There's a holiday season song that sings of wonderful times. (It's the most wonderful time of the year).Lately that's been the case here at Prospect park as three rarities were recorded today with possibly a goose species numbers record.
3 CACKLING GEESE found themselves celebrities in the southwest corner of the Lake. Shane Blodgett found them near Three Sisters islands,then those drifted west towards the "Hammerhead Peninsula" ; Ryan Goldberg and I coming back from a gusty day of birding at Jamaica bay refuge made a quick stop near the Peristyle. Ten minutes later we found two of the Cackling s off the Hammerhead with Canada Geese most being Lesser subspecies.
You can't mistake a Cackling small body,no neck and punched in short conical like bill. Interestingly,yesterday a single Cackling was found by David Haskell at the Upper Pool Dog Beach. So maybe there's four. A very good find by the two birders.
COMMON GALLINULE continues its residency ,settling in the South or upper Lullwater south of Terrace bridge. Look for it near the small pink beach at Breeze Hill opposite the Peninsula pink beach. Many observers have ticked this bird for their bird list.
Then escaping notice mostly,a HOODED WARBLER male is wanting attention! Marc Brawer reported seeing it at North Lullwater cove by the rustic platform. Poor boid,it just can't catch a break.
The HOODED WARBLER does like to travel. Elyse Shiller reported seeing it yesterday along the path entering the Peninsula. That's about a super stone's throw from today's sighting.
