Posted by Administrator | Under Upcoming Field Trips
Wednesday Feb 24, 2010
Have you ever seen a blizzard of birds? After all the snow this winter, we know what real blizzards look like. How about a storm with feathers that’s as loud as a jet airplane?
Middle Creek in Pennsylvania is where thousands of Snow Geese gather as they prepare for their migration to northern breeding grounds. Tundra Swans, Common Goldeneyes, Hooded Mergansers, and many other waterfowl gather here to rest and feed before their long journey.
We will see “collared” geese that have been marked by scientists to study the movements of Snow Geese. Many geese that winter in Delaware visit Middle Creek in spring. Will we see A8J7 that spent the winter at Bombay Hook in Delaware?
Trip Details:
This is a full-day trip, departing at 9:00am and returning at 5:00pm to northern Delaware. Transportation for the trip will be by carpool from Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin, DE. Please meet at Ashland by 8:45am.
Be sure to bring a camera and pack a bag lunch. We will be outside for about 3 hours and will hike about a half-mile total. Most viewing will be from the roadside and binoculars and spotting scopes available to use for great looks at the birds!
For directions to Ashland Nature Center, visit:
http://www.delawarenaturesociety.org/dns_sites.html
For more information about Middle Creek Wildlife Area, visit:
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/middle_creek/13905
Please RSVP to Derek Stoner (302-893-8426 or derekstoner@hotmail.com) if attending.
Posted by Administrator | Under Upcoming Field Trips
Wednesday Feb 10, 2010
“All About Birds” Workshop
Saturday, February 13, 9:00am to Noon
Ashland Nature Center, Hockessin, DE
Learn about the different bird families, discover the birds’ seasonal calendar, and enjoy hands-on experiences with feathers, eggs, bones, and nests. Discover the special adaptations that bird beaks, feet, and tails have to help birds survive.
We’ll share ways to provide homes and habitat for the birds in your yard, and show you ways to get involved in citizen science projects like Project Feederwatch, Breeding Bird Atlases, and the Great Backyard Bird Count— held this weekend!
Meet a live bird and witness a great display of flight! Bring a camera to catch the action!
After an indoor learning experience, we will go outside to enjoy a bird walk and help count birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count. Learn how to take “digi-scope” photos with your digital camera and a spotting scope.
For directions to Ashland Nature Center, visit:
http://www.delawarenaturesociety.org/dns_sites.html
For more information about the Great Backyard Bird Count, visit:
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/
Posted by Administrator | Under Upcoming Field Trips
Monday Jan 11, 2010
Two Eagles Farm
Sunday, January 24, 2010
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Visit an award-winning conservation farm where wildlife is the main crop. Help us search for the birds that call this beautiful property home in the winter. We will check nest boxes for roosting Screech Owls (like the one pictured below) and also search for nesting Great Horned Owls.
Posted by Administrator | Under Upcoming Field Trips
Friday Nov 20, 2009
Each fall and winter, dozens (sometimes hundreds!) of eagles gather at this hydroelectric facility on the Susquehanna River to feast upon fish. Learn how to “age” eagles and observe how they catch their food. How many eagles will we see? Watch gulls, ducks, herons, and other waterbirds too!
For Conowingo birding info visit: www.harfordbirdclub.org/conowingo.html
If you want to see Bald Eagles, you don’t want to miss this outing! Last weekend when I was at Conowingo I counted 103 eagles sitting on the rocks!!! I’m sure there were many more that I wasn’t able to see too! Below are some of my pictures of the eagles.
Check out the size of the fish this guy caught! You’ll notice that this eagle has a band on his leg and if you look REALLY closely you can see the antenna from a satellite transmitter that’s on the eagle’s back. You can see it better in the next picture.
These transmitters mainly tell biologists how far eagles travel.
Here are two eagles chasing another eagle that probably has a fish!
Three eagles in a tree…
Two kids probably chasing each other around playing…
Can you find all 14 eagles? Click on the image for a larger version.
Click here to see more pictures of the eagles at Conowingo!
Hope to see you there!
Posted by Administrator | Under Upcoming Field Trips
Thursday Jul 23, 2009
Shorebirds and Summer Picnic
Saturday, July 25, 2009
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Meeting location: Bombay Hook NWR Visitors Center
Directions: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/bombayhook/FAQ.htm
To celebrate a great year of birding, we will gather together to enjoy some fine summer birding at Bombay Hook. The shorebirds will join us as they return from their breeding grounds: sandpipers, dowitchers, yellowlegs, plovers and many other species. We will have a picnic together, sharing photos and stories from our birding adventures. Come celebrate a successful Delaware Dunlins Youth Birding Club with your friends!
Here is a preview of some of the birds you will probably see!
Dunlin…
Black-bellied Plovers…
Greater/Lesser? Yellowlegs…
Short-billed Dowitchers…
Pectoral Sandpipers…
Solitary Sandpipers…
Spotted Sandpipers…
Black-necked Stilts…
Northern Harriers…
Bald Eagles…
If you’re lucky, you might get to see a Black Tern!
And if you’re REALLY lucky, you might get to see a Roseate Spoonbill!!!
So please be sure to join us!!!
