ago

Birding and Nature Tour Companies

I promised to post this list of international tour providers Sally and I have used, and we can recommend all of them. Their charges for a comparable destination will vary between companies, but charges are generally commensurate with what you get, namely degree of comfort, number of participants per guide (fewer is better), guide quality, etc.

I have listed some of the countries we visited with each tour company. The list is ordered by approximate total time we have spent traveling with each company, and the underlined name is a link to their web site.

Rockjumper Birding Tours - Madagascar, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia,  Papua New Guinea, India and Bhutan, UAE and Oman

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT) - Madagascar (with Rockjumper), Panama, Peru

Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris - Antarctica and Argentina (Patagonia and Iguazu Falls), Dominican Republic (snorkeling with Humpback Whales)

Alvaro's Adventures - Chile and Argentina (Birds and Wine)

Wild Side Nature Tours - Colorado (prairie chickens)

Linblad-National Geographic - Baja and Gulf of Mexico

Searcher Natural History Tours -Pacific Ocean pelagic birding, Baja whale watching

We have also used many local tour companies in locations such as the Galapagos, Guatemala, Belize and Costa Rica. They are often preferred for a small group and custom tour. Many of these local tour companies can be found through the larger companies, as the larger companies often use them as the local guides to assist with their tours.

Bird List for Spring Osher Birding Class

Just wanted you to know that Sally and I are finalizing this list, and I will post here shortly.

Bill

When one gets thinking....

...things get more profound.

Birds and Nature on 7 Continents

Class 1 begins at 10 am on June 4 at the OLLI campus. Subsequent classes are at the same time one week later.

Best,

Bill....and looking forward to traveling with you!

Class 1 - Australia and Asia

Australia, Papua New Guinea, India, Bhutan

Class 2 – Antarctica and South America

Antarctica and Argentina

Class 3 – Africa

Madagascar, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, UAE and Oman

Class 4 – Your Choice of the following from Europe, plus N. and S. America

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a ballot. Put a 5 next to your first choice, a 3 next to your second choice, and a 1 next to your third choice.

Turn in after class 1, or bring to class 2. This page is on http://billfintel.blogspot.com/

a. Europe - Iceland, Norway, Scotland from the 70’s (short segment, so easy fit in)

b. Alaska – Denali, Kodiak Brown Bears catching salmon, Moose, all up close

c. The Galapagos and Ecuador – A Darwin favorite location, and ours as well

d. Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama – Our 3 favorite Central American countries

e. Birds and Wine in Chile and Argentina – A very wonderful and unique trip

f. Hawaii – endemic birds, active volcanoes, and some Honeymoon shots of us

g. Cuba – A wonderful friendly country less than 100 miles from the U.S

h. Dominican Republic and Baja Mexico  - snorkeling with Humpback Whales and petting Gray Whales

Your Name (optional) _______________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will do the best I can to present to you at least 2 or 3 of the class favorites.

The rest will just have to wait for a later class.

Best,

Bill

Red Knots, Mispillion, and weather forecast for tomorrow's class

Red Knots are in!!! And weather forecast looks good in the morning. So we will meet at Prime Hook HQ at 8 am, or at the Fire House at Slaughter Beach about 8:15 am.

I finally got to see my first Red Knots for 2014 last Friday, and they were gorgeous, in full breeding plumage. Looking forward to tomorrow's field trip. Best, Bill

Wind Power and Birds

For a bit of my perspective on the above, see my Fin Bliz Climate Blog.

OLLI Field Trip 5/20/14 to Prime Hook WMA and Road to PH Beach

Great weather, great bird songs, and very close shorebird sightings. Prime Hook Wildlife Management Area (WMA) had wonderful songs of at least 3 Wood Thrushes, many Red-eyed Vireos, Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks. The last 3 were also seen, as was a male American Redstart.

Shorebirds along Prime Hook Road and on Prime Hook Beach were all very cooperative providing great looks. I noted the following shorebirds today: Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone*, Sanderling*, Semipalmated Sandpiper*, Least Sandpiper*,  Dunlin*, and Short-billed Dowitcher. The ones with an * were observed very closely on PH beach. No Red Knots today, but probably next week at Mispillion.

PS - Woodland migrants are still coming through. We had 3 Blackpoll Warblers, an American Redstart, and a Magnolia Warbler all in our Bird Creek in the backyard this afternoon. Below pics were taken this afternoon. Your homework is to id the below birds.

I missed my Tern

But I have not forgotten to post links to our trusted travel providers. An update will be coming up soon. These pics are from our Baja trip with Captain Art and the Searcher.

Nikon Binoculars with expert advice

Paul Guris is a good and trusted birding friend. He operates a pelagic birding operation, with his optics page listed at paulagics.com. Check out his link and talk to Paul or Anita if you have an interest in upgrading your current optics. I have had many great pelagic birding trips with Paul and Anita, and they are both very honest and expert birders, and offer excellent Nikon optics. Best, Bill

Tuesday, May 13 OLLI Field Trip to Gordon's Pond

Great morning weather-wise after some overnight rain concerns, AND some great looks at gorgeous birds, like an almost iridescent male Indigo Bunting in early morning sunlight (thanks to Terry Sohl for above pic), and male Blue Grosbeaks also in great light. Other good birds at Gordon's Pond were Yellow Warbler, scope views of a male Common Yellowthroat about 30 feet away, Eastern Kingbirds, and last but not least, 8 species of shorebirds, of which the Dunlin seemed to rate the highest reviews by our group.

Then out to the ocean beach, for a good look at tracks and a few burrows of Ghost Crabs (above), plus some flyby Black Skimmers and many diving DC Cormorants. After that we went to the wooded park in Rehoboth where some did get to see an American Redstart and a Magnolia Warbler, but admittedly, the park was tough birding.

Our class has now enjoyed 4 field trips from 4/22 to 5/13, and observed 103 species of birds. I am certainly pleased with the birds we have experienced, because we have seen so many very well, and shared a great learning experience.

Next week we meet at Prime Hook HQ at 8 am, and from there we will car pool to the State Wildlife Management Area at Prime Hook.

Baltimore Orioles coming clean in Lewes DE

To Prime Hook, OLLI and Road Scholar birding participants, you have heard me talk about the virtues of moving water. Following are 4 pics from this afternoon in our backyard showing how effective moving water can be. Click on pic for enlarged view. First 3 are of male, last pic is of female checking out male's bathing decision (no doubt she approved, if only because it was time for him to get clean).

Best,
Bill and Sally

OLLI Field Trip to Milford Neck, May 6, 2014

We all enjoyed great weather and some great birds. I think I am safe in saying that the male Scarlet Tanager was the highlight bird for most. The above picture of a Scarlet Tanager was taken by friend and professional photographer, Kevin Karlson of Cape May, NJ.

We also enjoyed good looks at other colorful migrant birds, such as Yellow-breasted Chat, Indigo Bunting, White-eyed Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird and Prairie Warbler. All these birds are categorized as "neo-tropical migrants", which means they come here to breed and raise their young, and then they return to the new world tropics to spend roughly the other 8 months of the year.

As I mentioned in class, for a link to a detailed map of the Milford Neck area, see the Sussex Bird Club web page on Travel and scroll down under "Maps for birding the DE Coast" to the 2 Milford neck links (many thanks to Chris Bennett for providing this detailed information).

Our next field trip is at Gordon's Pond, 8 am Tue, May 13. Go northeast out of Rehoboth along the road closest to the Atlantic Ocean and you will dead end at the Gordon's Pond parking area.

Tomorrow, OLLI birding field trip - 6 am Tue update

SHOWERS SEEM TO HAVE PASSED, BASED ON RADAR, SO FIELD TRIP IS ON.

We are still a go. May have some rain, but as of 8 pm Mon, looks like showers.

And heck, lets get clean like the attached Blue Jay.

Check for last minute posts Tue before 6 am. And remember, we meet at Prime Hook at 8 am, or at Shore Stop in Milford, N. side of Rt 1 just beyond where Rt 1 and Rt 13 join, at about 8:15 am.

My cell is 302-236-5675 in case you get lost.

Bill

Road Scholar Gordon's Pond bird walk 5/2/14

Our walk this morning was in mostly sunny and only a bit cool conditions, and during it we observed 5 very nice birds we had not seen previously this week. The new birds were: Belted Kingfisher, Blue Grosbeak, Stilt Sandpiper, American Oystercatcher and Red-throated Loon. That brought our group list total to 123 species for the week.

My highlights for today were the male and female Blue Grosbeaks, as they were absolutely awesome viewed through the scope, probably no more than 30 ft. away (I am sure Neal got some great photos which I will post when I get them). I also really enjoyed the Stilt Sandpiper, which we all got to study at some length. It is an uncommon shorebird, which I do not get to see every year.

And from this afternoon, here are 2 pics in our backyard. (You get to do the id :)

These pics were shot through our kitchen window, so they are not real sharp, but they do prove that moving water works.

Our best to all who were on this week's Road Scholar birding program. You were a hardy group, and consequently we all enjoyed many special birds in spite of the adverse weather conditions.

Bill & Sally Fintel, Ed Crawford, John Hoyt, and David Weber

PS - A post of links I promised comes next.

Road Scholar - Birding Delaware's Seashore and Refuges Spring 2014

Spring has been hiding, as have the birds, but we still managed to record 92 species of birds in the past two days of cold temps, strong east winds, and lots of rain. About 10 species were only heard, the rest were also seen, and most seen well.

Our first day was at Trap Pond State Park, and included a Pontoon boat trip. Our second day was at Bombay Hook NWR, and included a tactical success having lunch on the bus because of heavy rain.

Highlight birds the past 2 days have been good looks at: Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Louisiana Water-thrush, Least Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, several Bald Eagles, Black-necked Stilts, Blue-winged Teal........ and hearing the songs of Blue-winged Warbler, Marsh Wren, and Yellow-throated Vireo.

Again, thanks to Ed Crawford and John Hoyt for helping in Sally's absence due to her wrist injury.

Drying off and warming up,
Bill

 PS - RE: Name of Prothonotary Warbler, from Wikipedia:

• The name "Prothonotary" refers to clerks in the Roman Catholic church, whose robes were bright yellow.

Reminder, our next OLLI birding field trip is tomorrow....

....8 am at Prime Hook NWR.

Guess who just reminded me?

Dolphin Bill
(In the pic, I am the big blowhard following the sleek, smart one - click on pic to enlarge)

4/22 Field Trip Report, and 4/28 Field Trip Reminder

First the reminder: The next field trip will be on MONDAY, April 28, 8 am at Prime Hook NWR Headquarters.

Now for the 4/22 report. Our primary target bird, the federally endangered Piping Plover (above) was seen well by all participants. There were at least 4 of them on the bay side of the point at Cape Henlopen. Also observed there were 2 American Oystercatchers, a flock of 20+ Brant, and about 10+ Osprey, many carrying Menhaden fish back to shore to eat or feed their mate.

We also birded the pine woods behind the Nature Center where we had Brown-headed Nuthatches, a Pine Warbler, and a very obliging Eastern Towhee singing from the top of a tall pine. Our species total for the morning was 37 species observed.

On Wednesday, Sally had her wrist operation. It was successful, but now the long recovery period begins. She will probably not be on the 4/28 field trip, but should be on the rest.

First OLLI Birding Class, Tue, April 22

Hello Class Members,

I just wanted to confirm that we will be meeting at the Nature Center at Cape Henlopen State Park at 8 am Tuesday, April 22. Current weather forecast for the morning looks good, but do keep checking this blog for any updates, and bring rain resistant jackets for any showers.

Our target bird species for this field trip is the Piping Plover. It is a federally endangered species, and with protection provided by DE Fish and Wildlife, it has been reliably reproducing at Cape Henlopen.

I know many of you know Sally Fintel, my partner in this class, and you may have heard that she had a fall resulting in a broken wrist on 4/13. She is doing well, and should be with us Tue. We were on a whale watching and birding trip offshore Baja Mexico when the fall occurred in rough seas.

Below pics:
top - Gray Whale baby, bottom - Marbled Godwit (click on pics for an enlarged view).

Hummingbirds and Spring 2014 OLLI Birding Class

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are arriving in Sussex County, DE, so it is definitely time to put up your hummingbird feeders.

Sally and I are just back from Peru where we marveled over 30+ species of hummingbirds in the Andean cloud forests. Most remarkable of these was the Marvelous Spatuletail (below). Note the extremely long outer tail feathers which terminate as 2 spatula shaped feathers.

We are very much looking forward to this spring's class, which begins 8 am, April 22, at the Cape Henlopen Nature Center. Remember to check this blog site for last minute updates, especially if the weather looks questionable. For your convenience, the full schedule is posted below.

Bill

OLLI Spring 2014 Birding Schedule

We will spend as much time as possible birding in the field. On any day when the weather does not permit a field trip, the class will be cancelled. For the latest information on class status see Bill’s blog at http://billfintel.blogspot.com/ . This will be updated by 6 am on any field trip day with questionable weather. Also more detailed directions will be added as needed.

All classes are on Tuesday, EXCEPT for April 28. Classes will begin at 8:00 am at the meeting locations noted below. Be sure to bring binoculars. Also check the weather forecast and dress appropriately with a rain resistant windbreaker and footwear suitable for walking about one mile. Insect repellent, sunscreen, water and a snack are recommended. Classes will end by 11 am at the meeting location.

Apr 22 (Tue) - Cape Henlopen State Park Nature Center  (sticker required). Northbound raptor migration will be underway, some sea ducks should still be present along with Northern Gannets, and we will of course search for two resident specialties, the Piping Plover and Brown-headed Nuthatch.

Apr 28 (Mon) - Prime Hook NWR Headquarters. We will bird all types of habitats, such as woodlands, fields, marshes, impoundments and bay beaches. Some of our target birds will be early shorebirds, and early woodland migrants like Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Ovenbird.

May 6 (Tue)– Milford Neck Wildlife Management Area. Meet at Prime Hook Headquarters for carpooling to Milford Neck. We will search the woodlands for species like Scarlet Tanager, Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Warbler, and several species of thrushes, all of which should be in full song. We may also try for the elusive Virginia Rail and Marsh Wren where the road crosses some extensive marshland.

May 13 (Tue)- Gordon’s Pond (access from Rehoboth Beach going north up coast, sticker required) - This area hosts a small but productive maritime forest, and excellent mud flats for shorebirds and terns. We will take an easy walk to an elevated overlook of the pond, and if the trail extension is open, we will explore further.

May 20 (Tue)  – Prime Hook State Wildlife Management Area. Meet at Prime Hook Headquarters for carpooling to the State Area. Walking is easy and tick-free along a gravel road through some very old forest. This is an excellent woods for resident and migrant warblers, plus Yellow-throated Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Pileated Woodpecker and Barred Owl.

May 27 (Tue)- Prime Hook to Mispillion Nature Center. Meet at Prime Hook at 8:00 am for carpooling. High tide is 8:47 am at Mispillion, and best birding is 1 ½ to 2 hrs after high tide, so we will bird our way to Mispillion, arriving about 10 am. This is our annual spring pilgrimage to witness Horseshoe Crabs spawning and the thousands of shorebirds that feed on their eggs. It is also the best time and place to see the endangered Red Knot.

Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge, Big Island of Hawaii

If you are a birder, and you plan to visit any of the Hawaiian Islands, I would strongly recommend including the Big Island in your visit, and signing up with Hawaii Forest and Trail to visit Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge. It is a NWR, as is Prime Hook in Delaware, but Hakalau is in a far more unique environment, and dealing with far different challenges (see last pic below).

Hawaii has such a powerful message about what humans can do to seriously degrade a once magnificent environment. But now, there is also the message that with strong efforts from those in charge (our GOV'T), further degradation can be halted, and even better, some significant restoration can be achieved. This is happening at Hakalau. Following are a few pics from our visit there. The bird is the endemic honeycreeper, the I'iwi, and is a magnificent bird. (click on pics for a larger image)