Congrats to Alex on a most spectacular find ! See Alex's report below.
In an early spring season that is amissed with usual missing warbler species and low numbers, two spectacular and new or long absent species so far is making Prospect's spring a most memorable season for the ages, following last week's Swallow-tailed Kite seen by Russ Aldertone.
Also noted for quality birds on Alex's list, WILSON's SNIPE, SOLITARY SANDPIPER, WORM-EATING WARBLER, PRAIRIE WARBLER, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
Click on Profile Upland Sandpiper--> http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Upland_Sandpiper/id
Alex's Ebird Yahoogroups listerve posting:
An UPLAND SANDPIPER was on the Long Meadow ball fields at
dawn this morning. It was just after 6:00, and still dim on the field,
with the sun not yet over the tree line. I was walking up the middle
of the field when the bird flushed (or perhaps it was just coming
down) from the direction of diamonds 5 & 6, crossing the field
and setting down near diamond 2. It walked a few paces, then
made two more short flights, passing around me at close range
and landing about 20 yards away, providing definitive looks
before it again took flight. This time it gained altitude and headed
north, where I lost it behind the elms near the Upper Pool. I walked
up and down the length of the meadow and checked out
Nellie’s Lawn, but couldn’t find it again. I returned to the
original spot and had a brief thrill when I again saw a shorebird
flying north over the meadow, but this time it turned out
to be a WILSON’S SNIPE. Shortly thereafter I came upon
a SOLITARY SANDPIPER behind the Lower Pool; along
with a couple of Spotted Sandpipers that made for four shorebird
species, probably the most I’ve had on one day in Prospect.
Spotted is the only one that’s ever common in the park; according
to Peter Dorosh’s blog, this is the first record of Upland since 4/22/1950.
As far as passerines go, it was a fairly slow day, with the
highlights being WORM-EATING and PRAIRE WARBLERS, and
a RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
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Alex's report:
Begin forwarded message:
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NYApr 25, 201259 species
Canada Goose 20Mute Swan 9Wood Duck 6Mallard 30Ruddy Duck 1Double-crested Cormorant 2Black-crowned Night-Heron 3Red-tailed Hawk 4American Coot 2Spotted Sandpiper 2Solitary Sandpiper 1 (Back gate of Lower Pool.)
Upland Sandpiper 1 (On Long Meadow ball fields at dawn. Flushed from diamonds area across center of field, paused on lawn for a moment, then moved again twice, flying around me at close range and standing about 20 yards from me before flying north.)
Wilson's Snipe 1 (Flying north over the Long Meadow ball fields and towards Pools around 7:00 AM.)Ring-billed Gull 5Herring Gull 10Rock Pigeon 25Mourning Dove 15Chimney Swift 15Belted Kingfisher 2Red-bellied Woodpecker 6Downy Woodpecker 3Hairy Woodpecker 1Northern Flicker 15Warbling Vireo 2Blue Jay 10American Crow 1Tree Swallow 6Barn Swallow 15Black-capped Chickadee 1White-breasted Nuthatch 1Carolina Wren 3House Wren 4Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5Hermit Thrush 10American Robin 60European Starling 100Worm-eating Warbler 1 (Singing in Bald Cypress on south shore of Lake.)Northern Waterthrush 4Black-and-white Warbler 2Common Yellowthroat 1Palm Warbler 4Yellow-rumped Warbler 50Prairie Warbler 1 (Female, Lookout south stairs area.)Eastern Towhee 6Chipping Sparrow 20Field Sparrow 1Savannah Sparrow 1Song Sparrow 7Swamp Sparrow 4White-throated Sparrow 40Northern Cardinal 15Red-winged Blackbird 15Rusty Blackbird 1 (Male, stream side between Pools and Esdale Bridge.)Common Grackle 20Brown-headed Cowbird 15House Finch 5American Goldfinch 5House Sparrow 25
