The second in a series of five Dr. S. Marie Kuhnen Memorial Field Trips, Search for Eagles, sponsored by the Brandwein Institute, took place in the Delaware Valley on Ground Hog Day, February 2, 2025, from 9 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Temperature: at the starts 12 degrees and finish 23 degrees.
The day, which was overcast and cloudy, began with watching feeder birds at home adding the usual feeder bird suspects to the list. We logged 148 miles in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Upper Delaware Scenic River from the DWGNRA headquarters and concluded along the headwaters of the Lackawaxen. Much of the Delaware was ice-covered.
Jack Padalino, president emerita of Brandwein Institute, led the search that recorded 34 species of birds, including 22 bald eagles, 12 red-tailed hawks, and four common ravens.
Our first bald eagle was an adult perched above the shale bank north of Tom’s Creek. The Bushkill Access was closed; however, we added golden-crowned kinglet, common merganser, and Canada goose. In the fields near Tom’s Creek, a flock of 25 American robins were feeing on sumac fruits. We added sharp-shinned hawk and northern harrier as well. Red-tailed hawks were perched at Eshback. Two additional red-tails were on Route 209 near the access to PEEC.
The Dingmans Ferry Access was closed. No eagles were at the Dingmans Cemetery. We checked the mile marker 16 nest site and discovered that a second nest had been constructed above the previous one. An adult eagle was perched above the nest. The mile marker 17 nest site is no longer, what’s left of it is in shambles. No luck at Milford Beach. We checked the nest near the Pierce House, no eagles; however, last Thursday I spotted two adult eagles at the nest. From the Kittatinny campground pull-over we drew a blank, no birds. No eagles at the DV high school or behind the Best Western. Our next stop was the Riverview Restaurant near where PA, NJ, and NY converge. Enroute we added red-shouldered hawk and red-tailed hawks.
We checked the nest at the Port Jervis Laurel Grove Cemetery — no eagle there. Three eagles were soaring in the vicinity of the Matamoras – Port Jervis Bridge. Two juveniles were exhibiting courtship behavior – flying in sync. We added the sole ring-billed gull at West End Beach. No birds at the Eddy Pond resort overlook.
At the Hawks Nest where on occasion we found peregrine falcons, we spotted a perched adult eagle below us in the distance and common ravens in flight. After we crossed the Mongaup River and checked the Indian Head PA nest, no eagles were seen, nor as we traveled upriver. From the Mongaup Observation Blind we did see an adult eagle in flight. No eagles on Plank Road; however, an adult was perched at the Rio Reservoir Dam and another along Rio Dam Road.
We returned to the Delaware and traveled upstream and discovered an adult eagle perched in a pine tree high on the ridge where eagles usually roost. No birds at the Mill Rift Bridge nest. It’s been a while since we observed any eagles from River Road in Barryville, but today we spotted one perched in Shohola. We crossed the Rebelling Bridge into PA where an adult eagle was perched near the bridge. We parked in the observation area at the Zane Gray Museum, the confluence of the Lackawaxen and Delaware was solid ice. While we were there two eagles appeared, one perched in NY and the other continued to fly upriver. We had tallied 14 eagles by the time we were at the Lackawaxen.
We traveled upstream along the Lackawaxen and added our 15th eagle perched near Roland Road. The next eagle was seen perched near Engvaldsen Road. We added an adult bird high on the ridge in tree where we had once seen 11 eagles roosting. Another juvenile was perched in a white pine at Appert Road. An adult soared above the three-decker tiered nest at Field Bend Road. The final two eagles of the day were seen from the bridge on Kimble Road, a perched juvenile and a soaring adult.
The eagles’ nests will be monitored on our future Searches for Eagles: Sundays, February 9 and 16, 2025, and Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Eagle observation data that we collect are shared with the National Park Service, members of the Sussex County Bird Club, Hawk Mountain, Highlands Conservancy, and Hawk Migration Association of North America HMANA.
Search for Eagles reports are posted on the Brandwein website: brandwein.org.
In addition to the 22 bald eagles we observed:
Canada goose, American black duck, mallard, hooded merganser, common merganser, wild turkey, northern harrier, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, morning dove, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, blue jay, American crow, common raven, black-capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, red-breasted nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch, Carolina wren, golden-crowned kinglet, hermit thrush, American robin, European starling, American tree sparrow ,white-throated sparrow, dark-eyed junco, American goldfinch, and house sparrow.
Dr. S. Marie Kuhnen
Brandwein.org