Keir Randall spotted the bird at the back of the tree , which in time, we studied it closely & declared it as Golden-winged (GWWA) as it moved through the heavy upper foliage , from tree to tree. The outline of the dark throat bib and cheek could be seen for this muted colored bird.
After I left the park for Floyd Bennett by noon, driving down Ocean Ave, I received a text from Keir that more "gold" was found , this time in the cove area between the Peninsula point and the small peninsula called the "thumb" where Keir and Ed Crowne along with Tom Stephenson watched a female PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (PRWA) worked its way through tree branches. This bird was first found on Thursday 8/23 by Elyse Taylor at the Peninsula base near Well Drive.
Called oftentimes a "golden bird of swamps" ( Peterson Guide) , we are hoping there will be a rush to find more gold in the Peninsula. Prothonotary is a very rare autumn record , more likely seen in spring when this species overshoots its breeding range. Since very few or nil of this species breed north of NYC, getting one here is a lighting strike !
Warbler activity was sporadic , with some birds to report in low numbers.Some species were Canada , Nashville, Prairie, Black-throated Blue that were seen. But for a quiet day, two gold spikes in GWWA and PRWA makes it s terrific day. See Tom Stephenson's photos of the Prothonotary below; A Canada Warbler is also included. But I heard later, the activity picked up. See the below reports.
The Peninsula woods trail runs parallel to the Lullwater shoreline, by the way. See the previous field post of the GWWA sighting .
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| PRWA female/juv , taken by Tom Stephenson |
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| taken by Tom S. |
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| Canada Warbler, by Tom S. |
From Keir:
Further to Peter's earlier report, things got even better on Prospect Park's peninsula today when a Prothonotary Warbler was seen by several observers and photographed. Full details are below.
best
Keir Randall, Brooklyn
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Aug 25, 2012 7:15 AM - 4:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
50 species (+2 other taxa)
Canada Goose 6
Mute Swan 8
Wood Duck 3
Mallard 14
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Green Heron 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Laughing Gull 1
Chimney Swift 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Least Flycatcher 1
Empidonax sp. 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
White-eyed Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 10
Red-eyed Vireo 5
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 1
Barn Swallow 8
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin 15
Gray Catbird 6
European Starling 6
Ovenbird 1
Northern Waterthrush 2
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Golden-winged Warbler 1 Female type seen well, often working dead leaves. Peninsula, path by Lullwater btwn pink beach and tip. Peter Dorosh also obs.
Black-and-white Warbler 6
Prothonotary Warbler 1 Female or immature. Found at 11am nr path from Peninsula tip to "thumb" a little in from water's edge. Ed Crowne also obs. Refound 12.15 pm with Tom Stephenson who photographed the bird.
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 15
Cape May Warbler 1 Drab individual continues in peninsula pines
Northern Parula 1 Male, Lookout
Magnolia Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 12
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Canada Warbler 1
warbler sp. 1 While trying to get good looks at the Prothonotary Warbler I glimpsed what looked like a female Mourning Warbler but never refound it to clinch id despite much searching.Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 7
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 1
American Goldfinch 20
House Sparrow 80
Aug 25, 2012 7:15 AM - 4:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
50 species (+2 other taxa)
Canada Goose 6
Mute Swan 8
Wood Duck 3
Mallard 14
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Green Heron 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Laughing Gull 1
Chimney Swift 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Least Flycatcher 1
Empidonax sp. 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
White-eyed Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 10
Red-eyed Vireo 5
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 1
Barn Swallow 8
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin 15
Gray Catbird 6
European Starling 6
Ovenbird 1
Northern Waterthrush 2
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Golden-winged Warbler 1 Female type seen well, often working dead leaves. Peninsula, path by Lullwater btwn pink beach and tip. Peter Dorosh also obs.
Black-and-white Warbler 6
Prothonotary Warbler 1 Female or immature. Found at 11am nr path from Peninsula tip to "thumb" a little in from water's edge. Ed Crowne also obs. Refound 12.15 pm with Tom Stephenson who photographed the bird.
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 15
Cape May Warbler 1 Drab individual continues in peninsula pines
Northern Parula 1 Male, Lookout
Magnolia Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 12
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Canada Warbler 1
warbler sp. 1 While trying to get good looks at the Prothonotary Warbler I glimpsed what looked like a female Mourning Warbler but never refound it to clinch id despite much searching.Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 7
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 1
American Goldfinch 20
House Sparrow 80
************************************
Report from Ania:
Hi Peter,
Here's my eBird report:
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Aug 25, 2012 8:15 AM - 1:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
43 species (+1 other taxa)
Mute Swan X
Mallard X
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee X
Least Flycatcher 1
Empidonax sp. X
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
Barn Swallow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren X
Carolina Wren X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1
Northern Waterthrush 2
Golden-winged Warbler 1 peninsula
Black-and-white Warbler X
Nashville Warbler (Eastern) 1 Lookout south Switchback Trail . Got a great close-up look. Bold white eye-ring, no necklace, olive wings, white around tibia (not on under-tail coverts).
Common Yellowthroat X
American Redstart X
Northern Parula 1 imm. or female. ravine
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Black-throated Blue Warbler 3
Prairie Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Canada Warbler 2Northern Cardinal X
Common Grackle 1
Baltimore Oriole X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Aug 25, 2012 8:15 AM - 1:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
43 species (+1 other taxa)
Mute Swan X
Mallard X
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee X
Least Flycatcher 1
Empidonax sp. X
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
Barn Swallow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren X
Carolina Wren X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1
Northern Waterthrush 2
Golden-winged Warbler 1 peninsula
Black-and-white Warbler X
Nashville Warbler (Eastern) 1 Lookout south Switchback Trail . Got a great close-up look. Bold white eye-ring, no necklace, olive wings, white around tibia (not on under-tail coverts).
Common Yellowthroat X
American Redstart X
Northern Parula 1 imm. or female. ravine
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Black-throated Blue Warbler 3
Prairie Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Canada Warbler 2Northern Cardinal X
Common Grackle 1
Baltimore Oriole X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
