Of the icy surfaces of Prospect's fields, north Nethermead steams abit. On exposed lawn, 4 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS stuck to a spot next to the large Osage tree with the bar, sharing the spot with a RED BELLIED WOODPECKER,AMERICAN ROBINs that we haven't seen much of lately, a few RED WINGED BLACKBIRDS and WHITE THROATED SPARROWS. The Rusties were also seen in the morning;they seem to be quite loyal to this area.Also of note,an uncommon winter sighting mixed pair of EASTERN TOWHEE along the fringes of the meadow by the metal standpipe away from the Osage towards the Three Arches, the towhees with WT Sparrows.
A farther walk thru the Nethermead, I found perched MERLIN in the middle mead, a favorite tree for this bird.
The Upper Pool holds a pair of WOOD DUCK, but there is no sign of the Gadwalls.
And a last word. Silence is not golden. Yesterday, along the west edge of the lake, 14 MUTE SWANS held bay at the edge; today it was 11 swans.. what's the number for them in the Twelve days of Xmas song ? ( but seriously, where did these swans explode in numbers lately ? I don't want to see them get too numerous given their aggressive turf attitude)
NYC Bird Report
date = 2013/12/18 site = Prospect Park observers =peter
Northern Shoveler ~105 lake
American Black Duck 2
Canada Goose
Wood Duck 2, pair at Upper Pool
Ruddy Duck 1 Upper pool
Mute Swan 11together lake;14 yesterday same spot
Mallard
Merlin 1 perched top tree mid Nethermead
American Coot 20 lake
Great Black-backed Gull 1 llake
Ring-billed Gull 1000 + lake
Herring Gull
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Blue Jay
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Robin 3 binnen run
White-throated Sparrow 18 north nethermead
Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee pair,m ,f at nethermead edge by 3 arches
Northern Cardinal 5
Red-winged Blackbird 16 center drive
Rusty Blackbird 4 north nethermead adj Osage tree with bar; morn and afternoon House Finch
House Sparrow
