Highlight : LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on Prospect Lake open water edge near the western shore where people feed the ducks per Rob Jett
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From Rob Jett ( posting to NYS Birds listserve)
At 2:15pm today I spotted a Lesser Black-backed Gull on Prospect Lake in Prospect Park. Nearly the entire lake is frozen with only a small opening along the western edge of the lake by West Lake Drive and Wellhouse Drive. When I first observed the bird it was on the ice at the edge of the water only about 30 feet from the shore. At one point it flew into the water and bathed within a group of mostly Ring-billed Gulls and several Herring Gulls. It was still present when I left at around 3:15pm and being viewed by Doug Gochfeld, Rob Bate and Shane Blodgett. I'll post some photos and a video on my blog later this evening.
The frozen lake is a favored roosting spot for gulls with numbers sometimes approaching a few thousand individuals. On rare occasions it pays off to scan the mostly ring-billed population for something different. If you go by car, the closest entrance to the lake is Prospect Park Southwest and Vanderbilt Street.
Good birding,
Rob
The City Birder Weblog
http://citybirder.blogspot.com/
> Date: February 5, 2010 11:01:03 PM EST
> Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park , 2/5/10
> Location: Prospect Park
> Observation date: 2/5/10
> Number of species: 40
>
> Canada Goose X
> Mute Swan 4
> Wood Duck 1
> American Black Duck X
> Mallard X
> Northern Shoveler X
> Bufflehead 1
> Ruddy Duck 1
> Red-tailed Hawk 2
> American Coot 15
> Ring-billed Gull 600
> Herring Gull (American) 20
> Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
> Great Black-backed Gull 4
> Rock Pigeon X
> Mourning Dove 14
> Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
> Downy Woodpecker 3
> Hairy Woodpecker 2
> Blue Jay X
> American Crow 35
> Black-capped Chickadee 3
> Tufted Titmouse 5
> Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
> White-breasted Nuthatch 4
> Brown Creeper 1
> Carolina Wren 1
> American Robin 75
> Northern Mockingbird 1
> European Starling X
> American Pipit 1
> Song Sparrow 2
> Swamp Sparrow 1
> White-throated Sparrow 50
> Dark-eyed Junco 12
> Northern Cardinal 8
> Red-winged Blackbird 5
> House Finch 12
> American Goldfinch 5
> House Sparrow X
>
> This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)
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From Peter:
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 2/5/10
Number of species: 30
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 7 lake near west shore
American Black Duck 11 lake near west shore
Mallard X lake near west shore
Northern Shoveler X lake near west shore
Bufflehead 1 drake lake near west shore
Ruddy Duck 1 lake near west shore
American Coot X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull (American) X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 lake near west shore
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Downy Woodpecker X feeders
American Crow X
Black-capped Chickadee X feeders
Tufted Titmouse 1 breeze hill
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 feeders
White-breasted Nuthatch 1 feeders
European Starling X
Song Sparrow 1 west shore lake
Swamp Sparrow 1 west shore lake, in first phragmite patch right of waterfowl feeders spot
White-throated Sparrow X feeders
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) X feeders
Northern Cardinal 2 feeders
Red-winged Blackbird 5 feeders
House Finch 6 feeders
American Goldfinch 1 feeders
House Sparrow 1 feeders
