The bird of the day is RED-NECKED GREBE.From two locations barely birded much, two birds at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and three at Brooklyn Army Terminal Pier were grebe territory.
Tweets from Mike Yuan came from the Brooklyn Bridge park, the grebes between piers 2&3,4&5 were the early reports; later I and Mary E, at pier 4 (58th St) found three on the west side of the pier, one alongside the pier edge at one point.
Also on this side, a notable GREATER SCAUP flock with one LESSER in the mix. GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON and COMMON GOLDENEYE in single numbers continues to make this pier a winter hotspot.
This transition phase as grebes and ducks gather in late winter points to the next season, noted today in Greenwood Cemetery. From Ocean Hill ridge, over the Hill of Graves gently rolling slope, waves and waves of AMERICAN ROBINs came through.Many settled down unto the ground, in impressive numbers,an early omen of spring as it felt like it today.It's a false spring of course, but who cares? Some of us enjoyed this weather. And seeing a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER at the Hill of Graves among those robins made it feel like spring is here.
KB addendum: reports from the NYSBirds listserve reported 2 Red necked grebes along the Columbia Street pier to along the waterfront at IKEA as well in Red Hook. BROOKLYN Public transportation to this area pretty much is the pits. You are better off taking the yellow Water taxi from South Street Seaport which is free that I know of, financed by IKEA. Check the appropriate websites or google search this perk.
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From Cindy Cage
Hi Peter,
I took a ride through Greenwood Cemetery between 4:00 and 5:00 today. Not a lot of activity until I got over by the 20th Street side in the Elm, Atlantic and Grove Avenue area. There were at least 50 robins pulling worms from the ground, 25 Canada Geese, a Downy Woodpecker, 3 House Finches, and the surprise 10+ Cedar Waxwings in a tall, wide stand of evergreens between Elm and Atlantic Avenues. The cemetery was closing so I was rushed and the denseness of the bush made it hard to tell exactly how many of them there were. But I saw a few coming and going and there were more among the greeness.
Cindy Cage
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From Marisa Wohl, pier 4
Hi Peter and Mary: So good to see you! When the interesting birds started dissipating on the north side of the pier, I scanned southward and thought I saw the grebe in the distance near the next pier, the same lousy look I had from Ikea. Patience rewarded me because one individual landed near the pier and swam closer, giving me great looks. Best wishes, Marisa
