Today under cloudy skies and least expectations for anything birdy, a few good things kicked off the beginning of anticipatory migration season.
The excellent report of rare WILSON's SNIPE dominates the day, first reported by Bob O'Neill at the Vale of Cashmere, of all places . (Usually we would expect snipe at Prospect Lake or the peninsula shoreline, the larger water system spots). Huddling against the stone wall inside the pool at the north end, three birders named "Robert" were watching the Snipe until a "Peter" butted in. Bob , the founder of the freshwater shorebird, along with Rob Bate and Rob Jett were also watching from near the stairs. After I left to get back to work, I received a text shortly after of PINE WARBLER above one of those stairs, again spotted by Bob O'Neill.
Later, I went back for the Snipe around 4 PM. I found Heidi Cleven watching the shorebird. But it moved to the other side of the pool --same area--wall , inside the north pool , sitting on muddy edges, the gorgeous bird inside a break in the wall and next to the protective cover of an uplifted stone. There was busier traffic from visitors and schoolkids in the Vale, so I presumed the tired snipe was unnerved by action.
There was more. We bumped into Rob Jett and learned from him that RED-BREASTED MERGANSER at the Boathouse pond and AMERICAN PIPIT found walking on the Nethermead lawn added to the day's hilights. We got the drake Red-breasted Merg but the Pipit already flown. There were other notable things but read Rob Bate's report below.
And it can only get better from here on...
--Kingsboider
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From Rob Bate:
A great day to begin the spring season in PP.
Bob O'neill found the Wilson's Snipe in the Vale and then refound the Pine Warbler Eddie Davis found yesterday. Other notables were, American Pipit (found by Rob Jett), mating Red Tails on Nellie's Lawn, 5 species of woodpeckers, one each of both Kinglets and lots of Robins and Song Sparrows. Birds were singing everywhere.
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 3/14/11
Notes: Data collected with Birdwatcher's Diary (tm) for iPhone
Number of species: 46
Canada Goose 133
Mute Swan 6
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 56
Northern Shoveler 225
Ring-necked Duck 5
Hooded Merganser 2
Ruddy Duck 25
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 4
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Coot 4
Wilson's Snipe 1
Ring-billed Gull 6
Herring Gull 20
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Mourning Dove 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 5
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 1
Black-capped Chickadee 13
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 61
European Starling 22
American Pipit 1
Pine Warbler 1
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 21
White-throated Sparrow 11
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Northern Cardinal 11
Red-winged Blackbird 12 1
Common Grackle 35
House Finch 1
Pine Siskin 3
American Goldfinch 7
House Sparrow 8
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Peter's list
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 3/14/11
Number of species: 23
Canada Goose X lake
Mute Swan X
American Black Duck 6 lake
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler X lake
Red-breasted Merganser 1 drake boathouse pond ( also obs H.Cleven)
Ruddy Duck X lake
Great Blue Heron 1 at duck isl
Wilson's Snipe 1 vale cashmere ( also obs H.Cleven)
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull (American) X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 vale cashmere ( also obs H.Cleven)
Black-capped Chickadee X
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
American Robin X
European Starling X
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
