Monday, December 15, 2014

Latest CLAY COLORED SPARROW; reports

Prospect Park Peninsula

This morning's CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (CCSP)  provided very favorable views on the Peninsula meadow by the fallen giant Linden (Basswood) tree. Working along the timber tree perimeter , the CCSP frequented the meadow along with some CHIPPING SPARROWS for good comparison ,the sparrow being seen by  Karen O'Hearn and Chris Laskowski who texted me on my cell.I observed it near the very young Persimmon tree between that fallen Basswood and the Sumac grove, though closer to the basswood timber.

I was fortunate to see the sparrow in very good light,  its bright whitish  breast complexion with warm buffy overtones among other indicative field marks. Later Sean Sime viewed the bird but I was told much farther down the meadow near the back forest /fence line. The CCSP is in a winter plumage by the way.

Unfortunately , the Parks Forest Department will be moving that large tree , down for two weeks now this afternoon maybe tomorrow as well.Hopefully the rare sparrow will have deaf ears and stay put for the upcoming Kings CBC. I'll keep you posted.

reference http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clay-colored_Sparrow/id

On another far more usual note, for the first time I've seen an uncommon woodpecker here, a HAIRY WOODPECKER caught me by surprise at the Vanderbilt Street park entrance. First landing in young  red maple tree, it flew closer to the entrance by a planted Pine tree. A first for some ......

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From Joshua Malbin yesterday report

Prospect Park, Kings, US-NY
Dec 14, 2014 10:24 AM - 12:42 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
36 species

Canada Goose  7
Mute Swan  9
American Wigeon  1     female, boathouse.
Mallard  118
Northern Shoveler  195
Hooded Merganser  1
Ruddy Duck  57
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  21
Ring-billed Gull  215
Herring Gull  15
Great Black-backed Gull  3
Mourning Dove  52
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  7
Hairy Woodpecker  2
Blue Jay  13
American Crow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  5
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  5
Winter Wren  1
American Robin  6
Northern Mockingbird  1
Chipping Sparrow  3
Fox Sparrow  1
Swamp Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  8
Dark-eyed Junco  13
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  3
House Finch  14
Purple Finch  2
American Goldfinch  13
House Sparrow  28

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20901085

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)