As has been the story all spring, dispersal birding is the norm for birders. Working for scattered sightings with the exception of Butterfly Meadow which offered more than a few plus a rarity , birders had to contend for warblers in dispersed workmanship.
Of the various corners of the Park, Butterfly Meadow on Lookout Hill wins today's prize for best location. Here, SUMMER TANAGER was spotted by Kevin Brooks, a molted male with a red head, seen in the east Pin Oak. The Summer is likely the 3rd different individual thus far in Prospect's spring, a pretty good showing.There on, through the rest of the day, not in great bird numbers, CAPE MAY & BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS took front stage in the Butterfly Meadow Oaks. CAPE MAY put in a good show today, its presence reported at several locations, such as the Maryland Monument, the Zoo Mulch Pit, and Aralia ( Latin name for Hercules club) Grove to the north of the mulch pit, a female. The BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, by the way, was first seen by John Ascher, at the intersection of Well and Lake Drives, a bird we were waiting for at Lookout's summit , but it instead took a route along Well Drive , then left up the switchback trail from the Maryland Monument before settling in at Butterfly Meadow much later.
By the way, Rafael mentioned he saw a termite nest by the Monument; keep watch for these termite nest hatchings, always a food sources for hungry birds continuing their journeys and a good show for birders .
Some other warblers may entice you to looking for them. If so, CANADA WARBLER ,WORMEATING, & TENNESSEE at the Dongan Oak may suffice. If not an INDIGO BUNTING there will do for a non-warbler.
On a earlier note, when I got in the park at 6:10 am ( its the early bird getting the worm! ), I sighted the season's first LINCOLN'S SPARROW on Lookout Hill's summit, in the grassy meadow. Not a bright bird, but with nice enough features to cherish this beautiful sparrow. Hopefully, there will be more LISP to come. I am suppose to lead a 2 hr walk if anybody shows up at the boathouse Sunday at 8 am for beginners , a result of a Audubon Center typo error for its walk from last week.
Regarding warbler diversity , it was pretty good, with pending reports still to come. So far, it's 20 species total by my account and others' word of mouth. By late tonight, I will be expecting more reports and adding extra summation. In all, on a scale of 1 to 10, I give it 6 for satisfactory birding. But more so,its great being out there and meeting all the birders, like an annual reunion !!
And its Animal Kingdom , winner of the 137th Kentucky Derby !..(How appropriate)
Late word: Warbler Species total is 22
Warbler Master list ( pending more reports)
date May 7th
site = Prospect Park
observers = Various, Mult Obs
Worm-eating Warbler Payne Hill, Dongan Oak Monument
Tennessee Warbler -Battle Pass
American Redstart
Black-and-white Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Ovenbird
Canada Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler - first Well Dr, then Butterfly Meadow
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Cape May Warbler -several locations, most notable Butterfly Meadow area
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler Zoo Mulch pit/Dongan Oak Monument
Wilson's Warbler Quaker ridge base near cemetery
Yellow Warbler
Prairie Warbler
22 species so far.
*********************************
Peter's list
Observers: Peter, Tom Preston
Location: Prospect Park
Observation date: 5/7/11
Number of species: 64
Canada Goose X
Wood Duck 2 Lower pool
Mallard X
Ruddy Duck 1 lake
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 on 3 sisters
Red-tailed Hawk 2 nesters, with chicks
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift X
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Least Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
White-eyed Vireo 1 Payne Hill
Blue-headed Vireo 2
Warbling Vireo 3
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 lake
Tree Swallow X lake
Barn Swallow 12 lake
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Veery 1
Swainson's Thrush 1 at 3 arches
Wood Thrush 1 Midwood
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1 Lookout summit
Tennessee Warbler 1 Battle pass west
Nashville Warbler 1 Upper Pool, many more heard
Northern Parula 25 , common
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 payne hill
Magnolia Warbler 2, one lookout hill
Cape May Warbler 1 Butterfly meadow, reported elsewhere by others, good # at least 6 today , uncommon
Black-throated Blue Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 18
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Blackburnian Warbler 1 East Woods by Mulch pit
Blackpoll Warbler 1 Lookout Hill summit, also obs Russ Alderson
Black-and-white Warbler 5
American Redstart 2
Worm-eating Warbler 1 Payne Hill
Ovenbird 2
Northern Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
Eastern Towhee 2
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Lookout Hill summit
White-throated Sparrow X
White-crowned Sparrow 1 reported at LP 249 John Ascher
Summer Tanager 1 Butterfly Meadow, Kevin Brooks, me
Scarlet Tanager 2
Northern Cardinal 6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 9, conservatively.
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Orchard Oriole 1 Long Meadow 1st yr male
Baltimore Oriole 4
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/)
***************************************
Results of Brooklyn Bird Club walk
Leader : Paul Sweet
List submitted courtesy of Tom Stephenson
Hi Peter,
Great walk today with Paul leading and about 20+ people. I mentioned to Paul I'd send a list and it includes a few things a "tail" of the group saw after the main group dispersed.
Very birdy, as you know, with lots of great warblers. We had 20 species including at least 4 Cape May, 3 Blackburnian, at least 2 Tennessee and a brilliant Canada. We also had Least Flycatcher (FOY?) (it vocalized after you left confirming our ID) and many other birds. Here's the list:
Best regards,
Tom
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
Ruddy Duck
Red-tailed Hawk
Spotted Sandpiper at least 3
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher 1 on Lookout
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Donegan Oak
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler at least 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler at least 3
Prairie Warbler at least 2
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush at least 4
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
***************************************
From Rafael:
07 May 2011
Time: 0730-1200 hrs
Observer: Rafael Campos R.
Warblers, warblers, warblers!!! They were everywhere you look around PP this morning. I saw 15 sps of them. The rare ones in PP, at least for me were 1 Canada, followed by 1-2 Cape Mays. They were very active catching insects near the MD Monument. At the top of the Vale, 1 Tennessee made my day. Later, 1 Northern Waterthrush taking a dip at Rick's Place. Others sps were: Yellowthroat, Parula, Ovenbird; Black-and-white, Nashville, BT Blue, BT Green, Myrtle, Chestnut-sided, Redstart. MIAs were Blackburnian, Worm-eating.
At the lake, 3 sps of swallows: Tree, Northern Rough-winged, & Barn.
Vireos, 3 sps: Blue-headed, Warbling & Red-eyed.
Scarlet Tanagers (other birders recorded early 1 Summer), with Gnatcatchers (1 pair building a nest) near MD Monument. Also a good number of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and least 3 Indigo Buntings (Midwood, Lookout Hill). Both sps of Orioles: Baltimore & Orchard.
One Spotted Sandpiper seen along the peninsula shore. Thrushes, beside American, good views of Veery (at least 2), Wood Thrush (photos), and 1 Swainson's by the Boulder bridge.
Brooklyn is great birding!!!!:
Rafa Campos R
http://www.ticornis.com/
***********************************
From John Ascher:
Hi Peter,
I saw pretty much the same birds as everyone else. A few additions and
corrections:
The White-crowned Sparrow was seen by Andrew Vallely and Dale Dyer. I
never saw it.
Great Egret (Lake AM)
Laughing Gulls (several on Lake but not on other day lists)
Swamp Sparrow in Vale.
Chaoyan and I saw a Blackburnian Warbler after 5 PM atop Lookout.
PB Grebe on the Lake in the PM (thought they would be gone by now).
Around 5-6PM there were abundant swallows on the Lake: dozens of Barn and
also many Tree. No uncommon species but I did see Rough-Winged earlier in
the day.
In the AM there was an Indigo Bunting male atop Lookout.
John
John S. Ascher, Ph.D.
Bee Database Project Manager
*********************************
From Tom Preston:
Better late than never, I hope!
Two I had before I met you were:
RT Hummingbird - Upper Pool
Pewee - Woods above center drive (Quaker Hill?)
Great birding with you!
- Tom
From: do-not-reply@ebird.org
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2011 11:47 pm
Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park , 5/7/11
> Location: Prospect Park
> Observation date: 5/7/11
> Number of species: 64
>
> Canada Goose X
> Wood Duck 2
> Mallard X
> Red-tailed Hawk 1
> Herring Gull X
> Rock Pigeon X
> Mourning Dove X
> Chimney Swift X
> Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
> Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
> Downy Woodpecker 2
> Hairy Woodpecker 1
> Northern Flicker 2
> Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
> Eastern Kingbird 3
> White-eyed Vireo 1
> Blue-headed Vireo 2
> Warbling Vireo X
> Red-eyed Vireo 3
> Blue Jay X
> Barn Swallow X
> Black-capped Chickadee 2
> Tufted Titmouse 1
> White-breasted Nuthatch 2
> House Wren X
> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
> Veery 3
> Swainson's Thrush 2
> Wood Thrush 3
> American Robin X
> Gray Catbird X
> European Starling X
> Tennessee Warbler 1
> Nashville Warbler 5
> Northern Parula X
> Yellow Warbler X
> Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
> Magnolia Warbler 2
> Cape May Warbler 2
> Black-throated Blue Warbler X
> Yellow-rumped Warbler X
> Black-throated Green Warbler X
> Blackburnian Warbler 2
> Blackpoll Warbler 1
> Black-and-white Warbler 3
> American Redstart 5
> Worm-eating Warbler 1
> Ovenbird 4
> Northern Waterthrush 2
> Common Yellowthroat 2
> Eastern Towhee 2
> Chipping Sparrow 6
> White-throated Sparrow 6
> Scarlet Tanager 4
> Northern Cardinal X
> Rose-breasted Grosbeak X
> Indigo Bunting 1
> Red-winged Blackbird X
> Common Grackle X
> Brown-headed Cowbird X
> Orchard Oriole 1
> Baltimore Oriole 5
> American Goldfinch X
> House Sparrow X
> This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
>
