|
Birdline Delaware Number: 302-658-2747 [Transcript] For Friday, November 14th, this is Birdline Delaware from the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Greenville. The unofficial Delaware State Year List remains at 324 species this week, but could increase depending on one sparrow identification. On Sunday, November 9th, a possible BREWER'S SPARROW or maybe an immature CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was found along the Fowler's Beach Road at Prime Hook NWR. Efforts to relocate that bird have been unsuccessful. As Gordon Lightfoot says, beware the cold winds of November. This week has been exceptional for Swallows blown in. Both CAVE and CLIFF SWALLOWS were reported at Fowler's Beach today. AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was also reported. Yesterday, 3 CAVE SWALLOWS were seen at Tony Florio's at Woodland Beach Wildlife Area. Those birds were later found over Taylor's Gut off Rt. 9. TUNDRA SWAN, GADWALL PINTAIL, RUDDY DUCK and AMERICAN COOT were also reported. More CAVE SWALLOWS were reported at Slaughter Beach last weekend. A single BARN SWALLOW was also reported there. 33 GREAT and 5 SNOWY EGRETS plus BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON were also seen at Slaughter Beach. Another CAVE SWALLOW was reported at the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch. That bird hung around for about 10 minutes. 2 BARN SWALLOWS were reported there along with 2 PALM WARBLERS and several PINE SISKINS this week. The 4th NORTHERN GOSHAWK of the year went past Cape Henlopen on Wednesday. 18 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were also reported that day. Monday was a red letter day with 6 GOLDEN EAGLES. Those EAGLES were originally reported at Cape May and timed for their arrival in Delaware. It takes 45 minutes to an hour for an EAGLE to cross the Delaware Bay. Another NORTHERN GOSHAWK was reported in Dover near the Delaware State University campus. The previously reported HARRIS' SPARROW at Brandywine Creek State Park was not reported this week. I'm sure Jim White was hoping that bird would stick around until the Christmas count. 9 AMERICAN PIPITS and a FOX SPARROW were reported from the Ramsey Road area. The Ashland Nature Center hawk watch featured on the WHYY News this week reported BALD and GOLDEN EAGLE, and RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS. PINE SISKINS and a flyover PILEATED WOODPECKER were also reported. 9 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at the spoils area on the south side of the Reedy Point Bridge. PEREGRINE FALCONS continue to be seen under the bridge. A WILSON'S SNIPE was reported at Grier's Pond. Thousand Acre Marsh contained an estimated 800 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, plus 2 BUFFLEHEAD, 29 RUDDY DUCKS and 1 AMERICAN COOT. Large numbers of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were reported in the Delaware City Area, 160 at Dragon Run Park and 20 at Fort DuPont. MUTE SWAN was also reported at Dragon Run and BALD EAGLES. In Middletown, about 200 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen in the field for construction of the Middletown Auto Mall. An AMERICAN KESTREL was also patrolling there. The retention pond by the Home Depot had 7 RUDDY DUCKS. CACKLING GOOSE and ROSS' GOOSE were reported at both Broadkill Beach of Prime Hook NWR and at Bombay Hook NWR. BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, WESTERN, SEMIPALMATED, LEAST and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER were also found along the Broadkill Beach Road. 8 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were on the beach at Broadkill. MARBLED GODWIT continues to be seen with all the AMERICAN AVOCETS at Bombay Hook NWR. Other shorebirds reported included STILT and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. EASTERN SCREECH OWL, GREAT HORNED OWL and PEREGRINE FALCON were also reported. PURPLE FINCH was reported coming to a feeder in Hockessin. The RING-NECKED DUCK population on Hoopes' Reservoir has grown to 2 dozen birds. — Weekly Radio Feature — Now for this week's special feature from WILM News Radio. You can hear the Birdline special feature with sound effects on Wednesday after the morning and evening drive time news at 8:55 am and 6:55 pm. Delmarva is one of the largest poultry producers in the nation. Perdue, Allen's, and Mountaire produce chickens for the New York metropolitan markets. But every advantage has an equal disadvantage. Waste water from poultry farms creates brownfields where no vegetation can grow. Arkansas chicken farms pollute the Mississippi, killing thousands of acres in Louisiana's delta. Birds have a different excretory system then most mammals. Their urethra enters the bowel, mixing feces with uric acid. Waste is removed via the Cloacae. Some primitive mammals like the Echidna or Spiny Anteater have a similar digestive system. The waste product is call guano, an Inca term meaning "the droppings of seabirds". The best source is from the GUANAY SHAG. Guano, containing ammonia, uric and phosphoric acid is a valuable of concentrated nitrates and phosphorous. About 30% of the phosphate in the world is in guano. Concentrated nitrogen is turned into salt peter, to make black powder for the duPont Mills. It is also used for fertilizer. The South Pacific Islanders of Nauru have become so rich and corpulent from guano mining, that 50% has diabetes, the largest population percentage in the world. Nitrogen runoff from chicken dropping used as fertilizer seeps into the Chesapeake Bay. Already algae blooms and fish kills are destroying habitat. Infectious diseases, Aspergillus's, Vancomyocin-resistant entercoccus, and psittacosis caused by a Chlamydia have all been found in chicken droppings. It will be a challenge to the next generation to control these problems and continue to feed the masses. Special thanks this week to Ed Sigda, Forrest Rowland, and Kitt Hecksher for their reports. Send your reports to the Birdline, or add to the state year list by calling 302-792-9591 or email ednieap@verizon.net. Until nest week, good birding. [End Transcript]
Home | Search | Contact Delaware Audubon | Privacy Policy |
||||
