Generally, this species is a secretive bird that loves damp, dense woods. Or near edges of wood margins.
If you see the bird, please text or email me. This would be a first species for the park.
-KB
UPDATE : As late as 5 pm, several birders in search of the Varied Thrush along the Center Drive horse trail , slope and Nethermead Bridge came up empty. Assuming that the bird when it flew across Center Drive into the woods on the west end of the bridge, it might have flown straight thru , perhaps for the Binnen Water/Pool wood section which I checked as well. At this point, the bird could be anywhere, perhaps up the slope of Quaker / out of sight.Hopefully it will stick around. (One did in Central Park over last winter)
While searching for the bird, BROWN CREEPER, FOX SPARROW and a perched juvenile RED-SHOULDERED HAWK ,many ROBINS and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS were seen in the vicinity by birders. In the meantime, below is Mark's account to me.
**
Hi Peter,
I just wanted to send you an email with info on my sighting of a Varied Thrush in Prospect Park:
At about 1320 today, I was looking at common birds (robins, white-throated sparrows, black-capped chickadees, etc.) poking through the leaf litter near the Nethermead Arch when I saw a robin-like bird with wing patches fly past. I followed it and found it perched a short distance away. It was clearly a Varied Thrush (a bird that is common where I live in Washington State). I figured this was not a common bird for Prospect Park, so I stared at it for a while through my binoculars, noting its black mask, its black breast-band (a male), the light orange on its wing coverts, etc. After several minutes of watching it, I decided to see if there were any other birders around. I walked to the feeders where I ran into you and reported my sighting. I went back and looked for the bird for another hour or two but was unable to relocate it. I hope others are able to relocate it and enjoy it.
- Mark Salvadalena
************************************
| Subject: Prospect Park: Common Merganser, Pine Siskin, etc Date: Thu Mar 7 2013 16:12 pm From: gabrielwillow AT .com | |
While working in Prospect Park, Brooklyn today, I took a quick jaunt outside and was surprised by the amount of bird activity in spite of the wind and iffy weather.
Up at the feeders by Breeze Hill there was a large flock of Red-winged Blackbirds (about 30 birds); the males were "konk-a-ree"ing despite the wintry conditions. They know Spring is almost here. Also at the feeders were several Northern Cardinals, House Finches, Am. Goldfinches, Song Sparrows, W-t Sparrows, and 9 or 10 Pine Siskins, which I haven't seen in several weeks.
Down on the Lullwater/Lake area (between the Terrace Bridge and Lakeside construction) there was a nice diversity of waterfowl: two Bufflehead, a dozen Ruddy Ducks, several Am. Coot, six Hooded Mergansers, and more surprisingly, with the hoodies was a lovely female Common Merganser. There were also two female Ring-necked Ducks in the mixed flock.
Stay warm,
Gabriel WillowNYC Audubon
**
Observers: Peter D, Bobbi Manian
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY Mar 7, 2013 3:33 PM Protocol: Incidental 18 species Canada Goose X Mallard X Northern Shoveler X Lake Ring-necked Duck 1 3 Sisters Bufflehead 1 Hooded Merganser 9 Lake Ruddy Duck X Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Quaker Ridge perched Hairy Woodpecker 1 Quaker Ridge White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Quaker Ridge Brown Creeper 2 Quaker Ridge; Nethermead American Robin 60 Nethermead Fox Sparrow 1 Quaker Ridge Swamp Sparrow 1 LP249 White-throated Sparrow 20 Dark-eyed Junco X Northern Cardinal X American Goldfinch 11 |
