From Alex Wilson:
My first foray of the New Year in Prospect Park produced an adult LESSER BACK-BACKED GULL, present for at least an hour on Prospect Lake. First spotted from the west shore of the Lake well out in the middle of the water, I ultimately got better views from the south shore on the point between West and Three Sisters Islands just before the bird flew off a few minutes before noon. There were at least 700 gulls on the mostly-frozen Lake, whereas waterfowl numbers were down, with limited open water available. Other birds were typical of the season in a winter that’s already off to a head start.
Good birding,
Alex Wilson
Brooklyn, NY
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 1/2/09
Number of species: 47
Brant 30 (Flock checked out the Lake but didn't touch down.)
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler X
Pied-billed Grebe 3
Great Blue Heron 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 (Adult, Fallkill area.)
Red-tailed Hawk 5 (Including 3 immatures perched in close proximity on Lookout Hill.)
Merlin 1 (Perched, Nethermead.)
American Coot X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 (Adult, on ice with 700+ gulls, 11:00-11:50AM, photographed.)
Great Black-backed Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker X
Hairy Woodpecker X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 (Terrace Bridge, NW corner.)
White-breasted Nuthatch X
Brown Creeper 3
Carolina Wren X
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Eastern Towhee 1 (Lookout Hill.)
Fox Sparrow (Red) 5
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird 1
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
