This morning, Orrin text messaged me of a White-fronted TYPE goose between Three Sister Islands' western point and the culdesac cove. I happened to have a electric cart and so got over there in time. I was hoping for our park's first in a long time since one in the early 1980's xmas count. When I arrived , i searched carefully and found the goose. But right off the bat, i knew it didnt seem like a pure type,noting its white cheek patch that it wasnt supposed to have, as well as a black neck and head. Thinking "profoundly" ( memory banks is slow during early mornings), i figured a hybrid of some sort, not wanting to figure out the genetic hodgepodge. But it looked like this White fronted type goose -which did have orange pink legs and bill- must have been a procreation of WFG and a Canada Goose. Its in the Sibleys big field guide , upper right corner of the page. Whatever... ( but good to get a little excited...)
of note though on Prospect Lake were 3 drake Ringnecked Ducks and 7 Hooded Mergansers and one of the Common Mergansers.Pressed for time, i didnt stick around, having to get back to work. :)> ( Alex Wilson mentioned he counted 9 species duck today when I ran into him. Thats a nice number...means spring is perking up..)
(photo credit :Orrin Tilevitz)
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From Alex Wilson:
Location: Prospect Park>
Observation date: 2/11/09>
Notes: Hybrid Canada Goose on south side of Lake, seen from > Peninsula. Appeared very similar to bird seen at Calvert Vaux Park > on 2/7/09.>
Number of species: 48>>
Brant 9 (On ice, south side of Lake.)>
Canada Goose X>
Mute Swan X>
Wood Duck 10 (7 in early flyover, later a pair flew out > from the Lake; 1 lurking around Three Sisters.)>
American Black Duck X>
Mallard X>
Northern Shoveler X>
Ring-necked Duck 3 (3 drakes, Lake.)>
Bufflehead 1>
Hooded Merganser 3 (2 drake, 1 hen, Lake.)>
Common Merganser 1 (Drake, Lake.)>
Ruddy Duck X>
Great Blue Heron 1 (Upper Pool.)>
Cooper's Hawk 1 (Terrace Bridge.)>
Red-tailed Hawk X>
Peregrine Falcon 2 (On signal tower at east corner of park.)>
American Coot X>
Ring-billed Gull X>
Herring Gull X>
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 (Breeze Hill feeders.)>
White-breasted Nuthatch X>
Brown Creeper 1>
Carolina Wren X>
Winter Wren 1>
American Robin X (Including early flyover flocks.)>
Northern Mockingbird X>
European Starling X>
Fox Sparrow (Red) X>
Song Sparrow X>
White-throated Sparrow X>
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) X>
Northern Cardinal X>
Red-winged Blackbird 15 (Some flyovers; 2 at feeders.)>
Common Grackle 7 (Peninsula.)>
House Finch X>
American Goldfinch X>
House Sparrow X
