Spring has already arrived in Delaware. The calm before the storm. In terms of birds, March feels like that sometimes. Winter birds are starting leave and there are yet few spring arrivals to take their place. So, if March is the calm, April is the beginning of the bird storm of spring migration that will last through May. For many, the most exciting time of the birding year begins. In spring migration, birds are in their full breeding colors and males are often singing producing a cacophony of both color and sound.
 
For this reason, we hold our annual Bird-a-thon at this time of year. The 16th Annual Bird-a-Thon is scheduled for May 1-8, 2022. At last year’s Bird-a-thon I issued a President’s challenge and offered $100 donation to any team that saw a Blue-winged Warbler. Six teams earned this special donation. This year’s President’s Challenge bird will be one of my favorite warblers, Cape May Warbler. (When I say favorite, I only have about 40 species of favorite warbler). Bird-a-thon teams recording Cape May Warbler will get a $100 donation from me.
 
We have a new feature on our website: Birding from Home under the youth birding tab. Although primarily targeted at youth birders, there are lots of resources that may be of interest to many birders of all ages. Check it out!
 
As I announced at the March members meeting, although the pandemic has waned for now, we will hold the April and May monthly members meetings on Zoom because the speakers we have lined up are not local. However, we are organizing the traditional June picnic and hope to see all of you there. Keep on eye on our webpage for details on all these activities.


 -Michael Moore, DOS President

 

Sunday April 3^rd, 8am to 10am

Join the Red Knot Youth Birders as we explore Middle Run Valley Natural Area in search of recently arrived migrant birds! Youth birders must be accompanied by an adult. Loaner binoculars will be available. Please email [email protected] to RSVP. 
 

Jason will present about the research and education programs carried out by Rio Grande Bird Research and how these projects support the conservation of New Mexico’s unique avifauna.

Jason grew up in the mountains of central New Mexico where he spent his childhood exploring and enjoying nature. His fascination with birds started when his mother put out a bird bath on the front porch and a flock of Western Bluebirds decided to pay a visit. About a month later Jason put up a birdhouse and had a pair of these beautiful birds setting up home. That summer he then started volunteering at Wildlife Rescue Inc. of New Mexico and that was the start of many bird filled years to come.

The meeting is held online via Zoom software.

Members will receive an email with Zoom login info prior to the meeting.  If you are not a member and would like to attend, please click here to request login info which is available a few days before the meeting.

Below are the nominations for next year’s members of the DOS Council.  Elections will be held at the May regular monthly meeting.  At the April monthly meeting the DOS Bylaws state: “any member present may propose additional nominations for any office on the ballot. Any such proposal must be supported by at least five additional members. No nominations may be made after the April regular monthly meeting.”
 

DOS Council Nominees
 

Mike Moore: President
Shannon Modla: Secretary
Angie Barbato: Treasurer
Matthew Halley: Vice President
Kayla Krenitsky: Council member


Mike Moore is a retired Biology professor who has been a life member of DOS since he moved to Delaware from Arizona in 2009. He started his life list when he was 11 years old and has been an avid lister ever since.  He serves as an eBird reviewer for Delaware. As current DOS president, he has tried to help advance DOS’s multifaceted mission, strengthen its relationship with partners. and increase its visibility in the birding community. 
 

Shannon Modla began birding in 2009 in Delaware and enjoys using photography to capture the beauty of birds and other flora and fauna. She is grateful for the conservation efforts put forth by DOS and their ability to secure important habitats that will support populations of birds and other creatures. Shannon has recently become enthusiastic about the implementation of native plants in residential landscapes and their ability to provide ecological benefits.

Angela Barbato: Raptors! Raptors! Raptors! They are what took me beyond backyard birds. I started as a volunteer at the Ashland Hawk Watch in 2012, then joined DOS shortly thereafter and have seen so many amazing things and met so many fantastic people thanks to this membership. Hawk Watch, Falcon Watch, and Bird Banding have been my favorite activities, and now I look forward to taking on a larger role in this one of a kind organization. 




Matthew Halley is an ornithologist and historian from Chester County, PA, who has been active in the Delaware Valley birding community for more than a decade. He is the author of numerous research papers and a popular blog about the evolutionary biology of American birds and the history of American science. He earned an MS degree from Delaware State University (2014) and a PhD from Drexel University (2021), where he conducted extensive research on Catharus thrushes and other American songbirds. Halley is also known for relocating lost artifacts, specimens, and manuscripts which have transformed our understanding of the history of American ornithology. He currently serves as the Interim Curator of Birds at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science and is a Research Associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.



Kayla Krenitsky has been a member of DOS since 2018 and currently runs the DOS Instagram account under the membership committee. She has always had a love for nature and wildlife and graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Delaware in 2015. She began seriously birding during college and has been hooked ever since. She is looking forward to contributing to the organization on a deeper level and furthering the mission of DOS.

Don't forget: Conservation Access Passes are required to visit state wildlife areas such as Augustine (including Ashton Tract), Assawoman, Cedar Swamp, and Woodland Beach.
 

 

Meet DOS Member Cynthia Bonnes!

 

 

 
I am continuously inspired by the beauty of our natural world and the way diverse environments support each other. I believe everything is connected in one way or another and when we act cohesively we make progress towards a sustainable reciprocal relationship. I consider myself a “bird apprecionado” as I am no expert by any imagination. I enjoy spending free time in the field with my binoculars and camera capturing the amazing birds we have just outside our doors and love sharing my work with others. 

How long have you been a DOS member?  Starting my 4th year in 2022!

What is the best thing about being a part of DOS?  The inclusiveness of the members regardless of experience and membership level. You are welcome to participate however works for you and your needs. As a newer bird enthusiast that has limited free time I am always made to feel welcome when I am able to drop in and learn from the more tenured members and am never made to feel like I don’t belong. What a great way to learn and grow while still balancing my personal and professional life. 

Do you have a ‘spark’ bird?  As a kid I can remember being so enamored by breeding Blue Jays at my Grandparents summer cottage in Elk Township, NJ, even when they attacked me for no apparent reason other than simply existing LOL. As an adult birder I can recall the first time I saw a Yellow-crowned Night Heron with my partner at Harry’s Pond at the Brandywine Town Center in Wilmington, DE and just having to know what that amazing bird was. This really started the obsession for us to get out and find new species. 

What is your favorite bird and why?  This changes with seasons. Right now Eastern Bluebirds but once my Common Yellowthroats and Blue Grosbeaks return that might change. I’m always a sucker for any woodpecker. Clearly, I don’t have ONE!! 
 

Do you have a favorite birding patch?  Ashland Nature Center is my definite go-to year round. A close second is my yard in Newark, DE just next door to White Clay State Park along the Christina.

Do you have a favorite book about birds, bird website or bird app?  North on the Wing: Travels with the Songbird Migration of Spring by Bruce M. Beehler. Such a great read while going through a Spring Migration bug at the tail end of winter.
 
When is your favorite time of year to bird?  Spring is most definitely my favorite. There’s so much excitement finding a new patch and enjoying watching and listening to the males woo their mates back to their breeding grounds. Late Spring brings in some of my favorite songbirds at Bombay Hook NWR.
 
Do you have a favorite ‘type’ of birding?  Backyard birding at home. There’s something so intimate observing “your” birds and watching them thrive in the space you’ve created for them. 

Who’s been your most influential birding mentor?  Jerry Liguori. Hands down the raptor authority that simplified identification of how you actually see them in the fields and possibly the best educator and friend you can ask for. 
 

Do you create bird-related art?  While I wish I could get into sketching as it seems like such a tangible way to observe each and every subject, I really enjoy bird photography and love sharing my photography on social media for others to gain an appreciation for the world just outside their windows. 
 

What advice would you give to someone newly interested in birds? Join a local organization (DOS is amazing) and get out on bird walks when you can with other birders at all levels of experience. It is important to find the experience, knowledge and balance with others that are still learning so you feel a deeper connection with the community. Also, be wary of the birder that “knows everything.” That’s impossible and constant learning is what makes birding such an exciting hobby. 

How have birds changed your life?  Besides always having something exciting to do every minute of every day, I have met so many great people that share a passion of preserving and conserving natural resources to protect wildlife and a healthy environment. 

- Your backyard bird feeding specialist -


"It's not just the flowers that are blooming!"



Wild Birds Unlimited-Hockessin 
Open Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5 pm.

Lancaster Pike & Yorklyn Road
Hockessin, DE
(302)-239-9071
www.wbu.com/hockessin

Andrew Dunn continues in the lead, gaining 27 species since last month.

Compete by submitting eBird checklists from your own yard. 

Learn more here.