The rarest sparrow family ( or genus) in the northeast and most anticipated is the Ammodramus. For Prospect, its a bonus fall sighting since only one such ammodramus species is seen yearly ( most years) .That occurred today with the sighting of NELSON'S SPARROW seen 2:35- ish by Rob Jett , along with Rob Bate at the baseball field's northeast fence enclosure, a somewhat annual fall tradition of these fence enclosures donefor reseeding purposes producing October rarities whenever on that now famous baseball venue.
Keir Randall reported a very good day today, with 16 species warblers and 11 species sparrows to his credit. Among the latter genus, LINCOLNS, WHITE-CROWNED & FIELD are his good sightings and a fleeting glimpse of NELSONS, once combined with the Salt-marsh Sharp tailed Sparrow before the "split" of the races.
For a profile of Nelson's from Cornell Ebirds, check this link
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nelsons_Sparrow/id
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From Keir:
hi Peter
Glad I took today off work - 16 sp of warbler and 10 sp of sparrow on same day! Around 8-9am birds were streaming through the north end of the Rose Garden, especially BT Green & BT Blue warblers, both kinglets and BHVI. Nashville Warblers were everywhere. Later, good numbers of sparrows on the meadow edges, Sparrow bowl etc. In late afternoon I rechecked one of the fenced off reseeded areas of Longmeadow (nr the dog beach) I found the 2 Robs who had seen a Nelson's Sparrow. I got some flight views of a very skulky bird...
cheers
Keir
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Oct 6, 2011 7:45 AM - 4:45 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
69 species (+2 other taxa)
Canada Goose 20
Mute Swan 3
Wood Duck 3
Mallard 20
Northern Shoveler 10
Ruddy Duck 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Lullwater
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Osprey 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Laughing Gull 1
Herring Gull 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 8
Monk Parakeet 13 flyover, Rose Garden
Chimney Swift 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 10
Eastern Phoebe 25
Blue-headed Vireo 4+
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 6
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 2
House Wren 2
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10+
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 15+
Swainson's Thrush 1
Hermit Thrush 3
American Robin 15
Gray Catbird 5
European Starling X
Ovenbird 1 Peninsula tip
Northern Waterthrush 1
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Tennessee Warbler 1 Lookout switchback trail
Nashville Warbler 10+, often in groups of 2 - Rose Garden, Lookout, Peninsula
Common Yellowthroat 4
American Redstart 1
Northern Parula 2
Magnolia Warbler 2
Blackpoll Warbler 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler 7+
Palm Warbler 10
Pine Warbler 1 Peninsula tip
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Black-throated Green Warbler 8 incl 4 together Rose Garden am
Wilson's Warbler 1 Lookout switchback trail
Chipping Sparrow 2
Field Sparrow 1 Sparrow bowl
Savannah Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 12
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Sparrow bowl am and mid pm
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 100
White-crowned Sparrow 2-- 1 very bright adult and 1 Imm, S. Rose Garden to N. Vale path
Dark-eyed Junco 2 Ballfields
sparrow sp. 1 flight views of what was certainly Nelson's Sparrow - seen better by others - reseeded area, Long Meadow
Eastern Towhees 2
Scarlet Tanager 1 Butterfly Meadow
Northern Cardinal 5
Indigo Bunting 1 behind green containers nr L249
Common Grackle 4
House Sparrow 40
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