By Ashley Breeding
Delaware Today
Local preservationists encourage us to get outdoors and help foster a deeper appreciation for nature.
On a sunny spring morning at Middle Run Valley Natural Area, where petrichor released by an early rain still lingers and moist grass rubs our ankles, two “Delaware Today” staffers join a group of birders for their weekly walk. Leading the group are Delaware Nature Society’s (DelNature) director of land stewardship Joe Sebastiani and retired director of land and biodiversity Jim White, who returned as a teacher naturalist.
Above, tiny tree swallows flitter and swoop. We stare intently until an eastern kingbird, with pointed wings and a pale underbelly, catches Sebastiani’s gaze. “This one winters in the tropics…,” he begins to tell us. Then he suddenly shifts his attention to a great blue heron he spots soaring high overhead.
Hundreds of bird species fly through Delaware or migrate here in late spring and early fall. DelNature, whose threefold mission concerns environmental education, conservation, and environmental advocacy, has worked with New Castle County for more than three decades to reforest sections of Middle Run to attract new wildlife, including migratory birds.
Among dozens of wooden boxes—some house nests with ripe eggs—are saplings of oak, sycamore, tulip poplar, black willow, red maple, and other keystone trees that support the area’s diverse ecosystem. By enclosing them in cages or tubes, staff prevent invasive species, like the pervasive porcelain berry, from overtaking them. “The [vines] can grow up to 15 feet a year, so they’re a huge problem,” Sebastiani points out. His organization dedicates a lot of time to mitigating threats to the habitat as well as the critters who rely on it for food and shelter.
As the birders amble along the 1.5-mile loop (the public park encompasses 880 acres, with trails that connect to White Clay Creek State Park), White and Sebastiani “bzzt,” “tnkk,” and mimic songs to attract sought-after species like the blue grosbeak and bobolink. Occasionally, Sebastiani employs an app to emit calls; once a member of the group spots a worthy bird, White shines a laser pointer to help the others locate it.
The two also have an impressive knack for highlighting a narrow spot in a vast landscape. One will ask the group, “See where a ‘v’ forms between those two trees?” Almost immediately, everyone’s binoculars land on the target.
“There are two [types] of people in the group,” Sebastiani notes. “One is pretty experienced but wants to go with someone even more experienced to help them spot hard-to-find birds.” He nods to the migrant warbler, which is as little as it is colorful, making it difficult to locate up in the trees. “The others are beginners who want to learn bird identifications.”
Right away, Becca and I assume the witty woman wearing a T-shirt that says “Tits” across her chest (below it are illustrations of the bearded, long-tailed, and crested variety, among other tits) has been around the loop. And then there are a few fledgling birders—both generations and a breadth of knowledge apart.
Novices should first download the Merlin Bird ID app, which helps identify species through sounds, images, and other fun characteristics; it also compiles a list of birds discovered during birding journeys. A “lifer” refers to the first time one encounters a certain species, and it’s a significant moment for any birder.
In addition to birding lingo (for starters, don’t call these enthusiasts “bird-watchers”—that’s for grannies who admire wildlife from the porch rocker), you’ll learn fun facts about bird behavior. For instance, did you know blue jays imitate hawk sounds to spook predators away? Or that the great crested flycatcher loves to add discarded snakeskins to its nest? “We don’t really know why they do this,” Sebastiani concedes, “but we think it might have something to do with chemicals that help keep away mites or insects.”
In a couple hours, we’ve identified 33 different birds, but Sebastiani says he often sees closer to 60. In September and October, you might encounter a few species absent in the spring, like the Lincoln’s sparrow or the Connecticut warbler. Others, like the orchard oriole, depart soon and don’t return until the following year.
While Middle Run’s forests, fields, and scattered trees attract open-country birds, wetland areas like Bombay Hook or Fort Delaware provide an entirely different experience for visitors. Throughout Delaware, national wildlife refuges, state parks, private nature organizations, and other groups also work to improve and save habitats from decline. Sebastiani reminds us that these agencies can’t do it alone, though. You can start in your own backyard with native landscaping.