A week ago Tuesday, October 19th, Heidi Cleven took photos of a bird that after much debate and verification led to the consensus of PHILADELPHIA VIREO , seen by the water fountain opposite Maryland Monument. ( you can see the photos I posted a day ago here..scroll down). Hoping it stuck around, we got our wish: its still around.
This afternoon, as I left work at the rink, Rob Bate texted me that he has the bird.. So, of course, I changed course from a south lake walk and turned around towards the Wellhouse. Here's my report to Ebird at Yahoo groups:
A unseasonably late bright adult and an interesting plumage PHILADELPHIA VIREO was seen foraging this mid afternoon ( 3:30-4 pm) in the Szechuan Peppercorn trees to the left of the Wellhouse ( on Well Drive along the north shore of Prospect Lake), the main mid sized Peppercorn at the beginning of the walkway off Well Drive to the Wellhouse, where Rob Bate spotted it , who then texted me after work. I found the vireo again in a smaller Peppercorn tree in front of three portable johns farther left of the Wellhouse. First seen on Oct 19th near the Maryland Monument by Heidi Cleven, who sent photos which we had verified the identity with several local birders and Shai Mitra **, apparently the vireo has hung around and now resides in the brushy area between the Wellhouse and the giant Ginkgo Trees.
** Shai is a NYS Avian Records Committee reviewer
photo of Szechuan Peppercorn tree---> http://transitionculture.org/wp-content/uploads/ARTpepper.jpg
Look for tight clusters of abundant small red berry fruit within small leaves..For such an ornamental invasive ( which it agressively is) , unfortunately, the birds love eating it and spread its growth..... :(
Also , along with the vireo, a late female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK in --well... you guess it--the Peppercorn tree. :(
---Kingsboider
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From Rob Bate:
On an otherwise uneventful trip birding around the lake I came across an unmistakable (I presume) Philadelphia Vireo in the Seczhuan Peppercorn tree by the Wellhouse. Luckily you were able to verify the bird, it is probably the same bird Heidi Clevens saw a week ago. Later in the same tree was a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I like late fall birding!
Also on the lake I saw 2 groups of 25+ DC Cormorants over near 3 sisters.
Observation date: 10/27/10
Number of species: 29
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler X
Ruddy Duck X
Double-crested Cormorant 50
Great Blue Heron X
Cooper's Hawk X
American Coot X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Philadelphia Vireo X
Tufted Titmouse X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X
Hermit Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Chipping Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal X
Rose-breasted Grosbeak X
House Sparrow X
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Peter's List:
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 10/27/10
Number of species: 26
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler X lake
Ruddy Duck X
Double-crested Cormorant 7 Lake
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 f/o Rink
American Coot X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 1 lake
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Philadelphia Vireo 1 wellhouse, feeding in Szechuan Peppercorn trees
Tufted Titmouse 2 well drive
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 wellhouse
Hermit Thrush 1 wellhouse
Gray Catbird 1 LP249
European Starling X
Chipping Sparrow 1 rink
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow 2 LP 249
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal 3 wellhouse
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 wellhouse
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
