Wed 9-16-2015 Osher Field Trip to Cape Henlopen

Fall Migration is Peaking!!!

This last cold front has both woodland migrants and raptors moving. At the Hawk Watch at Cape Henlopen yesterday, when I left at 2:15 pm, the tally was 124 raptors, mostly Osprey, but also 2 Bald Eagles, about 1 doz Kestrels and 4 Merlins, plus a few Sharp-shinned Hawks.

At our backyard bird creeks and misters the today, I had 5 warblers......Am. Redstart, Worm Eating, Parula, Nashville and Magnolia, plus several Red-eyed Vireos.....and I was only watching for about 1 hour.

So I encourage you to make our class field trip tomorrow.....The birds are coming, look busy :)

OLLI Fall 2015 Birding Class 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 9 - Prime Hook NWR Headquarters (HQ).  Woodland migrants, wading birds and shorebirds. High tide 6:44 am.

Sep 16 - Cape Henlopen Nature Center (park sticker required). Shorebirds and early raptors.

High tide 11:12 am.

Sep 23 – Prime Hook NWR HQ. This is about the peak of fall migration, so today we will try to observe as many species as possible and give you a feel for what doing a “Big Day” is like.

Low tide 10:31 am.

Sep 30 - Cape Henlopen Nature Center. This is prime time for migrating falcons, and also excellent for shorebirds. We will look for shorebirds first, and falcons plus other raptors later.

High tide 10:54 am.

Oct 7 & 14 – NO CLASS

Oct 21 - Prime Hook NWR HQ. Today we have low tide at 9:03 am, so we will focus on shorebirds, terns and waders.

Oct 28 - Prime Hook HQ. This is a prime time for early waterfowl and migrant sparrows. High tide 9:43 am.

Nov 4 - Cape Henlopen Herring Point parking lot. We will bird the new trail to Rehoboth. This will involve the most walking of any field trip. Low tide 8:40 am.

Nov 11 – Veteran’s Day, OLLI Closed

Nov 18 – Indian River Inlet Marina on north side of Inlet (park sticker required). Our targets will be Gannets, scoters, loons and marsh birds. Note that it can be cold and windy at the inlet, so dress warmly with a good windbreaker. Low tide 6:40 am

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.

Guess where I am

The Visual Meaning of Raptor

Raptor, comes from Latin "to grasp". Watch this video as if you are a little mouse.....or even a big rat. Be sure to click on the full screen icon for max effect.

Recent Bird Observations

Since I know many of you are not signed on to receive posts from DE-birds, I wanted to add some recent special observations from DE-birds.

• First, from me:   

Peregrine friend to Osprey in need

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 Of my many experiences with raptors, today was certainly one of the most amazing. While in my boat the Kittiwake, fishing along the Lewes inner breakwater, just north of the Cape May-Lewes ferry terminal, I observed an adult Bald Eagle chasing an Osprey trying to steal its fish.

OK, I have seen this before, and as expected, the eagle was getting closer and more threatening to the Osprey. Then literally out of the blue appeared a Peregrine Falcon. It relentlessly dove upon the eagle, and quickly forced it to abandon its Osprey chase. The Osprey went south, the eagle went north, and the Peregrine flew west right over me as if to say: “See, I am friends with some birds.”

• Second, from Andy Ednie's weekly report:   

RBA: Birdline Delaware, 10/19/12:

This has been the year of a PINE SISKINS invasion; one feeder in Bear reported 66 PINE SISKINS plus 8 PURPLE FINCH, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and 2 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS."

Bottom-line message: Be alert for many unusual and even rare birds this winter, at your feeder, and almost anywhere.

Looking forward to a great field trip to Gordon's Pond this coming Wed, Oct 24. 

Bill