IN the news; tidbits of bird reports, sunday walk

expansion of Brooklyn Bridge Park:

http://windsorterrace.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/city-to-expand-brooklyn-bridge-park_71d14b70

***************************

GWC report, from Orrin Tilevitz

In about 2 hours in Green-wood Cemetery this morning I saw or heard the following:

Rock dove
Blue jay
Monk parakeet
Northern flicker
Chimney swift
European starling
Song sparrow
Northern cardinal
Chipping sparrow
Northern mockingbird
Great egret
House sparrow
Belted kingfisher
Herring gull
Red-bellied woodpecker
Green heron
Osprey (with fish)
Canada goose
Yellow warbler

**********************************

From  Eni

Hi Peter-

I got busy and did not report this but Monday I was in the park for a bird walk after a long hiatus (just too hot) and on the way in from Grand Army Plaza on the path I saw a chipping sparrow feeding a juvenile near the crabapple tree on the road side. Do we typically get chipping sparrows breeding in the park?

eni

******************************************************

1st Sunday walk, annouced by Michele Dreger

The First Sunday of August Early Morning Bird Walk is scheduled for this weekend.   Meet at the Boathouse at 8 on Sunday, August 4.  Phil Malek has volunteered to lead the walk.  

FofFall BWWARB

Rob Bate reported a female BLACK&WHITE WARBLER  by Ambergill Falls (midafternoon), the first fall sighting for the species.

Plumb Beach

Just a note regarding Plumb Beach by Sheepshead Bay. Some tweets came about of Piping Plover ( 3 seen) today. Be aware that PB is officially closed (see signs ) by the US Army Corp engineers. A birder there was told to leave and future encroachers may be subjected to arrest or fined. There is an erosion project  till end of the year. see the story

http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2013/14/bn_plumbbeachtoclose_2013_04_05_bk.html

new seawatch bird flight book

Thanks to a Facebook post from Chellie Bowman,there is a new book to be released in mid September,by Ken Behrens and Cameron Cox on identifying seabirds in flight over water.. check out the link below

http://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Reference-Guide-Seawatching-Waterbirds/dp/0547237391/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375218875&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=karl+behrens+seawatching


...and by the way,just got the book on Prospect Park by David Colley mentioned on the Brooklyn Bird Club webpage Facebook. For the second time as many books in the last month, my name is in the acknowledgements..( the other is the Warbler Guide)..so a nice honor and thanks to the authors...wonder whats the next book going to be.. :

Waterthrush afoot

Intent on finding a water thrush during my short lunch hour,I succeeded. When I stood at the back gate of the Lower Pool, a quick low flyby confirmed my suspicion that a WT flew by. From the other side of a downed timber in the water, the bird came towards me over that log and it turned out to be correctly  a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. A personal fall first warb for the season,and I'm on my way to a hopeful great birding fall.

On the Upper Pool , 6 WOOD DUCKS are around, 2 out ion the water feeding on duckweed ( of course) and 4 sort of hidden on the back shores of the island.

good birding ...-KB

North waterthrush bac gate Lower Pool prospect.early bird

Prospect July 29th

From Bobbi Manian:

( Note NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH and continuing AMERICAN REDSTART)

Hi Peter,

Rob and I were chatting today along the west side of the lullwater (area you recently fenced and planted) and we were looking at a young (fuzzy) Green Heron that had just flown in, when Rob realized there is a nest there (exactly same place as last year).  I don't recall seeing it around GoogaMooga time, when the other nest was found. but it's there now and we saw at least one adult and one juvenile.  See pic.

Also of note I had a Northern Waterthrush and American Redstart along the mud on the back side of the Upper Pool.

Best,

Bobbi

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "do-not-reply@ebird.org" <do-not-reply@ebird.org>
To:
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 5:50 PM
Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park, Jul 29, 2013

Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Jul 29, 2013 11:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments:    <br />Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.5.2
27 species

Mute Swan  3
Wood Duck  7
Mallard  X
Green Heron  5
Black-crowned Night-Heron  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Chimney Swift  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Eastern Kingbird  1
Barn Swallow  6
Black-capped Chickadee  2
House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  1
American Robin  12
Gray Catbird  6
European Starling  X
Cedar Waxwing  17
Northern Waterthrush  1
American Redstart  1
Yellow Warbler  8
Northern Cardinal  4
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Common Grackle  3
Baltimore Oriole  2
House Sparrow  30

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14811672

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

photo by Bobbi Manian

  1 Attached Images

Prospect July 28th report

AMERICAN REDSTART is in the news , reported by Dennis, seen on the Peninsula. Though not a local breeder, fall migration is in progress, though in very early stage for warblers. --KB

From Dennis Hrehowsik:

Saw a redstart on peninisula yeaterday. 

D


Begin forwarded message:

From: do-not-reply@ebird.org
Date: July 28, 2013 4:52:19 PM EDT

Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park, Jul 28, 2013

Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Jul 28, 2013 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
34 species

Canada Goose  X
Mute Swan  3
Wood Duck  2
Mallard  5
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  2
Green Heron  2
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Ring-billed Gull  1
Rock Pigeon  X
Mourning Dove  3
Chimney Swift  5
Red-bellied Woodpecker  3
Downy Woodpecker  2
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Blue Jay  2
Tree Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  10
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
House Wren  3
Carolina Wren  2
American Robin  25
Gray Catbird  5
European Starling  X
Cedar Waxwing  5
American Redstart  1
Yellow Warbler  5
Song Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  5
Red-winged Blackbird  5
Baltimore Oriole  1
House Sparrow  X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14804081

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

Prospect

Observer: Joshua Malbin 2013-07-27 18:21 Prospect Park Protocol: Traveling 1 Miles 110 Minutes Observers: 1 All birds reported? Yes 2 Canada Goose X Mute Swan X Mallard 1 Ruddy Duck 2 Double-crested Cormorant 3 Green Heron 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Laughing Gull 1 Larus sp. 1 Forster's Tern 2 Mourning Dove 15 Chimney Swift 1 Belted Kingfisher 3 Downy Woodpecker 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee 4 Eastern Kingbird 1 American Crow 9 Barn Swallow 1 Black-capped Chickadee 1 Carolina Wren X American Robin X Gray Catbird 3 Cedar Waxwing 1 Song Sparrow X Northern Cardinal X Red-winged Blackbird 2 Common Grackle X House Sparrow This report was created and sent using BirdsEye BirdLog (http://birdseyebirding.com/)

Ravine LOWA

Dennis Hrehowsik reported LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH along the Ravine Stream.

NYC Bird report

Before Ebird and this blog which by the way came into being when NYC Bird report stopped, this reporting tool was the thing.Now even when its no longer active,nevertheless NYC bird report is a great tool to research the bird migration timetables,when certain species come thru our area. For example, Louisiana waterthrushes start likely about July 20th. This info is based on archived reports submitted by birders over the 5 year period.and there are different areas to research.

after clicking on the locale, click on any species to view the actual dates a species been seen.

below is the link and i have it as a side menu link

http://www.nycbirdreport.com/

Early signs of fall migration+ the regulars in Prospect

KB note: all entries regarding bird reports is noted by the date above( automatically by blogger  ) unless its from another day, then noted in the post title. Saves my redundancy.

The signs of fall migration is revealing itself whether we anticipate it or not looking forward to it.( I mean wasn't spring just yesterday ?) In any case, its coming . Reports of LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH on the Lake south shore and SPOTTED SANDPIPER on the Peninsula shore are early observations today .

Bobbi Manian reported ( or technically speaking, tweeted ) the LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH around noon, on the lake shore just east of Three Sisters Island. The first of Prospect's fall season,this is the typical earlier waterthrush of the two species seen . The first Northerns comes in August. ( and sometimes harder to distinguish with immature birds)

After seeing the Duck Island sightings, I found a SPOTTED SANDPIPER flushed from the Peninsula Meadow shoreline, heading towards Three Sisters. Regulars ( for this summer only) of LEAST TERNs ( 2 seen) , LAUGHING GULLS, and and flyover GREAT BLUE HERON were lake observations. On Duck Island, a delight to see 2 GREEN HERONS, 3 WOOD DUCKS under the willow tree, and an unexpected BELTED KINGFISHER , all seen from the Peninsula point.

2 Least terns lake,Spotted sandpiper flushed frm peninsula mead shore

Duck island: Kingfisher,Great Blue heron,wood ducks,Cedar waxwings,2 Green herons seen frm peninsula point

New book about Prospect Park coming out

An alert from the Brooklyn Bird Club facebook webpage, the new book to be released July 30th about Prospect Park by the husband and wife team ,Colleys.

( I was on a walk with the authors about 3 years ago with my supervisors)

-KB

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616891181/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_7mc8rb1XFGHSP

Conservation topic

From the American Bird Conservancy:

The State of Birds on Private Lands report issued:

http://www.stateofthebirds.org/

Prospect 7/23 report

From Joshua Malbin:

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Joshua Malbin" 
Date: Jul 23, 2013 7:54 PM
Subject: BirdsEye-Prospect Park-2013-7-23
To: "Joshua Malbin" 

Observer: Joshua Malbin
2013-07-23 18:35
Prospect Park
Protocol: Traveling
1 Miles
79 Minutes
Observers: 1
All birds reported? Yes
    X    Mute Swan     
    5    Wood Duck     
    X    Mallard     
    1    Green Heron     
    X    Rock Pigeon     
    4    Chimney Swift     
    3    Eastern Kingbird     
    1    Northern Rough-winged Swallow     
    1    Barn Swallow     
    1    Black-capped Chickadee     
    1    Wood Thrush     
    X    American Robin     
    X    Gray Catbird     
    X    European Starling     
    1    Yellow Warbler     
    1    Song Sparrow     
    X    Northern Cardinal     
    X    Red-winged Blackbird     
    1    Common Grackle     
    X    House Sparrow       

This report was created and sent using BirdsEye BirdLog (http://birdse

photo by Don Riepe :The rewards of restoring salt marsh Jamaica Bay

http://theforumnewsgroup.com/2013/07/25/progress-made-in-restoring-natural-storm-barriers-and-wildlife-habitat-in-jamaica-bay/

The rewards of restoring salt marsh Jamaica Bay

http://www.littoralsociety.org/index.php/20-latest-news/215-jamaica-bay-marshes


See Don Riepe's photo above

Something to think about Changing your lawn to grassland ?

http://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/living/creating-bird-friendly-yard

Upcoming events; Prospect report

This note from Renee was received thru the BBC website. Of note is speaker Paul Sweet, who birds Prospect and is a nearby resident.Paul is the Bird skins manager at the American Museum of Natural History.

From: Storiale, Renee <Renee.Storiale@metmuseum.org>
To: info <info@brooklynbirdclub.org>
Sent: Fri, Jul 19, 2013 1:33 pm
Subject: Friday Evening Gallery Event--Birds in the Art of Japan

Hi There!

My name is Renee Storiale and I work in the education department at the Metropolitan Museum.  I wanted to reach out to you because we are doing a unique bird-related event next week that I think some of your members may be interested in. As part of the event, we will actually have AMNH ornithologist Paul Sweet talking about the birds in the galleries, plus lots of other fun activities to correspond to our exhibition Birds in the Art of Japan.

Details are below – Please feel free to forward to any of your contacts or distribution lists, post online, etc… And let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

Renee

Renee Storiale

Adult Gallery Education Intern

212.650.2756

www.metmuseum.org

Flock to the Met for a fun Friday evening! Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Friday Evening Gallery Event Design your own evening as you choose among short, interactive experiences in the exhibition Birds in the Art of Japan, and encounter a spectacular array of real and fanciful birds along the way. Friday, July 26, 7:30-8:30 p.m.   This program is free with Museum admission and open to everyone. Meets in Gallery 225, The Sackler Wing Galleries, 2nd floor Start your evening early with a curator-led tour of the exhibition at 6:30 in Gallery 225.    follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Home | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions © 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to join our mailing list or participated in a recent program. The Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10028-0198 www.metmuseum.org Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons (detail); Japan; Momoyama period (1573–1615), second half of the 16th century; Purchase, Mrs. Jackson Burke and Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation Gifts, 1987 (1987.342.1, .2) The exhibition is made possible by the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Foundation.  unsubscribe from thi

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The second event regards cleanup efforts of Prospect Lake:

PLEASE JOIN US!

Hello Friends,

Members of WILD for Prospect Park- http://www.wildforprospectpark.com/ will be venturing out to do a Lakeside Cleanup and Visitor Outreach on Sunday, July 28th from 2:00pm-4:00pm

Our focus for this event will be on the OceanAve/Parkside Ave side of the lake.

We will scan and clean the banks of the watercourse for harmful debris such as plastic, fishing line and hooks and other trash.

We will also reach out and speak to visitors about the effects of feeding waterfowl and how they can become better stewards of the park's wildlife.

When: Sunday, July 28th

Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm (Please arrive a few minutes early as we will be distributing supplies)

Where: Meet at the Rustic Shelter located inside the park by the lake near the Parkside and Ocean Ave entrance

http://www.prospectpark.org/visit/places/rustic-shelters. 

Please feel free to share this email!

See you then!

~WILD for Prospect Park Steering Committee

    http://www.wildforprospectpark.com/

************************************************************************************************************

This morning , 3 LEAST TERNS patrolled the Lake, a delightful sight to see this species continually visiting the lake, diving the surface for prey. Its been a good summer just with this species.

Along the south Midwood east -west woods trail ( with railing ) in the center is WOOD THRUSH country. I spotted the bird flying across  as I traveled thru.

--KB

2 Least terns prospect lake; Wood thrush south Midwood trail

Article about prospect walking tour; early am briefer bird report

The following is about a walking tour in prospect, something to interest you since much of it are good birding trails:

http://www.bkmag.com/BrooklynAbridged/archives/2013/07/17/the-perfect-prospect-park-walking-tour?showFullText=true

Of interest this morning while I was making my rounds, two immature male /female type YELLOW WARBLERS (YEWA) were seen together in the heavy vine growth to the right of the Breeze Hill feeders site, at the top slope trail head. Makes me suspect if these are fledglings ? Did Prospect have a successful YEWA nest ?  ( some YEWA are known early migrants--yes in July-- but I strongly think these are "our" guys.

Over at the lake, "sandwiched" in the timeline between GREEN HERON (GRHE) sightings, a flying GREAT EGRET went towards Three Sisters, at the initial GRHE sighting , then after the egret sighting, two more GRHE flying south,  low above the lake surface along the west shore.Place is loaded with GRHE... ;) 

--KB

Prospect July 21 report

From Keir Randall:

Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Jul 21, 2013 2:50 PM - 4:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
17 species (+1 other taxa)

Mute Swan 1
Mallard 4
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Laughing Gull 1
Least Tern 1 Adult off of Three Sisters
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 2
Eastern Kingbird 3
Warbling Vireo 2
swallow sp. 1
Black-capped Chickadee 1
House Wren 2
American Robin 7
Gray Catbird 1
European Starling X
Northern Cardinal 3
Orchard Oriole 1 Lullwater West cove platform. A female and perhaps a second bird too - breeders?
House Sparrow X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14701997

Lakewatch timeline

Prospect Lake evening

8:52 BLACK SKIMMER flyby close to west shore near gazebo

8:53 2 BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERONS flyover south shore,towards West Island

8:58-9 pm 2 BLACK SKIMMERs feeding

(got dark by then) but no nightscope needed  :)>

JBWR

Shorebirds are building up or already present with so far Avocet last week and today's Ruff. But post Sandy the East Pond saw some landscape changes especially at the south end.  See Andrew Baksh's blog post to what got altered.Be careful there but shorebird galore is best locally at JBWR for the next 6 weeks..

http://birdingdude.blogspot.com/2013/07/jamaica-bay-shorebird-report-7-11-13.html

Hottest day this year and crazy birds

On a brutally hot day with the heat index hitting the range of 100-105 degrees, I am amazed that some birds deal with the torrid heat. [ and for me darn hard to work in it outside]

One can commiserate when one sees a COMMON GRACKLE running along the path at Vanderbilt Street park entrance, with its beak wide open. Go to the playground spray pump, grackle !

At their nest near the Lullwater Bridge, I finally spotted this year the second nest the three fledgling GREEN HERONS , perched on the oak limbs, one running along one limb; David Chortaiy mentioned to me this morning their presence , four he reported in recent days there. It must be soothing for the youngsters though to be over the water .

And a last report, first I've seen in summer , in fact years since I seen this breeding species though they have nested in the park on and off, a panting WOOD THRUSH I spotted from my vehicle; the thrush was in the woods edge adjacent to the woods trail ( with railing ) by the east asphalt path. Wood thrushes have bred in past years in the Midwood and as well around the north zoo slope ( Now the compost dump)

Stay cool, cool relief coming tomorrow afternoon with predicted storms induced by the cold front.

By the way, does anybody have Jack Frost's cell phone number ? I like to make a call...

--KB

Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Jul 19, 2013
Protocol: Incidental
3 species

Green Heron  4     3 fledglings, nest
Wood Thrush  1
Common Grackle  1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14686223

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

Panting Wood Thrush south Midwood @ east asphalt path junc woods rail trail

Lakewatch

Just 5 minutes after my arrival, at 823 pm, a single BLACK SKIMMER enters around the West Island area.For about 7 minutes,it glided along the lake surface,flying over the hen RUDDY DUCK, but as it turned the corner near Well Drive, flown over by GREEN HERON; quite a moment to watch..This is  the parks 4th Skimmer sighting assuming no one else has seen this species this summer.

-KB

823 pm Black skimmer prospect lake

Lake evewatch

8 pm-9pm

RUDDY DUCK
Green Heron flying low across lake
Great Blue Heron flyover, eventually landed somewhere south Lulllwater
Barn Swallows,RWBB,mallard, s
Amer Black Duck,

Least Terns continue

Rob Bate reported this afternoon two LEAST TERNS by Music Island, the larger of the two new islands by the rink.

This frequency of Least Terns is the most active since the summer of  2003 with 9 records. 2010 had 4 records; We hit at least 8 recs this summer so far....( top of my head)

GREEN HERON in south Lullwater peninsula shore (PDorosh)

--KB

EAB flyer

From my previous post about the Emerald Ash Borer and reporting it , I was able to get the link of the flyer ( from adobe acrobat which I couldn't post ) from the coordinator of the Maps Invasives program.  the link is below

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1ygrduHhjvvRWFKY0hOTGJrSms/edit

(source : http://imapinvasives.org/links#id_guide )

Green Heron photos

Neal Frumpkin's photos , taken last week of Green Herons, young  near the Lullwater Bridge

Emerald Ash Borer menace bearing down on us

This devastating pest is a menace to our native ash trees. In past years, the pest has been encroaching eastward , last reported as far now as the Catskills. If you have a concern , we birders can be of help. Here below is an email I received plus a link  attachment for the survey

www.NYimapinvasives.org

Subject: Woodpecker damage survey for EAB with iMap

Here is information if you would like to sign up to monitor woodpecker damage 
that the birds do when feeding on Emeral Ash Borer.  Most of our ash is on 
western Long Island and New York City. 

Steve
 
Steve Young
Coordinator, Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) Chief 
Botanist NY Natural Heritage Program
625 Broadway, 5th Floor
Albany, NY 12233-4757

518-402-8951
518-402-8925 FAX
smyoung@gw.dec.state.ny.us
websites: www.nynhp.org
               www.liisma.org

The New York Natural Heritage Program is a partnership between the New York 
State Department of Environmental Conservation and the State University of New 
York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

For more information on EAB and ash tree identification, go to: www.NYIS.info

http://imapinvasives.org/nyimi/report_invasives/

all birders: Report woodpecker damage due to Emerald Ash Borer
www.NYimapinvasives.org

Questions? Contact:imapinvasives@nynhp.org

Supported by the New York State Environmental Protection Fundthrough a contract with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
iMapInvasives is the NYS Invasive Species Database. Become trained to report invasive species and the signs of emerald ash borer:
1.
Request a Login at www.NYimapinvasives.org
2.
Take the online iMapObservation training
3.
Tell us to add you to the "Woodpecker Project"
4.
Look for signs of woodpecker damage on ash trees
•
See other page for descriptions
5.
Take photos of the damage, bark, and crown
6.
Log into iMapto submit your observation for expert revie

Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers eat EAB larvae and leave distinctive marks on ash trees. Here are some tips to spot woodpecker damage due to EAB:
Woodpecker damage and EAB
Report sightings to iMapInvasivesIf you see woodpecker damage on an ash tree,include these 3 photos in your report:
1.
Close up of the woodpecker damage
2.
Crown of the tree
3.
Overview of the bark/trunk (to help with tree ID)
Hairy woodpecker. Bugwood.org
•
Is the wood pecker damage on an ash tree?
•
Are there freshpatches of bark that have been flaked off with a shallow holein the middle?
•
Are the woodpecksrandomly dispersed or in large patches on the tree?
EAB woodpecker foragingMark Whitmore, Cornell University

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a small green invasive beetle. EAB larvae live under the bark of ash trees and eat the transportivetissue inside the tree, cutting off the flow of water and nutrients and killing the tree.