First, about 9 am, a COMMON RAVEN was seen flying over the Ravine , a soaring bird with those long wings and wedge tail. Soon after , Keir Randall responding to my text that took me 5 minutes to relay being so long with my last cell phone alert ( I forgot how) when I sent a bird text from last spring , reported BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART & BLACK & WHITE WARBLER along the southern Midwood bridle path, near the mud hole .
The latter B&W warbler was re -seen again mid morn along the slope Elephant Path, where Bobbi Manian was watching that bird.
However, an unexpected surprise as i was making my work inspection rounds happened at the Payne Hill woods, the crisscrossed trails near the environmental bond sign. A warbler i watched, quite unfamiliar and rare for me at first raised my suspicions that i confirmed with the office field guide 10 minutes later, a first year female CERULEAN WARBLER that hung about at least 5 minutes before I left it.
here's a photo link i found closely resembling the Payne bird
http://www.symbolicmessengers.com/Wildlife/WTG/Birds/Warblers/Cerulean_Warbler_D10423.jpg
early August to mid august is about the time those early warbler species start moving with fall migration.Hey, nothing like getting a head start....
--KB
Addendum: A check of the bird records revealed only one other August record for Cerulean Warbler, a adult female I saw August 17th, 1997 , a very closely seen bird in an oak branch right over the the Nethermead Bridge railing. That was a memorable one since I was doing a wildflower survey when birding wasn't my primary objective.
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From Bobbi Manian:
Hi Peter,
Searched for the cerulean unsuccessfully today, but I found a/the blue-wing on the way out (in the Vale) today about 3:30. fuzzy pic attached.
Here's my list:
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "do-not-reply@ebird.org" <do-not-reply@ebird.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 7, 2012 8:37 PM
Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park, Aug 7, 2012
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Aug 7, 2012 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Comments: <br />Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.4.4
28 species
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 4
Mallard X
Great Blue Heron 1
Green Heron 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 8
Chimney Swift 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 1
Barn Swallow 5
House Wren 4
American Robin 40
Gray Catbird 25
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling X
Northern Waterthrush 1
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 2
American Redstart 1
Yellow Warbler 3
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 12
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 4
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
