Prospect park even in its winter like sleepiness is still a place to relish upon special birds . With the acceptance that you aren't going to get alot of birds , take heart with species that show up.
We'll start with warblers. Both Wilson's and American Redstart continue their stay at the Well drive containers. It looks like several birders saw them today. Both would be bonus points for next Saturday's Christmas count...hopefully.
I on my usual late afternoon walk found one of those quality birds around for a week. Passing by the three Sweetgum Grove by West Island shelter, the juvenile White crowned Sparrow boldly came out from the marsh edge to scatter the leaves with White throated Sparrows.
Another prize for the Xmas Count would be the Ring-necked Duck. Once a regular on those counts,it's now an erratic or irregular sighting. Today I found out from Kathy T that there were ten Ring necked Ducks on Prospect Lake. I saw four huddling by West Island and one on open water. I learned all are drakes except one hen.
Back at Well drive containers,two Carolina Wren were spotted in the weedy patch.
A flyover Iceland Gull appeared over the lake this morning.
The feeders also is decently showing some birds. Among them , three Fox Sparrows stay close to the feeders posts.
Lastly though I hating counting them, there are an estimated 309 Northern Shovelers in the northwest corner doing their twirling thing.
On a side note, Greenwood Cemetery still did not produce the HENSLOWS Sparrow ,absent for a second straight day. What a gift that bird was,such a tame creature. There was as consolation prize Baltimore Oriole and Pine Warbler in conifers near the Morse Mauseleum.
