June 30th Prospect water rarities and BBGarden reports

Hilights : FORSTER'S TERN, LEAST TERN, BLACK SKIMMER, out of place Ruddy Duck

Report received from Stephen Addinall:

Least Tern perched on the edge of the main

Lake directly in front of the Rustic Shelter beside
the West (Lake) Drive.The bird was allowing people to come
 extremely close and so I guessed that it was sick or
injured, however when flushed it proceeded to fish
the main lake, making numerous dives into the water.
The bird was present at 4.00pm for at least 30 minutes
 and repeatedly came back to the water's edge just in
 front of the shelter. We could not find in after that
although it could easily have moved elsewhere
around the lake.

Kingsboider note: the rustic shelter is near the West Island  at southwest Lake


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Peter's evening report 7:15- 8:15 PM


Following up on Stephen Addinall's report of Least Tern, I had some terrific luck.

Finding the Least Tern was easy, the small bird  feeding  and working in the southwest sector of the lake, from West Island cove to the middle , back to the south shore near three Sister Islands. It may bode well that the tern may be back tomorrow and maybe days after, perhaps sticking to an late afternoon/early eve schedule. At about 7;45 , it left  over the West Island .

I stuck around with cool temperatures a delight and watched the lake.  It was my good fortune I did stuck around because at 7:57 , three Black Skimmers flew low across the lake.skimming the lake surface , passing thru direct from the south shore before exiting the lake's northwest corner. Call it very good luck for me tonight, thanks to Stephen Addinall's timely report to me.

Peter

List

Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 6/30/10
Number of species: 16

Canada Goose 225
Mute Swan 2
Wood Duck 1
Mallard X
Ruddy Duck 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
Laughing Gull 1
Herring Gull 2
Least Tern 1
Black Skimmer 3
Chimney Swift X
Eastern Kingbird 1
American Robin X
Cedar Waxwing 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
House Sparrow X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)


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From Alex Wilson:

Begin forwarded message:

Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 6/30/10
Number of species: 45

Canada Goose 300
 Mute Swan 7
Wood Duck 2 (Upper Pool.)
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 60
Ruddy Duck 1 (Drake, Lake; unusual in summer.)
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 4
Osprey 1 (Spent 20 minutes around the Lake early AM before
getting a fish and drifting off.)
Red-tailed Hawk 4
American Kestrel 1 (Male, checking out Osprey over Lake.)
Laughing Gull 6
Herring Gull (American) 25
Forster's Tern 1 (Briefly around Lake, 7:30 AM.)
Rock Pigeon 35
Mourning Dove 20
Chimney Swift 40
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 6
Great Crested Flycatcher 1 (Midwood/Center Dr.)
Eastern Kingbird 7
Warbling Vireo 7
Blue Jay 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Tree Swallow 3
Barn Swallow 15
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Carolina Wren 2
House Wren 10
Wood Thrush 4
American Robin 200
 Gray Catbird 20
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 150
Cedar Waxwing 25
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 20
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Common Grackle 30
Baltimore Oriole 6
American Goldfinch 10
House Sparrow 50

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From Orrin Tilevitz:

BBgarden
BBG this morning, in no particular order:

Cedar waxwing
Eastern kingbird (pair, Japanese garden)
Chimney swift
Warbling vireo (heard)
Song sparrow (heard)
Northern cardinal
Bluejay
House sparrow
European starling
Mourning dove
Catbird
Northern mockingbird
American robin
Common grackle

Important Conservation message from the Brooklyn Bird Club

In the northeast corner of Brooklyn -on the Queens border-lies a hidden yet critically valuable birding green space :Ridgewood Reservoir.

Please click on the attached link for an important conservation message and appeal.


http://bbcnewsboard.blogspot.com/2010/06/ridgewood-reservoir-needs-your-urgent.html

Peter

Reminder BBC wildflower planting tomorrow 9 am

See previous post for details

Here's the list of species being planted

White Snakeroot
White Wood Aster
Blue Wood Aster
Blue-stemmed Goldenrod
Canada Goldenrod

New England Aster

for info on these species go to the Lady Bird Johnson native wildflower website

http://www.wildflower.org/about/

Epilogue:  8 members  appeared today and helped out.The Brooklyn Bird Club is greatly appreciative and thanks to today's green thumb helpers along with 15 of the previously planting on this site. 19 different members participated overall. Lets keep our anticipation up for the new growth in becoming great birding habitat !  ( in the upcoming months, weeding will be needed .Keep posted to this blog for updates.)

Have a great early summer and rest up.

---Kingsboider

BBC Wildflower planting 6/26

Saturday's Brooklyn Bird Club centennial native garden wildflower planting --the second planting phase--takes place this Saturday at 9 AM.    ( cooler earlier in the morn)

Meet at the Vale of Cashmere/Nellies Lawn border at the water fountain which is the south end of the Vale Cashmere.

22 flats ( about 45 plugs each average) of Goldenrods, Snakeroot, Asters will make up the bulk of the work

See ya there.

--Peter

North Brooklyn film on birding ( somewhat)

Since this blog also covers birding topics in North Brooklyn ( its in my mission statement), and not much going on birding wise of late , I am posting this message I received thru the Brooklyn Bird Club website. The venue and film on birding takes place in Williamsburgh.

--Kingsboider


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My name is Dana and I work with Rooftop Films, a summer film festival dedicated to showcasing new, independent films and emerging bands in unique outdoor locations.

I wanted to let you know about an upcoming event that I thought you'd be interested in covering: The Rural Life and Spirit (details below). The show will feature short films about life in the country, covering everything from competitive bird watching (Big Birding Day) to an Iban family in the lush jungles of Borneo (Spirit). Please let me know if you would like to be added to the press list (If you’re in NYC at the time). It would be great if you could mention the show on your site.

Thanks!
Dana

Thursday, June 24th
THE RURAL LIFE AND SPIRIT
For you city dwellers, sweltering away amidst the concrete and steel, Rooftop Films offers a summer respite--a lush lawn to lie on and a cinematic journey into the jungle. The films in this program offer a glimpse of the scenery where the grass is indeed greener. Places where you can see hundreds (and hundreds!) of birds in a single day...if you race around the clock to do it. Places where gooey tree pulp can offer sustenance...if you don't mind the giant slug fights. Places where cowboys sing like crooners, grandpa dances up the dickens, and wild animals become unwelcome pets. These cute cartoons, fascinating fictions, and delightful documentaries prove that compared to urban existence the rural life might be a touch more casual, maybe a tad more calm, but it's no less complex.
http://www.rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/18-the-rural-life-and-spirit

Where:
On the lawn of Automotive High School
50 Bedford Ave. at N. 13th St. (Williamsburg)
Brooklyn, NY

When:
8:00 Doors open
8:30 Live Music by The Luyas
9:00 Films begin
12:00 AM (midnight) After-party: Open Bar at Matchless (557 Manhattan Ave)

The Films:

GREAT AMBITION (Malcolm Sutherland Canada 2:40 min.)
An amiable animation about a lovelorn singing cowboy and his posse of yodeling birds. Music by the Dezurik Sisters. animalcolm.com

BIG BIRDING DAY (David Wilson Columbia, MO 12 min.)
A glimpse into the world of competitive birdwatching, as three friends attempt to see as many species as possible in 24 hours.

FLEDGLING (Tony Gault & Elizabeth Henry Glenwood Springs, CO 7 min.)
Rooftop alums Gault and Henry explore the relationship between a man named Kevin and a baby crow he finds on the street one stormy night. Kevin's backyard provides the rich setting for a story about his conflicted relationship to nature.

LET YOUR FEET DO THE TALKING (Stewart Copeland Tallahoma, TN 30 min.)
Let Your Feet Do The Talkin' tells the story of buck dancing legend Thomas Maupin, who, at the age of 70, remains one of the greatest old time dancers in America. The film presents a portrait of a man in the twilight of his life reflecting back on his legacy as a father, teacher, and artist. stewstew.com

SPIRIT (SEMANGAT) (Adam Gutch & Chu-Li Shewring Borneo & UK 44 min.)
In the lush jungles of Borneo, an Iban father on the cusp of old age begins a river journey to seek medical help for his sick child. Along the way, the boy is troubled by recurring visions of a strange figure who appears on the river bank. Their journey contrasts the vibrant otherworldly flora and fauna in the rain forest with the grey, foreboding mechanics of modern urban life, and father and son are drawn inexorably to a final encounter with the mythical 'transformed' shaman who dwells deep inside the jungle.

Semangat was made by working closely with one Iban longhouse community from Sarawak, Malaysia with whom the story was devised and filmed. The basis of the film explores the conflict that exists between ancient animist beliefs and modern approaches to illness. The main protagonists of the film are a real father and son, and a retired shaman from this community. flyingant.org.uk

---
Dana Arbel
Rooftop Films
232 3rd Street, #D101
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-417-7362

Underground Movies Outdoors
www.rooftopfilms.com

Prospect end of spring days 6/20

End of spring approaches; summer solstice hits tomorrow morning , these sighting probably are the last observations reported for spring 2010. (note : Summer Solstice Jun 21 2010 7:28 AM EDT )



From Tom Stephenson:



Went into the park briefly today with Adam Welz...had the usual stuff including 2 young Red- taileds (hawks) being fed a young robin.

Also had two young Blue-grey Gnatchatchers being fed by adults near the Maryland Mon.

Finally, there's been a Hermit Thrush that has been singing in the AM in the berm in front of our building for at least 2.5 weeks.
Still singing now. I went over and didn't see any other birds or food gathering or anything..so probably just one male.
But could merit watching..



[Berm is the Grand Army Plaza outer ring, between Vanderbilt Ave and Flatbush Ave]

Brief observations Prospect June 17th

4 WOOD DUCKS

2 south shore Lake side near Duck Island; 2 drakes Upper Pool

PEREGRINE FALCON: low back and forth flyover ,hunting prey along Nethermead/Center Drive

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Next week , I am hoping to weed the BBC Bird site before the wildflower planting June 26th. I have been told that June 22nd is when we receive (deliver) the new plants from the SI Greenbelt Nursery. I'll keep u posted on the weekday for weeding.

----Kingsboider

BBC Centennial Planting site : phase 2 Wildflower proposed date; Delmarva BBC bird listing; young RTHawk fledged

The second phase of the Brooklyn Bird Club Centennial native planting site will be Saturday June 26th , this time planting wildflowers.The delivery to the Natural Resources Propagation nursery is sometime after June 17th so the best time for planting the second planting will be June 26th at 10 am at the southern Vale of Cashmere site ( water fountain meeting spot).

Flowers primarily planted will be Goldenrods and asters. ( white wood aster, blue-stemmed goldenrod, Canada Goldenrod ( i think, I forgot the species i asked for), New England Asters..I'll keep you posted with another reminder before the proposed date.

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For those of you curious as to how I and my group fared on our June 4th-7th Brooklyn Bird Club journey to Delmarva ( DElaware, MAryland, VIrginia), check the link below. We tallied 130 species. Sandy Paci will be sending me a link to her photo gallery in which she is editing her digital shots now of birds and nature.Check back later after seeing the list. It was an incredible trip experience , a spectacular region of natural beauty.

---Kingsboider

http://bbcprevioustripreports.blogspot.com/

**************************************************************************************************************************** Red-tailed Hawk fledging takes off.

From Rob Jett:

I ran into Devi at Nelly's Lawn in Prospect Park today.
When I walked over she was staring up at "Nelly" on
her favorite perch in "Elizabeth's Tuliptree". It was only
after I had been looking for a few moments that I noticed
one of the juveniles on the branch to mom's
right! One of the trio had fledged and made the
approximately 100 yard flight across the field from the
nest tree. The other two young hawks were climbing around
on the branches beneath the nest.

We had walked back across the grass to a spot below the
nest to watch the other two for a while. At around noon,
the eyass that had fledged suddenly flew back across the
lawn and into the nest tree. The three then seemed content
to spend the rest of their time preening and resting. When
we left at around 1pm, they were still in the nest tree.
If the other two haven't already made some short flights,
they no doubt will be flying tomorrow.

At the Ravine nest, those two looked ready to fledge and
one had ventured way out on a limb at the south side of
the nest. She was out of view, so I climbed down the ridge
and walked around on the opposite side of Rocky Pass.
Unfortunately, there is no longer any vantage point on that
side from which to see the nest. The entire top of the
pine tree is now blocked from view. I heard a lot of
squealing from one of the young hawks, but couldn't be
certain if it was coming from the nest tree or just nearby.

I should have some Prospect Park images posted on
my blog shortly.

Also, Marge reported to me today that the Green-Wood
Cemetery pair look ready to leave the nest. I hope to get
over to the cemetery tomorrow afternoon.

Rob

The City Birder Weblog
http://citybirder.blogspot.com

June 10th Prospect

From Alex Wilson:

Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 6/9/10
Number of species: 51

Canada Goose 125
Mute Swan 7
American Black Duck 1
Mallard 40
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Egret 1
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 4
Herring Gull (American) 60
Rock Pigeon 35
Mourning Dove 12
Chimney Swift 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 3
Eastern Kingbird 4 (A pair objected to a Night-Heron on the
Peninsula; one rode on its back.)
Warbling Vireo 9
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 10
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 3
House Wren 10
Swainson's Thrush 1
Wood Thrush 2
American Robin 60
Gray Catbird 15
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 100
Cedar Waxwing 30
Yellow Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 15
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Common Grackle 20
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Orchard Oriole 1 (Adult male, Breeze Hill.)
Baltimore Oriole 7
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 30

BBC Founding Day; Delmarva hiatus

This Saturday is the Brooklyn Bird Club's bird-thday, June 5th.

101 years old , still kicking around..if you' re a member, raise a glass to her ( OR BETTER YET, GO BIRDING..).



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Although migration is officially over, one never knows what good bird might be showing up late in Prospect's neighborhood. Although I'll be in Delmarva for the next several days leading the BBC, if I get anything good via text, I'll send to this blog and twitter. In the meantime, enjoy the link below (actually the picture).


http://tinyurl.com/2vbleqf


(Delmarva : Delaware, Maryland , Virginia )

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--Kingsboider

A reminder : BBC program tonight 6/3

6:30 social, 7 pm at the Litchfield Villa ( Prospect Park West ave and 5th street).

Rick Cech speaks on his South African experience. see previous posting in this blog.

--Kingsboider

June 2nd Prospect

Hilight: Black-billed Cuckoo, Wood Ducks,Orchard Oriole,Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Rough-winged Swallow (late migrants + breeding season potential )

From Alex Wilson:

> Location: Prospect Park
> Observation date: 6/2/10
> Number of species: 52
>
> Canada Goose 125
> Mute Swan 7
> Wood Duck 4 (Drakes, Upper Pool, 2 roosting up in a tree.)
> Mallard 25
> Green Heron 2
> Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
> Red-tailed Hawk 3
> Spotted Sandpiper 4
> Laughing Gull 3
> Herring Gull (American) 50
> Rock Pigeon 25
> Mourning Dove 15
> Black-billed Cuckoo 1 (Flew from Ravine to island at Upper
> Pool.)
> Chimney Swift 12
> Red-bellied Woodpecker 8
> Downy Woodpecker 2
> Hairy Woodpecker 1
> Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
> Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
> Great Crested Flycatcher 3
> Eastern Kingbird 4
> Warbling Vireo 8
> Red-eyed Vireo 3
> Blue Jay 3
> Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
> Barn Swallow 15
> Black-capped Chickadee 3
> Carolina Wren 4
> House Wren 7
> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 (1 or 2 between Binnen Water/Center
> Drive.)
> Swainson's Thrush 1
> Wood Thrush 3
> American Robin 75
> Gray Catbird 20
> European Starling 75
> Cedar Waxwing 25
> Yellow Warbler 1
> Magnolia Warbler 2
> Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
> Blackpoll Warbler 2
> American Redstart 6
> Common Yellowthroat 1
> Chipping Sparrow 3
> Song Sparrow 2
> Northern Cardinal 15
> Red-winged Blackbird 15
> Common Grackle 20
> Brown-headed Cowbird 2
> Orchard Oriole 1 (1st year male, Lily Pond.)
> Baltimore Oriole 10
> American Goldfinch 7
> House Sparrow 50