Birding Rte 9 in Northern Delaware to Bombay Hook

Marty and I headed south to Delaware early this morning in a tremendous rain storm, with the promise that the rain would be over by the time we reached our first destination. Well almost. Heading down Rte 9 we began at Thousand Acre Marsh, in on-again off-again rain, locating two American White Pelicans that have been around for a few weeks, and seeing the first of many Caspian and Forster’s Terns, as well as being able to watch a young family of drenched Marsh Wrens.

Continuing south we racked up all the swallows in the space of about two miles including a nice row of three different swallows and a martin on a wire (below). From left to right, Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Martin (largest), Bank Swallow (smallest) and Tree Swallow. Barn Swallows were almost as numerous as Tree Swallows and we did see three or four Cliff Swallows, giving us a total of 6 swallow species.

A pair of Bald Eagles (above) perched beside the road. They were two of seven that were seen this morning, along with just as many Osprey.

After stopping at Taylor’s Gut where there was an abundance of Semipalmated Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs as well as terns and Laughing Gulls, we visited Bombay Hook NWR. Just outside the entrance road we found half a dozen Horned Larks, Killdeer and Semipalmated Plovers. Inside the refuge, one of the first birds we came across was a lone Cattle Egret (below), a rare sighting here in the Delaware Valley.

Another surprise was a Snow Goose, below right, which must have spent the summer here!

Along with good numbers of Black-necked Stilts, there were maybe as many as 500 American Avocets (above) in Raymond Pool.

Above one of dozens and dozens of Great Egrets (lower left) and a Snowy Egret (upper right) for comparison. Notice the overall size and structure of the birds as well as the structure, shape and color of the bills, and golden slippers on the Snowy Egret.

Egrets, dowitchers, and yellowlegs in Shearness Pool (above).

Bear Swamp (above), one of three impoundments along the wildlife drive loop at Bombay Hook, that held many Great Egrets, Greater Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers, a few least Sandpipers, a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers and Stilt Sandpipers, Glossy Ibis, Caspian and Forster’s Terns, Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal and Snowy Egret.

These two very similar birds could very easily be passed off as being the same species….but there are subtle differences. On the left is a Short-billed Dowitcher, and on the right a Stilt Sandpiper. One can see a size and structural difference with the bird on the left being bulkier. Though the bills are in the water, as they both use a “sewing machine action” to feed, one can see a thickness difference between the two, with the Stilt’s being overall thinner. If the bills were out of the water one would see that the dowitcher has a long straighter bill and the Stilt Sandpiper has a shorter and more drooping bill. Note the barring on the side of the Stilt Sandpiper that goes from the breast to the undertail, whereas on the dowitcher it begins as spots and then ends at the undertail with less pronounced bars.