Delaware Ornithological Society

Redden State Forest with Chris Bennett
2025-05-10 08:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Kentucky Warbler by Chris Bennett

Yellow-throated Warbler by Chris Bennett

Redden State Forest hosts a great diversity of bird life!

Well maintained trails and logging roads provide easy access to some of the best mixed pine/hardwood forest in southern Delaware. With luck we will see and hear a wide variety of forest nesting birds including breeding Kentucky, Worm-eating, Yellow-throated, Black-and-white and Pine Warblers, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Summer and Scarlet Tanager and Red-headed Woodpecker. Migrant songbirds including warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and thrushes are also possible. We will be hiking around 4 miles during this trip.

Ovenbird by Chris Bennett

Contact Carolyn at fieldtrips@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this trip.

Meet at the headquarters area

Alapocas Woods with Joe Francis
2025-05-07 07:30 - 11:00
Louisiana Waterthrush by Mary Braun

Explore Alapocas Woods

Visit an oasis within the city of Wilmington with good successional field habitat, mature woodlands and the Brandywine River. Target birds include migrating warblers and thrushes as well as the many summer and year-round residents. Helpfully offered during the week of the Delaware Bird-A-Thon for folks out for the count!

Contact Joe at jfrancismd@verizon.net if you have any questions about this trip.

Meet at the Blue Ball Barn near the traffic circle on West Park Drive off Rt 141.

Cape Henlopen State Park with Gregory Gough
2025-05-04 08:00 - 11:00
Scarlet Tanager by Gregory Gough

Spend the morning birding at Cape Henlopen!

We’ll meet at the Fishing Pier parking lot & spend an hour there looking for scoters and loons. Then we’ll walk to the Nature Center targeting migratory and resident songbirds including brown-headed nuthatches. Next we’ll drive to the point and walk down to the bay shore to look for waterbirds with a focus on the rare piping plover. We can finish with a stop at the hawk watch platform scanning for raptors and swallows on the move. Park entry fees are in effect.

Contact Carolyn at fieldtrips@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this trip.

First State National Historical Park - Brandywine Valley with Declan O'Neil
2025-05-04 08:00 - 11:00
Blackburnian Warbler by Declan O’Neil

Explore the Brandywine Valley Tract of First State National Historical Park, a lesser-known gem of northern New Castle County. With spring in full swing, we’ll be looking and listening for migrating warblers on our walk along the Brandywine Creek, in addition to vireos, thrushes, sparrows and anything else migration has to offer us!

Please note that these trails can be muddy at times, so dress appropriately.

Meet in the parking lot on Ramsey Road across from Ramsey’s Farm. There is overflow parking (if necessary) in the lot down the road on Brandywine Creek Road.

Contact Declan at dobirding@gmail.com if you have any questions about this trip.

Evening Rail Trip with Andy Ednie
2025-05-03 20:00 - 2025-05-04 00:00
Salt Marsh at Sunrise by Tim Freiday

Listen for rails after dark!

This may be the only field trip all year where no birds are seen….only heard! A four hour Rail bonanza (in the middle of the night!) targeting 7 species. Bring long boots and bug spray.

Our leader is Andy Ednie, please contact at ednieap@verizon.net if you plan to attend or have questions about this trip.

Meet at the Park & Ride at routes 299 & 1 in Middletown, opposite the Wawa.

Bennett's Pier Marsh with Joe Francis
2025-05-03 19:00 - 21:00
Bennett’s Pier Beach, photo courtesy of Delaware Wild Lands

Visit this year’s Bird-a-Thon Conservation Target!

We’re excited to be teaming with Delaware Wild Lands once more this year on a really special place at Milford Neck, one of the Delaware Bayshore’s largest and most ecologically significant areas.

Map view courtesy of Delaware Wild Lands

The parcel, located at Bennett’s Pier Beach, includes 43.6 acres of tidal marsh and beach habitat, and will preserve 1,500 linear feet of shoreline. It is one of the last unprotected parcels of the Milford Neck coastline and its protection will facilitate restoration of tidal hydrology in the surrounding marshes. The marshes here are some of the best in Delaware for high priority salt marsh specialists including Saltmarsh Sparrows and Black, Yellow, and Clapper Rails. Protecting the beach will benefit Horseshoe Crabs, Piping Plovers, Red Knots and other migratory shorebirds.

For those wanting to check the marsh out in the early evening before dusk, Joe will be stationed at the end of Bennett’s Pier Road along with staff from Delaware Wild Lands at 7 pm, which is about an hour before sunset. Keep your fingers crossed for Sedge Wren and other marsh birds! Then you can join Andy Ednie’s convoy as they make the full circuit for his Rail Trip.

Contact Joe at president@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this event.

University of Delaware Farm & Ecology Woods with Blue Hen Birding
2025-04-27 08:00 - 11:00
Ecology Woods by Sam Melanson, President of Blue Hen Birding

Join Blue Hen Birding to explore the University of Delaware Farm & Ecology Woods!

Photo by Sam Melanson

A variety of habitats at the farm present great opportunities to observe a diversity of bird species. In the wetlands we can look for shorebirds, waders & ducks. Dr. Jeff Buler will lead us through Ecology Woods where we can find resident birds along with migrating wood warblers. Please be aware that the woodland trails are narrow & there may be logs or branches to walk over. Afterwards, as time permits we’ll walk around the farm’s fields to look for kestrels & other raptors. Participants should be prepared with bug spray and appropriate footwear as the woods & areas near the wetlands can be muddy.

Photo by Sam Melanson

This trip will be limited to 12 participants. Please email Carolyn at fieldtrips@dosbirds.org providing contact information to sign up for this trip or if you have any questions.

Meet at the UDairy Creamery, 535 S College Ave, Newark DE & perhaps enjoy some ice cream after our walk! Parking must be paid by the hour using the Passport Parking App in Zone 755 (Lot 1 in front of the Fred Rust Ice Arena) or in Zone 756 (Lot 2 next to the UDairy Creamery & behind Townsend Hall).

Youth Birders: Auburn Valley State Park
2025-04-27 08:00 - 10:00
Eastern Phoebe by Megan Kasprzak

At Auburn Valley State Park, we’ll enjoy the spring season with a tour through this uniquely historic landscape and discover how preserving historic features has created diverse habitats for birds of all kinds. If time and weather permit, we may plan for a picnic lunch on the grounds and stop to look at steam-powered cars at the Marshall Steam Museum. Previous birding experience is not necessary! We supply loaner binoculars.

Barn Swallow by Shannon Modla

*Annual parks pass or daily pass required

Please RSVP to Jessica at redknotyouthbirders@gmail.com so we’ll know to expect you.

Young Eastern Phoebes by Shannon Modla

Meet at the Paper Mill Parking Lot off Benge Road- 698 Benge Road, Hockessin DE 19707

DOS April Meeting: "Functional Morphology and the Origin of Long-distance Migration in Nightingale-thrushes (Turdidae: Catharus)" by Matt Halley
2025-04-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, 4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 19807, United States
NOTE THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING AT THE DELAWARE MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE.

Doors open at 6:30 pm. Come early to socialize and meet DOS officers and the rest of the birding community!

The nightingale-thrushes (genus Catharus) are a clade of (mostly) American songbirds with diverse migratory strategies. With large datasets of molecular and morphometric characters, Halley and colleagues have resolved phylogenetic relationships, described new species and subspecies, identified and modeled migration-related morphological characters, and estimated ancestral states of those characters to infer evolutionary transitions in the migratory phenotype. The results indicate that (1) migratory behavior and its functional morphology are fundamentally linked and can be accurately modeled along a linear axis; (2) short distance and elevational migration were precursors to long distance migration; and (3) the homoplasy of the migratory phenotype, as noted by previous authors, may not have been caused by evolutionary convergence following independent origins of migration, as previously suggested, but successive “budding” of daughter lineages from a “persistent ancestor” in evolutionary stasis.

Dr. Matthew R. Halley is an ornithologist and historian from south-east Pennsylvania, who has authored dozens of research papers about bird evolution and the history of American science. He is the Assistant Curator of Birds at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science (Wilmington, DE) and a Research Associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA), where he earned his Ph.D. in 2021. Halley’s research is wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, combining a variety of methods including phylogenetic analysis, population genetics, morphometric analysis, video cameras, audio recorders, tracking devices, and taxonomic study of preserved specimens. He has also uncovered a litany of unpublished primary sources, during the last decade, which have reshaped our understanding of historical figures like Alexander Wilson and John James Audubon, and the development of scientific ornithology in the United States.

The meeting is held in person at Delaware Museum of Nature and Science and online via Zoom software. The in person meeting is open to everyone, but the Zoom presentation is for DOS members only.

Members in good standing will receive an email with Zoom login info prior to the meeting. If you are not a member and would like to attend virtually, please consider joining DOS.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Augustine Wildlife Area with Anthony Gonzon
2025-04-19 13:00 - 16:00
Caspian Tern by Carolyn Holland

Spend the afternoon birding!

Meet at the Ashton Tract to look for neotropical migrants, waterfowl, raptors, terns, gulls and lingering winter birds. We will visit the Ashton Tract and Port Penn wetlands. Conservation Access Pass required.

Contact Carolyn at fieldtrips@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this trip.

Youth Birders: Back to Basics Walk at Bellevue State Park ***Cancelled***
2025-04-06 08:30 - 10:30
Eastern Bluebird by Carolyn Holland

If you are new to birding or want a refresher on the basics, then this walk is for you! We will learnabout common birds, how to find them, and how to use binoculars to observe them. For currentfamilies, this is a great opportunity to get your bird-curious friends hooked on the hobby!Participants will play bird bingo and new families will receive an information kit with resources forgetting started. This walk is sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited in Hockessin, DE. We supply loaner binoculars.

*Annual parks pass or daily pass required

Please RSVP to Jessica at redknotyouthbirders@gmail.com so we’ll know to expect you.

Meet at the parking lot near the band shell.

Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area with Anthony Gonzon
2025-04-06 08:00 - 11:00
Northern Bobwhite by Michael Moore

Northern Bobwhites live here!

Listen for Northern Bobwhite at the last remaining Delaware stronghold. We will spend time scanning fields and marshes and take a short walk through coastal woodlands. Expect early migrants and lingering winter birds. Dress appropriately. A Conservation Access Pass is required.

Contact Carolyn at fieldtrips@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this trip.

Meet at Collins Landing.

Youth Birders: John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
2025-03-23 08:00 - 10:00
Ring-necked Ducks by Carolyn Holland

On this field trip, we will explore all that this fascinating urban wildlife refuge has to offer,including the largest remaining tidal freshwater marsh in Pennsylvania! There is a lot of birddiversity in the refuge, but we’ll be paying particular attention to waterfowl like wood ducks,wigeons, ring-necked ducks, and mergansers. Raptors, wading birds, and early migrant songbirdsare a possibility as well! Previous birding experience is not necessary! We supply loanerbinoculars and spotting scopes.

There are no entrance fees for this refuge.

Please RSVP to Jessica at redknotyouthbirders@gmail.com so we’ll know to expect you.

Meet at the Visitor Center parking lot- 8601 Lindbergh Blvd, Philadelphia PA 19153

Sea Watch III with Andy Ednie
2025-03-22 08:00 - 12:00
Common Loon by Michael Moore

Last chance to join Anthony Gonzon and Chris Bennett for a brisk birding adventure at the Indian River Inlet this winter!

To be enjoyed at the Southside Day Use Area (parking lot on the south side of Indian River Inlet along the ocean). Come prepared for cold conditions and the seashore wind and bring your scope if you have one.

State Park entrance fees will be in effect. Participants should monitor the DOS website and social media for last minute changes due to weather or other conditions.

Contact Carolyn at fieldtrips@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this trip.

DOS March Meeting: "Echoes of the Estuary: Using Sound to Study Marsh Birds" by Kelly Faller
2025-03-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Ashland Nature Center, 3511 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin, DE, 19707, United States
Doors open at 6:30 pm. Come early to socialize and meet DOS officers and the rest of the birding community!

Advances in acoustic technology and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing bird research, making it possible to monitor entire landscapes in new ways. This talk will explore how passive acoustic monitoring is expanding our ability to study marsh birds, track habitat changes, and measure the impact of restoration efforts at an unprecedented scale. With the help of artificial intelligence, we can now sift through thousands of hours of recordings to detect rare and elusive species like the Eastern Black Rail and Saltmarsh Sparrow. With machine learning unlocking new ways to analyze vast amounts of sound data, we are entering a new era of conservation where listening to the landscape can guide smarter, more effective protection of marsh-dependent birds. This presentation will highlight the beauty of coastal marshes and how technology is helping us protect and preserve these unique ecosystems and the birds that rely on them.

Kelly Faller is Lead Estuary Science Coordinator at Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Her main role is to assist with the design, development, and implementation of tasks and initiatives related to PDE’s scientific projects and programs (i.e., wetlands, restoration, and shellfish). Prior to joining PDE, Faller earned her Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources from Rutgers University in 2021. There, she completed a George H. Cook honors thesis studying how invasive forest vegetation impacts bat foraging ecology. Later, she worked as a North Pacific Groundfish Observer in Alaska. In her free time, she enjoys hiking in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, birding, and traveling to the colder parts of the world.

The meeting is held in person at Ashland Nature Center and online via Zoom software. The in person meeting is open to everyone, but the Zoom presentation is for DOS members only.

Members in good standing will receive an email with Zoom login info prior to the meeting. If you are not a member and would like to attend virtually, please consider joining DOS.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sea Watch III with Chris Bennett & Anthony Gonzon ***Postponed until Saturday, March 22 @ 8-12***
2025-03-15 08:00 - 12:00

Raptors in Winter with Jim White ***This trip has been rescheduled from February 16!***
2025-02-26 08:30 - 18:00
Red-tailed Hawk by Carolyn Holland

A quest for Raptors in Winter!

Barred Owl by Shannon Modla

A full day quest for raptors that may be found in our area during the winter months. We will visit several areas in Delaware and while we will include owls in our search, no tape recordings will be used to call them in. Bring snacks, lunch etc. There is typically a stop around lunchtime at Wawa/Royal Farms/etc. to refuel. Be sure to dress appropriately for extended periods of time in the mid-winter elements!

Red-shouldered Hawk by Carolyn Holland

DOS members only -This trip is limited to 14 participants. Contact Jim at hylajwhite@aol.com to register or if you have any questions about this trip.

Meet at the Wilmington Airport, also known as the New Castle County Airport.

Auburn Valley State Park with Declan O'Neil
2025-02-25 08:00 - 11:00
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker by Declan O’Neil

Join us for a morning walk at Auburn Valley. This scenic park provides great habitat for many overwintering species, from woodpeckers to raptors to sparrows. Bring comfortable hiking shoes and a sense of adventure.

Contact Declan at Declan@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this trip.

Meet at the Yorklyn Bridge Trail Parking Lot by the pavilion.

[This trip is co-listed with Delaware State Parks]

DOS February Meeting: "RaptorQuest, Chasing’s America’s Raptors" by Scott Harris
2025-02-19 19:00 - 21:00
Zoom only.

My book RaptorQuest, Chasing’s America’s Raptors is about my journey to find all 53 of the Raptors that call the Lower 48 states home. I found all 53, along with a Bat Falcon, a Steller’s Sea Eagle and an Eurasian Eagle Owl. It is filled with stories about each bird and dozens of color photographs.

I took 17 months and more than 100,000 miles of travel across 34 states. In my presentation, I share my adventures, misadventures, successes and failures. From -36 degree days, to one over 100, to getting stuck in the mud, to barely missing a bird, to just arriving in time. It’s about the Raptors, of course, but it’s also about the people I met, the things I learned and why I’m already in the middle of my next big birding adventure.

Scott Harris and his wife Randi retired to South Carolina in March of 2020—something Scott will tell you was one of the best decisions they have made in their forty-four years of marriage. It was also when he first started birding—a hobby he never imagined himself participating in, but now can’t imagine living without.

They sold their long-time home and business, Mustang Marketing, a marketing/branding company they had owned for thirty-five years. They are blessed that both their children and their grandson are also in South Carolina.

While in California, Scott had a syndicated newspaper column and two weekly radio shows. He and his son Justin also hosted a Los Angeles Dodgers weekly live radio show. Scott sat on dozens of boards over the years, including Boys & Girls Club, United Way, The Sheriff’s Foundation, Pepperdine University, Moorpark College, and California State University Northridge.

In the month before leaving Ventura County, Scott was honored as Man of the Year, with his company having won Business of the Year two years previously. His interests and hobbies include the largest collection of John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley in the world, playing harmonica in a blues band for five years, and writing (he has written almost fifty books in the past six years—though RaptorQuest is his first entrée into the world of birding).

The meeting is held online via Zoom software. Zoom only.

Members will receive an email with Zoom login info prior to the meeting. If you are not a member and would like to attend, please use the button below to request login info which is available a few days before the meeting.

We look forward to ‘seeing’ you soon!

Request Zoom Login

***Cancelled***Sparrow Stake-Out at the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge/DuPont Environmental Education Center with Joe Francis and friends
2025-02-16 13:00 - 16:00
This event has been cancelled due to the 100% likelihood of rain forecasted. A make-up will be scheduled as a “pop-up” event for sometime in March.

American Tree Sparrow by Michael Moore

An opportunity to study many sparrow species!

Sparrows are a perennial challenge for beginning and experienced birders alike. Here’s an opportunity to figure out those “LBJs” in comfort and style.

To coax these shy creatures out of the brush, we’ll spend time divided into small groups and seated at strategic points along the Peterson Refuge trail network. Expect good opportunities to study Song, Swamp, White-throated, Field, and Fox Sparrows as well as Juncos and Towhees. There’s a decent chance of Savannah, Tree and Lincoln’s Sparrows as well as Orange-Crowned Warblers and Rusty Blackbirds. And, who knows, perhaps a repeat of last year’s LeConte’s Sparrow or even a Vesper Sparrow (last seen there in 2015).

For this trip, we recommend bringing a folding stool or a cushion to lay atop a boulder or log. Dress warmly, as we will be staying put for periods of time and the refuge can be breezy.

Meet by the Russell Peterson statue in the parking area for the DuPont Environmental Education Center. Anyone needing basic information on sparrow ID or having other questions can email Joe at jfrancismd@verizon.net.

Youth Birders: Chambers Works Natural Area
2025-02-16 08:30 - 10:30
Hooded Merganser by Michael Moore

We’re trying this trip again in 2025 with the hope that snowstorms don’t swoop in and make us have to cancel! Our first Red Knots trip into New Jersey brings special access to Chemours’ Chambers Works site in Penns Grove. Youth birding committee member Scott Northey will show us around the site’s 500 acres of freshwater impoundments, grasslands, and forested wetlands to look for wintering birds and waterfowl! Previous birding experience is not necessary! We supply loaner binoculars and spotting scopes.

There are no entrance fees for this site.

Meeting address will be forwarded with RSVP- Please email SCOTT.T.NORTHEY@chemours.com

NOTE: adult participants on youth birding trips must be accompanied by a youth birder!

Sea Watch II with Chris Bennett & Anthony Gonzon
2025-02-15 08:00 - 12:00
Common Loon by Michael Moore

Two more opportunities remain to join Anthony and Chris for brisk birding adventures at the Indian River Inlet this winter! February 15, 2025 – 8am until 12pmMarch 15, 2025 – 8am until 12pm

To be enjoyed at the Southside Day Use Area (parking lot on the south side of Indian River Inlet along the ocean). Participants should monitor the DOS website and social media for last minute changes due to weather or other conditions.

Come prepared for cold conditions and the seashore wind and bring your scope if you have one.

Contact Carolyn at fieldtrips@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this trip.

Birding New Jersey's North Shore with Andy Ednie
2025-02-02 05:30 - 17:30
Sandy Hook by Andy Ednie

Search for rarities in New Jersey!

Merlin by Andy Ednie

Hard to believe that some of Jersey’s best birding is right in the heart of the megalopolis. The north Jersey coast has the second highest species list in the state (365), only topped by Cape May (375). Winter birding produces Alcids, Gulls, waterfowl, and winter finches. White-winged Scoter, Common Eider, Razorbill, Iceland Gull, and Snow Bunting are expected. Past trips have found Eurasian Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Black Guillemot, Snowy Owl, Crossbills and Lapland Longspur. The trip will start at Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreational Area from parking lot B at 7:30 am and then head south to Shark River, Manasquan Inlet and Island Beach State Park. We’ll be checking eBird and the Christmas count reports to find the rarities. This will be an all-day event, so pack food and drinks. Comfort stations will be open at Sandy Hook. Weather date will be Sunday, February 9th, but we will be home for the Super Bowl!

If you plan to attend, contact Andy Ednie (302-463-0113) or email ednieap@verizon.net.

Carpooling will be from the Claymont Train Station leaving at 5:30 am.

DOS January Meeting: Annual Christmas Count Recap
2025-01-22 19:00 - 21:00
Join host Jim White and other Christmas Count compilers for a recap of all the exciting discoveries during the 2024-2025 Christmas Counts. Each compiler will summarize the highlights of their count and discuss recent trends in bird populations.

This event will be held on line via Zoom. A zoom link will be sent to all DOS members via email. If you are not a member, you can request a zoom link by clicking the button below.

Non-members click here to request Zoom link

For DOS members only, there will be a link to a recording of the talk after the meeting. If you are not a member and want to attend virtually, please consider joining.

Youth Birders: Brandywine Creek State Park***Cancelled due to impending storm!***
2025-01-19 08:30 - 10:30
Purple Finch by Carolyn Holland

We’re kicking off the new year with a trip to explore the winter resident birds of Delaware! On this trip, we will explore the park’s forests, meadows, and the 200-year-old Tulip Tree Woods as we look for red-breasted nuthatches, dark-eyed juncos, winter wrens, purple finches, and whatever other species are sticking around for winter. Previous birding experience is not necessary! We supply loaner binoculars and spotting scopes.

No DE state park fees in January

Please RSVP to Jessica at redknotyouthbirders@gmail.com so we’ll know to expect you.

Meet at the Nature Center parking lot- 41 Adams Dam Road, Wilmington DE 19807

Midwinter Bird Walk at Alapocas with Joe Francis
2025-01-15 08:00 - 11:00
Merlin by Carolyn Holland

Explore Alapocas Woods for wintering birds

Come out and get to know some of the birds that are at home in the woods and fields during winter!

Contact Carolyn at fieldtrips@dosbirds.org if you have any questions about this trip.

Meet at the Blue Ball Barn near the traffic circle on West Park Drive off Rt 141.

DOS December Meeting: Annual "For DOS, by DOS" short presentations by DOS members
2024-12-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Ashland Nature Center, 3511 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin, DE, 19707, United States
The December member meeting will feature several short talks by DOS members on activities managed, coordinated and implemented by DOS members and partner organizations. The talks will generally be 10-15 minute overviews of activities implemented over the past year.

Birds on the move! Tracking migration using the Motus network. Ian StewartThe Motus tracking system is a network of towers that detect the presence of radio-tagged animals so we can follow their movements. Ian will discuss the results from a large-scale Wood Thrush radio-tagging project he participated in this summer as well as reviewing this year’s most notable detections from Motus towers throughout Delaware. He will also show how everyone can have fun exploring the Motus website!

Citizen Science Projects: Hermitage and First State National Park Bird Surveys. Andy EdnieAndy will provide a review of the three-year bird survey at Hermitage Natural Area administered by the Trustees of New Castle Common. The Hermitage is an oasis in the sprawl of suburbia along the Delaware River. Originally the ancestral home of Nicholas Van Dyke II, the property has multiple habitats; woods, marsh, tidal creek, and fields to produce a plethora of species. Originally, the survey was initiated to evaluate the avifauna during habitat restoration, but changes may put further research at risk. As the Hermitage survey winds down, Andy will also discuss the next bird survey to start in 2025 at First State National Historic Park and how you can participate.

DOS Youth Birders support bird conservation by competing in World Series of Birding. Christian Scheibe and Elle McDonald. The World Series of Birding is a birding competition and fundraiser held every spring in Cape May, NJ. Ellie and Christian will discuss what it was like being on the team the Flying Penguins. They participated in the middle school division of the competition this past spring and birded from 3am to 10pm on May 11th. The Flying Penguins chose to raise money for the Delaware Nature Society Bird Conservation Initiative, and will be talking about their experiences fundraising and competing.

Piping Plover Research. Eli Hevalow. The presentation I plan to give will follow the topic of Piping Plover Nest Site Selection at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. In short, it will cover a little bit of the restoration and history of Fowler Beach/Prime Hook, the change in number of PIPL nests from 2016-2024, as well as the vegetation management tactics that have been done the last few years and a review of some data collected for my senior thesis.

Delaware Master Naturalist certification Program. Scott NortheyThe Delaware Master Naturalist Program trains citizens as ambassadors and stewards of Delaware’s natural resources and ecosystems through science-based education and volunteer opportunities. The training program is jointly coordinated by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Delaware Nature Society.

DOS is a Local Organizing Partner (LOP) for the Delaware Master Naturalists program. The LOPs work closely with trained Master Naturalists to coordinate and execute Master Naturalist volunteer projects, recruit volunteers into the program, and work with other organizations to maximize the Delaware Master Naturalist mission.

Scott is in the process of completing the certification and will give an overview of the program and provide information to others who may be interested to join future training sessions.

The meeting is held in person at Ashland Nature Center and online via Zoom software. The in person meeting is open to all, Zoom presentation is for DOS members only.

Members in good standing will receive an email with Zoom login info prior to the meeting. If you are not a member and would like to attend virtually, please consider joining DOS.

We look forward to ‘seeing’ you soon!

Youth Birders: Wilmington Christmas Bird Count
2024-12-14 08:30 - 10:30
Hermit Thrush by Carolyn Holland

Join us for the 125th annual Christmas Bird Count! We will be counting all of the birds we can see and hear to help track continent-wide trends in bird diversity and abundance. The data collected is used by scientists working to protect bird habitats and populations.

Please RSVP to Jessica at redknotyouthbirders@gmail.com so we’ll know to expect you.

Meet at Mount Cuba Center, 3120 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin, DE

"The Birding Prescription - how mindful birding is good for us, and for the birds" by Holly Merker and Joe Francis - MOVED TO ZOOM ONLY
2024-11-20 19:00 - 21:00
DUE TO BAD WEATHER THIS TALK WILL BE PRESENTED ON ZOOM ONLY. SEE BELOW.

Join DOS Member Holly Merker and current DOS President Joe Francis for a conversation about birding’s impact on health and well-being. In relating personal experiences as well as the latest insights from the scientific literature, they will touch on ways to refocus attention, reduce eco-anxiety and climate grief, and build connection to nature and each other through mindful birding practices. Come prepared to learn new skills to recapture joy and awe in the outdoors.

Holly Merker, DOS Member and former DOS Council Officer, is a nature-based wellness specialist, professional birding guide, author, and lecturer. Combining backgrounds in art therapy, nature and forest therapy, wellness counseling, mindfulness practice, and bird identification, she specializes in providing Mindful Birding experiences and is a global advocate in promoting the concepts surrounding why and how wild birds and birding can support overall human wellbeing and health.

Joe Francis, DOS President, is a retired physician who has practiced in hospital, long term care, public health, and hospice settings. He started birding in medical school as a way to manage his own stress. This has gradually led him to a broader appreciation of nature and the urgent need for healing on a planetary level, which motivates his current slate of post-retirement activities.

This talk HAS BEEN CHANGED TO FULLY ZOOM. Link will be emailed to everyone on the DOS mailing list. To request the link, send email to membership@dosbirds.org.

Late Afternoon Bird Walk at the DuPont Environmental Education Center/Russell W. Peterson Refuge with Joe Francis
2024-11-17 15:00 - 16:45
Bald Eagle by Carolyn Holland

Explore Delaware’s Premier Urban Wildlife Refuge!

End the week on a positive note with a leisurely walk at the Russell W. Peterson Refuge. These walks will begin roughly 2 hours before sunset, allowing opportunity to check out roosting waterfowl, shorebirds, rails, wrens and blackbirds. Crepuscular sightings of muskrat, beaver and river otter are possible. We will walk about two miles, mostly on boardwalk. Beginners are welcome, so bring a friend who is new to birding. Thanks to regular pedestrian traffic and security patrols from the Wilmington Riverfront, this has been a safe area even after dark.

Meet by the Russell Peterson statue in the parking area for the DuPont Environmental Education Center. Those interested in more information may contact Joe at jfrancismd@verizon.net.
