Heat wave ...forget birding.

With this mini heat wave, who has the stamina or courage to birdwatch ?

Janet Zinn reports seeing at 5:30 pm, two TURKEY VULTURES passing by in the sky heading south, seen from her apartment window this afternoon.

Right now, I welcome the evening cold front coming thru....

American Kestrels in the 'Hoods..

I received a few emails from birders about Kestrels in the neighborhood.

One report from Eni Falci tells of an offshoot pair likely nesting by Carlton Ave. /Flatbush Ave. /Prospect Pl. triangle ( near the Flatbush Mall and new sports arena). They were seen hunting together every morning. There was a parental pair last year by Vanderbilt Ave and Plaza Street area. (GAP pair)

And an email from Mike Corzine, see his posting below:

"I've been seeing a Kestrel, at times a pair, from my window in Ditmas Park, for the past few weeks. Sometimes as close as 40 feet. They seem to favor the old TV antennae and cell towers on some of the roofs that my living room looks out on. I haven't seen the female in 2 weeks and I'm hoping she's sitting in a nest."

Dr Bob DeCandido runs a Kestrel newsletter and keeps track of this species in NYC. You should report to him any sightings for the record. See his latest newsletter and info details for letting him know from the link below ( clickon).

--Kingsboider

http://www.battaly.com/nehw/AmericanKestrel/news/news.pdf

Important note about the future of North American Birds; Eve watch

Please click on this link from my Conservation blog

http://bbcnewsboard.blogspot.com/2011/06/national-bird-conservancy-programs-at.html

My list Eve watch 6/6

Location: Prospect Park Lake


Observation date: 6/6/11

Number of species: 8



Canada Goose 22

Mute Swan 3

Mallard X

Ruddy Duck 1

Green Heron 1 near West Isl

Peregrine Falcon 1 BBG tower

Herring Gull 1

Tree Swallow 1



This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Request from Brooklyn Children's Museum

I received this email inquiry on the Brooklyn Bird Club contact us page:
(pass along the word if you know any nature oriented and potentially interested children)

--Kingsboider

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

To Whom it May Concern:



I am a science educator at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. On Thursday, June 16th we are having a Celebrate Urban Birds with Cornell University hosting the event. Do you all list outside events on your calendar? We would love to get bird loving parents and kids to swing by the museum and join us.


Thanks!


Lynn Cartwright-Punnett

Science Educator


Brooklyn Children's Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave


Brooklyn, NY 11213


(718) 735-4400


lynn@brooklynkids.org


http://www.brooklynkids.org/

Prospect June 5th Acadian FC; 1st Sunday walk results; GWC

ACADIAN FLYCATCHER low flycatching @Boulder Bridge per Keir

*******************************************

Results of 1st Sunday walk in Prospect ( from Prospect Audubon tr)

report from Eni Falci:

Hi Peter-


We had about 13 people including 2 youths on the walk this morning. The lullwater & center drive had some nice surprises.

Eni


Best birds were:

Blackburnian warbler
Great Crested Flycatchers (2) possible nesting pair

Scarlet tanager corner Center Dr. & car road intersection


Also cedar waxwings including nest near tanager sighting

Blue grey knatcatcher nesting

Swans w/5 signets

Green Heron nest rustic cove

Black capped night Heron flyover Pen. Lawn

Numerous robins & young; catbirds;cardinals

heard house wren at Maryland area

Grackles

Redwinged blackbirds

"Nickita" -female red tailed hawk

Barn Swallows

Chickadee

Starlings

M. Doves

House Sparrows

Downy Woodpecker 2

Redbellied Woodpecker heard

Baltimore Oriole

*****************************************
From Orrin:

Green-Wood Cemetery this morning. Aside from what one would expect, one redstart on the slope above the Dell Water--I think it was a juvenile; a couple of eastern wood pewees, and a squawking green heron. The list:


Northern mockingbird

European starling

Blue jay

American robin

Red-bellied woodpecker

Red-tailed hawk, chased by

American crow (probably)

American redstart

Song sparrow

Mallard duck

House sparrow

Green heron

Downy woodpecker

House wren

Chipping sparrow

Northern cardinal

Baltimore oriole (several, including one juvenile)

Gray catbird

Mourning dove

Black-crowned night heron (2 on Dell Water)

Canada goose

Eastern wood pewee

Barn swallow

Chimney swift

BBC Founding Day; 6/4 Prospect

Today is the Brooklyn Bird Club's 102nd birthday, founded and established June 5th, 1909


********************************************************
From Rafael:

04 June 2011


Expecting a slow day (morning), I went to PP around 8 am but the surprises were around the corner.

Vale, almost deserted. Nice to see 2 RTHAWKs on the nest (Nellie's lawn). Rick's Place & Midwood nothing, except for the singing WOOD THRUSH.

But the "Tyrants" (aka Tyrannidae = flycatchers) started in Midwood, when I heard the first Great Crested Flycatcher. Another one was heard around Quaker Hill. But Lookout Hill was the start of everything when I heard & saw 1 Eastern Wood Pewee (FOY), later I heard another one by the Boulder Bridge. At Terrace Bridge, I heard & saw 1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, another one was heard & seen around the Ravine. At Peninsula, I heard & saw 1 Willow Flycatcher. And the icing of the cake, 1 Eastern Kingbird, Peninsula.

Warblers, except for the quite vocal & visible Yellow Warbler, I heard, only once, perhaps a very late Ovenbird. Another group of birders, saw 1 American Redstart near the Terrace Bridge.

Nothing else, could be call exceptional, excep that PP is still full of surprises, even the so called "Spring migration" is over.

Brooklyn is great birding: Rafael Campos R.

National Trails Day; area reports 6/3

Tomorrow Saturday June 4th is National Trails Day

( hit the trail, explore or maintain...)

http://www.americanhiking.org/NTD.aspx


***********************************

Prospect and BBG reports

From Orrin:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden this morning:

Mallard with 7 ducklings

American robin

House sparrow

Blue jay

European starling

Song sparrows with offspring

Northern mockingbird

Gray catbird

Mourning dove

Northern cardinal

House wren (heard)

Baltimore oriole (heard)

Black-capped chickadee

Warbling vireo (heard)

American redstart (heard)



Also, both yesterday and today about 9 A.M. I heard what I thought was an Acadian flycatcher calling repeatedly around an oak tree outside the back (unmarked) entrance to the Native Plant Garden. I could not locate the bird (or the other birds I heard singing from that spot)./


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

From Larry:



http://birdsandwords-larryz.blogspot.com/


Location: Prospect Park

Observation date: 6/3/11

Number of species: 25


Canada Goose 15

Mute Swan 10 Five cygnets on Lullwater

Mallard 12

Double-crested Cormorant 1 Lullwater

Great Egret 1 Lake

Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 Lullwater

Rock Pigeon 13

Mourning Dove 4

Chimney Swift 10

Red-bellied Woodpecker 1

Downy Woodpecker 1

Northern Flicker 1

Eastern Kingbird 1

Blue Jay 1

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1

Tree Swallow 2

Barn Swallow 6

American Robin 60

Gray Catbird 6

European Starling 35

Yellow Warbler 2

Northern Cardinal 6

Red-winged Blackbird 10

Common Grackle 5

House Sparrow 20

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

A NYC success story of Perry; Wacky Nests

Here are some of this season's nesting behavior as I have been informed of.

Peregrine Falcon

http://gothamist.com/2011/06/01/photos_video_adorable_baby_falcons.php#photo-1

Wacky Duck
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/06/02/me.home.depot.duck.wvii?hpt=hp_t2

Red-Tailed Hawk on a Bronx AC unit (outside an apt window); 2 eggs were laid

Reminder BBC Thursday eve program

In what is sure to be a very delightful evening about odonata , the science of dragonflies and damselflies, Ed Lam will be presenting a program on this entertaining topic. Do come if you can, it is a great field to get hooked into.

The meeting  starts 6:30 PM at the Litchfield Villa (Program will start at 7.)


From the Brooklyn Bird Club website:

http://www.brooklynbirdclub.org/meetings.htm

Thursday, June 2nd, 6:30 P.M.



Dragonfly Road with Ed Lam


A journey in the making of a dragonfly guide: Author and illustrator Ed Lam chronicles his travels and trials as he works on the upcoming Peterson's Field Guide to Dragonflies. Click here for more information about Ed lam and his travels

http://homepage.mac.com/edlam/dragonflyroad.html


The Litchfield Villa is just inside the park at Prospect Park West Ave near 5th Street.

Mourning Warbler reported this morning in Prospect

Ed Crowne scored a hat trick ( a hockey triple goal) this spring with his third MOURNING WARBLER. The MOWA was seen near the South Lookout Hill " switchback trail", on the slope behind the Maryland Monument at 8 am.

date = 2011/06/01


site = Prospect Park

observers = Ed Crowne

Mourning Warbler Lookout 8am (near switchback trail)

************************************
From Alex Wilson:

> Location: Prospect Park
> Observation date: 6/1/11
> Number of species: 52
>
> Mute Swan 10 (5 cygnets, one on back of adult.)
> Mallard 30
> Ruddy Duck 1 (Lingering on Lake.)
> Double-crested Cormorant 3
> Green Heron 2
> Black-crowned Night-Heron 4
> Red-tailed Hawk 3
> Laughing Gull 1
> Ring-billed Gull 1
> Herring Gull (American) 15
> Rock Pigeon 40
> Mourning Dove 15
> Monk Parakeet 1
> Chimney Swift 10
> Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
> Downy Woodpecker 1
> Hairy Woodpecker 1
> Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 3
> Eastern Wood-Pewee 6
> Acadian Flycatcher 1 (Heard only on Quaker Ridge from Long > Meadow path by ball field #4; sang several times from well behind > the fence, 6:00 AM.)
> Great Crested Flycatcher 4
> Eastern Kingbird 5
> Warbling Vireo 10
> Red-eyed Vireo 5
> Blue Jay 5
> Fish Crow 2 (Flyover pair, two syllable calls.)
> crow sp. 1
> Tree Swallow 2
> Barn Swallow 10
> Black-capped Chickadee 3
> Carolina Wren 1
> House Wren 6
> Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 (Probably a nesting bird, > continuing around Maryland Monument lawn area.)
> American Robin 50
> Gray Catbird 15
> European Starling 100
> Cedar Waxwing 15
> Yellow Warbler 5
> Blackpoll Warbler 2
> American Redstart 1
> Mourning Warbler 1 (Ed Crowne & I converged on the bird > around 8:30 AM as it sang on east Lookout slope by switchback > trail. Eventually got a couple of glimpses, but never exposed > itself for a good look, soon stopped singing.)
> Common Yellowthroat 1
> Chipping Sparrow 4
> Field Sparrow 1 (Base of Peninsula.)
> Song Sparrow 4
> Northern Cardinal 20
> Red-winged Blackbird 10
> Common Grackle 20
> Brown-headed Cowbird 5
> Orchard Oriole 1 (First year male, Peninsula.)
> Baltimore Oriole 15
> American Goldfinch 10
> House Sparrow 30