Ben Brenman Park and our named locations

Cliff Swallows at the farm 9/5/10

Some notes about cliff swallows feeding at the farm towards dusk

One adult and four or five juvs feeding over the corn at 5 to 25 feet, range of 10-50 yards, gusty wind, moving towards sunset, 6/8 cloud viewed against high white and lower mid grey cloud and against corn fields soon to be harvested

Adult showed pale forehead and collar fairly easily but not from all angles.

Juvs appeared mostly dark head and throat sometimes with pale collar very vague.

Pale rump most obvious plummage mark juvs a dull pale orange buff, adult a brighter

Underparts pale
Underwing looked generally dull with darker forewing

Wing shape rather rounded for swallow ESP when banking - widening at base where meeting body

Tail very square (obviously so) in direct flight but clearly rounded when twisting and turning

Wing beats deeper than barn swallow with more obvious soaring (cp purple Martin jizz)

Warm,windy,damp....anything else?

Drizzly start led to good numbers of Chimney Swift over and around the lake. As it brightened the activity picked up with loads of Robin appearing around the picnic shelter grassy area. There was at least 1 small thrush in the flock but I couldn't get anything on it. In the midst of all the activity of 70 odd robins and a group of starlings, I found a yellow Scarlet Tanager sitting quietly and un obtrusively. Warblers this morning included a couple of Parula, 2 yellowish Palms, a magnolia and a redstart.

Birdy but damp

68* and partly sounded quite reasonable for an early morning walk, seems The Weather Channel hadn't detected the light drizzle yet, but that's what water proofs are for right?
The Farmers market were setting up in the main car park so I decision of whether to park up by Pooh Bridge was made for me.
The young female Hooded Merganser was at the overflow in that corner of the lake affording great close looks. Her tail feathers are very worn but the rest of the plumage looks fresh

It was a fairly slow start around the picnic shelter although it was clear that there were good numbers of Robins and Flickers around and I found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker near the shelter and a Magnolia.
Just for a change of scenery I went all the way down to the river bed and there the number of Robins became evident. There were large numbers feeding on both sides of the stream despite frequently being flushed by some sort of organized run along the trail down to Eisenhower. I also picked up another Magnolia Warbler (nicely showing its yellow rump) and a Hummingbird coming to Black-eyed Susan flowers, a nice surprise.
The patch tick for the morning was a Pergerine that flew down stream from the park towards Eisenhower Avenue. A flock of high flying Canada Geese could have been 'real' birds I suppose!
As I climbed the small hill a couple of birds flew across the railway and proved to be American Redstart and a Parula. Some pishing called out Song and Swamp Sparrow and a young Yellowthroat.
The grass was covered in Robin including some very spotted juvenile birds and a wide variety of color intensities and markings. One bird was whitish underneath up to the pectoral area and showed a very wide white eye ring,

Back in the hedgerow near the shelter, I thought I had glimpsed a Thrasher and was just talking myself out of the fact when the bird came into full view.
The local Mockingbird was struggling to defend its feeding patch from the Robins and Catbirds, which were then joined by some Cedar Waxwings including several 'gawky' looking juvenile birds.
Sheltering from another not-so-light shower near the dog area, lots of Robin and Grackle activity attracted some other birds including red-eyed vireo and a young Rose-breasted Grosbeak
At the 'Magic Spot' two Western Palm Warblers (very brown, dull birds) were with some additional Magnolias and another Thrasher. A Phoebe perched in the snags until bounced out by the Mockingbirds.
Nothing much at Cardinal Bridge after yesterdays sightings of the Night Heron and Coopers / Green Heron interaction

A near miss..

A couple of hours at Ben Brenman Park with Chrystal, we started early, arriving just after dawn.
The cloud formations were dramatic in the early like and a light breeze was gently agitating the leaves - finding warblers was going to be a challenge!
In the area area the picnic shelter near the dog park the were a few warblers, we had good views of 5 different Parulas. One bird was a very pale young bird, looking quite exotic until really good views were had (that is not to say this isnt one of the more exotic species anyway :) ).
There were good numbers of American Robin and Flicker in the bushes and flying over and Blue Jays were making themselves obvious both in the bushes and a small flock of 10 birds flying over.
As we passed over 'Pooh Bridge' a juvenile Night Heron flew over us towards where the rivers join. We elected to go to 'Cardinal Bridge' and immediately found it (black-crowned of course) on a low branch just down stream. We both spent some quality time looking at it through the 'scope with frame filling views. A beautiful, well marked individual with large spots and a subtle different tone to the base of the greater coverts - a slightly more rufous brown contrasting with the sandy brown remaining plumage base color.
Chrystal found a Magnolia Warbler nearby and following it across the stream, it joined two more.
As we were looking upstream, a coopers hawk passed low overhead (we had watched it fly in the other direction earlier). Suddenly it dived into the stream side trees only to appear a second later in hot pursuit of a birf that plunged into the water to avoid becoming breakfast. As the hawk flew away, we watched the Green Heron extracate itself from the stream and find a place to dry off.
Many folks around this morning in pleasantly warm temperatures (70* at dawn!). The usual dog walkers of course most of which are always happy to share their canine charges. A few folks showed an interest and some a good birding knowledge ("was that a Coopers?") including a couple who moved into Cameron Station yesterday after being deployed in Italy.

Another one ?

I fear another big stink bug year, they are turning up in odd places already

Heading for another hot one

Just a quick visit this morning on the way to the dentist. A flock if a dozen or so Chimney Swifts over the lake was the highest number for a while but they seemed to move on as the sun rose. The young Hooded Merganser was agin at the overflow, without it's usual mallard accompaniment today. Few migrants were obvious in my limited time. A probable Magnolia Warbler flew across the grassy area by the picnic shelter and one of two birds near 'Pooh Bridge' proved to be a juv Blackpoll Warbler feeding very actively and difficult to get decent views of.
It's a very pleasant 69* right now but we are heading for another hot day, probably not great for seeing Warblers over the next few days.

Back at the patch

A couple of early mornings back at the patch Monday was a beautiful 65* with good numbers of BTGW and a female Wilson's (after last week's juv). A few Rusty Blackbird mixed in with the Grackles flying overhead.
Tuesday started with a decided autumn-chilly feeling 54* under clear skies. Few warblers around with just a couple of Magnolia, a couple of Redstart and a Yellowthroat. The Great Egrets in the stream are now up to 3, together with a juv BC Night Heron. As I lease at 8:35 it sounds like there's a bot more activity but work calls :)

Cape Henlopen State park

Quick drop into Cape Henlopen State Park http://www.destateparks.com/PARK/cape-henlopen/index.asp. A few gulls and shorebirds (black-bellied plover, sanderling) and raptors (osprey, coopers hawk) at the point. At the raptor watchpoint there was little migration (Merlin, sharp-shinned hawk)

Butterfly migration

Spent some time riding the Lewes - Cape May ferry yesterday. Few birds migrating across the bay during the heat of the say (1-4) with a Merlin the only real record apart from the ship following gulls. Their was a large pod of dolphins as we came back into Lewes.
Monarchs have been on the move for a while but the number seen on the crossing was surpassing. I probably counted over 200 moving south. In dock at Cape May there was often 6 or 8 in view.

There were a couple of smaller species involved too but I didn't ID them