Summer Solstice;GWC & PP reports

Today Summer begins. Solstice occurred 1:04am this morning.

Northern Hemisphere’s longest day, highest sun of the year

From Orrin:

A summer solstice walk this morning featured not one but two eagles, one with a broken wing, imported by GWC management to scare away the cemetery's 10-strong Canada geese herd.  (Picture attached.)  The healthy one was being dragged around the lake by a worker holding a string, while another worker held the second eagle and made eagle noises.  At one point the eagle on a string dove into the water and had to be fished, er, eagled, out.  (What do you expect from a Brooklyn cemetery that also as a great blue tit, or whatever?)  The geese kept busy swimming around, although it seemed not too happily.

Otherwise best "nonbird" was a groundhog crawling around on top of a mausoleum, of all places.  Other birds: 

Monk parakeet
Northern mockingbird
House wren
European starling
Eastern wood pewee
American robin
House finch
Chipping sparrow
House sparrow
Cedar waxwing
Northern cardinal
Barn swallow
Black-crowned night heron
Mourning dove
Red-bellied woodpecker

Common grackle    

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6/20 eve report
From Keir:

hi Peter

A late walk last night - Ruddy Duck was a little odd...

Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Jun 20, 2013 6:50 PM - 8:20 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
19 species

Mute Swan 6
Mallard 7
Ruddy Duck 1 In the middle of the lake.
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 1
Chimney Swift 3
Peregrine Falcon 1
Warbling Vireo 2
Barn Swallow 5
House Wren 2
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 4
European Starling 3
Yellow Warbler 2 (Peninsula Meadow)
Northern Cardinal 3
Red-winged Blackbird 3
Common Grackle 5
House Sparrow 2

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14466361