Golden-winged warblers are so rarely seen in urban parks that oftentimes there is a heighten interest by birders all around to see the bird. With hybridization with Blue-winged Warblers and loss of habitat impacting both its pedigree and populations, of course, I'll jump at the opportunity to find it.
When Eddie Davis alerted me, i sort of made a quicken pace to the Dongan Oak monument ( with the eagle on top) by the north zoo area, to find it. I didn't see the GWWA on the first try after much time spent, so I went to the Vale of Cashmere on my lunch break; there i relished my luck seeing a Worm-eating warbler in full view, at the north end of the Pool. Nearing the end of my lunch, i went back to the Dongan oak monument to try again for that golden bird. Glancing leftward from the descending path, i caught a quick glimpse but seeing only the gray breast and black throat sideburns,I thought...Yep. That's the bird. But i needed to see all of it. After much diligent searching, including getting low and still under the sapling understory, i succeeded in seeing this special warbler, as it came down right in front of me, at exactly 2 minutes to one. One o'clock chimed, and it was back to work. Now I call that a golden moment and perfect timing.
Other hilights today were as I posted on today's ebirds /NYSBirds listserves:
A male adult GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER made an appearance behind the Dongan Oak (eagle)monument, bordering on the Zoo's north region. The warbler was seen behind the monument, on the slope between the roads, feeding in understory. Eddie Davis was first to report the bird at 10:45 am.I refound the bird at 1 pm.
Also of note was Black-billed Cuckoo, Worm-eating Warbler ,Northern Waterthrush,Indigo Bunting in the Vale of Cashmere; Louisiana Waterthrush and Blue-winged Warbler in the same area as the GW Warbler, Lincoln Sparrow on Center Drive's horse trail adjacent to the Quaker Cemetery.
The most bizarre sight though was a partridge like bird i saw initially that tried numerous times to squeeze thru the fence 's holes too small for it as it ran back and forth near Falkill Falls.It was a Chukar,obviously an escape from a diner ? It eventually disappeared into the woods of Quaker Ridge in a fence breach on the other side.
Kingsbirder note,latest update on Golden-crowned Warbler: as of 7 pm, Ed Crowne reports the bird still present and calling at the Dongan Oak, but higher up in the trees along the path.
List
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 5/7/09
Number of species: 57
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 1
Mallard X
Ring-necked Duck 1 drake Upper Pool
Double-crested Cormorant 4 lake
Great Blue Heron 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1 west shore Lake
Laughing Gull 7
Herring Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Black-billed Cuckoo 1 Rose Garden east of Vale Cashmere
Chimney Swift 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Eastern Phoebe 1 Binnen Falls
Warbling Vireo 1 south lakeside by west isl
Tree Swallow X lake
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 6 Upper pool
Barn Swallow X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Veery 2
Swainson's Thrush 1
Hermit Thrush 2
Wood Thrush 2 Midwood;Vale Cashmere
American Robin X
Gray Catbird 12
Brown Thrasher 1 Vale Cashmere
European Starling X
Blue-winged Warbler 1 Dongan Oak monument; male adult
Golden-winged Warbler 1 Dongan Oak monument; male adult; seen 1st by Eddie Davis @10:45am
Northern Parula 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 Dongan Oak Battle pass east
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2; one Rose Garden
Yellow-rumped Warbler X all over
Black-and-white Warbler 5
American Redstart 1 male Vale Cashmere
Worm-eating Warbler 2; one north end Vale Cashmere; one Aralia Grove , south of rose garden
Ovenbird 16 . common
Northern Waterthrush 1 Vale Cashmere
Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Dongan Oak Monument slope
Common Yellowthroat 3 ; one west isl; Vale Cashmere
Wilson's Warbler 1 male; south lakeside, in ulberry cluster near Duck isl
Scarlet Tanager 2 Vale Cashmere
Eastern Towhee 2
Chipping Sparrow 1 edge Nellies Lawn
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 center drive horse path , behind red fence by cemetery SEcorner
Swamp Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 100 north end Midwood, numerous
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Falfill falls, ad male
Indigo Bunting 1 male adult Vale Cashmere
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Orchard Oriole 4 2 imm male, 1 ad male, 1 ad female north end Vale Cashmere
Baltimore Oriole 10 north end Vale Cashmere
American Goldfinch 6 Battle pass east
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
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From Doug Gochfeld:
Sent: Thu, 7 May 2009 4:44 pm
Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park , 5/7/09
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 5/7/09
Notes: Only birded the wooded area between Nelly's Lawn and the Zoo, behind
the Dongan Oak Monument.
Number of species: 24
Canada Goose 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Herring Gull 4
Mourning Dove 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Black-capped Chickadee 3
House Wren 1
American Robin 15
Gray Catbird 3
European Starling 10
Golden-winged Warbler 1 Just behind Dongan Oak Monument at eye level at
2:57 PM just before the rains came, then I relocated it immediately after
leaving shelter from the rain, high up foraging in a tree between the Monument
and the Zoo at 3:35 PM.
Nashville Warbler 3
Northern Parula 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 12
Black-and-white Warbler 2
American Redstart 1
Ovenbird 5
Northern Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Cardinal 3
Common Grackle 1 Heard
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
