Hilights: lingering ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER , Gadwall , late Rose-breasted Grosbeak ,Fox Sparrow
Despite heavy overcast and misty conditions, I was not deterred from trying my luck in Prospect. With the year winding down, it is my innate desire to try to get new species along with the local birders before December 31st. Why not ? It's a very special year for the Brooklyn Bird Club and try I must to give it my best shot for a high species year result.
I can't report any new species today but I can say that the rare ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER gave me terrific looks ! At Lamppost #249 , along the weld wire fence in front of the young reddish Red Maple tree, the ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER went in and out of the mugwort/nightshade/pokeweed section. With soft light upon it , the bird's plumage sort of magnified itself. It was at one point being chased all thru the habitat by a Ruby-crowned Kinglet ! I guess both were aiming for the crown ! When the chase was all done, the OC Warbler settled in and fed near a CAROLINA WREN near the base of the fence by the Red Maple. Hmmm..he might have found a "bodyguard" ?
Another observation noted today were ducks. In the Upper Pool, the residing drake RING-NECKED DUCK now has two new buddies, a species uncommon in that pool: GADWALL.Two drakes, the Gadwalls lingered in the backwater behind the island, normally where Wood Ducks hung out. Speaking of the latter, 4 WOOD DUCKS stayed within a Mallard flock in the Lullwater.They hugged the north shore when i went down the trail , and they moved away, my not knowing they were nearby. As for Shovelers, i am puzzled at the drastic drop for this species, at one point over 400 birds in early fall , now only a mere 36 counted today.I don't know what goes there, why the drop; in past christmas bird counts, we get at least 250 and a high of 532 one time. But Ruddy Duck ? 142 birds today;Prospect Lake and its connecting waters is their domain.
Sunnier days ahead and maybe then a good bird ?
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 11/14/09
Number of species: 35
Canada Goose 150 lake
Mute Swan 5 lake
Wood Duck 4 -2 drake, 2 hen Lullwater
American Black Duck 5--1 on Three sisters, 4 West Island
Mallard 130 parkwide
Northern Shoveler 36 -12 lake by peninsula; 24 south lullwater
Ring-necked Duck 1 drake Upper Pool
Gadwall- 2 drake Upper Pool
Ruddy Duck 142 --129 lake-13 south lullwater
Pied-billed Grebe 3--seen in lullwater ( there may be 5 ,saw 2 on lake )
Great Blue Heron 3--one each peninsula shore,Three Sisters;lullwater
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 peninsula shore
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 elms upper pool
Cooper's Hawk 1 juv peninsula shore, perched
American Coot 16--9 lullwater; 7 lake
Ring-billed Gull X lake
Herring Gull X lake
Great Black-backed Gull 5 lake
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 6 wellhouse
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Binnen Pool
Blue Jay 1 Binnen Pool
Carolina Wren 1 lamppost 249, with Orange-crowned warbler
Winter Wren 1 Binnen Pool , feeding in cattail patch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 lamppost 249, chasing Orange-crowned warbler
American Robin X
Gray Catbird 1 well house
European Starling X
Orange-crowned Warbler 1 lamppost 249 feeding along black fence base
Fox Sparrow- Binnen Pool back slope, behind cattails, later shore
Song Sparrow 4--1 Upper Pool ;3 lamppost 249
Swamp Sparrow 1 Upper Pool wildflower meadow
White-throated Sparrow 13-- 6 well house; 7 lamppost 249
Dark-eyed Junco 1 lamppost 249
Northern Cardinal 8--5 Binnen Pool; 3 wellhouse
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
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Rob Bate reports the Orange-crowned Warbler to the left of the Wellhouse (after the Lamppost 249 sighting); He also reports a 1st year (juvenile) male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (a late bird) in the red berry Herculaneum Tree on the hexagonal cobblestone path to the Wellhouse
