What happens when you pack 100,000 migrating Snow Geese into a small lake? A March blizzard!
Witness an incredible spectacle as waterfowl, including hundreds of Tundra Swans, gather at this important wildlife area in northern Lancaster County. Watch for raptors like Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks and nesting Bald Eagles. Rough-legged Hawks have also been seen recently. Be ready for a day full of birds!
Trip Details:
This is a full-day trip, departing at 10:00am 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 10:00am.
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!
Click here for the Field Trip Information Flyer: Delaware Dunlins March 6 2011 Field Trip
For more information about Middle Creek Wildlife Area, visit:
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/middle_creek/13905
If you haven’t already, now is the time to clean out those old nest boxes and/or put up some new ones! A lot of birds have already started building nests but there are still many who are looking for places to build them.
About a month ago I started a bluebird trail in the neighborhood where I live. So far I haven’t found any bluebirds building nests in any of the houses but I did find the start of a very interesting nest. I’m not sure whether it belongs to Carolina Chickadees or Tufted Titmice yet but the reason I know it’s one of them is because they both build a moss base before they build the actual nest. So far it looks like this only without the nest on top. I couldn’t believe how much work they had done in just one week!
Fall is here and the birds are on the move! Join the Delaware Dunlins for exciting field trips in the coming months as we head afield to watch birds.
Here is the slate of Field Trips by month:
Saturday, September 26: Tri-State Bird Rescue and Middle Run 2:00 to 5:00pm
Enjoy an exclusive tour of Tri-State Bird Rescue and see how they help out injured and orphaned birds. Meet a Peregrine Falcon and see how birds are helped to recover. Then hike the new birding trail at the adjoining Middle Natural Area to search for songbirds. Help install a special Delaware Dunlins nest box! Meet at Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, DE.
Sunday, October 11: Big Sit Competition! 8:00am to dusk
Come join the most fun birding event of the year in Delaware, as we circle together(literally) to count birds from the top of Hawk Watch Hill at Ashland Nature Center! Watch raptors, waterfowl, and songbirds as they migrate past. Can we beat the record of 82 species seen in one day? Meet at Hawk Watch Hill at 8:00am or any time you can drop by during the day. Plenty of good food and drink will be served. We will bird dawn to dusk!
Saturday, November 7: Waterfowl Watching 9:00am to noon
When November rolls around, the ducks, geese, and swans are filling up the wetlands in Delaware! Shovelers, teal, and buffleheads are in the water, while Bald Eagles and Northern Harriers are in the air. We will work on our waterfowl ID skills while touring one of the most famous refuges in America. Meet at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 9:00am and bring a bag lunch.
Sunday, December 6: Eagles at Conowingo 1:00 to 4:00pm
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
December and early January 2010: Christmas Bird Counts! Dates announced in October
To register for field trips, please contact: Derek Stoner at 302-893-8426 or derekstoner@hotmail.com if attending.