At dawn ,nothing moved and I knew that was a bad omen. Up on migratory trap Lookout Hill, there was almost nothing saved a few Yellow rumped warblers.The highest total by any of the Birdathon teams I know so far today only counted 65 species by mid morning before leaving the park for the coast. Ground warbler species was absent...
With realization that the count would be low, I shifted to focusing on a few salvage species to make the day worthwhile. At the best birding pocket in Ricks Place, an elm had some AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES. But among them, to our delight of 14 participants I identified a lone PINE SISKIN; even better, right in front of the siskin, a beautiful BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER fully displayed its fiery throat for us to marvel at. Add in RUSTY BLACKBIRD at the Lower Pool, and a low enough viewable CAPE MAY WARBLER near the Rose Garden, these sightings offered some consolation from the crappy day.
Furthermore, breeders were seen in a few spots. Two GREEN HERON nests found our attention & RUBY THROATED HUMMINGBIRD building its nest focused our gaze and we silently expressed our appreciation.
Teams are out there counting.I presumed the results would be posted on the BBC Facebook.
KB.
BBC Prospect walk
NYC Bird Report
date = 2015/05/09 site = Prospect Park observers = BBC Birdathon walk, 14 participants Double-crested Cormorant Green Heron 3 Great Egret Canada Goose Wood Duck 4 Mute Swan Mallard Red-tailed Hawk Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Blue Jay Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Tufted Titmouse Black-capped Chickadee White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher American Robin Wood Thrush Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing 6 Yellow Warbler American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Ovenbird Black-throated Blue Warbler Common Yellowthroat Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Blackburnian Warbler White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Rusty Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Pine Siskin American Goldfinch House Sparrow