Osher Field Trip Summary for May 10 at Cape Henlopen

Today we had a very fortunate good sighting of a Piping Plover at the inside of Cape Henlopen Point. The bird was seen well by all through our 20-60x telescope. No doubt even more amazing was a Red-throated Loon feeding right along the beach just in front of us....no more than 20 ft away. We could see the speed with which its well adapted webbed feet propelled it, and it caught a tasty fish right in front of us. A rare birding super-treat I have never seen this well before.

After the Point, we walked the Point road, and the visited the Hawk Watch. Highlight birds were super looks at Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Field Sparrow. We then went to Herring Point and had good looks at an immature Lesser Black-backed Gull. In the woods at Herring Point we had great looks at an Eastern Towhee, and for some a female American Redstart.

Next week we will bird Gordon's Pond.  Shorebirds, Brown-headed Nuthatches and neotropical migrants are our target birds. Hope you all enjoyed today. Bill and Sally

Harbingers of Spring....or Holdovers from Winter

All I can say is that at least 4 people showed up for this morning's Sussex Bird Club field trip with NE winds of 15+ mph and light to moderate rain. We all looked at each other trying to figure out who was the most crazy. I finally accepted the "most crazy" award for naming the field trip "Harbingers of Spring".

In a nutshell, no harbingers of spring were found, meaning no Piping Plover, no Osprey, and no Laughing Gulls.

We did have great looks at many Northern Gannets close inside the point at Cape Henlopen, a single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, many Brant, several male Red-breasted Mergansers with their crests blown backwards over their heads, and some gorgeous close Buffleheads from the bridge over Canary Creek at the Coast Guard station.

So spring has yet to spring here in the Lewes area.

Please see the Sussex Bird Club website Calendar page for future field trips.

Piping Plover and Sage Grouse... Saving their habitat is essential for their survival

Saving Piping Plover habitat in Delaware has been instrumental in halting their decline here, and even in helping them re-establish a healthy local population. Sage Grouse in the western states have faced the same loss-of-habitat problems. So on this LINK to my Finbliz climate blog, I think you will appreciate what Secretary Jewell and the Department of the Interior are doing to correct the loss of Sage Grouse habitat .....and also to help define and protect the rights of Native Americans to resources on their lands.

OLLI Firld trip April 22, 2015

For tomorrow's field trip to Cape Henlopen, weather looks good in morning....as of right now....BUT it will be windy.

So for those of you with a lot of hair, you may look like the attached Snowy Egret.

Me?.... of course I have no worries....and look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow....and hopefully spotting a Piping Plover and Brown-headed Nuthatch.

Bill

6 Piping Plovers at Cape Henlopen Today

What a treat! They were all more or less together on the exposed sand flats north east of the Fishing Pier at low tide (about noon today). This area is south west of the area closed to provide them with breeding habitat. 

In taking the following photos with a 400 mm lens, I never flushed them, although several times they got flushed by Turkey Vultures and Gulls flying over. If you go to see them, as our first OLLI birding class on April 8 will do (and use a 20x telescope), I strongly recommend that you too keep your distance so you too do not flush them. They are an endangered species, and they just endured some very unusual below freezing weather 2 days ago.

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.