The Nature of Delaware

Finding or observing a rare or uncommon plant or animal is one of a naturalist’s greatest joys. I for one have spent many hours searching high and low for rare birds, herps, and insects. However, many times rarities turn up when you don’t expect them and sometimes they are found by the unsuspecting.

One such find happened on September 28, 2009 at the Delaware Nature Society’s Burrows Run Preserve in northern Delaware. During the “Life of the Monarch Butterfly” program being taught that morning to students from The Pilot School, one of the children netted a butterfly that looked unusual to the Teacher-Naturalists (TNs) leading the program. One of these TNs, my wife Amy, realized that she had never seen this type of butterfly before and decided to keep it in the collecting jar until she could make a positive identification. Moments after the school group left the preserve, Amy and fellow TN Judi VanderWerff were able to match the butterfly to one in Elton Woodbury’s Butterflies of Delmarva field guide. And sure enough, it was a butterfly very rarely encountered in our area, called a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Nymphalis milberti. This handsome butterfly is mostly dark on the upperside except for a wide, bright orange band near the outer edge of the wings. It typically ranges well north of Delaware, usually in the mountains, and also in the western U.S.. Considered a stray in the mid-Atlantic region, this individual possibly was blown down from the Appalachian Mountains. This great find brings the total number of butterfly species found at the Burrows Run Preserve to fifty-four. So stay alert and you may just be the one to find the next rare critter in our area!

By Derek Stoner, Education Program Assistant

A lovely waterfall cascades over an old mill dam on Burrows Run.

Walking along the beautiful Burrows Run, with its clean and clear water, we admired the cascade flowing over the remnants of a dam.  Past activities of humans still slow the flow of the stream, long after the mill has disappeared.

On Wednesday our birding group visited a lovely estate just two miles north of Ashland Nature Center, where Burrows Run flows through before entering the Delaware Nature Society’s Burrows Run Preserve.  We found colorful migrant birds like Northern Parula, Black-and-white Warbler, and American Redstart, but the creature that stole the show wore a black mask.

A raccoon reclines high in its hollow tree home.

A Broad-winged Hawk circles low overhead, after leaving its morning roost.

A small flock, or "kettle" of four Broad-winged Hawks rises in the sky.

By: Joe Sebastiani, Members Program Team Leader

As the program participants entered Ashland Nature Center yesterday, the smell of cooking bacon, scrapple, eggs, and pancakes was pleasantly overwhelming.  A fire roared in the auditorium and the tables were set for our pre-birding feast.  We were preparing to visit the Burrows Run Preserve to contribute sightings for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count.  The big breakfast was a fun way to prepare to be outside for the morning, hiking the hills of the preserve in search of birds. 

With six Delaware Nature Society members and a hand-full of staff, we hiked the preserve and identified species as we went.  Interns were placed in charge of counting Canada Geese in the flocks overhead.  Songbirds were in short-supply for the most part, but we found a few good pockets of them, including 38 Purple Finch in one flock.

Counting birds at the Delaware Nature Society's Burrows Run Preserve for the Great Backyard Bird Count. Photo by Derek Stoner.

As the morning progressed, we found some nice surprises and had a fulfilling walk.  At one point, we split up, and Derek Stoner and Judy Montgomery’s group found 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, which are somewhat rare this winter.  As the wind picked up, we ended the walk having found some of the common winter species of the preserve as well as a some unexpected ones.  Contributing to this nationwide count is always fun, however and is a great way to get outside in what I consider the most boring month of the year.  Am I right?  No football, no baseball, and I am getting tired of winter!

Red-breasted Nuthatch at Burrows Run Preserve. Usually found in coniferous trees, this bird was photographed feeding on the ground. Photo by Derek Stoner.

This photo isn't great, but I have never seen a Pileated Woodpecker on top of a telephone pole before. Its head looks like it's on fire! Photo by: Joe Sebastiani

 

Pine Siskins have been at my feeders all winter and a dozen showed up for my count this morning. Photo by: Joe Sebastiani

At the end of my walk at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve, I found an Eastern Screech-owl peering out of a nest box. Photo by: Joe Sebastiani