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.

OLLI Birding Field Trip Report for 9/9/15 at Prime Hook NWR

Some really good birds today, but boy was it hot and humid!!! My favorites today were the group of about 8 Wild Turkeys as we left the Headquarters area, the very close 10 or so Glossy Ibis along Prime Hook Road, and the distant 10 White Pelicans along the same stretch of road. We also saw as many Snowy and Great Egrets as I have seen recently. My estimate viewed from the Boardwalk trail was 1,200+ of the two combined.

Our shorebird count was good with Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs (the last being very distant), Spotted Sandpiper, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover and Black-bellied Plover.

Also excellent views of Caspian and Forster's Terns very successfully catching fish. My total species count was 36 species. And please remember that our goal is learning about the birds we encounter, and not recording a big list.

As I said, next week will be different. We will have a greater variety of terns and gulls, so if you are inclined to do homework, study Forster's vs. Common Terns, Caspian vs. Royal Terns, and Ring-billed vs. Herring vs. Great Black-backed Gulls.

Looking forward to seeing most of you next Wed at Cape Henlopen.

PS - To photographers in the class: If you get some good photos on our field trips, I am happy to post them on this blog site with credit to you. Scroll down to July 23, 2015 for some in-flight photos of the same White Pelicans we saw today.

Feels Like 36 deg F......Today's Field Trip Summary

Yup, that is what my iPhone weather said when I got home, which jibes with what I observed.... namely 44 deg F and 20+ mph winds, with a smattering of misty drizzle.

So if you were one of the 14 on this morning's field trip, you deserve a medal for toughness. We did see some good birds, but my count total was only 20 species observed and called out by me, and observed by at least some of you. (My personal species count would have been about 30...but for instance with gulls, I decided to hold off on them for a future class when we are closer to them and less stressed by the weather).

Okay, 20 species makes it easy to focus on the highlights. Mine was certainly the number of Gannets so close to shore. It appeared they were flying north over the surf line at a rate of approximately 10 per minute. So had we watched for only them for 2 1/2 hrs, we would have counted roughly 1,500 Gannets....not bad.

Other highlights were: 2 Brant seen close through the scope by all, about 20 Red-breasted Mergansers, 5+ Osprey with 2 calling close overhead, a single Sharp-shinned Hawk and Northern Flicker, and vocally - singing Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and House Finches.

Our 2 primary missed target birds were Piping Plover and Brown-headed Nuthatch (although at least I heard one of the later at the end of our trip).

Next week we meet at the Prime Hook Refuge Headquarters at 8 am, Wed, 4/15....if your taxes are done. Will we see more birds next week?...Most probably....But a spring Northeaster could make today's weather seem not so bad.

Have a great week, and do enjoy birding, as new birds are arriving every day...... Bill

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

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.

OLLI Field Trip 5/20/14 to Prime Hook WMA and Road to PH Beach

Great weather, great bird songs, and very close shorebird sightings. Prime Hook Wildlife Management Area (WMA) had wonderful songs of at least 3 Wood Thrushes, many Red-eyed Vireos, Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks. The last 3 were also seen, as was a male American Redstart.

Shorebirds along Prime Hook Road and on Prime Hook Beach were all very cooperative providing great looks. I noted the following shorebirds today: Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone*, Sanderling*, Semipalmated Sandpiper*, Least Sandpiper*,  Dunlin*, and Short-billed Dowitcher. The ones with an * were observed very closely on PH beach. No Red Knots today, but probably next week at Mispillion.

PS - Woodland migrants are still coming through. We had 3 Blackpoll Warblers, an American Redstart, and a Magnolia Warbler all in our Bird Creek in the backyard this afternoon. Below pics were taken this afternoon. Your homework is to id the below birds.

Tuesday, May 13 OLLI Field Trip to Gordon's Pond

Great morning weather-wise after some overnight rain concerns, AND some great looks at gorgeous birds, like an almost iridescent male Indigo Bunting in early morning sunlight (thanks to Terry Sohl for above pic), and male Blue Grosbeaks also in great light. Other good birds at Gordon's Pond were Yellow Warbler, scope views of a male Common Yellowthroat about 30 feet away, Eastern Kingbirds, and last but not least, 8 species of shorebirds, of which the Dunlin seemed to rate the highest reviews by our group.

Then out to the ocean beach, for a good look at tracks and a few burrows of Ghost Crabs (above), plus some flyby Black Skimmers and many diving DC Cormorants. After that we went to the wooded park in Rehoboth where some did get to see an American Redstart and a Magnolia Warbler, but admittedly, the park was tough birding.

Our class has now enjoyed 4 field trips from 4/22 to 5/13, and observed 103 species of birds. I am certainly pleased with the birds we have experienced, because we have seen so many very well, and shared a great learning experience.

Next week we meet at Prime Hook HQ at 8 am, and from there we will car pool to the State Wildlife Management Area at Prime Hook.

OLLI Field Trip to Milford Neck, May 6, 2014

We all enjoyed great weather and some great birds. I think I am safe in saying that the male Scarlet Tanager was the highlight bird for most. The above picture of a Scarlet Tanager was taken by friend and professional photographer, Kevin Karlson of Cape May, NJ.

We also enjoyed good looks at other colorful migrant birds, such as Yellow-breasted Chat, Indigo Bunting, White-eyed Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird and Prairie Warbler. All these birds are categorized as "neo-tropical migrants", which means they come here to breed and raise their young, and then they return to the new world tropics to spend roughly the other 8 months of the year.

As I mentioned in class, for a link to a detailed map of the Milford Neck area, see the Sussex Bird Club web page on Travel and scroll down under "Maps for birding the DE Coast" to the 2 Milford neck links (many thanks to Chris Bennett for providing this detailed information).

Our next field trip is at Gordon's Pond, 8 am Tue, May 13. Go northeast out of Rehoboth along the road closest to the Atlantic Ocean and you will dead end at the Gordon's Pond parking area.

Road Scholar - Birding Delaware's Seashore and Refuges Spring 2014

Spring has been hiding, as have the birds, but we still managed to record 92 species of birds in the past two days of cold temps, strong east winds, and lots of rain. About 10 species were only heard, the rest were also seen, and most seen well.

Our first day was at Trap Pond State Park, and included a Pontoon boat trip. Our second day was at Bombay Hook NWR, and included a tactical success having lunch on the bus because of heavy rain.

Highlight birds the past 2 days have been good looks at: Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Louisiana Water-thrush, Least Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, several Bald Eagles, Black-necked Stilts, Blue-winged Teal........ and hearing the songs of Blue-winged Warbler, Marsh Wren, and Yellow-throated Vireo.

Again, thanks to Ed Crawford and John Hoyt for helping in Sally's absence due to her wrist injury.

Drying off and warming up,
Bill

 PS - RE: Name of Prothonotary Warbler, from Wikipedia:

• The name "Prothonotary" refers to clerks in the Roman Catholic church, whose robes were bright yellow.

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.

Fall 2013 Birding Class Summary

This is just a short note to let you know I am working on our overall trip list and highlights. Our tentative class total number of species observed is 101. I will publish a complete list soon, so keep checking this blog. Thanks to all of you for your enthusiasm, good observations, and pleasant company. Best, Bill

The Pantanal, Brazil

Sally and I are just back from a great trip to the Pantanal in Brazil, where we saw such highlight birds as Hyacinth Macaw and Harpy Eagle. The Pantanal is the largest contiguous wetland in the World...... about 10 times the size of the Everglades. We only covered a small percentage of it, but had many awesome bird sightings...... as well as some great mammal sightings.

Sally and I are looking forward to our fall birding class. A class schedule with a list of sites we will visit will be out soon .....Bill

Pics below:
Hyacinth Macaw, Harpy Eagle, Scissortail Nightjar, and Jaguar.
(click on pic to get enlargement).

5/29/13 Mispillion FT, and 2013 Spring Check List

Spawning Horseshoe Crabs, Red Knot, Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpipers 

Bill Fintel Photo, click on photo to enlarge

Well it took some perseverance, but in the end, I believe everyone had good looks at Red Knots through one of the spotting scopes. Most of the time they were distant on the other side of the Mispillion River in front of the DuPont Nature Center, but periodically some did rest on an exposed bar about 1/2 way across the river, and thus twice as close. My estimate was that we could see at least 100 Red Knots from the deck of the nature center.

Other good birds we observed well were Clapper Rails, Seaside Sparrows, and Black Skimmers. My species count for the day was 47. A non-avian highlight was a female Diamond-backed Terrapin digging a hole to lay her eggs in the sand parking lot at Yerkes Road. In our presence, she seemed to think twice about the advisability of doing that at this location, and moved on. We all agreed, that was probably a good move.

My cumulative list for our eight birding classes this spring was a very respectable 135 species. You can find our class check list on Google Docs, as a pdf, or as an Excel file.

Red Knots and Horseshoe Crabs today!!!

We had a great last field trip to Mispillion Inlet and the DuPont Nature Center. There everyone got good looks at Red Knots, and just south of the inlet along Slaughter Beach, we all viewed of an awesome number of Horseshoe Crabs spawning.

Now for more good news from DNREC, between the U of DE College of Earth Ocean and the Environment, and DuPont, a synthetic bait has been developed for eel and conch fisherman to use, instead of using female Horseshoe Crabs (the best bait ever...until now).

Following is that story...and soon on future My Tern blog posts will be more details of birds we have seen, as well as a spring class summary list.

From: DNREC Press Releases List <michael.globetti@state.de.us>
Date: May 29, 2013 3:45:53 PM EDT
To: DNREC Press Releases <dnrec_press_releases@lists.state.de.us>
Subject: New artificial bait could reduce the number of horseshoe crabs used to catch eel and whelk


NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL and THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Teresa Messmore, University of Delaware, 302-757-2245, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902. Photos available.                                                             

New artificial bait could reduce number of horseshoe crabs
used to catch eel and whelk
 
LEWES (May 29, 2013) – A new alternative bait product that will help reduce the number of horseshoe crabs harvested from the Delaware Bay was introduced today. A team of University of Delaware researchers led by Dr. Nancy Targett, DuPont scientists, fisheries biologists, watermen and conservation groups were joined by DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara to make the announcement this morning at UD’s Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes.
 
For years, commercial eel and whelk fishers have dealt with a dilemma: They know the best bait to attract eel and whelk, locally known as conch, is a female horseshoe crab. However, harvest limits are in place to protect the Delaware Bay’s horseshoe crab population and the threatened migratory shorebirds that depend on their eggs as a food source. Commercial fishers have long worked within these limits, dividing each bait crab into pieces to bait multiple eel or whelk pots.
 
“Horseshoe crabs are an ecologically and economically important species in the Delaware Estuary, which hosts the largest concentrations of horseshoe crabs in the world,” said Governor Jack Markell. “This alternative bait is the result of a great partnership among academic researchers, scientists, government, a private corporation and the commercial fisheries industry. By working together, they have found a solution that has great economic and environmental benefits, both now and for the future of bait development.”
 
“Conserving and restoring horseshoe crab populations is critical to supporting Delaware’s shorebird migration and implementing the vision of the Delaware Bayshore Initiative,” said DNREC Secretary O’Mara. “By using this new bait developed by leading scientists at the University of Delaware in partnership with DNREC, watermen will be able to reduce the number of horseshoe crabs used to catch whelk and eel, enjoy more convenient bait storage, help conserve the horseshoe crab population, and support migratory birds that depend on horseshoe crab eggs for food. I applaud my predecessor, Secretary John Hughes, and Dean Nancy Targett for their vision to launch this innovative effort, which will provide a win-win for both the economy and the environment for years to come.”

The new bait came after years of research, which was spurred in part by a surprising fact: Eel and whelk do not typically feed on adult horseshoe crabs in their natural environment, yet they find them hard to resist in baited pots.
 
That disconnect intrigued Targett, director of Delaware Sea Grant, dean of UD’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment and an ecologist who studies the chemical cues that influence animal behavior in the sea. She and her research team set out to identify the mysterious “scent” that lures in eels – and come up with a bait alternative to horseshoe crabs, which have experienced population declines in recent decades.
 
After years of research, Targett and her colleagues have developed a recipe for just such an artificial attractor that could help reduce the number of horseshoe crabs commercial fishermen use. 

“Our hope is that this new bait will meet the fishing community’s needs and at the same time protect the horseshoe crab,” Targett said. “Delaware Sea Grant’s motto is ‘Science Serving the Delaware Coast,’ and we are grateful that so many partners shared in that spirit to move this project forward.” 

Horseshoe crabs – which are actually more closely related to spiders than crabs – feed upon marine worms and small shellfish, and are fed upon by the federally threatened loggerhead sea turtle and a number of shark species. Their outer shells often support a whole community of marine life, from bacteria to blue mussels. Horseshoe crab eggs are a key part of the seasonal diet of at least seven commercially and recreationally important fish species and a host of crabs and other invertebrates.
 
Each May and June, horseshoe crabs lay large numbers of these small green eggs on Delaware Bay beaches. Migratory shorebirds, such as the endangered red knot, arrive around the same time to feast on surplus eggs before continuing their long journey from South America to their Arctic breeding grounds. In about two weeks, the birds double their weight for the final non-stop leg of the trip.
 
As horseshoe crab populations dropped considerably in the 1990s, so did the numbers of red knots. With the horseshoe crab decline largely attributed to their increased demand as bait in the commercial whelk pot fishery, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) established a fisheries management plan with strict harvest quotas. Since the plan was adopted, increases have been noted in segments of the horseshoe crab population. Currently, the ASMFC plan allows for harvesting a limited number of male horseshoe crabs and no harvest of female crabs in Delaware.
 
With whelk as a popular seafood staple in Asia and an ingredient used domestically in chowders and fritters, demand for horseshoe crabs as bait continues to be high, particularly for female crabs, making an equally effective alternative appealing both economically and environmentally.
 
To reach the goal of finding an alternative bait, Targett partnered with DuPont scientists to analyze the horseshoe crab’s chemical makeup. They identified 100 compounds in tissue samples and were able to rule out some as key components in the scent that appeals so strongly to eel and whelk.
 
“We were pleased to provide the expertise of DuPont scientists, as well as business advice to make this project successful,” said Gary Spitzer, DuPont senior vice president of operations and engineering. “This is a great example of the way corporations, universities and governments can collaborate to promote sustainable solutions.”
 
Concurrent with the chemical approach, Targett’s lab developed artificial bait made from alginates (compounds found in brown seaweeds and kelp), a small amount of coarsely ground horseshoe crab and food-grade chemicals including baking soda and citric acid. When mixed together, these ingredients form a quick-set gelatin that keeps for up to four days. 

Compared with using half of a female horseshoe crab, which is the Delaware limit, the mixture was just as productive in catching eel using only one-eighth of a female. By substituting an invasive species, the Asian shore crab, the researchers cut that amount down to as little as one-sixteenth of a horseshoe crab. They tested catching whelk with the bait and found similarly successful results.
 
In addition, despite speculation that female horseshoe crabs were better baits than males, the scientists found that artificial baits composed of males or females were equally effective. The Delaware limit is one whole male per trap or pot.
 
The bait research was funded by Delaware Sea Grant, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts. A faculty member at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute participated in the early stages of the research. DNREC provided logistical assistance in obtaining horseshoe crab specimens and connecting researchers with fishers.
 
LaMonica Fine Foods in Millville, N.J., has started producing the bait commercially. Field tests in Delaware Bay with local whelk fishermen have been successful so far.
 
“The hallmark of this bait is that everyone wins,” said Jim Roussos of LaMonica Fine Foods LLC. “This is a major step in conserving the natural resource of horseshoe crabs. The conch and eel fishermen are relieved of the pressures of buying, storing and processing horseshoe crabs. The University of Delaware has proven once again that it is a vital, important and valuable institution not only to its students but to the public at large. And commercial fisheries win when we can be conservators of public resources while maintaining our historical way of life.”

To learn more about the project and download the recipe for personal use, visit www.deseagrant.org.
 
For more information about pre-made bait, call Michael LaVecchia at LaMonica Fine Foods at 856-825-8111, ext. 102.
 
Vol. 43, No. 220
-30-

OLLI 5/22/13 FT to Gordon's Pond

Blue Grosbeak, photo by Chuck Fullmer, Georgetown, DE

Almost everyone drove to our meeting point at the Gordon's Pond parking lot, except for 3 hardy soles who biked there from Lewes via the Breakwater-Junction trail. We all had good looks  at the many shorebirds in the shallow water of Gordon's Pond. These included Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Dunlin, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs (mostly lesser), Semipalmated Plover, and Willet.

From a land bird perspective, we had excellent views of some very colorful birds, like Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and Common Yellowthroat, plus a very unique year-round resident, the Brown-headed Nuthatch.

We concluded our field trip by checking out the Atlantic Ocean beach, where all saw distant Black-bellied Plover and American Oystercatcher. Our total species for this FT was 51.

Next week we will meet at Prime Hook to carpool to the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Inlet. There we should get good looks at spawning Horseshoe Crabs and shorebirds feeding on the eggs they lay. Shorebirds should include the endangered Red Knot.

PS - Chuck Fullmer, who took the above photo, is a good friend and member of the Sussex Bird Club. You can view his other bird photos at All Season Shooter.

OLLI 5/15/13 FT to Prime Hook WMA

Scarlet Tanager, photo by Terry Sohl

Turkeys were seen by many as we entered Prime Hook NWR going to our meeting point at the Refuge Headquarters. From there we carpooled to the Prime Hook State Wildlife Management Area (WMA) where we walked and birded the approx 1 mile long road through a mature forest.

No doubt the highlight for all, including the leaders, were awesome looks at a male Scarlet Tanager, with the special added treat of the female tanager nearby and seen by many. Another surprise highlight was a single Solitary Sandpiper feeding in a wet tire rut right where we parked our cars.

Additional very nice birds, seen by many were Black-throated Blue Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, and Canada Warbler. We also enjoyed the flute like songs of at least 4 Wood Thrushes, and for this bird, its song tops its appearance by quite a bit.

After leaving the State Area, we birded along Deep Branch Road, where all had good looks at Great-Crested Flycatcher and Red-eyed Vireo. My species count for the morning was 50 species, which is good considering we did only woodland birding.

Next week we will bird Gordon's Pond, meeting at 8 am in the parking lot accessed through Rehoboth. For a MAP.

OLLI 5/8/13 FT to Milford Neck

Yellow-breasted Chat, Bill Fintel photo

No rain!!! and even some sunshine and 73 degrees. Our first stop was the "Dog Training Area" where we had good views of many "scrub birds" which included Yellow-breasted Chat, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting and Orchard Oriole.

We then birded the woods along Stratham Lane and Scotts Corner Road where most had very good looks at Black-and-white warbler, Ovenbird, and Red-eyed Vireo. Some of us also saw Northern Parula and a pair of Wood Ducks. One auditory treat was hearing at least two singing Wood Thrushes.

We then birded along Big Stone Beach Road to the end. Best birds were quite a few shorebirds, which included Short-billed Dowitcher and Stilt Sandpiper.

Our counts for today were 68 bird species and ZERO car species. Seeing no other cars in 3 hours of daylight birding along any roads in DE, or the northeast, is truly amazing. For Chris Bennett's maps and tips on birding Milford Neck click HERE and check the 4/27 report.

Next week we meet at Prime Hook Headquarters at 8 am to carpool to the State Wildlife Management Area. From our class schedule: "Walking is easy and tick-free along a gravel road through some very old forest. This is an excellent woods for migrants warblers, and for Yellow-throated Vireo, Pileated Woodpecker and Barred Owl."

Bill

Road Scholar FT to Gordon's Pond and Rehoboth Woods, 5/3/13, Plus Summary Checklist

Red-headed Woodpecker, Bill Fintel photo

The last morning we started at the Gordon’s Pond area of Cape Henlopen State Park. It was cold and blowing about 20 mph out of the East, so land birding was next to impossible. Also, for unknown reasons, shorebirds were scarce, and waterfowl were non-existent. Thus, we promptly returned to the bus and went into Rehoboth to a small wooded park there.

This proved to be a good move, as we encountered a very cooperative (and rare for this region) Red-headed Woodpecker, as well as a Blue-headed Vireo. Also seen by many who tried for it was a colorful Parula Warbler.

Our tally for 3 and ½ days of birding was 120 species. This is about average for visiting the locations we visited, and actually is good considering the unusually cool spring. The following link is to a pdf of our summary checklist for 4/30 to 5/4/13. (Use the + tab to enlarge if needed for readability.)

Road Scholar FT to Cape Henlopen and Prime Hook 5/2/13

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 Piping Plovers at Cape Henlopen, Bill Fintel photo

On day three we started at Cape Henlopen State Park at the point which separates the Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Our goal was to view Piping Plovers at low tide and we were rewarded with very good views of at least two individuals. We also had good looks at American Oystercatcher and Brant, and back at the Nature Center feeder, we saw both Brown-headed and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

From there we went to Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge where many enjoyed shopping in the Friends gift store for field guides and memorabilia. On the impoundments, the numbers of herons and egrets was very impressive, plus we also had very close looks at Dunlin, Osprey, and even a perched Black Vulture.

We went back to Cape Henlopen for lunch, and after lunch we were treated to gangbuster looks of a male Eastern Towhee right next to our bus. We concluded at Herring Point with terrific views of Prairie Warbler, and many people got close up views of a Field Sparrow.

Our tally for this day was 74 species. Weather again was cool and breezy, but mostly sunny.