Friday, January 13, 2012

Gusty Day, safe harbor Prospect January 13th


I would not call this day "unlucky" (my apologies to anyone professing to have triskaidekaphobia ) , but this very gusty cold day forced ducks into safe harbor, as productive West Island Cove turned out to be.

And as expected , locales like the West Island cove where dense phragmite stands act as wind barrier, several species ducks and some PIED-BILLED GREBEs sought cover. On a first run, I saw a drake RING-NECKED DUCK on the outskirts of the cove, along with 3 grebes, and 37 NORTHERN SHOVELERS surface feeding and a few AMERICAN BLACK DUCK resting on the island water snags. It was on my return from the feeders, that I stopped once more at the West Island benches ( while picking up a SWAMP SPARROW with a SONG), that I spotted what I thought was another Ring-necked but lo & behold at my oversight as the sleeping duck turned, it was a LESSER SCAUP drake Duck ! It always pays to look again and look closely. A good duck to have for Prospect and with those species, I saw in the distance by Duck Island, also HOODED MERGANSER, also a drake.

The feeders were quiet except for a few species , the wind no doubt having its impact. WHITE_THROATED SPARROWS reappeared as I adjusted the brush behind the feeders to create more ground cover, and those sparrows seemed to like that , coming out as soon as I left the area. Three red NORTHERN CARDINAL in the multi flora rose is always cool to see, for a winter day setting.

So some favorite ducks  to see on FRIDAY THE 13TH ( and I hope and wish for a lucky Redhead this year on the Lake) and a chance to get out despite the challenges of a stiff cold wind.Winter is here; is snow far behind ?

--Kingsboider

Prospect Park--Prospect Lake, Kings, US-NY
Jan 13, 2012 3:00 PM - 3:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.05 mile(s)
16 species

Canada Goose  17
Mute Swan  5
American Black Duck  3 West Isl cove
Mallard  X
Northern Shoveler  37 west isl cove
Ring-necked Duck  1 drake west Isl cove
Lesser Scaup  1 drake West Isl cove, b4 dusk
Hooded Merganser  1 drake Duck Isl
Ruddy Duck  15
Pied-billed Grebe  5 --3 west isl cove, 2 Lake
Double-crested Cormorant  1
American Coot  X
Song Sparrow  1 west isl phrag marsh
Swamp Sparrow  1 West Isl phrag marsh
White-throated Sparrow  3
Red-winged Blackbird  X

Prospect Park--Feeders, Kings, US-NY
Jan 13, 2012 3:50 PM - 4:15 PM
Protocol: Stationary
6 species

Mourning Dove  2
Downy Woodpecker  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
American Robin  1  (where are these guys?)
White-throated Sparrow  14
Northern Cardinal  3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)


From Adam Welz:

weather very cold and windy, did not stay long -- of real interest was a female Belted Kingfisher at end of Peninsula -- I'm not used to seeing them in winter!
Adam

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 4:13 PM
Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park, Jan 13, 2012


Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Jan 13, 2012 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 kilometer(s)
Comments: biting wind, cold, did not fully survey Lake as a result.
24 species

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) X
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) X
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 20 approx count
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 2 pink beach
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) X
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 3 in a tight group near Duck Island. Lake not fully surveyed.
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) 6
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 150 approx count
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 5
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 3
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) X
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 40 approx count
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 25 approx count, at feeders
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)