Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Prospect "the center of the universe"

To a hungry bird, nothing like a fruiting tree that is the "center of the Universe".While my work crews worked hard to extract the fallen timbers from Sandy's handiwork inside the Vale of Cashmere pool, a fruited Kusa Dogwood has a female BLACK-THROATED BLUE's die hard attention. Fluttering to peck at the ripen reddish fruit, either the warbler is a vegetarian or a fruit fly picker, the warbler really worked at the tree.Other birds joined in : Robins, female SCARLET TANAGER, RED-EYED VIREO, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, REDSTARTS, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW ,SWAINSON's THRUSH and a few other species on the "universe tree". Kusa Dogwood....check it out in the coming week.

Lots of birds in the Vale and I am amazed many stuck through with the very loud noise emanated by our wood chipper chipping the large tree limbs. I am wondering if these birds are members of a deaf sorority ? ( I think I am a member too)

MAGNOLIA WARBLER numbers seems to increased their presence this morning. That indicated good birding day today, lots of action.

Meanwhile Keir on his early birding run reported MOURNING WARBLER in Butterfly Meadow and a potential Orange- crowned Warbler. See his report below. Lunch is over for me, gotta run.

Keir's report

Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Sep 24, 2013 7:10 AM - 9:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: South Lakeside and Lookout Hill only - good passerine activity throughout.
44 species (+3 other taxa)

Canada Goose 12
Mallard X
Ruddy Duck 1
duck sp. 1 Seen in middle of lake in difficult early morning light, just a silhouette. Small duck (by shape and bill not a grebe or a Ruddy Duck) swam past a Ruddy Duck and looked slightly smaller - Green-winged Teal?
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Green Heron 1
Herring Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 4
Mourning Dove 12
Chimney Swift 5
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 9
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Empidonax sp. 1 Probably a Least at Butterfly Meadow but didn't study well as I was distracted by other birds.
Blue-headed Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Blue Jay 7
American Crow 4
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3
Swainson's Thrush 3
American Robin 12
Gray Catbird 4
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 10
Ovenbird 3
Black-and-white Warbler 7
Tennessee Warbler 1 Lookout Hill nr Butterfly Meadow
Mourning Warbler 1 Popped up in wildflowers and grasses at the Butterfly Meadow near Arlene's Pines. Looked identical to the MOWA I saw 2 days ago near Lily Pond - big warbler, quite yellow below, full gray hood, white eye arcs, tail too long for Connecticut Warbler, hopping between stalks.
Common Yellowthroat 11
American Redstart 5
Northern Parula 3
Magnolia Warbler 4
Yellow Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 5
warbler sp. 1 Glimpsed at top of Maryland steps and again at the Butterfly Meadow. Looked like an Orange-crowned Warbler - small and small billed, yellowish and gray rather than green backed, hint of "spectacles" rather than eyebrow. Although it immediately "felt" like Orange-crowned Warbler (and I've seen Tennessee Warbler most days this month) I never confirmed vent color to completely rule out Tennessee Warbler.
Song Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 1
Scarlet Tanager 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 2 Butterfly Meadow
Common Grackle 1
American Goldfinch 12
House Sparrow X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15246558

Black-throated Blue Warbler, Photo by James Sevigny
Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, near Dongan Oak monument, photo by Jame Sevigny