May 14, 2019 Prime Hook Field Trip Highlights

Links to eBird check lists compiled by Rob Blye can be found below (in English):
https://ebird.org/pa/view/checklist/S56266009
https://ebird.org/pa/view/checklist/S56485175

We were very fortunate to get awesome views of a male Prothonotary Warbler from the Fleetwood Pond dock. Below are two pictures of it taken by class member Steve Walker.

The nickname for this bird is the Golden Swamp Warbler, because they are found almost exclusively in wooded swamps. Other warblers seen well were Northern Parula, Yellow, Blackpoll and Common Yellowthroat.

Our next and last field trip will be to Slaughter Beach and Mispillion Inlet, with target birds being shorebirds, including the endangered Red Knot. Meet at Prime Hook Visitor Center at 8:00 am to car pool up there. (Or meet at the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion about 8:30 am.)

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

OLLI Redden State Forrest Field Trip 4/24/13

Brrrr! Still cold in the morning, like 50 degrees with a stiff east wind, but we still saw many good birds. My tally was 34 species, with 8 species we have not encountered before, so now our cumulative species list for this spring is 89 species. Not Bad!

The obvious highlight today was the Red-headed Woodpeckers, seen at first far away, but finally close through the spotting scope (above photo by Bill Fintel). Other highlights were great looks at 2 resident warblers: Prairie Warbler (below, photo by Chuck Fullmer whom we saw this morning), Worm-eating Warbler, and some  of us had good looks at the Ovenbird.

Our next field trip is to Milford Neck in the peak of spring migration. We will meet at Prime Hook at 8 am to car pool, or if you live near Milford, we will also rendezvous at the Valero gas station just beyond where Rt 1 and Rt 113 merge, about 8:15 am.

Cape Henlopen Field Trip 4/3/13

It was clear, cool and sunny, and we had lots of good birds. Starting at the Nature Center, a lucky few got a view of one Pine Siskin before the Cowbirds ran it off. There were also quick looks at Brown-headed and Red-breasted Nuthatch, and some American Goldfinches almost in full breeding plumage.

 The real highlight for me was approximately 10 Piping Plover (above) very close on the bay side of the Point. Other birds observed there were American Oystercatcher, Brant and distant Black and Surf Scoters.

From the Hawk watch we had many Northern Gannets (above), and a very close Northern Harrier. At Herring Point we eventually had good looks at a Common Loon feeding in the surf, plus some distant looks at Red-throated Loons. We finished the morning back behind the Nature Center where most got excellent looks at a beautiful male Pine Warbler (below). Our total species count for the morning was 39.

 We will meet at 8 am next week, April 10, at Prime Hook NWR Headquarters.

OLLI Prime Hook Field Trip 3/27/13

One week into spring and it was still cold and blustery....but we saw many good birds. My count was 48 species, with some highlights being Eastern Bluebird, an early Eastern Phoebe, Red-breasted, Hooded and Common Mergansers, gorgeous Northern Shovelers and Northern Pintails (top photo), several Osprey, an adult Bald Eagle, and 3 species of shorebirds which included Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and a small flock of Dunlin (bottom photo).

We will meet next week, 4/3 at the Cape Henlopen Nature Center at 8 am.

South West Florida Birding

The Burrowing Owl pic in last blog post was taken on Marco Island, Florida. Marco is the northern most of the Ten Thousand Islands, which are part of the Everglades. To me, one of the most noteworthy things about birding in Florida, is how confiding most of the birds are. A few examples of this, from top to bottom: Barred Owl, Black Skimmer, Anhinga and Green Heron, all taken with a Nikon 70-300 mm lens, and cropped very little, if at all.

In the next post, I will summarize locations Sally and I have birded on one day trips from Marco Island.