I remembered years ago seeing a catalog or an advertisement for tee shirts that depicted a tough guy with binoculars and below a caption saying "Tough Boiding" in a "brooklynese" accent. In a way, this morning's birding was a little tough, having to work patiently for those prized warblers on a slow and sparse offering. My club field walk celebrated our founder Dr Edward Vietor in birding Mt Prospect Park with its many oak trees followed by a walk thru the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. With a gutty work ethic, we managed to pull out 17 species warblers in wide ,spaced out sightings timeframe.
Despite the slow pace,I have to say the Red-tailed Hawk gives its best to provide us some amusement. On approach to Nellie's lawn entrance to the Vale of Cashmere, we saw the Red-tailed perched on top of a broken lamppost, perhaps imitating its best the Dongan Oak Monument ( with the eagle on top). At one point, a pedestrian walked by, oblivious to the hawk above him; the Red-tailed didn't flinch ,except to raise it wings out and up and sort of hopped on the lamppost. A real character..
Other birders came through though with their reports, some pretty good birds, including of course the best little backyard in Brooklyn right now, Rafael's hot garden ! The reports are in...get yourself birding before a week or so is up when migration starts winding down...
Peter's BBC field walk --Mt. Prospect Park/BBG/Prospect Park
8 party group
Location: Mount Propsect Park/Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Observation date: 5/15/09
Number of species: 37
Mallard X
Red-tailed Hawk X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Monk Parakeet X
Chimney Swift X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Downy Woodpecker X
Eastern Kingbird X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Swainson's Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing X
Northern Parula X
Yellow Warbler X
Magnolia Warbler X
Black-throated Blue Warbler X
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler X
Blackpoll Warbler X
Black-and-white Warbler X
American Redstart X
Common Yellowthroat X
Wilson's Warbler X
Canada Warbler X
Scarlet Tanager X
Chipping Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Common Grackle X
Baltimore Oriole X
House Sparrow X
Rose-breasted Grosbeak X
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 5/15/09
Number of species: 31
Cooper's Hawk 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Downy Woodpecker X
Empidonax sp. 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
Barn Swallow X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
House Wren X
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher X
Swainson's Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Northern Parula X
Magnolia Warbler X
Black-throated Blue Warbler X
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Black-and-white Warbler X
American Redstart X
Ovenbird X
Northern Waterthrush X
Common Yellowthroat X
Canada Warbler X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
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From Russ Alderson:
Location: Prospect Park
>
> Observation date: 5/15/09
>
> Notes: Scarlet Tanager & Rose-Breasted Grosbeak were females. At least one of all reported species of warbler found on Lookout Hill summit.
>
> Number of species: 37
>
> Canada Goose 4
>
> Mallard 2
>
> Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
>
> Rock Pigeon 6
>
> Mourning Dove 5
>
> Chimney Swift 4
>
> Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
>
> Downy Woodpecker 1
>
> Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
>
> Great Crested Flycatcher 1
>
> Red-eyed Vireo 2
>
> Blue Jay 2
>
> Black-capped Chickadee 1
>
> Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
>
> Swainson's Thrush 1
>
> Hermit Thrush 2
>
> Gray Catbird 4
>
> European Starling 8
>
> Northern Parula 3
>
> Yellow Warbler 1
>
> Chestnut-sided Warbler 3
>
> Magnolia Warbler 3
>
> Black-throated Blue Warbler 4
>
> Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
>
> Black-throated Green Warbler 1
>
> Bay-breasted Warbler 2
>
> Black-and-white Warbler 2
>
> American Redstart 3
>
> Common Yellowthroat 2
>
> Canada Warbler 2
>
> Scarlet Tanager 1
>
> Northern Cardinal 2
>
> Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
>
> Common Grackle 2
>
> Baltimore Oriole 1
>
> American Goldfinch 1
>
> House Sparrow 6
>
>
>
> This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
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Famed Rafael's backyard!
What a start! With a increase in the number of birds calling outside the dining area, I stepped out, and the first bird was 1 Magnolia Warbler, followed by 1 Gray Catbird (7:05 am).
Half and hour later, more Magnolias, this time ~3, singing, and 2 Northern Parulas. But the big surprise for Park Place, was 1 male, with a partial molt (lots of red in the tail, and wings), of a Summer Tanager. This our 1st record for our backyard list.
Brooklyn is good birding: Rafael Campos
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And Rafael's Prospect report:
DATE: 15 May 2009
OBSERVER: Rafael Campos
Another late walk around Prospect Park, but this time after what I saw early this morning around our backyard in Park Slope, including a pair of Monk Parakeets that flew over; I went there.
As season is getting warmer, so every day, more sps of birds are recorded from different parks, backyards, refugees, etc., that are in the 5 boroughs
Beside the sps of warblers (see the list), I saw 1 Philadelphia Vireo foraging around the pools. And the Ring-necked Duck is at the upper pool.
The birds:
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Great Egret (1, upper pool)
Green Heron (1, upper pool)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (1, Lullwater)
Red-tailed Hawk
Spotted Sandpiper (~5, mostly around the edge of Peninsula)
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo (2, peninsula)
Philadelphia Vireo (1, pools)
Red-eyed Vireo (several)
Barn Swallow (1)
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1, pools)
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (1, Butterfly meadow)
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler (peninsula)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1, boulder bridge)
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (3)
Black-throated Green Warbler (1, Peninsula)
Blackburnian Warbler (1, Rick's Place)
Blackpoll Warbler (several)
Black-and-white Warbler (1)
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush (pools & Vale)
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler (3)
Canada Warbler (~6)
Scarlet Tanager (1 male)
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (Vale & upper pool)
White-throated Sparrow (3)
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird (1 male)
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch (1 female, peninsula)
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Brooklyn is good birding!!! Rafael
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Peter's post BBC morn walk and later afternoon walk.
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 5/15/09
Number of species: 40
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 1
Mallard X
Double-crested Cormorant X three sisters
Green Heron 1 f/o peninsula meadow
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Laughing Gull 7 lake
Herring Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 perched on snag along carriage road to Lookout Hill to Butterfly meadow;first seen by Scott Whittle
Great Crested Flycatcher 1 seen from top step of Maryland Monument stairs
Blue Jay 1
Barn Swallow X
Tufted Titmouse 1 lookout hill
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Veery 1
Swainson's Thrush 2
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 6
Nashville Warbler 1
Northern Parula 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Blackburnian Warbler 1 female;big oak Lookout HIll near top step Maryland Monument
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Scarlet Tanager 1 butterfly meadow
White-throated Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Common Grackle X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
Kingsboder note: 18 species warblers seen today...Thats tough boiding. ;)>
