Prospect Park Bird Sightings & North Brooklyn Nature News

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Dickcissels in the nabe

Belatedly, two reports from Thursdays sightings might still be fresh of Dickcissels. The historic deluge yesterday might have kept them down.

One report comes from Bush Terminal Pier Park in the western sector, near Aspen trees . Closer to home a second Dickcissel was found at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Rose Garden, hanging out with House Sparrows.

Also late reporting Thursday had a Connecticut Warbler in Prospects north Midwood. Again it's a possibility the bird could not migrate due to the big storm.

American Wigeons are seen on Prospect Lake as fall ducks begin to migrate.

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" --Lao Tzu

Friday, September 29, 2023

Photos from Toms Thurs walk

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/99/#cv/Inbox/18add6c60e7c8aae

Taken by Marisa Hernandez

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Fwd: BBC Thursday walk

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" --Lao Tzu

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tom Stephenson <12toms@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 4:13 PM
Subject: Thursday walk
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>
Cc: Dennis Hrehowsik <DeepSeaGangster@gmail.com>, Roberta Manian <roberta.manian@gmail.com>, Marisa Hernandez <shishi47@gmail.com>, Valerie Masten <valerie.masten@gmail.com>, Michele <truongmichele@gmail.com>, Megan Thornton <megankthornton@gmail.com>, Bob Curtis <bobolink@nyct.net>, Xinyi Zhang <xinyi.zhang.zxy@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

Good seeing you today in your mega-TRUCK....

Well, in contrast to last Thursday, today was considerably less birdy, with a clear change in populations....

Instead of 20 species of warblers we had 10 (but one really good one.....) And lots of Palms that were missing from last week, and a good number of White-throated Sparrows and Thrush.

Highlights included: Connecticut Warbler (in the midwood near the zoo...)

At least 3 Gray-cheeked Thrush including a very warm "Bicknell's/GC sp" and two cold gray ones from their western breeding range, a very low cooperative Eastern Wood-Pewee, and a number of raptors including Sharpie, Peregrine, and Kestrel; cooperative Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. A total of 56 species.

Here's the list.

Best regards,

Tom

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

Wood Duck

Mallard

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon

Spotted Sandpiper

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Rock Dove

Mourning Dove

Chimney Swift

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Eastern Phoebe

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

White-breasted Nuthatch

Carolina Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Veery

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Swainson's Thrush

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

European Starling

Northern Parula

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Pine Warbler

Palm Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

American Redstart

Connecticut Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Scarlet Tanager

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Common Grackle

Baltimore Oriole

House Finch

House Sparrow

Fw: Shirley Chisholm State Park Big Sit

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

- L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "membership@brooklynbirdclub.org" <membership@brooklynbirdclub.org>

To: Membership <membership@brooklynbirdclub.org>

Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 02:05:42 PM EDT

Subject: Shirley Chisholm State Park Big Sit

Dear members,

Our friends at Shirley Chisholm State Park are holding their annual Big Sit on Oct 7th from 6am to 2pm. They are looking for volunteers to join one or both of two shifts, either 6:00am to 10am, or 10am to 2pm. Volunteers would help with bird IDs.

If you can help out, please contact:

Diana Beckenhaupt

Environmental Teaching Assistant

Shirley Chisholm State Park

Office: 718-277-2420, Cell: 347-578-5590

Thank you,

Dennis Hrekowsik

BBC President

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Fwd: Migration Morning at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Sep 27, 2023

Led by Mike Yuan

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Michael Yuan <mjyuan@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Sep 27, 2023 at 4:05 PM
Subject: Migration Morning at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Sep 27, 2023
To: Dennis Hrehowsik <deepseagangster@gmail.com>, Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>

Hi Peter-

It really felt like fall on this morning's outing at Brooklyn Bridge Park. 7 participants enjoyed a breezy start on the Bridge Lawn on Pier 1, loaded with Palm Warblers and one very obliging Magnolia Warbler. A Ruby-throated hummingbird continues to visit the jewelweed by the Long Pond, and we also briefly saw one on the Pier 3 lawn. The first sunny morning in several days brought a good mix of warblers, an influx of Flickers, and first of season Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Later in the mornin, the hawthorn trees on the Harbor Lawn were really lit up with Blackpolls, a stunning Scarlet Tanager, and several flocks of Cedar Waxwings.

Mike

Brooklyn Bridge Park, Kings, New York, US
Sep 27, 2023 7:03 AM - 9:52 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.645 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Brooklyn Bird Club Wednesday Migration Morning
44 species (+2 other taxa)

Canada Goose 5
Mallard 2
American Black Duck 4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 11
Mourning Dove 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Laughing Gull 23
Ring-billed Gull 17
Herring Gull 5
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 16
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 4
Red-eyed Vireo 1
American Crow 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
European Starling 7
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 2
Swainson's Thrush 1
American Robin 6
Cedar Waxwing 14
House Sparrow 12
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 4
Chipping Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 2
Baltimore Oriole 1
Northern Waterthrush 1
Black-and-white Warbler 3
Tennessee Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
American Redstart 4
Northern Parula 5
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 3
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler 1
Palm Warbler (Western) 2
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 9
Pine Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S150883762

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

" Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot,the only home we've ever known"

--Carl Sagan

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Winter finch forecast is out

https://finchnetwork.org/winter-finch-forecast-2023-2024?fbclid=IwAR0-c0f68T-cNsHVqjSoRVJNkmN9pAW1hSKu18QfXPtjr7vNZDJuMWWFCBY

Monday, September 25, 2023

a plea....

Rain, rain, go awayCome again some other dayWe want to go outside and playCome again some other day

" Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot,the only home we've ever known"

--Carl Sagan

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Bald eagles residents in Staten. Island

https://nypost.com/2023/09/23/bald-eagle-population-soars-in-nyc/?fbclid=IwAR1MY2Sxmtf3uRVkKaBNpR0cLMJHCRVyWSo2lu646SKJsTGBdQ0sTtelPrk

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" --Lao Tzu

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Happy Autumn!

🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🎃🦃

This year, the autumn equinox will begin on Saturday, September 23, at 2:50 a.m. and will last until the winter solstice on Thursday, December 21, at 10:27 a.m.

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" --Lao Tzu

Stay safe stay indoors

Take a holiday from birding

🌬️🌳↘️ 🌧️

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" --Lao Tzu

Friday, September 22, 2023

Plant native to help birds

https://www.audubon.org/content/why-native-plants-matter?fbclid=IwAR3W5sTznr5433GGWrXHlq252rXdbR2eBX6jqFxl9X1hi5jU8I5ndRDgP9k#:~:text=Native%20plants%20provide%20nectar%20for,for%20all%20forms%20of%20wildlife

Janet's meadow still shines

Janet Zinn took a photo today and posted on Facebook a bird that usually don't show up in our local parks. But where it was seen - Greenwood Cemetery Schumacher memorial Wildflower meadow- makes it all the more sweeter.

A female Bobolink alighted in Schumacher meadow making this productive spot a go-to site for super fall migrants. Having produced past Blue Grosbeak, Clay colored sparrow and I think one other good bird should behoove us checking it out thru the autumn.

For anyone needing to know where it is, the meadow lies on the Valley Water north shore ,along Magnolia Ave. 🌻🐦

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" --Lao Tzu

Tweet from Brooklyn Bird Club (@BklynBirdClub) BBC Saturday walk cancelled

Brooklyn Bird Club (@BklynBirdClub) tweeted at 3:02 PM on Fri, Sep 22, 2023:
Tomorrow's 7:30 AM Saturday 9/23/23 Fall Migration walk led by Dennis Hrehowsik is cancelled due to forecasted heavy rains. See you all next week !
🐦🐦‍⬛🦩🦜🦃
(https://twitter.com/BklynBirdClub/status/1705296577353412745?t=B7ScIkqtZBuHSX6KjFkdjg&s=03)

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" --Lao Tzu

Fwd: Thursday Walk

Tom leading BBC Thursday

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tom Stephenson <12toms@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 22, 2023 at 10:29 AM
Subject: Thursday Walk
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

In addition to being a really beautiful day, T/hursday was one of the birdiest days I remember in the park. There were warblers and thrushes almost everywhere.

We ended up with 69 species including 20 species of warblers (even though we missed Yellow and Palm, which we know were in the other end of the park...)

Highlights included very cooperative Cape May, Bay-breasted, Tennessee, Wilson's, Canada and Blackburnian Warblers, Philadelphia Vireo, and lots of other species. We also had first-of-season (for me at least) White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. Winter is coming...

Here's the list.

Best regards,

Tom

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

Wood Duck

Mallard

Osprey

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Rock Dove

Mourning Dove

Chimney Swift

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Eastern Phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher

Philadelphia Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Carolina Wren

House Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Veery

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Swainson's Thrush

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Tennessee Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Northern Parula

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Pine Warbler

Bay-breasted Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

American Redstart

Ovenbird

Northern Waterthrush

Common Yellowthroat

Wilson's Warbler

Canada Warbler

Scarlet Tanager

Lincoln's Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Common Grackle

Baltimore Oriole

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

" Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot,the only home we've ever known"

--Carl Sagan

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Birds worth pursuing

In Prospect Park today, an uncommon Philadelphia Vireo surfaced in two locations. And as well Clay colored Sparrow is a handsome bird on anyone's fall list.

Philadelphia Vireo is a beautiful bird and one was found at Third Street Playground in the shadow of the Lichtfield Villa. A second Philly followed at Maryland monument , down hill from the monument.

With fall comes sparrows eventually, and among the prizes is Clay colored. Bushwick Inlet park hosted one today.A belated second from yesterday afternoon surfaced on the hill side up from Prospects Well Drive picnic tables ,before flying down to the the lakeshore phragmites.

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" --Lao Tzu

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Fwd: Ridgewood Reservoir list

Ridgewood Reservoir report

Good to see the place is getting a facelift....

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ryan Goldberg
Date: Wed, Sep 20, 2023 at 3:03 PM
Subject: Ridgewood Reservoir list
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

Here's my list from Ridgewood Reservoir today. I hadn't been there in at least five years, but it remains as beautiful as I remembered it. It was great birding! For 50 acres, it packs a punch. The highlights were an adult broad-winged hawk, three Tennessee warblers, and a mourning warbler. Parks is doing lots of invasive management -- contractors were spraying and cutting out knotweed, honeysuckle, and paulownia -- and so it should become even better in years to come.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S150348054

Ryan

" Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot,the only home we've ever known"

--Carl Sagan

common nighthawks prospect

Note on the prospect checklist 19 were reported passing thru last evening

https://ebird.org/checklist/S150302379

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L109516

LATE SUMMER DRAGONFLIES OF PROSPECT PARK SEPTEMBER 17

BBC walk led by Hugh Sansom

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Hugh Sansom
Date: Tue, Sep 19, 2023 at 11:35 AM

Hi Peter —

The walk went well, and I learned a few things that I could do if there are any more walks in the future. 7 people showed up. I gave some introduction to dragonflies and damselflies, identified the species we saw, gave some background when there was something of note (male vs. female, territoriality, reproduction, hunting, color characteristics, flight abilities, vision abilities, life cycle).

We observed the following:

Dragonflies

Blue Dasher several Lower Pool, Boathouse Bridge
Autumn Meadowhawk 1 or 2 Lower Pool
Great Blue Skimmer between 4 & 8 Lower Pool, Boathouse Bridge
Twelve-spotted Skimmer 1 Boathouse bridge
Eastern Pondhawk 2 or 3 Boathouse bridge
Slaty Skimmer maybe 1 Boathouse bridge
Green Darner too many to count meadows
Black Saddlebags a few long meadow

Damselflies (a little less certain here because some species resemble one another)

American Bluet

Fragile Forktail

Eastern Forktail

Orange Bluet

Thanks!

Hugh

Hugh Sansom | MS, MPA
GravityLens • 917.604.4844 • linkedin.com/in/hughsansom/

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

BirdCast - Bird migration forecasts in real-time

https://birdcast.info/

Northwest wind alert

Janet's meadow

Our Friend Janet Schumacher would have been quite pleased the way her memorial wildflower garden turned out.Even better when good birds turn up.

The Greenwood Cemetery wildflower meadow in Janet ' s namesake turned up a Dickcissel this morning. This follows the Blue Grosbeak last Sunday. Birders now have a fall spot to check out now with all the seeds an attractive motive. Just wait till the sparrows come in.

In other news , though brief on this slower day , a Mourning warbler popped up at the base of the Switchback trail in Prospect Park, just left of the Maryland Monument.

--
"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings." -- William Blake, artist,author

Fwd: eBird Report - Prospect Park, Sep 19, 2023

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Roberta Manian <
Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Subject: Fwd: eBird Report - Prospect Park, Sep 19, 2023
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>, Tom Stephenson <

Hi Peter,
today was my first walk leading Tues as i was away last week. we didn't have the fallout we were expecting, but a great group w/ sharp eyes made it all fun. our highlights were a Peregrine high up in a tree dissecting a pigeon along wellhouse and a super-active BTG warber chasing moths down to the ground and back up into the trees. he finally caught one and we all spent a good 5 minutes watching him beat it until the wings fell off, then gorging on the body. Here's a photo from Radka at the moment of the kill. so i guess today's theme was Circle of Life???
best,
Bobbi
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <do-not-reply@ebird.org>
Date: Tue, Sep 19, 2023 at 7:20 PM
Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park, Sep 19, 2023
To: <

Prospect Park, Kings, New York, US
Sep 19, 2023 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: BBC tues migration walk
45 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose 5
Wood Duck 5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) X
Mourning Dove 8
Chimney Swift 11
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Laughing Gull 4
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull (American) 3
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk (borealis) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern) 1
Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern) 1 heard only
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 5
Merlin (Taiga) 1
Peregrine Falcon (North American) 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
White-eyed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 5
Winter Wren 1
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling X
Gray Catbird 5
American Robin 5
Cedar Waxwing 8
House Sparrow X
Northern Waterthrush 2
Black-and-white Warbler 3
Tennessee Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 3
Northern Parula 3
Magnolia Warbler 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S150300164

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

--
"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings." -- William Blake, artist,author

Monday, September 18, 2023

BBC world migratory day scavenger hunt

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0D9JNkj8eBiMCFghJfPsA17uUw5KRKCft3rvuoruDghTBpccv3tqFRDTGRtM7i8Wfl&id=100064831802926&sfnsn=mo

Brooklyn Bird Club Birding Scavenger Hunt - World Migratory Bird Day, Oct 14, 2023

Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with a slightly-competitive but just-for-fun event- the first-ever Brooklyn Birding Scavenger Hunt!

Participating is easy. Form a team of 6 or fewer birders (or do it solo) and bird any way you’d like - in your favorite park, all over Brooklyn, or through your window.

You’ll receive a list of birding goals with varying point values to complete during the day. The team who totals the most points will be crowned the champs and win fantastic bird apparel from the Brooklyn Bird Club and Bird Collective.

Examples of birding goals, which could cover bird identification, bird behavior, or “seen while birding” activity:

See a red-colored bird (2 points per species)

Watch birds mob a predator (5 points per observation)

See a “life bird” (for anyone on your team, 20 points, max 60 points)

We’ll have a compilation event at a to be determined bar or park location in the late afternoon.

Please email scavengerhunt@brooklynbirdclub.org to register yourself or your team. You’ll receive the list of goals on Friday, October 13, 2023. Happy hunting!