Prospect's waters made a bit of a splash, with reports of rare to quality birds to report this mid afternoon when I left my job at the Tennis House. If it weren't for the unexpected ICELAND GULL, the record setting number of WOOD DUCKS would have taken top billing for headlines.
First , about the Wood Ducks to report. The Upper Pool is filled with the revelry of this species, the bulk of the flock occupying the back channel of the small island. On a good count with the ducks spread out, 30 were seen. Later, as I surveyed the lake, two more Wood Duck were sailing by Three Sisters Islands, 32 WOOD DUCKS for an astounding number for the park.Today's number bested last weeks then record 27 birds.
4 RING NECK DUCKS took up temporary residency in the Upper Pool, and two more in the Lake.
Also at the pools, the Lower one, a single RUSTY BLACKBIRD walking along the isthmus shoreline.Then at the usual winter spot for this species-Binnen Creek/3 Arches, I found two more Rusties working the shore of Binnen Pool, under the protective dense cover of Silky Dogwood.
But its Prospect Lake that's been making a big splash for rare birds. And thus on my last stop before home near Park Circle, I found the persistent RED NECKED GREBE in the lake center; a farther walk along the west shore and another check of the gull flock got me my reward : immature ICELAND GULL. The gull stayed in the center as well, with the grebe and a single COMMON MERGANSER all seen in the same view.
I could say I had a terrific late afternoon.
Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY Mar 25, 2014 3:35 PM - 4:50 PM Protocol: Traveling 1.5 mile(s) 29 species
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 4
Wood Duck 32-- 30 upper pool;2 three sisters islands
American Black Duck 3 Lake
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 21 Lake
Ring-necked Duck 6 4 upper pool;2 lake
Hooded Merganser 8 Lake
Common Merganser 3 Lake, continuing species
Red-breasted Merganser 3 Lake
Ruddy Duck 25 Lake
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Lake
Red-necked Grebe 1 Still continuing Lake 9th day
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Iceland Gull 1 Lake
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Binnen creek
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Binnen creek
Eastern Phoebe 2 Binnen creek; lullwater
Brown Creeper 1
Winter Wren 1 Binnen creek
American Robin 55
Song Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco 3
Rusty Blackbird 3 -1 Lower pool, 2 binnen pool
Brown-headed Cowbird 4 Ballfields
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17597609
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)