Prospect Park Bird Sightings & North Brooklyn Nature News: October 2015

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Fwd: eBird Report - Prospect Park--Prospect Lake, Oct 31, 2015

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <ebird-checklist@cornell.edu>
Date: Oct 31, 2015 10:19 PM
Subject: eBird Report - Prospect Park--Prospect Lake, Oct 31, 2015
To: <prosbird@gmail.com>
Cc:

Prospect Park--Prospect Lake, Kings, New York, US
Oct 31, 2015 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
9 species

Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 8
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 103
Bufflehead 3
Hooded Merganser 3
Ruddy Duck 74
Great Cormorant 1 Three sisters isl
Red-tailed Hawk 1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25649958

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

happy haunting!

On this Halloween day,I done my own haunting.First to Prospect Lake,then after a good bird tweet,to an appropriate place ,Greenwood Çemetery.

The lake shows some treats. First in the lake middle, three HOODED MERGANSERS, two drakes,one hen. A little left,three BUFFLEHEADS,in reverse number with gender,one Drake. Then after a tour of the peninsula,i spotted the GREAT CORMORANT perched on Three Sisters Islands.

During this time at the park,I get a tweet from Karen O' Hearn regarding the RED HEADED WOODPECKER. Through the haunted woods I go, to Cornus Avenue. In section 82 between Cornus and Sycamore avenues, and Hyacinth Path, I looked up and there is the juvenile RED HEADED WOODPECKER.Its plucking acorns and stashing then in a broken branch of the same oak. Then it flew around about in that area. Thanks to Karen for the avian treat..

The lawn area at GWC main entrance to the left and before the castle was active with juncos. I saw one with some pink on its side but not enough to pronounce it pink sided subspecies given the wide variability of this species. The species is from the Great Plains Midwest so its a rarity but junco flocks should be looked at carefully.

Happy Halloween all!

Tweet from The Kingsboider (@BBCKingsbirds)

The Kingsboider (@BBCKingsbirds) tweeted at 0:59 PM on Sat, Oct 31, 2015:
Juv red headed woodpecker pluck/stash acorns GrnWoodCemetery. Sect 82 w/in Cornus/Sycamore aves/Hyacinth path south of chapel
(https://twitter.com/BBCKingsbirds/status/660501342646116352?s=03)

Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download?s=13

Tweet from RobBate (@robsbirder)

RobBate (@robsbirder) tweeted at 10:00 AM on Sat, Oct 31, 2015:
Hermit Thrush fall out condition in north end of park
(https://twitter.com/robsbirder/status/660456187981406208?s=03)

Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download?s=13

Tweet from ko (@KarenOhearn)

ko (@KarenOhearn) tweeted at 10:21 AM on Sat, Oct 31, 2015:
rHWO flying back-and-forth between sycamore tree next to Baldwin grave and oak tree next Anderson grave. Corlnus Ave and Hyacinth path.
(https://twitter.com/KarenOhearn/status/660461579364909056?s=03)

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Tweet from The Kingsboider (@BBCKingsbirds)

The Kingsboider (@BBCKingsbirds) tweeted at 10:33 AM on Sat, Oct 31, 2015:
Continuing great cormorant at three sisters island prospect lake nearby 3 Hooded mergs and 3 buffleheads
(https://twitter.com/BBCKingsbirds/status/660464663520534528?s=03)

Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download?s=13

Friday, October 30, 2015

Fwd: Orange crowned

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Bate <robsbate@gmail.com>
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@aol.com>
Sent: Fri, Oct 30, 2015 2:51 pm
Subject: Orange crowned

Here are two shots Peter. The first is the Orange-crowned Warbler where you found it by the entrance to the native woodlands in the BBG. The second is a Tennessee Warbler seen near the sunny water spot inside the native woodlands. This bird is decidedly duller than the Tennessee I saw earlier so there must be two of them there.

Tweet from The Kingsboider (@BBCKingsbirds)

The Kingsboider (@BBCKingsbirds) tweeted at 1:08 PM on Fri, Oct 30, 2015:
Gus K reports Great Cormorant. Back perched at Three Sisters island Prospect Lake
(https://twitter.com/BBCKingsbirds/status/660141352655679488?s=03)

Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download?s=13



@robsbirder: Tennessee Warbler also in Native Grasslands BBG m.twitter.com/robsbirder



Orange crowned warbler hanging around old wooden door entrance BBG native flora section



Orange crowned BBG grasslands front of entrance to Native Garden; purple finch on ground bog area Native Garden. Janet S

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Prospect raptors

This morning while I was setting up the work truck near 9th street, a COOPERS HAWK flew over,chased by starlings.

After the work shift end, I took my usual route home. Stopping along the Peninsula sumacs,I happened to look up and spotted a PEREGRINE FALCON. The falcon took a quick spin over the lake and came back over the Peninsula,joined by a soaring REDTAILED HAWK, followed by the falcon.

Fwd: Fw: BBG this morning

Note at bottom center

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Orrin Tilevitz <tilevitzo@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 2:33 PM
Subject: Fw: BBG this morning
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@aol.com>
Cc: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>

Orange-crowned warbler (picture below of north half) at BBG grasslands this morning. Also, flyover of two sharp-shinned hawks. Yellow-rumped warblers. Belted kingfisher on the Japanese pond.

Fwd: Black throated green warbler in BBG native garden

-----Original Message-----
From: Janet Schumacher <janets33@optonline.net>
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, Oct 29, 2015 1:30 pm
Subject: Black throated green warbler in BBG native garden

On path near northern exit of native garden



Orange crowned warbler at bbg grasslands per Orrin T.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

transitions; BBG native flora

By late October ,the too short sparrow season gives way to the ducks. Yes, sparrows are still around but fewer and fewer are seen. The afternoon saw both in evidence at Prospect Lake, A tweet later reported two good birds at Brooklyn Botanic Garden ( BBG).

From my vantage point at the Peninsula, I spotted a solitary drake HOODED MERGANSER among the RUDDY DUCKS near West Island. A scan leftward, two hen BUFFLEHEADs hanging out with some NORTHERN SHOVELERS. The Shovelers reached a total about 70 whearas the Ruddies nearly 45.

BBG's native flora sections stays hot with birds reported by Will Pollard. He observed ORANGE CROWNED WARBLER & CLAY COLORED SPARROW in likely both sections or the grassland area.



@billmiky: ClayColSPar and OrngCrwnWarb at BBGard native garden m.twitter.com/billmiky



Seasons 1st HOODED MERGANSER drake Prospect lake with Ruddies near West Island

Monday, October 26, 2015

Great Cormorant in Prospect Lake;other good stuff to report

An irregular visitor but still rare GREAT CORMORANT spotted by Steve Nanz this morning is a good bird for Prospect. Perched on the western snag of Three Sisters Islands in the lake, the juvenile bird with its prominent white belly stuck out like a sore thumb.This is likely the third or fourth bird of the last decade though I have yet to check the ebird records.

There's still movement of sparrows in Prospect through at vastly reduced numbers. The usual suspects visited the Rink Green roof, Butterfly Meadow and south lake shore by the western coves.But during the latter search spot, a late BLACKPOLL WARBLER appeared .

In the Sparrowbowl , the nickname for the vale between the Picnic and Tennis Houses, a lone NASHVILLE WARBLER moved around in the back edges of the fenced off area with new plants.Also YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS in obvious circles of the park as I worked thru.

While I was away leading the BBC weekend trip, reports of good birds , namely at the BBGarden. The Native Flora section continues to illuminate its reputation despite its small plot. In the grassland section Saturday, Bobbi Manian spotted EASTERN MEADOWLARK; Dale Dyer reported ORANGE CROWNED WARBLER & PURPLE FINCH in the old flora section.

Last during my Brooklyn absence, Jeremy Burnworth emailed me a photo of VIRGINIA RAIL outside an apartment on Ocean Parkway yesterday just south of the park. See the photo. Unfortunately, its difficult to pass along info from the remote areas of New Jersey on top of being busy birding and leading my group.