A relatively unknown park except to me, this park a park of my youth, often having the best and most exciting sledding in all of Brooklyn ( take my word, it has the longest steepest hill), I was delighted to see this rare posting on Ebird Yahoo Groups listserve of Fort Greene reported by a Frank Gresham. Fort Greene (named after General Nathaniel Greene) is a very famous Revolutionary War battle site, and also is the largest mass crypt for the prisoners of war in the U.S. ( Battle of Long Island or what we natives say Battle of Brooklyn)
Gregarious Hawk in Fort Greene Park Topic List
While strolling in Fort Greene park over the weekend,
sans bird book or bins, I came upon a hawk perched in a
VERY low branch of a cluster of Ginko trees near the Ranger
station at the top of the hill in the center of the park.
Two people were directly beneath the bird, trying to shoo
it up to a higher branch where it might not be such an easy
mark for passing troublemakers. But the hawk would not
budge from its low perch. The people said the hawk had b
een in that area of the park, exhibiting such gregarious behavior,
for weeks already. Finally the hawk flew to another bank of
higher trees in the northern reach of the park. I am not
a raptor expert, so I am hesitant to name its species with
certainty. But upon consulting my field guide afterwards,
the hawk appeared to be an immature Red Tail. Keep an eye
out for it if you are walking the northern reaches of Fort
Greene Park, especially up on the Martyr's Monument hill.
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During this quiet period, a few reports of interesting birds:
Mary Eyster reports AMERICAN KESTREL yesterday west of the ball fields ;today, she spotted MONK PARAKEETS
The COOPERS HAWK adult is sticking around; it is hanging out at the same spot previously, in a tree directly behind Lamppost #249 this late afternoon.
Just down the park drive, the RED-TAILED HAWK watched warily, perched in an Oak adjacent to the drive.
NORTHERN SHOVELERS look like their numbers went up, my "guessimate " 275 birds now that there is more open water; in the lake middle 4 RUDDY DUCK.
No time to visit the feeders which I have to refill tomorrow (off Friday)
---Kingsboider
