Northern Cardinals bring great color , a winter delight , to the feeders. At the end of my workday this afternoon, I stopped by the feeders and noted six of them, at least four on the feeders, one on the ground, another whizzed by. Two bright males were on the adjoining feeders, both birds surprisingly bright red for this very cold day. I can always count on the Northern Cardinal bringing cheer on wintry , bitter cold days.When I was a child growing up in the shadow of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a Cardinal was a BIG thing. Whenever my Mom spotted one out the back window and saw a Cardinal in my yard (but don't tell any Bluejays, another favorite visitor way back then) , she would hurry and fetch me, because it was a rare visitor for my backyard near the industrial area dominated by the Brooklyn Navy Yard in a neighborhood called "Wallabout" , the name of the bay the navy yard adjoins. There is still buzz when that happens where I lived now, a much smaller yard nowadays.So, whenever you see a cardinal, think of winter's bright ambassador, a reliable and beautiful species I often associate with the holiday season. ( for proof, check out any holiday cards you might have received with the Northern Cardinal)
--Kingsboider
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/id
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Peter'st list feeders
5 Mourning Dove
1 Downy Woodpecker
7 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
2 Fox Sparrow (Red)
9 White-throated Sparrow
4 Dark-eyed Junco
6 Northern Cardinal
1 Red-winged Blackbird
1 American Goldfinch
Total species reported: 11
Elsewhere
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 12/14/10
Number of species: 19
Canada Goose 228 Lake
Mute Swan 5 lake
American Black Duck 1 Lake
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 215 Lake
Hooded Merganser 1 drake Lake
Ruddy Duck 7 Lake
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Upper Pool
Great Blue Heron 1 f/o Terrace Br
Red-tailed Hawk 1 f/o Lookout Hill
American Coot 3 south lullwater
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull (American) X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
European Starling X
Swamp Sparrow 1 Peninsula shore
Red-winged Blackbird 12 Rink cove phragmites
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)
Also a side note: Yesterday when I exited the park in late afternoon and walked along Greenwood Ave, a COOPERS HAWK flew over the street down Sherman Ave , towards Ocean Parkway.. I guess the bird was expanding its horizons beyond park borders. ;)>
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From Rob Bate:
Very cold in the park but feeders very active including a Brown-headed Cowbird.
Also, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Winter Wren behind the Wellhouse.
No Siskin, no Rusty BB
Observation date: 12/14/10
Number of species: 32
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler X
Ruddy Duck X
Cooper's Hawk X
Peregrine Falcon X
American Coot X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Downy Woodpecker X
Blue Jay X
Black-capped Chickadee X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
Carolina Wren X
Winter Wren X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Fox Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)
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