Thursday, May 15, 2008

5/15 sightings

Frm Monica Berger:

Hi Peter: Shortish trip but enjoyable. Highlight was my first bird,
 a Cape May that wasn't quite eye-level but close.
 It was on the trail from GAP to the Vale near to the Endale Arch.
 
Great Egret
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Barn Swallow
House Wren
Gray Catbird
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Blue Jay
American Crow
House Sparrow
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler (near Endale Arch)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler (1 Vale, 1 Peninsula)
Canada Warbler (1 Rose Garden, 1 Peninsula)
Scarlet Tanager (Binnenwater, 1st year male in changing plumage)
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
 
****************************************************************

Morning Walk:The walk through the park early morning on my way to work was enjoyable, with warblers singing up high (very high).  I didn't have time to find them all, but there seemed to be diversity.  In one Maple in the Vale there were 6 warbler species.  A few trees down (a Tulip) hosted about 20 Cedar Waxwings. 

Observers = Mary Eyster
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Kingbird
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
House Wren
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (Vale)
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow

***************************************************************
site = Prospect Park
date = 5/15/08
observers = Peter Dorosh
Spotted Sandpiper (Three Sisters)
Ring-billed Gull (12 Three sisters)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker (2 vale)
Tree Swallow (Lake)
Barn Swallow (Lake)
House Wren (North Midwood)
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush (north zoo)
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Ovenbird
Scarlet Tanager (east Midwood; male)
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole (south lakeside)
House Sparrow

********************************************************************
 
A note about the weather and birds:
 
Today was a slow day , unlike yesterday. I cannot offer any wise
 tips on how to pick the right day to bird spring. It's difficult to explain
 , since the biggest day this spring occurred on a dank, cold cloudy  day .
Who knows why birds pick such a day to make their move.
Yesterday, I decided to take a day off at the last moment Tuesday
afternoon when high activity did occurred Wednesday. 
 
What made me decide to take the day off? Well, basically, birds
want to have that extra wind push to add miles to their flight.
One hour after sunset, birds take off at night, being that night
flight is when air is calmer and offers least resistance to bird flight,
with factor regarding fat content, every gram needed to get far.
If the wind happened to be south at least one hour after sunset
(in this case , maybe 8:30-11 PM ), then it looks good we may
 have a good flight. Tuesday afternoon, I checked Accuweather.com
and saw that the wind was south at 9 PM. Check www.accuweather.com
and click on "Tonight" and look at the hour by hour forecast for the wind.
Most times if the wind is anywhere southeast  to west, I take my chances.
Though I think South to southwest is best. Well, whatever.
 
I remembered a few years back , for a stretch of 9-10 days the
winds were always north. One evening it shifted west a bit.
I should've gone with my gut and taken the day off the next day .
A massive flight occurred because edgy, birds were so bunched up down
south , any downward shift in the wind was good enough to go.
Of course, I'm no scientist so don't take my absolute word on it.
You have to think like a bird. ;)>
 
Good boiding,
Peter
 
 
*******************************************************************
 
From Scott:
 
site = Prospect Park
date = 5/15/08
observers = Scott Whittle
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Lookout Hill)
Least Flycatcher (Wellhouse)
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler (Lookout)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
 
****************************************************************************************
 
Rob Jett's blog report on Prospect .
 
see May 15th       http://citybirder.blogspot.com/
Posted by at 7:24 PM