Hi Peter,
This may be of interest for your blog:
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/bees/
I forgot to email you that I found a late Laughing Gull over the Lake on Sat.
John
John S. Ascher, Ph.D.
Bee Database Project Manager
Division of Invertebrate Zoology
American Museum of Natural History
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From Gabriel Willow:
Subject: Prospect Park Sightings 11/17/11
From: gabriel willow
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:29:06 -0800
While leading a private tour today for some excitable twitchers
from Newcastle, UK, we had some nice sightings in Prospect
Park in spite [because of?] the dreary cold, wet weather.
On the Lake we had two Pied-billed Grebes, a number of
American Coots, and many Ruddy Ducks. �Nearby under the
Terrace Bridge we encountered a flock of White-throated Sparrows
that included two Fox Sparrows, one of which burst into song! �
I don't think I've ever heard a Fox Sparrow singing here in their
wintering grounds... it was lovely. �Nearby I caught a quick glimpse
of a greenish-gray bird I assumed to be a Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
but I "pished" and it landed on a branch mere feet from our faces...
and it was a fairly bright�Orange-crowned Warbler! �
Seems late, no?
On the Peninsula we encountered a flock of 8 House Finches eating
Green Ash seeds, and there was one male Purple Finch in the group.
We also had Golden-and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a flock of over
50 Juncos, a calling Carolina Wren, and the pair of Great-horned Owls
roosting in their undisclosed location.
Not a bad day! �Oh, and yesterday from the Terrace Bridge I saw
something I'd never witnessed before: in the afternoon a bat was circling
(late as well, but it was warm) and a Merlin flew in and took a couple
passes at it! �The bat went into evasive maneuvers though and the falcon
didn't catch it though as far as I could see... must've been trying out to be
a Bat Falcon!
Good Birding,
Gabriel WillowProspect Park Audubon Center, NYC Audubon
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Generally very quiet after my work day, yet for small movement in the Peninsula sumacs by the water fountain; Eating Peppercorn berries were HERMIT THRUSH, White-throated Sparrows, and two nearby SWAMP SPARROWS..
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Nov 17, 2011 3:30 AM - 4:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
13 species
Mute Swan 5
Mallard X
Ruddy Duck 31 lake
Double-crested Cormorant 1 at 3 sisters
American Coot 3 lake
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 well dr
Blue Jay 1
Hermit Thrush 1 peninsula sumacs
American Robin 20 peninsula sumacs
Swamp Sparrow 2 peninsula sumacs
White-throated Sparrow X
American Goldfinch 1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)