April Birds

During the month of April I saw the biggest increase in my Brooklyn species list for the year. This doesn't include the month of January, of course, when every species is "new". Of the 48 bird species that I added last month there were few surprises and several misses.

As expected, the month started slowly, with only the earliest north-bound migrants trickling into the NYC area. By mid-month the pace quickened with the typically early arriving warblers, such as, Black-and-White Warbler seen. Possibly the biggest surprise was spotting a Common Merganser flying low over Nelly's Lawn in Prospect Park. This isn't a waterfowl species that I see every year in Brooklyn, in fact, I've probably only observed this large duck once in the past 5 years. The end of the month saw the first relatively big push of neotropic migrants and I tallied 12 new species in a single morning at Prospect Park. Of those birds five were wood-warblers;  Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler. This was just a preview of what we'll be experiencing during the month that all New York birdwatchers dream about - MAY!

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NYS total: 163
Kings total: 161

114) Snowy Egret (Four Sparrow Marsh, 04/01/12)
115) Wilson's Snipe (Four Sparrow Marsh, 04/01/12)

116) Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Prospect Park, 04/03/12)
117) Barn Swallow (Prospect Park, 04/03/12)

118) Brown Thrasher (Prospect Park, 04/05/12)
119) Louisiana Waterthrush (Prospect Park, 04/05/12)
120) Eastern Towhee (Prospect Park, 04/05/12)
121) Rusty Blackbird (Prospect Park, 04/05/12)

122) Blue-headed Vireo (Prospect Park, 04/07/12)
123) Northern Parula (Prospect Park, 04/07/12)

124) Common Merganser (Prospect Park, 04/14/12)
125) White-eyed Vireo (Prospect Park, 04/14/12)
126) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Prospect Park, 04/14/12)
127) Black-and-white Warbler (Prospect Park, 04/14/12)
128) Yellow-throated Warbler (Prospect Park, 04/14/12)
129) Field Sparrow (Prospect Park, 04/14/12)
130) Savannah Sparrow (Prospect Park, 04/14/12)

131) House Wren (Green-Wood Cemetery, 04/18/12)

132) Chimney Swift (Prospect Park, 04/21/12)
133) Common Yellowthroat (Prospect Park, 04/21/12)
134) Yellow Warbler (Prospect Park, 04/21/12)
135) Forster's Tern (Floyd Bennett Field, 04/21/12)

136) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1st Street and Prospect Park West, 04/24/12)

137) Warbling Vireo (Green-Wood Cemetery, 04/25/12)
138) Black-throated Green Warbler (Green-Wood Cemetery, 04/25/12)

139) Clapper Rail (Plumb Beach, 04/28/12)
140) Willet (Plumb Beach, 04/28/12)
141) Black Skimmer (Plumb Beach, 04/28/12)
142) Gray Catbird (Plumb Beach, 04/28/12)
143) Solitary Sandpiper (Floyd Bennett Field, 04/28/12)
144) Northern Waterthrush (Floyd Bennett Field, 04/28/12)

145) Green Heron (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
146) Broad-winged Hawk (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
147) Spotted Sandpiper (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
148) Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
149) Bank Swallow (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
150) Wood Thrush (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
151) Ovenbird (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
152) Worm-eating Warbler (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
153) Blue-winged Warbler (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
154) Blackpoll Warbler (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
155) Black-throated Blue Warbler (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)
156) Indigo Bunting (Prospect Park, 04/29/12)

157) Great Crested Flycatcher (Prospect Park, 04/30/12)
158) Nashville Warbler (Prospect Park, 04/30/12)
159) Lincoln's Sparrow (Prospect Park, 04/30/12)
160) Orchard Oriole (Prospect Park, 04/30/12)
161) Baltimore Oriole (Prospect Park, 04/30/12)