Yet despite its low species list ( like not including Brown Creeper , nor was this seen at all in Brooklyn) , Prospect included some quality. The best bird , last seen ten or eleven years ago on a Count day was GREAT HORNED OWL. Following that sighting, 4 PINE SISKIN seen on the thistle feeders might have been the Brooklyn region only "save" bird ( it saved the list with the only species at one location) back by a single GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET , the only bird for the count. The Lake's frozen almost totality impacted waterfowl except those determined Northern Shovelers, 408 bird really crammed in the only two small open water spots , and 328 Canada Goose, obviously many migrated birds.
On the overall Brooklyn count, exceptional sighting a COMMON RAVEN harassed by crows at Floyd Bennett Field near the main southern entrance dead pines hits the cake icing, possibly Brooklyn's first count species record. Other terrific observations I was able to remember from my groggy nite : KING EIDER (1st yr male , jetty near Fort Tilden fisherman lot ), HARLEQUIN DUCK ( same as previous), RED CROSSBILL, BLACK SKIMMER (Coney Island Beach , 3 rare) , a spate of Red-shouldered Hawks and so on...( I forget the rest but I will detail more soon when i get Rick's report)
My 8 mile walk (I used a pedometer) inside Prospect was worth the effort so as of now, I am beat. More later.
--Kingsboider
Listserves posting sent by Peter
Dear birders and CBC coordinators,
This is a brief, preliminary report pending end of Count Week , new reports and follow up
My thanks to Rick Cech, our compiler for his hard work and effort in the compilation and data organization with assistance from Paul Keim doing roll call.. Thanks also to Heidi Steiner for teams organization and Mary Eyster for the Count Dinner setup. Also thanks to all the volunteers and all the teams for participating in Brooklyn's 101st count and dinner preparations.
Also, I express my gratitude to the Prospect Park Audubon Center ( or better known as the Boathouse ), director Maria Cobo and the Prospect Park Alliance and President Tupper Thomas for allowing us to hold the dinner and count event at their beautiful venue. There is no better place to have this great event in Brooklyn, particularly at Prospect Park, the official home of the Brooklyn Bird Club.
Hi lights from the December 18th Brooklyn Christmas Bird Count include the following: COMMON RAVEN, a first in our count history, in Floyd Bennett Field , perched on a dead pine, calling , while harassed by American Crows and later in Fort Tilden, when the same bird flew over there, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK in Fort Tilden, 2 GREAT HORNED OWLS, Common Eider ,Common Merganser, Redhead,Great Egret ,Black-legged Kittiwake,Short-eared Owl ,Orange-crowned Warbler ( to name several among our irregulars),rare species of American Oystercatcher, Black Skimmers ( 3,Coney Island Beach), Turkey Vulture, Pine Warbler, Lincoln Sparrow, Red Crossbill .A BLACK-HEADED GULL seen yesterday at Owls Head pier for Count week. Please check the list attached for the complete tally.
The total was 125 species.
Good birding and happy Holidays,
Peter Dorosh
Pres. Brooklyn Bird Club
List provide by Rick Cech, compiler.
Brooklyn Christmas Count: 2010
Preliminary Count Compile
Snow Goose
1,522
Brant
11,124
Canada Goose
2,583
Mute Swan
82
Gadwall
114
American Wigeon
89
American Black Duck
925
Mallard
744
Northern Shoveler
772
Northern Pintail
5
Green-winged Teal
400
Canvasback
13
Redhead
10
IRR
Greater Scaup
7,405
Lesser Scaup
296
King Eider
1
RARE
Common Eider
82
IRR
Harlequin Duck
1
RARE
Surf Scoter
347
White-winged Scoter
13
Black Scoter
2,591
Scoter (sp.)
510
IRR
Long-tailed Duck
113
Bufflehead
1,559
Common Goldeneye
18
Hooded Merganser
68
Common Merganser
5
IRR
Red-breasted Merganser
1,982
Ruddy Duck
730
Red-throated Loon
15
Common Loon
47
Pied-billed Grebe
6
Horned Grebe
120
Red-necked Grebe
1
Northern Gannet
15
Double-crested Cormorant
100
Great Cormorant
51
Great Blue Heron
14
Great Egret
2
IRR
Black-crowned Night-Heron
4
Turkey Vulture
1
RARE
Northern Harrier
13
Sharp-shinned Hawk
18
Cooper's Hawk
18
Red-shouldered Hawk
7
IRR
Red-tailed Hawk
20
American Kestrel
8
Merlin
11
Peregrine Falcon
8
American Coot
80
Black-bellied Plover
35
Killdeer
14
American Oystercatcher
3
RARE
Greater Yellowlegs
2
Ruddy Turnstone
10
IRR
Sanderling
199
Purple Sandpiper
23
Dunlin
19
American Woodcock
5
Black-legged Kittiwake
1
IRR
Bonaparte's Gull
35
Black-headed Gull
cw
RARE
Ring-billed Gull
7,309
Herring Gull
3,789
Lesser Black-backed Gull
1
IRR
Great Black-backed Gull
272
Black Skimmer
3
RARE
Rock Pigeon
1,212
Mourning Dove
449
Monk Parakeet
50
Great Horned Owl
2
RARE
Short-eared Owl
1
IRR
Belted Kingfisher
3
Red-bellied Woodpecker
44
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
6
Downy Woodpecker
47
Hairy Woodpecker
4
Northern Flicker
25
Blue Jay
71
American Crow
155
Common Raven
1
NEW FOR COUNT
Horned Lark
82
Black-capped Chickadee
294
Tufted Titmouse
15
Red-breasted Nuthatch
37
White-breasted Nuthatch
29
Carolina Wren
43
Winter Wren
2
Golden-crowned Kinglet
1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
6
Hermit Thrush
12
American Robin
128
Gray Catbird
7
Northern Mockingbird
107
Brown Thrasher
1
IRR
European Starling
2,793
American Pipit
97
Cedar Waxwing
35
Orange-crowned Warbler
6
IRR
Yellow-rumped Warbler
271
Pine Warbler
2
RARE
Palm Warbler
2
Common Yellowthroat
2
IRR
American Tree Sparrow
26
Chipping Sparrow
4
Field Sparrow
5
Savannah Sparrow
13
Fox Sparrow
34
Song Sparrow
207
Lincoln's Sparrow
1
RARE
Swamp Sparrow
17
White-throated Sparrow
503
White-crowned Sparrow
4
IRR
Dark-eyed Junco
217
Snow Bunting
1
Northern Cardinal
239
Red-winged Blackbird
80
Eastern Meadowlark
3
Rusty Blackbird
8
IRR
Common Grackle
26
Boat-tailed Grackle
42
Brown-headed Cowbird
452
House Finch
115
Red Crossbill
1
RARE
Pine Siskin
6
IRR
American Goldfinch
215
House Sparrow
687
Total Species:
125
Total Numbers:
55,331
NOTE: "cw" = Count Week only
