April 1st Prospect Water is the way to go...

drake Blue Winged Teal photo by Bobbi Manian

It was no fooling to see  BLUE-WINGED TEAL which I spotted early this morning close to the west shore of Prospect Lake. In fact , two were present , a drake and a hen in a rare sighting for the park, usually once yearly for its occurrence. It was the best of days for water birds.

Sticking close to the west shore where several birders saw it, the pair did ventured towards the Three Sisters, then after my lunch time, take flight for the rink area, namely Music Island  South Lullwater. They did go back to the West Shore and West Island cove, into the evening before they again took flight for the rink islands. A good bird species for the park. 

In the lake, 10 RING-NECKED DUCKs with NORTHERN SHOVELERS, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were other quality species. Nearby, on 3 Sisters Island, 5 NIGHT-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS huddled on the water tree snag while a lonely GREAT BLUE HERON watched from above them.

Over at Terrace Bridge, an OSPREY patrolled the waters there for about  an hour , my lunchtime.

Up on Lookout Hill, 5 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS continue to stick around, 2 adult males, 2 adult females and one juvenile male with reddish coloration coming in. I found originally 3 at Arleen's Pines.


First of year LAUGHING GULLS (3) on the lake and flyovers over Breeze Hill of TREE SWALLOWS adds to the day's enjoyment of spring  birds.

But I am still pursuing that critter called Pine Warbler....wondering where to look and when luck smiles....

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From Keir

Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Apr 1, 2013 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: Lullwater and lakeside only
33 species 

Canada Goose 8 

Mute Swan 3 

Mallard 8 

Blue-winged Teal 1 Male at West Island. Swam in and out of tangle of roots on north side of island. Previously reported female probably hidden in that area. Thanks to PD, BM and RB.
Northern Shoveler 22

Ring-necked Duck 1 Lullwater plus, I think, a distant 8 on the lake. 

Red-breasted Merganser 2 

Ruddy Duck 55 

Double-crested Cormorant 1 

American Coot 6 

Ring-billed Gull 1 

Rock Pigeon 4 

Mourning Dove 6

Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 

Downy Woodpecker 1 

Eastern Phoebe 7 

Blue Jay 8 

Tree Swallow 5 

Black-capped Chickadee 2 

Tufted Titmouse 1 

Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 

American Robin 17

European Starling X 

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1 Lullwater 

Chipping Sparrow 1

Song Sparrow 3

Swamp Sparrow 1

White-throated Sparrow 12 

Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 5 

Northern Cardinal 4 

Red-winged Blackbird 9 

Common Grackle 6 

House Sparrow 20

And Varied Thrush video from yesterday:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22689183@N00/8608631278/


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From Doug Gochfeld

Location

Prospect Park, Kings County, New York, US ( Map )

Date and Effort

Mon Apr 01, 2013 9:35 AM

Protocol:

Traveling

Party Size:

1

Duration:

3 hour(s), 45 minute(s)

Distance:

3.0 mile(s)

Observers:

Doug Gochfeld

Species

47 species

35	Canada Goose
7	Mute Swan
2	Wood Duck
25	Mallard
2	Blue-winged Teal *Uncommon, but probably annual in the early spring, in the park. First found by P. Dorosh in the morning. West Island. Photo. Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male 1 Female 1 Sex Unknown
31	Northern Shoveler
10	Ring-necked Duck
1	Bufflehead Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male Female 1 Sex Unknown
4	Red-breasted Merganser *Rare in the park. High Count, though not the highest of the last couple of weeks. Continuing. Photo of a couple. 3 between the Peninsula and Terrace Bridge. One on the Lake between the Peninsula and Duck Island. Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male 3 Female 1 Sex Unknown
123	Ruddy Duck
1	Double-crested Cormorant
1	Great Egret
1	Osprey
2	Red-tailed Hawk
16	American Coot
2	Laughing Gull
40	Ring-billed Gull
110	Herring Gull
5	Great Black-backed Gull
5	Rock Pigeon
14	Mourning Dove
1	Belted Kingfisher
4	Red-bellied Woodpecker
6	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
8	Downy Woodpecker
1	Hairy Woodpecker Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male Female 1 Sex Unknown
11	Eastern Phoebe
22	Blue Jay
11	Tree Swallow
38	Black-capped Chickadee
32	Tufted Titmouse
2	White-breasted Nuthatch
3	Brown Creeper
13	Golden-crowned Kinglet
125	American Robin
45	European Starling
1	Pine Warbler
2	Fox Sparrow (Red)
26	Song Sparrow
85	White-throated Sparrow
25	Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
31	Northern Cardinal
8	Red-winged Blackbird
10	Common Grackle
5	White-winged Crossbill *Rare. Continuing birds around Butterfly Meadow. Photos and Video (hopefully with usable audio). Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male 1 2 Female 2 Sex Unknown
16	American Goldfinch
110	House Sparrow Seemed to be more abundant than normal in the park. Probably just because of how conspicuous they were being. ***************************************************************** From Rafael Campos: Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Kings, US-NY Apr 1, 2013 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM OBSERVER: Rafael G Campos Protocol: Traveling 3.0 kilometer(s) 42 species Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  X Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  X Gadwall (Anas strepera)  2     pair, upper pool Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  X Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)  X Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  8 Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  2 Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)  1 Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  X Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  4     Five Sisters Island Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1     flyover Nethermead Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1 American Coot (Fulica americana)  X Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  X Herring Gull (American) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus)  X Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)  X Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  X Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  2 Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1 Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  3 Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  X Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  10     flyovers Boat House Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  X Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  X Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)  1     Ravine Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  1 Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)  8 American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  X Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)  1 European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  X Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  1     Ravine Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) (Setophaga coronata coronata)  1     Lower Lullwater, near Endale Bridge Fox Sparrow (Red) (Passerella iliaca iliaca/zaboria)  1 Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  6 White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  X Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) (Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis)  3 Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  X Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  2 Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  2 Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)  1 American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2 House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  X Brooklyn is great birding!!! ************************************ My Lists Prospect Park--Prospect Lake, Kings, US-NY Apr 1, 2013 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM Protocol: Stationary 20 species Canada Goose 55 Mute Swan X Mallard X Blue-winged Teal 2 drake , hen mostly along west shore, few excursion rink Islands Northern Shoveler X Ring-necked Duck 10 Bufflehead 2 rink islands Hooded Merganser 2 Red-breasted Merganser 4 Ruddy Duck 96 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 1 3 sisters Great Egret 1 nw phrgamite Black-crowned Night-Heron 5 3 sisters isls American Coot X Laughing Gull 2 Ring-billed Gull X Herring Gull X Great Black-backed Gull 2 Rock Pigeon X View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13603623 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY Apr 1, 2013 Protocol: Incidental 23 species Canada Goose 2 Gadwall 1 Upper Pool Mallard X Northern Shoveler 3 Osprey 1 patrolling over Terrace Br Lullwater Red-tailed Hawk 1 American Coot X Downy Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 2 Blue Jay 2 Tree Swallow 7 Breeze Hill circular flyovers Black-capped Chickadee 4 Tufted Titmouse 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 American Robin X European Starling X Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Terrace Br, nice color coming in Song Sparrow 7 Breeze Hill mead White-throated Sparrow 1 Dark-eyed Junco 8 Breeze Hill mead Northern Cardinal X Red-winged Blackbird X Common Grackle 12 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13603656 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)