Report of high activity --as expected-- of birds at the feeders including some nice species. A MERLIN perched momentarily over Center Drive by the slope narrow path, before it took off patrolling over the snowy Nethermead . Winter is great time for raptors. I almost forgot to mention that also , yesterday , SHARP-SHINNED HAWK flew in and perched itself in an oak over the East Wood Arch building.Today, it's a COOPERS HAWK near the spot. Also today, Rob Bate sent me an email on a high up raptor that elicited hard decision making. Fun to do , watching raptors and learning their gestalt stuff.
Prospect was quite a winter scene today.
--Kingsboider
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From Adam Welz:
Highest number of Fox Sparrow I've seen at feeders. New feeder being
used by many birds inc. Pine Siskin.
[Elsewhere] Nothing of interest except nice-looking adult Coopers Hawk east of
Audubon Center.
Adam
Location: Prospect Park--Feeders
Observation date: 1/12/11
Notes: no squirrels seen around feeders today
Number of species: 16
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 2
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 2
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 1
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina 1
Fox Sparrow (Red) - Passerella iliaca iliaca/zaboria 5
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia 1
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis 34
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis 5
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 6
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 11
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus 6
Pine Siskin - Spinus pinus 6
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis 5
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)
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From Rob Bate
Peter,
I too saw the Merlin today flying over the Nethermeade today. In addition I saw a Buteo flying high over the rink parking lot as I viewed it from Breeze Hill. It had distinct black wing tips and largely light underneath with a dark area lower down than a RT's belly band and it's tail was longer than a RT's. I thought/hoped Red-shouldered but RSs don't show the dark low down and I didn't notice the light translucent patches they should have. Rough-shouldered has the lower dark area but would also have distinct midwing dark patches neh? So in the end I call in non Red-tail buteo sp.
Also 2 siskins in with the goldfinches.
Rob
