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.