"The Messenger", a film about the increasing perils migrant birds face

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society (RBFS) will be screening this documentary Friday, 4/22, at their new location at  Cinema Art Theater, 17701 Dartmouth Drive, #2, Dartmouth Plaza, Lewes (behind Wawa.)

The following quote is from Denise Hoban of RBFS. She has asked Sally and I to make our Osher Birding Class aware of this very informative film about the plight of migrant songbirds.

"It’s a spectacular film with wonderful aerial footage that takes viewers from locations in the Boreal Forest to the streets of NYC  and shows how the problems facing birds pose implications for planet earth.  The Messenger is being shown in collaboration with the Delmarva  Birding Weekend and the Delmarva Birding organizer, Jim Rapp will be present to lead a post film discussion."

Official Trailer of The Messenger

Osher Spring 2016 Field Birding Schedule

Our first class will meet at Cape Henlopen at the Point parking lot. Our target species for this class is the endangered Piping Plover. Checking the Point out this morning, Sally and I had 4 Piping Plovers. The below pic is from a couple years ago at Cape Henlopen.

Osher 2016 Spring Field Birding

Meeting time for all Classes is 8 am at the designated location. We will not have a class if major bad weather, like heavy rain, is forecast. If the weather looks questionable, check Bill’s blog, http://billfintel.blogspot.com/ for last minute go-no go decisions. He will post a decision at the latest by 6 am on the day of a class. Also be sure to dress appropriately, as it can be windy and cool along the coast, plus a few showers will not deter us.

April 13 -  Meet at Cape Henlopen Point parking lot. This is the lot farthest north on the ocean and Bay. Our goal will be to find and observe Piping Plover, N. Gannets, Scoters, Loons, and migrating raptors. Inland we will search for Brown-headed Nuthatch, Pine Warbler and other woodland birds. Park entrance fee required. Low tide 8:29 am.

April 20 –   Location TBD - Check Bill’s Blog, http://billfintel.blogspot.com/  by noon April 19 to see where we are meeting, where we will bird, and what we hope to see. The locations we visit will be based on our scouting, plus the most recent birding reports from Delaware Birds and other local sources. Hi tide 8:29 am.

April 27 – Meet at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters just off of Route 16. We will spend the morning exploring the Refuge for both woodland migrants and shorebirds. Low tide 6:44 am

May 4 – No Class

May 11 - Meet at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters. Today we will bird some on the Refuge, and some on little used back roads. This will probably include exploring the Nature Conservancy’s McCabe Preserve near Milton. Our primary targets will be woodland migrants, such as Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, Prothonotary Warbler, etc. Low tide 7:07 am.

May 18 – Meet at Prime Hook NWR Headquarters. From there we will car pool directly to the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion. Our primary target bird will be the Red Knot, but many other shorebirds should be evident, such as the colorful American Oystercatchers and Ruddy Turnstones. From Mispillion we will slowly bird our way south to arrive back at Prime Hook Headquarters by 11 am. Hi tide 7:12 am.

New Zealand Hi-lights

New Zealand is an awesome country, with the friendliest and most helpful people we have ever met in one country. So no more words from me, just check out the scenery and New Zealanders.

Photo captions from top to bottom:
1 - 2 Wandering Albatross and 2 wandering Delawareans
2 - 6 lb Rainbow Trout caught by Bill, with Sally's moral support & yes it was carefully released
3 - Fishing guide Simon, with Bill and Sally overlooking Queenstown, NZ
4 - Tail of a very large Sperm Whale as it sounded off Kaikoura, NZ

First Ruby-throated Hummingbird in our yard in 2016

Sally had just put the feeders back up this morning (4/7/16). Less than an hour later she spotted a hummingbird at her feeder. A few hours later I spotted, I presume the same one, then late this afternoon I got the above photo, I presume of the same male Ruby-throated Hummingbird.....and note that in some lighting situations, the throat can look very black, as in my photo, but in earlier lighting, the throat had been Ruby red. This phenomena is known as spectral coloration, and is exhibited by many birds, especially hummingbirds.