Volume 16, No. 3 July 15, 2005
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Volume 16, No. 3 July 15, 2005 http://www.friendsofbombayhook.org Published Quarterly by: Friends of Bombay Hook, Inc. 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977 (302) 653-6872 The President’s Corner safer to check and clean the gourds. Bob Mayer, former By: Frank L. Rawling, Jr. president of the Friends and active Board member and vol- unteer rewrote several brochures and legends for new A Season Ended … signage on the Refuge. You can see some of the signage on the Boardwalk and at the Towers. Once again the volunteering season has ended at the Ref- uge but in a way it continues. For those of us who are ac- The Board was also active in planning for a new Adminis- tive volunteers the summer season is less intense the fall trative and Visitor Facility and sending letters to our Con- and spring but some of us will still be at the Refuge from gressional delegation in support of funding for the facility. time to time over the summer. But the just ended season Our request for funding was not successful this year but this has been a good one. Once again the Friends were the will be an ongoing program with the new Board. major sponsor for the Fall Festival and the Spring Festival. Both were a success but especially the Spring Festival. We My thanks to the Board for their fine effort over the past were blessed with very good weather following a period of year and my special thanks to Laura Balascio who is retir- dreary weather. As a result we had excellent attendance ing from the Board. My thanks also to the volunteer corps. and the Refuge Store did a banner business. Ray Brown, Without our volunteers the Refuge would be a poorer place. the Refuge Biologist lead an excellent birdwalk in the morning and then gave a talk in the auditorium on obstacles to bird Until the Fall, have a great and safe summer! migration and what humans can do to help out. During the fall and spring the Friends were active leading tours on the **** Refuge and birdwalks. The birdwalks were quite well at- The Refuge Store tended. By: Verna Price The Friends also were en- We had a wonderful spring in the store. The following gaged in helping the Refuge shows sales for the period: by purchasing a new water testing kit for use in the en- Credit Card Cash Total vironmental education pro- March $ 953.85 1,030.60 1,984.45 gram. The Friends also pur- April $1,870.10 1,783.20 3,653.20 chased a set of 2 new poles May $3,878.00 3.403.95 7,281.95 and a new set of gourds for the Purple Martin Colony. The best day for sales in the history of the Refuge Store The system is set up so that was the spring festival, May 21, 2005. Total sales for the the gourds can be raised and day were $1,884.15. Thanks to all of you for your lowered by a pulley system. continued support. This will make it easier and We hope to have some exciting new items for fall, but do Joel Martin checking the Purple Martin gourds not wait until then to come visit the store. 1 **** Bird Notes were still Snow Geese around the 15th with a flock seen By: Frank L. Rawling, Jr. along the entrance road. More Tree Swallows were seen on the 16th at Finis as well as numerous Wood Ducks. A Spring Migration couple of Horned Larks were seen along the entrance road on the 16th. The 17th brought a sighting of 2 Ameri- Spring Migration is always a wonderful time to visit Bombay can Coots at Finis. Greater Yellowlegs were seen at Hook. Spring, of course, is the time that the warblers show Shearness on the 19th as well as 4 Northern Harriers up in large numbers and the shorebirds stop off on their over the saltmarsh. A pair of Ring-necked Ducks were way to their arctic breeding grounds. Spring on the seen at Finis on the 20th. An Eastern Screech Owl was Delmarva can be somewhat of an iffy thing and often to seen in a wood duck box on the 22nd and a Snowy Egret me, birds don’t show up when you might expect. This spring was seen along the Boardwalk Trail. Waterfowl was build- in Delaware was quite cool. For example in the Wilmington ing up on the 23rd when large numbers of Northern Pin- area March was 4 degrees below normal and May was 5 tail, Northern Shoveler, American Black Duck, and degrees below normal. April was 1.4 degrees above nor- Green-winged Teal were in residence. In addition Buffle- mal. Precipitation was about average although the Refuge head and Com- had several really wet days. Well what avian life visited the mon Mergan- Refuge during the migration? Let’s have a look. ser were ob- served. A half- March dozen Pectoral Sandpipers The month began with the sighting of a Bonaparte’s Gull were noticed on at the north end of Shearness on the 1st and 2nd. Early in the bayside of the spring is a good time to see American Woodcocks Shearness on and such was the case when 5 were seen along the Bear the 24th. Wild Eastern Screech Owls Swamp Trail on the 4th. A Peregrine Falcon was seen Turkeys were seen near the Visitor Center on the 25th as near the Allee House on the 4th as well as a Barred Owl well as the first sighting of Black-crowned Night Herons near Bear Swamp. Two Horned Larks were seen near near the north end of Shearness Pool. Both Savannah the Visitor Center on the 5th and a flock of American Sparrows and Swamp Sparrows were seen in the area of Pipits along the entrance road to Bear Swamp. This has Bear Swamp on the 26th. The same day a birder spotted a been a good year for sightings of Bald Eagles at the Ref- Common Snipe at Shearness. A Barn Swallow was seen uge and 2 were seen in the trees near Shearness Pool on at the Swimming Hole on the 26th. The same observer saw the 5th. The 6th was a day to look for ducks and Hooded an American Golden Plover and Black-bellied Plovers Mergansers were seen in Finis Pool, Buffleheads were on that day as well as both Yellowlegs. An American at Raymond Pool and some 50 Common Mergansers Bittern was seen on the 24th and the Wild Turkeys were were on Shearness. Also on the 6th a Rough-legged seen again on the 29th, this time at the intersection of Par- Hawk was seen over Raymond and an American Kestrel son Point Road and Whitehall Neck Road. On the 30th at Shearness. An Eastern Meadowlark was seen on the there were approximately 1,400 Dunlins at Shearness and 7th near the Visitor Center and on the 8th some Lesser 7 Glossy Ibis were seen flying over the same area. Scaup were seen at Raymond Pool, a couple of Wood Ducks along the exit road from Bear Swamp and many April Northern Shovelers at Shearness. A Red-shouldered Hawk was seen at Finis on the 9th. Dunlin and Lesser The first Black-necked Stilt and American Avocets of Yellowlegs were seen on the bayside of Shearness and the season showed up on the 1st. Both Least and West- Bear Swamp and a Great Egret showed up at Bear ern Sandpipers were seen that day at Bear Swamp. An Swamp. A Pied-bill Grebe appeared at Bear Swamp on Eastern Phoebe was noticed at Finis Pool on the 2nd. the 11th. A Tree Swallow was seen flying over Raymond Tundra Swans were seen at Shearness on the 5th as well Pool on the 12th. Tundra Swans as well as both Blue as a Killdeer observed at the Visitor Center. The same and Green-winged Teal were seen on the 14th. There birder saw a pair of American Kestrels in the Raymond 2 Pool area and 2 pairs of Blue-winged Teal and a Pied- and a Yellow Warbler on the Boardwalk Trail. Warblers billed Grebe at Shearness. A regular birder at the Refuge came into their own on the 24th. Finis Woods housed spotted a Hermit Thrush on the Boardwalk Trail on the Black-throated Green and Black-and-White Warblers 6th. An Eastern Towhee and a Belted Kingfisher were as well as both White-eyed and Red-eyed Vireos and a spotted on the 6th as well. There was still a Peregrine Great-crested Flycatcher. That day a couple of Prairie Warblers were in the woods opposite the entrance to the Boardwalk Trail. The same area had Palm and Yellow War- blers and Common Yellowthroat. The usual spring mi- grant ducks were still around on the 24th with Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal and Northern Shoveler all in residence. Dunlin and Dowitchers were also present. A Sora was seen on the 22nd at Shearness. May A sighting of 2 Ruddy Turnstones on the saltmarsh Killdeer mudflats began the month on the 3rd. The same day 2 Yel- Falcon and a Bald Eagle around the Refuge on the 9th low-crowned Night Herons were found among the and also a Northern Harrier. Black-necked Stilts had Black-crowned Night Herons at the usual spot at Bear increased to 8 by the 10th and there were an estimated 300 Swamp. Six American Oystercatchers were seen at Bear Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs near Finis Pool that day.