A reward after work on this warm Indian Summer day were at least 2 VESPER SPARROWS at the well known "Sparrowbowl" , inside the black mesh fence enclosure adjacent & north of the Tennis house. This kettle pothole spot is very good for sparrows, and other things as well.
As my initial sighting, the sparrows with the prominent eye rings and white tail retrices flew over the mesh fence unto the grass lawn. I went over there to get closer but it was hard to see the rare sparrows in the un-mowed grass. I thought there was a third VESPER but this was undetermined as the easily spooked hidden birds split up , one flying into the tree next to me.
After a group text , Rob Jett showed up and we searched in vain.By then all the multitudes of high school track runners converged unto the general region. And it also didn't help having a female SHARP-SHINNED HAWK fly over and perched in an nearby Oak.
ON the lake, 5 WOOD DUCKS, 13 NORTHERN SHOVELERS and 1 AMERICAN COOT ( a first of year ?) were seen, the latter waterbird means I am not ready for winter just yet.
--KB
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Oct 11, 2011 3:35 PM - 4:45 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
30 species
Canada Goose 21 Lake
Mute Swan 1
Wood Duck 5 Lake
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 13 Lake
Ruddy Duck 3 Lake
Great Blue Heron 1 f/o Lake
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Sparrowbowl
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Coot 1 lake
Spotted Sandpiper 1 lake
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3
Hermit Thrush 1 Sparrowbowl
American Robin X
Common Yellowthroat 1
Palm Warbler 3 Sparrowbowl
Vesper Sparrow 2 outer Sparrowbowl
Savannah Sparrow 3 Baseball field
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow 1 Sparrowbowl
White-throated Sparrow 50 various
Dark-eyed Junco 5
Eastern Towhee--Arlene's grove
Northern Cardinal 2
House Sparrow X
************************************
From Orrin
at BBGarden
About 90 minutes in BBG this morning yielded the following:
Mallard duck (half a dozen)
Northern flicker (1 flock in lilacs)
Red-bellied woodpecker
Mourning dove
Eastern phoebe (2)
American crow
Blue jay
White-breasted nuthatch
Brown creeper
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Golden-crowned kinglet (many)
Gray catbird
Northern mockingbird
American robin
Northern parula (3)
Yellow-rumped warbler (several)
American redstart
Black-throated blue warbler
Nashville warbler
Common grackle
European starling
House sparrow
Northern cardinal
House finch
Eastern towhee
White-throated sparrow (everywhere)
Swamp sparrow
****************************************
From Larry
at Brooklyn Bridge park
A late afternoon walk around Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier One found
a lot of activity. Unfortunately the birds were very skittish because of
the constant thrum of those useless (and apparently deadly) tour
helicopters.A Golden-crowned Kinglet was working the bushes by
the pond. A Phoebe was on the lawn, as were quite a few
White-throated Sparrows and my first juncos of the season. 4 species
of warbler plus one that I didn't want to call as an orange-crowned
though that was the only feasible ID I could come up with.
Golden-crowned Kinglet is the 63rd species recorded at Pier One.
I'm moving to NJ soon so I won't be birding Pier One much longer.
I'm happy to see that some other birders check out pier occasionally
and hope they'll continue to bird this surprising hot spot.
Larry Zirlin
http://birdsandwords-larryz.blogspot.com/
