During springs, birders eagerly await those special warblers that overfly their southern (northern boundary) ranges. Those warblers would be Yellow-throated , Prothonotary, Kentucky , Hooded ( despite many breed north of NYC, most Hooded are southern), and who knows maybe a Swainson ( a real mayhem if that is ever found here).
This morning, the "southern" treat was a Yellow-throated Warbler. Russ Alderson, a new member of my birding text message network whose number I have just gotten last week after our first meeting in person, came through with a textmezz report of the rare bird, seen at Lookout Hill's summit, along the upper edges of the southwestern slope. I was unable to get there at that time, due to a supervised Brooklyn Bird Club planting event. But after I finished my event, I came up to the spot near noon with Suzanne Ortiz, one of the volunteers. We searched for the bird. But to no avail initially near Butterfly meadow;we assuming it moved. But Suzanne went up to the original location on the summit and heard the bird. She relocated the Yellow-throated Warbler ! It apparently never moved , sticking to the Locust trees at that southwestern corner of the summit's road. It was a beaut...especially with 6 of us looking right at it.
Observers: (early AM) Russ Alderson , (later AM) Suzanne Ortiz, Rob Bate, Alex Wilson, Doug Gochfeld + 1 unnamed
Lists:
From Russ :
Hey Peter, here is the full report from today...
Russ
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 4/22/09
Number of species: 38
Canada Goose
Mallard
Northern Shoveler 1
Ring-necked Duck 1 Upper Pool
Ruddy Duck 2
Double-crested Cormorant 12 flying in formation over lake.
Great Egret 2
American Coot
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 10+
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Blue-headed Vireo 7
Blue Jay 10+
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 20 (Not 1 GC!)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
Yellow-throated Warbler 1 (Summit of Lookout Hill SW side)
Pine Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 8
Black-and-white Warbler 2
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
House Sparrow
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From Doug Gochfeld:
Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park , 4/22/09
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 4/22/09
Notes: Started drizzling as I left the Park at around noon. Overcast. Wind
shifted from SW to W shortly before noon.
Number of species: 40
Canada Goose X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 2 Lake
Ruddy Duck 20 Lake, not an estimate.
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 1 Lake
Great Egret 3 Lake
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 3 Sisters Islands
American Kestrel 1 Probable migrant briefly landed in tree at Lookout
Hill summit
American Coot 1
Laughing Gull 1 flyby at Lookout Hill, then presumably the same bird briefly on the Lake
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 8
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1 Near probable nest hole, Lookout Hill
Eastern Phoebe 1 Lookout Hill
Blue-headed Vireo 2 Lookout Hill
Blue Jay X
Tree Swallow 25 Lake
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2 Lake
Barn Swallow 6 Lake
Black-capped Chickadee 1 Heard only
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Lookout Hill
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 25 Lookout Hill (estimate)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8 Lookout Hill
Hermit Thrush 4 Lookout Hill
American Robin 20
European Starling X
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5
Yellow-throated Warbler 1 Lookout Hill. Initially at the summit, but had
worked its way to eastern edge of Butterfly Meadow by the time I left. At first
silent, but then calling frequently by the time I left. First found by Russ Alderson.
Pine Warbler 3 3 females: Vanderbilt St. entrance, Lookout Hill, Wellhouse Drive.
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 1 Lookout Hill
White-throated Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 12
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
adding to the mix:
I saw this morning around 9:05 , a overhead flock of an estimated 55 Double-crested Cormorants
Peter
List
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 4/22/09
Number of species: 33
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 2
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 3 lake
Ruddy Duck X
Double-crested Cormorant 60-- 55 f/o Picnic House; 3 at Three Sisters, 1 duck isl
Great Egret 1 lake
Black-crowned Night-Heron 12-- 10 in different places on Duck Island; 2 Three Sisters Isl
Red-tailed Hawk 1 south lakeside, perched
American Coot 2 @three sisters
Laughing Gull 12-- 5 lake; 7 f/o
Herring Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift X --reported by Rob Bate at Rink
Downy Woodpecker 2
Blue-headed Vireo 3 --2 at Butterfly Meadow on Lookout Hill
Tree Swallow 1 lake
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 lake
Barn Swallow 7 lake
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X frequent
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Lookout Hill summit
American Robin X
Yellow-rumped Warbler-- 15 mostly south lakeside
Pine Warbler 2 Lookout Hill
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 3 south lakeside
Black-and-white Warbler 1 Butterfly Meadow west edge
Eastern Towhee 1 male at West Island
Swamp Sparrow 1 benches at West Isl
White-throated Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal 1
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
*****************************
From Alex Wilson:
Begin forwarded message:
> Location: Prospect Park
> Observation date: 4/22/09
> Number of species: 65
>
> Canada Goose 25
> Mute Swan 3
> American Black Duck 1
> American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) 1
> Mallard 20
> Northern Shoveler 3 (Lingering on Lake.)
> Ring-necked Duck 1 (Drake, Upper Pool.)
> Ruddy Duck 15
> Double-crested Cormorant 6
> Great Blue Heron 2
> Great Egret 3
> Snowy Egret 1 (Upper Pool, 8AM; uncommon here.)
> Black-crowned Night-Heron 4
> Red-tailed Hawk 3
> American Kestrel 2
> American Coot 2 (Lingering.)
> Solitary Sandpiper 1 (West shore of Lake.)
> Laughing Gull 12
> Ring-billed Gull 30
> Herring Gull 20
> Great Black-backed Gull 2
> Rock Pigeon 30
> Mourning Dove 15
> Chimney Swift 2 (Over Lake in the rain, FoS.)
> Belted Kingfisher 3
> Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
> Downy Woodpecker 8
> Hairy Woodpecker 1
> Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 40
> Eastern Phoebe 8
> Blue-headed Vireo 4
> Blue Jay 15
> Fish Crow 2
> Tree Swallow 20
> Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2 (Over Lake in rain, FoS.)
> Barn Swallow 10
> Black-capped Chickadee 3
> White-breasted Nuthatch 3
> Carolina Wren 1
> Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
> Ruby-crowned Kinglet 50 (Ubiquitous.)
> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 10 (Especially on Lookout.)
> Hermit Thrush 15
> American Robin 150
> Brown Thrasher 2 (Lily Pond.)
> European Starling 100
> Yellow Warbler 1 (Lullwater edge of Peninsula, FoS.)
> Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 40 (Increased numbers.)
> Yellow-throated Warbler 1 (Lookout Hill summit, seen with
> Peter Dorosh, Doug Gochfeld, et al.)
> Pine Warbler 15 (About half females.)
> Palm Warbler (Yellow) 20 (Scattered throughout.)
> Black-and-white Warbler 2 (Pools; Lookout.)
> Louisiana Waterthrush 3 (Fallkill Falls; Binnen Bridge;
> Esdale Bridge.)
> Eastern Towhee 12 (Including one female.)
> Chipping Sparrow 25
> Song Sparrow 10
> Swamp Sparrow 5
> White-throated Sparrow 30
> Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 5
> Northern Cardinal 10
> Red-winged Blackbird 25
> Common Grackle 15
> Brown-headed Cowbird 10
> American Goldfinch 5
> House Sparrow 20
