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Yellow-bellied Sapsucker by Hank Davis.
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Letter from the President
 As I write this, it is starting to feel like spring which for many birders is their favorite time of year. (I personally prefer autumn but won’t complain about seeing warblers in breeding plumage!). Some signs of spring are already being reported such as displaying American Woodcocks, flocks of geese headed north high overhead and breeding activity by many of our owls. Soon Pine and Yellow-throated Warblers will be singing on their territories, and Louisiana Waterthrushes will be patrolling their streams.
When I first became DOS President, I thought one of the challenges facing the organization was to get more people to understand that we are “more than a bird club.” It still bothers me that the Delaware Birding Facebook group has almost 11,000 members but DOS has only around 350 members. I think it would help if more people understood that DOS has a broad and ambitious agenda that goes way beyond the typical bird club activities of field trips and monthly meetings.
At the beginning of spring, I think it helps to remind ourselves of all that DOS does beyond field trips and meetings:
• Raises money for conservation through Bird-a-thon
• Organizes the Christmas Bird Counts
• Administers and staffs the two state Hawk Watches
• Has an active youth birder program
• Hosts the Delaware Rare Bird Committee on our website
• Publishes The Delaware Ornithologist
• Hosts and funds the Wilmington Peregrine Cameras that are viewed by up to 40,000 people worldwide during the nesting season
• Distributes the Delaware Birdline to all members
• Provides Conservation Science Grants to support bird conservation research
• Is a Local Organizing Partner for the UD Master Naturalist Program
• Provides scholarships for the Master Naturalist Program
• Supports the “Frontiers in Ornithology: A Symposium for Youth” conference when held in Delaware
This is an ambitious agenda for such a small, all-volunteer group. We can always use help, so please consider volunteering by reaching out to me at [email protected]. Please continue to advocate for the organization by taking advantage of any opportunity to spread the word about all that we do.
I also want to thank all of you who do support us and make all this possible. We could not do it without you. Even if you don’t have time to do more than continue your membership, your support means everything to us.
~Michael Moore, DOS President
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March Meeting:
"Bird Banding at Rushton Woods: Reading Feathers to Advance Bird Conservation” by Blake Goll
March 20 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
To an ornithologist, monitoring the populations of birds is — quite literally — taking the pulse of the environment. The primary way to study bird populations today is through a traditional mark-release-recapture technique known as bird banding. The Willistown Conservation Trust began a federally licensed banding station in 2009 at Rushton Woods Preserve and Farm (RWPR) and has since banded over 18,000 birds of 103 species, from songbirds to owls. In addition to revealing important information about species abundance and diversity found on our conserved land, bird banding at RWPR has helped us evaluate the impact of our land management initiatives as well as the value of preserving open space.
Learn about bird banding, listen to some of the stories of what we’ve discovered, and hear how our bird banding program has grown to include the latest in wildlife tracking technology.
Blake Goll is the Education Programs Manager at the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT) since 2010. She has developed the Trust’s Rushton Nature Keepers program and curriculum for children, and provides other nature education and outreach programs for all ages. She also assists with the daily operations of WCT’s songbird banding and owl banding stations throughout banding season. Blake is a North American Banding Council (NABC) certified bird bander, a frequent contributor to the Trust’s digital content channels, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Pennsylvania State University.
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Auburn Valley State Park with Declan O’Neil
March 10 @ 8:00 am – 11:00 am EDT
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 [email protected] if you have any questions about this trip.
Meet at the Yorklyn Bridge Trail Parking Lot by the pavilion. Remember to check your clocks after daylight savings time!
Sea Watch I with Chris Bennett & Anthony Gonzon
March 17 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Long-tailed Duck by Mike Moore.
Join Anthony Gonzon and Chris Bennett for 3 brisk birding adventures 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.
Participants should monitor the DOS website and social media for last minute changes due to weather or other conditions.
Contact Carolyn at [email protected] if you have any questions about this trip.
Late Afternoon Bird Walks at the DuPont Environmental Education Center/Russell W. Peterson Refuge with Joe Francis
March 24 @ 5:00 pm – 7:18 pm EDT
Wood Ducks by Carolyn Holland.
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 as well as early spring migrants. 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 [email protected].
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Red Knot Youth Birders
Sunday, March 17th , 8:00-10:00am
Augustine Wildlife Area- Ashton Tract
Join us for a great morning of birding at the Augustine Wildlife Area. We will visit the impoundments to look for ducks and wading birds, plus explore woods and fields for woodpeckers, sparrows, and whatever late winter birds might be around.
Meet at the Ashton Tract parking area: 507 Thorntown Road, Middletown DE 19709
*Delaware Conservation Access Pass required
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Sign up at [email protected] to receive field trip schedules and other updates for the fall. Non-members welcome, but adults must be accompanied by a youth birder.
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Access Pass Reminder
Don't forget: Conservation Access Passes are required to visit state wildlife areas such as Augustine (including Ashton Tract), Assawoman, Cedar Swamp, and Woodland Beach.
The cost to renew your annual pass is $32.50 for Delaware vehicles and $65.00 for out-of-state vehicles. Click here to get your pass!
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American Kestrel by Mike Moore.
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Lazy Birder's Trip Report
Read the full February 18th report from Joe Francis here.
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eBird Essentials
Cornell Bird Academy Course
Those who attended Mike Moore's last minute February eBird reviewer presentation may be interested to know that Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers a FREE online course to get a more detailed understanding of eBird. Find it here! |
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- Your backyard bird feeding specialist -
Wild Birds Unlimited-Hockessin
Open Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5 pm.
Lancaster Pike & Yorklyn Road
Hockessin, DE
(302)-239-9071
www.wbu.com/hockessin
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What's this bird?
Check your answer here. Photo by Frank Henshaw.
We'd love more quiz photos! Send yours to [email protected]
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DOS Backyard Birding Challenge
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2023 champion Andrew Dunn is still in the lead, gaining 10 new species in the last month. In a Challenge first, we currently have a FIVE-WAY TIE for 9th place!
Compete by submitting eBird checklists from your own yard.
Learn more here.
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*Rankings as of Feb 28, 2024.
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Female Eastern Towhee by Frank Henshaw. Barn Owl by Shannon Modla.
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Want to see your photos in the Flyer? Send them to [email protected]!
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DOS Flyer Archive
Click here to read digital copies of past Flyers.
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