First ,the answer to the number of Black-crowned Night Herons from yesterday's photo post from Marguerite . There are 8 BCNH seen, 2 are obscured but viewable. Realistically there were nine, but the last one was cropped . [ Note : they are still around on 3 Sisters today]
Now today's birdy synopsis:
Bad weather brings in the good birds. For reasons obvious, bad weather forces down migrating birds , choosing to wait out the difficulties of winds and rains. So the birds dropped in.
In a most impressive sighting, likely a high count pending a records check, 42 GREATER SCAUP along with one LESSER SCAUP duck were spotted from the Peninsula shore, the flock mere yards away on the lake. Rob Jett alerted me and since I just left work, was able to see my good fortune, my haven't seen this many on Prospect Lake in a lifetime. There was a lone RING-NECKED DUCK as well in that flock; another drake Ring-necked still remains at the Upper Pool.
Meanwhile, swallows are in. The usual were TREE but BARN SWALLOW makes its debut in 2011, flying patrols over the Lake.
En route to the Lake, I spotted 2 PINE and 3 PALM WARBLERS in a tall Linden tree, at my new moniker for Center Drive's hard curve " Dead Man's Curve" ( since so many illegal speeding cars come thru there on restricted Center Drive, now a dangerous situation and predicament for park visitors). Earlier in the morning, Mary Eyster spotted those warblers on Lookout Hill, along with some other nice birds including HERMIT THRUSH. See her report below.
CHIPPING SPARROWS popped up at the south end of the ball fields and Nethermead along Center Drive. So did SWAMP SPARROW along the peninsula shore line and west duck feeding area ( a no no)
However a most unlikely sighting was Rob Jett's report of GROUNDHOG! The critter was spotted by the Rink near the trailers (after the scaup observation ) . I never seen a live Groundhog, only a deceased one on Lookout Hill years ago. This shows how vital and important Prospect is for mammals, all which need space and respect within their habitats. I am told Rob took video which he posts on his Citybirder Blog. Check it later ( see my side menu at the bottom for Members Blogs for quick access) Good show!
--Kingsboider
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Reported on Lookout Hill by Mary Eyster: Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, Hermit Thrush
From Mary: " Had several Palm Warblers, also about 5 Hermit Thrush. 1 Pine, lots of Juncos, a Creeper, WT Sparrow, Hairy Woodpecker, Flicker, Chickadees, Carolina Wren, Titmouse, and Robins everywhere."
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From Peter:
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 4/4/11
Number of species: 32
Canada Goose X Lake
Mute Swan X Lake
Mallard X
Ring-necked Duck 2--drakes; Upper Pool, Lake , with Scaup
Greater Scaup 42 Lake (maybe a record pending search )
Lesser Scaup 1 lake
Hooded Merganser 3 lake, 1 drake, 2 hen
Ruddy Duck X lake
Black-crowned Night-Heron 8 on 3 sisters isl
Red-tailed Hawk 1 f/o Nethermead
American Kestrel 1 f/o lake ( Jett)
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull (American) X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Downy Woodpecker 1 Nethermead
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 4 Maryland Monument
Blue Jay 2 West Isl
Tree Swallow 5 Lake
Barn Swallow 4 Lake
Black-capped Chickadee 1 West Isl
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 West Isl sweetgums
American Robin X common
European Starling X
Pine Warbler 2 north Nethermead , in Linden tall tree
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 3 with Pine Warblers
Chipping Sparrow 6--4 ballfields,2 nethermead
Song Sparrow 1 West Isl
Swamp Sparrow 2--1 Peninsula shore, 1 West shore lake
Dark-eyed Junco 8--3 Nethermead, 5 ballfields
Northern Cardinal 1
Common Grackle X
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From Rob Bate:
Number of species: 27
Mallard 5
Northern Shoveler 8
Ring-necked Duck 1
Greater Scaup 42
Hooded Merganser 1
Ruddy Duck 25
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Osprey 1 flyover Lookout Hill
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Coot 4
Mourning Dove 4
Northern Flicker 2
Fish Crow 1
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 3 Lullwater
Black-capped Chickadee 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 1
American Robin 10
Pine Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 2
Chipping Sparrow 9 Nethermead
Song Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 7
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From Rob Jett:
Location: Prospect Park--Prospect Lake
Observation date: 4/5/11
Number of species: 36
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 4
Wood Duck 2
American Black Duck X
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler X
Ring-necked Duck 1
Greater Scaup 41
Lesser Scaup 1
Hooded Merganser 2
Ruddy Duck X
Black-crowned Night-Heron 8
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 1
American Coot X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull (American) X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Blue Jay 2
Fish Crow 1
Tree Swallow 4
Barn Swallow 6
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin X
European Starling X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
