Friday, November 18, 2011

New bee species found @BBG ; Prospect reports inc OCWA &GHO

From John Ascher:

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

*********************************

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)