On this first day of December under gray overcast and cold day, much of the park seemed quiet except for a few bright spots.
After a vain search for the Chat not seen all morning, the bird surfaced shortly after noontime, as Mike Elliot phished for the Eastern Towhee that been hanging out on the middle southern slope of Breeze Hill.Instead of towhee, what popped up was the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.
4 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS came down to a water filled path pothole by the southwestern Nethermead pine grove,just before the road forks.Earlier female was seen at the Maryland Monument.
The lake, dominated by NORTHERN SHOVELERs, continues to make things intersting with the hen RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEADS & 5 HOODED MERGANSERS.
Feeders have the usual suspects,active it is ,but PINE SISKINS adds delight especially with the bright bird hanging out.
There was a report from Cindy of WWXbills feeding in the Sweet gums by Nethermead bridge
more later,
-KB
*****Addendum: See Keir's report of WHITE-WINGED XBILLS at the Nethermead bridges at noon time.
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From Keir
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY Dec 1, 2012 9:50 AM - 12:20 PM Protocol: Traveling 2.0 mile(s) 39 species
Mute Swan 5
American Black Duck 3
Mallard X Northern Shoveler X Hooded Merganser 3 Red-breasted Merganser 1
Ruddy Duck X Pied-billed Grebe 1 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Rock Pigeon X Mourning Dove 8 Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 4 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Merlin 1 Blue Jay 8 Black-capped Chickadee 12 Tufted Titmouse 6 White-breasted Nuthatch 3 Carolina Wren 3 American Robin 25 Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X Eastern Towhee 1 Fox Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 2 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 25
Northern Cardinal 6 House Finch 13 White-winged Crossbill 8 In sweetgums and bathing in Binnen Water downstream from Netherdale Arches, 12pm. At least 4 males and probably more than 8 total.
Pine Siskin 2
American Goldfinch 12
House Sparrow 18