With all this mugginess ( that's of course, having to do with the weather) in Prospect, I wasn't expecting much on a late afternoon walk into Prospect. But a few things made it a delightful walk in this unpleasant humid air.
Across the Lake, a tern is flying circles past Three Sisters Islands. It turns out to be a FORSTERS, this species being so generous in visiting the park over the summer ( which ends technically by the way , September 21st, not Labor day for some kids dreading school reopening this week).Upon closer approach , I see its a junior, an immature.I guess its not worried about school, free as a bird.
I decided to travel through the Peninsula, perhaps because I believed I have a chance seeing a land bird in the shaded forest.That hope wasn't successful but instead on a walk along the shore, a shorebird intrigued me. Its sitting on a water boulder next to Music Island. Took me awhile to figure it out with 8 power bins, but I see it had an eye ring with brownish ,light sepia back with black wing edgings. Uncommon to see here, another junior, this time a SOLITARY SANDPIPER sitting on that boulder for the long duration. But to the right along the mainland of the new rink, a juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPER has its own boulder for its liking, but this shorebird much more hyper.
So far all juniors for good birds. ( But getting out of the Peninsula before I might meet a Teenage Werewolf)
A continuing journey up to Lookout Hill produced nil. But swarms of CHIMNEY SWIFTS control the skies. Just over the dead tree at Butterfly Meadow southwest corner, many swifts congregated and congested the air zone here, obviously looking down and seeing the land bereft of land birds. Well..I did see one LEAST FLYCATCHER at Butterfly Meadow's south fence.
Storms , maybe with heavy downpours heading our way tomorrow.Maybe that system will cool things down ,take its dreadful humidity out and draw in some birds!
list
FORSTERS TERN (juv)
SOLITARY SANDPIPER ( Juv)
SPOTTED Sandpiper ( Juv)
LEAST FLYCATCHER
Song Sparrow ( looked like a junior)
--KB
