RUSTY BLACKBIRD continues to hang out in the area under the feeders; when I saw the bird this afternoon, it was perched on the back brush pile in moderately falling rain.
The year's first AMERICAN WIGEON that I know of were stationed on the Lake ice at the Peninsula side , two drakes very close to shore. Considering that I am compiling last year's Prospect species list, this duck species appeared only once in 2011 ! Puzzling, no doubt...
While the wigeons stay stationary, 6 RING-NECKED DUCKS with only one hen happily sailed along in the open water between Three Sister Islands and the Peninsula "thumb". Gorgeous ducks to watch in winter. Their numbers are far far below the NORTHERN SHOVELERS,my estimate take 72 birds scattered around the western third of the Lake.
The other interesting sighting on this dreary day, a handsome adult COOPER'S HAWK perched high in the Sycamore Maple tree up the slope from Well Drive's picnic tables or better known as "Lamppost #249".
The songbird numbers are low, mostly WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS with Cardinals in front of the Quaker Cemetery main gate, West Island sweetgums trio and I forget where else...
Prospect Feeders
RUSTY BLACKBIRD
**
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Jan 23, 2012
Protocol: Incidental
21 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose 218
Mute Swan 7
American Wigeon 2
American Black Duck 2
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) X
Northern Shoveler 72 Lake
Ring-necked Duck 6 off Peninsula thumb
Ruddy Duck 7 Lake
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Lake
Great Blue Heron 1 flying across lake
Cooper's Hawk 1 LP 249
Red-tailed Hawk 1 south Lakeside
American Coot 26
Ring-billed Gull 1100
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Song Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 16 --various spots
Dark-eyed Junco 6 Center Dr bridle trail
Common Grackle 45 flying in from PPSW Ave to West Isl area.
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
