Warblers didn't steal the show today , but rather a day reserved for Cuckoos. Mary Eyster and Peter Dorosh, after descending the Maryland Monument stairs, got really lucky -- when spotted by Mary-- a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO jumping up from the ground to a low perch within a multiple shoot Basswood tree. The bird was observed on the middle Lookout Hill south path between the Well house and the Maryland Monument. And if one Cuckoo wasn't enough, how about two cuckoos? Yes, talk about YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, seen landing low enough in a tree along Center Drive adjacent to the Nethermead (3 Arches) Bridge . ( observers P.Dorosh, R,Bate, L.Zirlin, K.Randall). Two Cuckoos, and count Peter very lucky seeing both on the same day ( and still sane after a long day birding his off day).
The other big story were the warblers. By now, everyone knows the remarkable story of the vigilant PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, staying truly at home at the now renown Compost Depot ( or heap some birders are calling it) along the outside north zoo fence, on the former Tunnel Arch bridle trail.Look for the eagle Dongan Oak Monument for map benchmark. Among 22 species warblers, great birds like uncommon CAPE MAY WARBLER, NASHVILLE, PRAIRIE, MAGNOLIA and 2 TENNESSEE were all seen on a curvy line starting near the top stairs of the Maryland Monument , down to the path above the Well house. The CAPE MAY was seen in a giant Oak midway up the steps, a male that wasn't seen after the initial sighting (P.Dorosh, M.Eyster, J.Borker). Prior that sighting, 2 TENNESSEE were observed in a fast and furious courting chase thru the high tree canopy. For a day tally, there is a list below to note what warblers were seen.
At Nellie's lawn, sparrow playground is the word. A bunch of CHIPPING SPARROWS made this spot their place for antics; at one time, 6 CHIPPINGs were feeding on the same dandelion fruit. Talk about a dinner table ! Nearby, a lone FIELD SPARROW stay clear, the poor guy all by itself.
Tomorrow is fore casted to be a terrific weather day. Do try to get out or go on Tom Stephenson's walk, details on the Brooklyn Bird Club website trips page. It should be an enjoyable birding day.
--Kingsboider
WARBLER SPECIES LIST --22 species
site = Prospect Park
observers = Multiple Observers
Prairie Warbler --Maryland Monument
Worm-eating Warbler -back fence /slope of Upper Pool , obs Justin Potter; Lookout west slope ( ECrowne,PPane)
Yellow Warbler
Tennessee Warbler - Top steps of Maryland Monument (2)
American Redstart
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Black-throated Green Warbler , few, + BBG native garden
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Cape May Warbler along stairs up from maryland Monumnet
Prothonotary Warbler --Tunnel Arch Compost Depot ( or heap)
Palm Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler - Terrace Br (M.Eyster) , then tip of Peninsula later
Blue-winged Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler --Maryland Monument
Nashville Warbler - left of Maryland Monument, in high Oak tree
Pine Warbler Peninsula
Northern Waterthrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler Quaker Ridge bridle path near cemetery east corner
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From Peter ( with M.Eyster, then Keir Randall, Larry Zirlin, Rob Bate)
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 4/29/11
Number of species: 70
Canada Goose 16
Mute Swan 3
Wood Duck 5-2 perched in Lookout Hill tree, 3 flyover BBG rock garden
Mallard X
Ruddy Duck 12 Lake
Double-crested Cormorant 16--12 f/o Lake, 4 Lake
Great Egret 1 at 3 sisters
Osprey 1 reported by Greg Otis
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Laughing Gull 11 lake
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1 Lookout H.
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Kingbird 1 Peninsula
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO- Maryland Monumnet (MEyster, Pdorosh)
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO--Nethermead Br ( PDorosh, RBate, LZirlin, KRandall)
Blue-headed Vireo 1 Lookout H
Warbling Vireo 1 Lookout Hill
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 5 f.o Lookout Hill
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2 Lake
Tree Swallow 10 Lake
Barn Swallow 15 Lake
House Wren 2 Lookout H.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Veery 1 Lookout
American Robin X
Gray Catbird 2
European Starling X
Blue-winged Warbler 1 rept by Ed crown, P.Pane
Tennessee Warbler 2 top Mary Monument
Nashville Warbler 1 Lookout Hill south path
Northern Parula 5
Yellow Warbler 1 Peninsula
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 first Lullwater ( M.Eyster), then Peninsula ( PDorosh, RBate)
Magnolia Warbler 1 Maryland Mont ( Pdorosh, MEyster)
Cape May Warbler 1 top Maryland Mont ( PDorosh, MEyster, JBorker)
Black-throated Blue Warbler X ( Ed Crowne, PPane)
Yellow-rumped Warbler 20
Black-throated Green Warbler 2 (Lookout , BBG)
Blackburnian Warbler 1 Quaker Ridge (PDorosh, RBate, LZirlin, KRandall)
Pine Warbler 1 Peninsula drab female ( Pdorosh, Rbate,)
Prairie Warbler 1 female Mary Mont, ( Pdorosh, MEyster)
Palm Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 4
Prothonotary Warbler 1 rept by several birders North Zoo/Tunne; Arch Compost
Worm-eating Warbler 1 repted by JPotter Upper Pool
Ovenbird 1 Lookout
Northern Waterthrush 1 rept by Ed Crowne, PPane
Common Yellowthroat 2-- fem Peninsula ( PDorosh, RBate); also BBG native Garden
Eastern Towhee X
Chipping Sparrow 14 Nellies lawn
Field Sparrow 1 NelliesLawn
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 1 Vale cashmere
White-throated Sparrow 6
Scarlet Tanager 3--2 females ( Dorosh, Bate, Zirlin; MEyster report Vale male )
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
Orchard Oriole X reported by Matthew Wills Lullwater Cove
Baltimore Oriole 1 Vale mult Obs
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)
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From Tom Stephenson:
Hi Peter,
Below is a list of a few species I saw that I wasn't sure if you had seen when we met, or just an update:
Blue-headed Vireo (one singing in midwood, one on lullwater area)
American Redstart several
Black-throated Blue and Greens (I believe you had both, but just in case)
Tennessee (I believe you had this, but one by the pools)
Blackburnian (ditto, two by the QC)
Northern Waterthrush
Prothonotary (mulch pit)
Scarlet Tanager male and females
Rose-breasted GB females
Field Sparrow
Good day for warblers.. (23 species?)
regards,
Tom
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Frm Adam:
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 4/29/11
Notes: Much of survey spent with Tom Stephenson & Stanley
Greenberg, but only birds I personally identified were included in
this list. Did not survey Lake.
Number of species: 47
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis X
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 6
Green Heron - Butorides virescens 1 Lullwater
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis 2
Laughing Gull - Leucophaeus atricilla X
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus X
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia X
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 8
Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 4
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 3
Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus 2
Warbling Vireo - Vireo gilvus 1 calling
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 4
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor 1
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 5
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 2
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 3 going in and
out of nest-hole
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 1 calling Lookout Hill
House Wren - Troglodytes aedon 1 calling Midwood
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 3
American Robin - Turdus migratorius 50 breeding
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis 8
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 5
Nashville Warbler - Oreothlypis ruficapilla 1
Northern Parula - Parula americana 6
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler - Dendroica pensylvanica 1 Lullwater
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata 40
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens 4 calling in
many places. My FOS (at last).
Blackburnian Warbler - Dendroica fusca 2 2 in same tree just
north of Quaker Cemetery. My FOS.
Prairie Warbler - Dendroica discolor 3 Lookout Hill, elsewhere
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 3
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 1 My FOS
Prothonotary Warbler - Protonotaria citrea 1 refound woodchip
compost area @ 1:45pm
Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus 1
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina 1
Field Sparrow - Spizella pusilla 1
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis 10
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 10
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 5
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 10
Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater 5
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula 3
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis 3
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)
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From Larry:
Peter,
Here's my tally on the day. A pleasure birding with you and Rob.
Larry
http://birdsandwords-larryz.blogspot.com/
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 4/29/11
Number of species: 40
Canada Goose 6
Mute Swan 4
Mallard 15
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Herring Gull 10
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Left side Nethemead bridge above path
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1 Center Drive
Blue Jay 2
Tree Swallow 2 Peninsula
Barn Swallow 7 Lake
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Peninsula
Hermit Thrush 1 Midwood
American Robin 75
Gray Catbird 7
European Starling 75
Northern Parula 4
Yellow Warbler 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 30
Blackburnian Warbler 1 Center Drive horse trail inside woods
Pine Warbler 3
Palm Warbler 1 Center Drive
Black-and-white Warbler 1 Peninsula
Eastern Towhee 5
Chipping Sparrow 7 Nelly's Lawn & Peninsula
Song Sparrow 2 Peninsula
White-throated Sparrow 25
Scarlet Tanager 1 Center Drive
Northern Cardinal 10
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 15
Brown-headed Cowbird 4 Center Drive & Wellhouse Drive
Baltimore Oriole 1 Vale
House Sparrow 5
his report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
