December 21, 2014

This holiday season my good friend and fellow birder Teddy Burke hosted me for a week of Delmarva birding.

Savannah Sparrow
Port Mahon Rd., DE
Dec. 2014
Click on photo for more.

We started the day at Port Mahon Rd. looking for the elusive Snowy Owls that were previously reported there. Unfortunately, we had no luck. We did happen upon a bald eagle, a few harriers (including one male) and a sizable flock of Ruddy Ducks on the water. On the way out we spooked some smaller birds: four Savannah Sparrows.

Driving up Rte. 9 on the way to our scheduled Christmas Bird Count, we popped into Bombay Hook NWR. While driving along Raymond Pool, a fellow birder alerted us to an American Pipit along the shoreline. I was unable to find it, but by chance looked up and saw the outline of a crane in the grasses across the marsh with the swans. While I’ve seen many Sandhill Cranes in Fairbanks, AK, I was surprised to hear (and see) one was hanging out on the east coast.

Sandhill Crane
Bombay Hook NWR
Dec. 2014

Our Christmas Bird Count at Sharp Farm, Middletown, DE, did not yield a wealth of species, but I  learned a few tips that would help me with identification later in my trip. For instance, I had not thought to narrow my choices for sparrows by paying attention to the streaking of the breast; but then again I rarely pay attention to the smaller birds. 🙂 Our day ended with a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Dec. 2014