August Birds

The southbound migration began picking up pace during the month of August and I was able to add several new species to my growing year list. One was unexpected as I hadn't seen this bird in Brooklyn since 2005. As I mentioned in my August 23rd posting, a brightly plumed Golden-winged Warbler was spotted in Prospect Park and gave many of us great views. When I returned home I was curious when I last saw one of these scarce birds in NYC and looked through my journals. The date was August 26, 2005 and I was birding in Prospect Park with Shane. You can read my posting from 7 years ago here.

I didn't encounter any real rarities or odd vagrants during the previous month, in fact, my shorebird list is pretty short compared to last year. Bad timing and weather were partly to blame, but unleashed dogs chasing away the birds at Plumb Beach also played a role. Besides being illegal at this National Park, I've tried to educate some dog owners as to the importance of feeding and resting stopovers for this family of long distant migrants. It has clearly fallen on deaf ears, as they say.

I spotted my year Philadelphia Vireo at Green-Wood Cemetery on the last day of the month. It was feeding in the understory along a ridge at the south side of the Sylvan Water. This is the same location as last year's bird. I also found a Yellow-breasted Chat in the cemetery that day. This skulking species revealed himself to me when a riding lawnmower flushed him from his hiding place.

American Golden-Plovers are always a nice find, but last month we had three drop in at Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field where they spent several hours before continuing their southbound migration.



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NYS total: 226
Kings total: 211

205) Saltmarsh Sparrow (Marine Park Saltmarsh Nature Center, 08/05/12)
206) Short-billed Dowitcher (Plumb Beach, 08/11/12)
207) American Golden-Plover (Floyd Bennett Field, 08/18/12)
208) Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Green-Wood Cemetery, 08/19/12)
209) Golden-winged Warbler (Prospect Park, 08/19/12)
210) Philadelphia Vireo (Green-Wood Cemetery, 08/31/12)
211) Yellow-breasted Chat (Green-Wood Cemetery, 08/31/12)