In what was , in my opinion , the best sparrow day in Prospect this fall regarding numbers, dominated by the ubiquitous presence of WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (WTSP), their day instead was upstaged by Prospect Park's first ever long overdued WESTERN KINGBIRD. Go figure.... ( Sparrows must be muttering Rodney Dangerfield's famous line "we get no respect ")
This morning, before I loaded my work vehicle with tools, the numbers of sparrows in the work storage area by 9th street steered and sharpened my attention. Standing still, leaning on my vehicle, the good numbers of sparrows started to surround me, as if I was playing a part in Alfred Hitchcocks' The Birds. Among the numerous WTSP, 2 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were tame enough to come close along with an infusion of HERMIT THRUSHES, very evident parkwide. Throw in some WINTER WRENS , at least 7 I spotted today which Cornell Ebird says is too high !
Throughout the day, trying very very hard not to get distracted as I worked [ Believe me, IT WAS HARD! ;) ] , on my free time, I managed to spot 10 species sparrows. Here they are ( in no particular order): WHITE-THROATED, WHITE-CROWNED, FIELD,SONG, DARK-EYED JUNCO, EASTERN TOWHEE, SAVANNAH, SWAMP,LINCOLN, CHIPPING. At one point, at Breeze Hill lone pine in the triangle lawn , I watched 7 species sparrows that included two WHITE-CROWNED, a SAVANNAH, and 2 FIELDs. Then after work, before I got the call from Rob, together in the Sparrowbowl, a FIELD, a LINCOLN and another WHITE-CROWNED. I say, it was a great day for diversity. The best spots , well for WTSP, everywhere ! But for the other species: the east path from Grand Army plaza to the Vale cashmere; Breeze Hill ( of course), Sparrowbowl, adjacent to the Tennis House, and the southern edge of the ballfields. It was the last location about 350 pm that the bell was rung by
WESTERN KINGBIRD (WEKI), spotted by Rob Jett, along with Bobbi Manian, who fortunately had her camera with her. For your view, check Bobbi's facebook gallery of the special bird (Link inserted below).
The WEKI was spotted flying across the Ballfields , then flying up to the top of a large elm tree , by Field #6, before after 5 minutes ( and I got there too late by moments), before the WEKI flew south into the Cemetery. We looked in vain from there to Center Drive up to Lookout Hill. Lets hope it stays tomorrow with word gone out tonight. Good Luck and do text me asap please if u see the WEKI.
Oh, guess I almost forgot about the flyover PINE SISKINs......
An evening report from Kathy Toomey on the latest Sparrow new for this day : VESPER SPARROW seen on Breeze Hill lawn area...sorry Vesper, you can't top that WEKI today..
11 species sparrows reported today...
--KB
Bobbi Manian's gallery of WESTERN KINGBIRD
http://tinyurl.com/PPWEKI
Rob Jett's post to NYS BIrds Listserve
http://tinyurl.com/PPWEKIrept
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Peter's list
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Oct 17, 2012 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Protocol: Random
2.5 mile(s)
47 species (+1 other taxa)
Mute Swan X
Wood Duck 7 Upper Pool
Mallard X
Great Blue Heron 1 Upper Pool
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 f/o Nethermead
Cooper's Hawk 2, inc one eating hermit thrush, feathers drifting down , CTr Dr
Accipiter sp. 1
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 9
American Kestrel 1 f/o Cemetery
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue-headed Vireo 5
Blue Jay X
Black-capped Chickadee 1
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 7
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Hermit Thrush 55 park-wide
American Robin X
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Magnolia Warbler 1 Sparrowbowl (late according to Cornmell's Ebird)
Blackpoll Warbler 2 Terrace Br
Palm Warbler 2 Breeze Hill
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Eastern Towhee 2-Propsite, Lookout Hill
Chipping Sparrow 11 Ballfields
Field Sparrow 3--2 Breeze Hill, 1 Sparrowbowl
Savannah Sparrow 1 Breeze Hill
Song Sparrow 35 parkwide ( conservative #)
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Sparrowbowl
Swamp Sparrow 8 parkwide
White-throated Sparrow 500 everywhere !
White-crowned Sparrow 5--2 Propsite, 2 Breeze Hill, one south ballfields
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Common Grackle 5
Purple Finch 3--1 male Nethermead Br, 1 female Breeze Hill, one south ballfields
American Goldfinch 12
Pine Siskin- 20 ( also obs RJett, BManian)
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
********************************
From Kathy Toomey :
Peter,
I went for a short walk in Prospect Park from about 5 to 6:30 pm
around the lake and over to Breeze Hill. There were mostly Song
sparrows and White throats, but as I was about to walk away, I saw a
Vesper sparrow, Field sparrow and mature White crowned sparrow in the
same area. Later I saw an immature White crowned close to the picnic
tables by Lamp post 249. Thanks to Bob Machover and Sandy Paci for
providing good looks at a Vesper sparrow on last Saturday's trip to
NJ, which enabled me to easily recognize the Vesper here in Brooklyn.
date = 2012/10/17
site = Prospect Park
observers = Kathy Toomey
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Cormorant
Northern Shoveler
American Black Duck
Canada Goose
Wood Duck on the lake, near some gulls
Ruddy Duck
Mute Swan
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Blue Jay
House Wren
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
European Starling
Palm Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
House Sparrow
