Saturday, March 2, 2013

March 2nd "merg day" but Grebe wins

I took a walk along Prospect's watercourse, starting with the lake. Upon exiting my home though before I got to the park, a flyover TURKEY VULTURE caught my sight. Its not a pretty bird, but..its a spring sign. The lake is bubbling with several species of ducks, most dominant the swirling NORTHERN SHOVELERS, about 71  birds with 49 RUDDY DUCKS. There's a flock of 15 HOODED MERGANSER, the first of the "mergs" i saw by the northwest shore, near a PIED BILLED GREBE. Then a look off the distance thru my scope, Merg #2 , the COMMON MERGANSER  hen , among the ring bill gulls.

 Taking off for the rest of the watercourse to find the Horned Grebe, I stopped to see at least 6 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS (AMTS) opposite the Well Drive Lamppost 249 Picnic Tables. Staying put, their perch in privet bushes, they came back to the phragmite marsh  whence they came. It turns out they were feeding on the Phragmite seeds, the first time I saw this observance. Always something new to know. (turns out on my return , I found 9 AMTS on the lawn next to the tables. )

 Now along the Lullwater, I didn't see any Horned Grebe, but did catch "Merg" # 3, 4 RED BREASTED MERGANSERS in the outer Lullwater; eventually they went under the Terrace Bridge thru and settled in the Lullwater , with the hen BUFFLEHEAD. Further on, I wound up at the Upper Pool, and found the pair of GADWALLS with more Shovelers. Retreating  and home bound , I ran into Rafael by the Binnen Pool to find out he had the HORNED GREBE, a picture he took with the bird next to the wall under the Terrace Bridge. Somehow I missed it originally. So I guess it was hiding in the reeds or stayed under water for so long ( perhaps it had scuba gear ?) .I get to the Terrace , didn't find the bird initially , but ran into Chris and both of us waited ; about 10 minutes later, the HORNED GREBE resurfaced, or came out of somewhere. But we got it. During the wait, Chris spotted the COMMON MERGANSER at the peninsula tip .

 So, very infrequent or rare to get all three merganser species at the same time, almost all three seen in the same panoramic sweep, but they were overshadowed by a little grebe , given its rarity in Prospect parts.

 Last, 4 RING-NECKED DUCKS waded around east of Three Sisters Island, which made it duck species #9  for the late morning. A satisfying easy day  for nice birds.

 
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Mar 2, 2013 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
33 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  X
Mute Swan  8
Gadwall  2
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  X
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid)  X
Northern Shoveler  71
Ring-necked Duck  4 at 3 sisters Isl, 1 drake
Bufflehead  1 hen Lullwater
Hooded Merganser  18- 15 Lake; 3 Lullwater
Red-breasted Merganser  4 Lullwater
COMMON MERGANSER -hen  lake
Ruddy Duck  63
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  1
Turkey Vulture  1
American Coot  X
Ring-billed Gull  X
Herring Gull  X
Rock Pigeon  X
Mourning Dove  X
Downy Woodpecker  1
Blue Jay  1
Black-capped Chickadee  3
Tufted Titmouse  1
American Robin  X
American Tree Sparrow  9 well dr
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  X
Red-winged Blackbird  X
House Finch  1
Pine Siskin  3 lullwater
American Goldfinch  1
House Sparrow  X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13244685

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

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Below photos from Orrin Tilevitz, Red Breasted Mergs and Horned Grebe




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