Prospect Park with Shane B. and Sean S.

It was an unusually blustery spring morning. The 34 degree temperature almost persuaded me to skip a quick morning check on the hawks. As I passed the Picnic House I noticed all the squirrels nearby scrambling for cover. Split-tail had just flown out of the woods on Payne Hill and had zeroed in on one of the grey rodents below a stand of oak trees. The squirrels all managed to escape and the hungry Red-tailed Hawk perched in a tree above me and wagged his tail from side to side.

When I left the house I didn't realize that it would be so windy. I had to stand in the lee of the elm tree below Big Mama and Split-tail's nest to stay warm. I felt the huge tree slowly rocking from the force of the wind. I could see the top of Big Mama's head in the nest as she peered down at me. I imagined her holding her wings out to cradle her young and prevent them from blowing out of the nest. The previous two years nest's were much closer to the ground and weren't really in danger on gusty days. Back then Big Mama spent more time away out of the nest monitoring it from a short distance. I can't wait to get my first glimpse of a fuzzy, white head sticking up from the nest...any day now.
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Prospect Park, 4/28/2004
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Great Blue Heron (Perched in tree in Midwood.)
Gadwall (Upper pool.)
Bufflehead (Upper pool.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2.)
Chimney Swift
Belted Kingfisher (Lower pool.)
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher (Payne Hill.)
Blue-headed Vireo (Several.)
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (3 or 4, Upper pool.)
Barn Swallow (Several.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Quaker Ridge.)
House Wren (2.)
Winter Wren (Midwood.)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Common.)
Hermit Thrush (Common.)
Wood Thrush (2.)
Gray Catbird (Abundant.)
Brown Thrasher (3 or 4.)
Northern Parula (2.)
Yellow Warbler (Midwood.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Abundant.)
Prairie Warbler (2, Ravine.)
Black-and-white Warbler (~10.)
Ovenbird (Midwood.)
Northern Waterthrush (Ravine.)
Louisiana Waterthrush (Ravine.)
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler (Quaker Ridge.)
Canada Warbler (Peninsula.)
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow (Several.)
Swamp Sparrow (Several.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch (6+, Midwood.)
American Goldfinch

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

(Photo credit - Steve Nanz)

Prospect Park with Shane B., Bill J. and Starr S.

Dawn in Prospect Park arrived cool and damp. As I walked north along the Long Meadow to meet Shane dozens of small sparrows hiding in the grass flushed, keeping one step ahead of me. Judging by their small size and trilling chips I presumed that they were Chipping Sparrows. Like other birders, Shane and I were playing the wind game again hoping that the previous night's south wind had delivered more migrant songbirds to the park. Maple trees are sprinkling the earth with tiny, pale green flowers and oaks have begun dangling their drooping yellow catkins; perfect lures for the insects that attract the colorful objects of our early morning walks.

At the Vale of Cashmere three Northern Waterthrushes were belting out their slurred songs. One was teetering along the edge of the mud in the empty pond. A distant, flute-like "eee-ooh-lay" played by an unseen Wood Thrush was the first I've heard since last year. Within 30 minutes the trees at the Vale began to come alive with various chips, whistles, churrs and warbles. A trio of Baltimore Orioles chased each other in the treetops while a single Orchard Oriole called from within a cloud of white blossoms adorning a cherry tree. The avian sounds and activities of the new dawn made me forget about my grogginess. As we walked deeper into the center of the park it became clear that virtually thousands of White-throated Sparrows had descended into the park overnight. On a grassy section near the entrance to the Midwood we inadvertently drove off a flock of about 200 of the melodic ground feeders.

In the Midwood a Worm-eating Warbler was feeding within a flock of White-throated Sparrows occasionally flying up to probe clusters of dead leaves suspended in various small saplings.

We met Bill and Starr at the Nethermead Arches overlooking the Ravine brook. It's a great vantage point for watching the birds feeding near the water. We must have stayed there for 30 minutes before heading up to Lookout Hill in search of a Kentucky Warbler Peter spotted at the end of the previous day.

Shane spotted another Worm-eating Warbler feeding near a stand of pines on the hill. After only watching for a moment it was flushed by five dogs whose owners didn't seem to think that the leash law applied to them. We quickly got over our disgust when, a little further up the path, we located a Summer Tanager eating a bee. We briefly discussed how to describe its rich, red plumage and finally agreed that the field guide's "rosy red" was perfect.

The small opening at the top level of Lookout is ringed with a few oak trees. I thought it might be a good spot to check for warblers. After a quick scan I announced, "There isn't one bird up here." A moment later Shane spotted something and, for the second time in a week, began choking on the words. Starr finished his thoughts with, "Cerulean Warbler!" These delicately painted blue and white songbirds are usually found singing from the tops of the highest trees, this bird had other ideas, though. He was gleaning insects from the undersides of leaves from a stretch of small maple saplings. Cooperatively remaining nearly at eye level we watched him feeding for what seemed like a very long time. Usually one only gets to watch a cerulean until he flies away but we left while he was still feeding. We ran into three other birders and brought them back to the spot where he was quickly relocated.

With twelve species of warbler under our belt and three new species for the year our morning of hunting songbirds was almost too easy.
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Prospect Park, 4/24/2004
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Common Loon (2, flying over cemetery.)
Double-crested Cormorant (~300 in several flocks flying over the park.)
Great Blue Heron (Flying over Quaker Ridge.)
Great Egret (Lullwater.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2.)
Northern Flicker
Blue-headed Vireo (Several.)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Lookout Hill.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Midwood.) [Shane, Rob]
House Wren (2. North Zoo, Lookout Hill.)
Winter Wren (Midwood.)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Several.)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Abundant.)
Hermit Thrush (Fairly Common.)
Wood Thrush (2. Vale of Cashmere, Midwood.)
Gray Catbird (Fairly Common.)
Northern Mockingbird (G.A.P.) [Shane Blodgett]
Brown Thrasher (3. Vale, Midwood, Ravine.)
Northern Parula (4.)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Ravine.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Abundant.)
Black-throated Green Warbler (Lookout Hill.)
Prairie Warbler (3. Ravine [2], Butterfly Meadow.)
Palm Warbler (Common.)
Cerulean Warbler (Lookout Hill.)
Black-and-white Warbler (~8, various locations.)
Worm-eating Warbler (2. Midwood, Lookout Hill.)
Ovenbird (Midwood.) [Shane, Rob]
Northern Waterthrush (4. Vale [3], Ravine.)
Common Yellowthroat (Ravine.)
Summer Tanager (Lookout Hill.)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Vale of Cashmere.) [Shane, Rob]
Eastern Towhee (Common.)
Chipping Sparrow (Fairly Common.)
Savannah Sparrow (Peninsula meadow.) [Bill, Rob, Starr]
Swamp Sparrow (3 or 4.)
White-throated Sparrow (Downright ubiquitous.)
Rusty Blackbird (Peninsula.) [Bill, Rob, Starr]
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole (Vale of Cashmere.) [Shane, Rob]
Baltimore Oriole (3, Vale of Cashmere.)
American Goldfinch

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee (Rick's Place.) [Shane, Rob], Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park with Pat P.

I finished a morning appointment earlier than expected and decided to walk through the park and check on the hawks. I had been working on Eastern Parkway so I cut through the Rose Garden and Vale of Cashmere on my way to the nest.

The yew shrubs that border the Rose Garden (I'm still trying to find the roses) were noisy with the squeaks and whistles of newly arrived Gray Catbirds. One made a loud ratcheting sound as it chased a second catbird from his early claim. Two police officers were interrogating a shady character who had been sleeping on a park bench at the north end of the garden. I steered clear of them and walked to the stairway that descends to the Vale of Cashmere. As I approached the stairs a Kentucky Warbler shot low across the path in front of me and landed in the ground cover of goutweed to my right. I watched it for a moment or two before calling a couple of friends on my cellphone. Nobody could get into the park so I continued to watch the bird alone as it foraged along the hillside. It gradually began moving up the hill and behind the guy that the police were interrogating. I briefly debated whether or not I should approach them or even look in their direction with my binoculars. The bird won out over good sense. The police officers gave me a strange look, I pointed at the bird, they gave me an emotionless nod then went back to questioning the glassy-eyed man on the park bench.


(Photo credit - Steve Nanz)

The drooping branches of the Higan Cherry trees at the Vale of Cashmere are heavy with pink blossoms and the branches of the Redbud that edge Nelly's Lawn have erupted with petite pinkish-purple flowers. I spotted Pat at the opposite end of Nelly's Lawn and waved her over to show her the Kentucky Warbler. By the time we got to the Rose Garden the kentucky seemed to have moved on. We spent the next few hours in the Ravine and Midwood tracking down a number of other recent arrivals moving through the park.

We made a brief stop at Big Mama and Split-tail's nest to check on their progress. Big Mama was seated on the extreme south side of the nest facing west. I don't know if it indicates that there is a hatchling on the nest but it seemed a little peculiar that she was positioned so far to one side. Next time I'll stay at their nest instead of chasing songbirds.

There was a lot of bird activity in the Ravine. Small clouds of insects attracted a mixed flock of warblers above the stream near the Nethermead Arches. From the top of the bridge looking upstream we watched a hungry flock of migrants that included Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat and, of course, Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We ran into Peter who told us of another Kentucky Warbler in the Midwood. Two other birders joined us and we searched the forest underbrush for a long time but were unsuccessful. Returning to the bridge overlooking the Ravine stream we lazily watched the birds feeding above and along side the water. Insects landing on the top edge of the bridge behind us were being sucked down like a vacuum cleaner by a Yellow-rumped Warbler walking along the sandstone railing.

With the arrival of catbirds and the first wave of warblers I think it's safe to say that the songbird migration is here and that my infinitely patient wife will be a birding widow for the next month.
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Prospect Park, 4/23/2004
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Wood Duck (Flying over Ravine towards pools.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
Merlin (Flying over Midwood towards zoo.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2, Ravine.)
Northern Flicker
Blue-headed Vireo (2.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (2, Vale of Cashmere & Ravine.)
House Wren (Midwood.)
Winter Wren (3, Vale of Cashmere & Midwood.)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2 or 3.)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Fairly common.)
Hermit Thrush (~15.)
Gray Catbird (Several, Rose Garden.)
Northern Mockingbird (2, Grand Army Plaza entrance.)
Brown Thrasher (Vale of Cashmere.)
Northern Parula (Ravine.)
Yellow Warbler (Ravine.)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Male, Ravine.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Abundant.)
Prairie Warbler (Ravine.)
Palm Warbler (Common.)
Black-and-white Warbler (Ravine.)
Worm-eating Warbler (Midwood.)
Ovenbird (2, Midwood.)
Northern Waterthrush (Ravine.)
Louisiana Waterthrush (2, Vale & Ravine.)
Kentucky Warbler (Top of stairway from Vale to Rose Garden.) [Rob]
Common Yellowthroat (Ravine.)
Eastern Towhee (Several.)
Chipping Sparrow (~50, Nelly's Lawn.)
Swamp Sparrow (Vale of Cashmere.)
White-throated Sparrow (Abundant.)
Rusty Blackbird (2, Vale of Cashmere.)
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch (Several heard singing in Midwood.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (Payne Hill.), Blue Jay, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin (Abundant.), European Starling, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

Prospect Park (also a quick stop at Floyd Bennett Field) with Shane B.

We should be seeing signs of hatchlings at Big Mama and Split-tail's nest this week but I've decided to take a short break from monitoring them. On a couple of occasions Split-tail has seemed a little agitated (the growling incidents) so I thought that it might be a good idea to give them a little space. Also, Shane and I have been watching the wind direction and it looked like it might be a good morning for new migrants. Last night the wind changed to a south/southwest direction and by dawn it switched back around to north. Our thinking was that the wind shift would force some northbound birds down and, hopefully, into Prospect Park. It turned out to be a pretty good gamble.

I left my home just before dawn and walked to the park. I noticed that the layers of early morning bird songs shifted from resident species to "visitors" as I approached the center of the park. My block was noisy with House Sparrows chirping and pigeons cooing. At the very edge of the park the sounds changed mostly to starlings and cardinals. Entering the wooded section near the Litchfield Villa I began to hear choruses of robin's "cherrily, cherriup" and White-throated Sparrow's "pure sweet canada canada". The closer I got to the forested center of the park the more I heard the sounds of migrants. Following the edge of the ponds, one step behind a string of dimming street lamps, I heard the insect buzz of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, the loose trill of dozens of Yellow-rumped Warblers and the nasal "ca-ha" of a flock of Fish Crows.

I continued walking across the Nethermead and out towards the woods on the Peninsula. I rendezvoused there with Shane where we found that large numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers seemed to have just dropped out of the sky. Through the course of our morning walk we found flocks of yellow-rumps on Lookout Hill, the Lullwater, the Ravine and pretty much anywhere that there were trees. Palm Warblers were seen in smaller numbers and we added several new species to the park's year list. On the Peninsula we listened to the singsong tune of a Warbling Vireo and flushed a Spotted Sandpiper at the edge of the "Thumb". Across the Lullwater, behind the rink, we patiently waited out a serenading Northern Waterthrush hidden in a multiflora rose bush. A bright splash of blue in the same bush turned out to be an Indigo Bunting.

Following the waterway into the Ravine in search of a Louisiana Waterthrush we stumbled on a much more exciting find. We had been walking downstream along the gravel bridle path in the Ravine when Shane spotted something that wasn't "another yellow-rump". In his excitement he stumbled on the words so I blurted out, "Yellow-throated Warbler!" It was his find and he really had the honor of announcing it (to the only two birders in the park) but I couldn't help myself. This striking bird with the golden throat patch and black and white face pattern has a more southern range and is not observed in the park every year. As Shane followed the bird I made a few phone calls to alert other birders. We briefly lost the bird but relocated it as it foraged for insects in the shrubs and blackberry brambles edging the stream. As we stood watching the warbler I heard a Northern Parula singing in the woods along Quaker Ridge. We watched the yellow-throated for a few minutes then left the park via Wellhouse Drive.

As we were walking past the Wellhouse I heard another new song for the season. Perched above the building was a beautiful, chestnut plumed Orchard Oriole chattering and whistling. Earlier in the morning we stood and listened to the strange, gurgling calls of a Rusty Blackbird in the same area.

We ended our morning by making a quick run out to Floyd Bennett Field in search of Upland Sandpipers (hey, we can dream) but came up empty. We did get great views, though, of a ghostly male Northern Harrier.
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Prospect Park & FBF, 4/20/2004
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Horned Grebe (Floyd Bennett Field.)
Double-crested Cormorant (Several on flyovers.)
Great Egret (2.)
Green Heron (2.)
Brant (Floyd Bennett Field.)
Wood Duck (Lullwater.)
Northern Shoveler (2.)
Bufflehead (Female, Upper pool.)
Ruddy Duck (Several on lake.)
Northern Harrier ("Grey Ghost", Floyd Bennett Field.)
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel (6 or 8, Floyd Bennett Field.)
American Coot (3.)
Spotted Sandpiper (Peninsula "Thumb".)
Chimney Swift (3.)
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2, Ravine.)
Northern Flicker
Blue-headed Vireo (~5.)
Warbling Vireo (Peninsula.)
Fish Crow (7, flying over Nethermead.)
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow (Floyd Bennett Field.)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2.)
Brown Creeper (Ravine.)
Winter Wren (Lookout Hill.)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (3.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Common.)
Hermit Thrush (4 or 5.)
Northern Mockingbird (Floyd Bennett Field.)
Northern Parula (Heard singing in Ravine.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Abundant.)
Yellow-throated Warbler (Ravine near Nethermead Arches.)
Pine Warbler (Female, Lookout Hill.)
Prairie Warbler (2, Lullwater. 1, Ravine.)
Palm Warbler (~20-30.)
Black-and-white Warbler (2.)
Northern Waterthrush (Singing in Lullwater near skating rink.)
Indigo Bunting (Lullwater near skating rink.)
Eastern Towhee (Several.)
Chipping Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (3 or 4.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Rusty Blackbird (Lookout Hill above Wellhouse.)
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole (Singing from perch above Wellhouse.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park, Floyd Bennett, Riis Park, Fort Tilden, Spring Creek and Marine Park with Shane B.

I walked across the park just before sunrise to meet Shane near the lake. We had planned a long day of birding at various Brooklyn locations and thought that Prospect Park would be a good starting point. We wanted to spend a little time in the park before all the unleashed dogs and their owners arrived.

I was surprised by the endless cacophony of robin songs carrying through the woods and fields. It wasn't like that in the park the day before. In the Ravine a Louisiana Waterthrush was singing in the dark at the edge of the stream. The sky was beginning to lighten as I walked through the grass on the Nethermead and I could hear the ringing songs of Chipping Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos all along the edge of the field. Three Great Blue Herons were flying north above the meadow. As I waited for Shane at the Terrace Bridge I watched flock after flock of robins flying north over the park. Northern Flickers, while not as numerous as the robins, were also taking advantage of the south wind and flew past in good numbers. Through the course of the day we were also amazed by the large number of Double-crested Cormorants migrating. We easily observed several hundred birds flying overhead with a single flock containing close to one hundred individuals.

At Floyd Bennett Field we spotted a Red-necked Grebe in breeding plumage off the Archery Road. I'm surprised he hasn't headed north yet. A flock of thirty tired Glossy Ibis landed in the trees next to the Return-a-Gift Pond. A pair of harriers patrolled low over the grasslands while eight colorful kestrels hovered higher above hunting for much smaller prey.

There wasn't a huge fallout of migrants today, although most birders were probably keeping their fingers crossed. It was the first time this spring that there were consistent south-southwest winds leading into the weekend and I'm sure everyone was chomping at the bit. While there were a number of changes in the local parks with Prospect Park recording five new species for the year the massive invasion of migrants is still a little ways off.
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Prospect Park, Floyd Bennett Field, Riis Park, Fort Tilden, Spring Creek, Marine Park, 4/17/2004
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Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe (Floyd Bennett.)
Northern Gannet (3.)
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant (Several hundred on flyover.)
Great Blue Heron (Prospect Park.)
Great Egret
Snowy Egret (Spring Creek.)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Prospect Park, Floyd Bennett.)
Glossy Ibis (Floyd Bennett, Riis Park.)
Brant
Wood Duck (Floyd Bennett.)
Gadwall (Floyd Bennett.)
American Wigeon (Floyd Bennett.)
Northern Shoveler
Long-tailed Duck (Riis Park.)
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Osprey (Prospect Park.)
Northern Harrier (Floyd Benett.)
American Kestrel (Floyd Benette, Prospect Park.)
American Coot
American Oystercatcher (Riis Park, Marine Park.)
Greater Yellowlegs (Spring Creek, Marine Park.)
Sanderling (Fort Tilden.)
Laughing Gull (Riis Park.)
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Monk Parakeet (Coney Island Avenue.)
Belted Kingfisher (Prospect Park.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Prospect Park, Ft. Tilden.)
Hairy Woodpecker (Prospect Park.)
Northern Flicker (Several dozen on flyover.)
Eastern Phoebe
Fish Crow (Prospect Park.)
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Prospect Park.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Ft. Tilden.)
Brown Creeper (Floyd Bennett.)
Winter Wren (2, Prospect Park.)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Prospect Park.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush (Prospect Park.)
Eastern Towhee (Several.)
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow (Floyd Bennett.)
Savannah Sparrow (Prospect Park, Floyd Bennett.)
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Meadowlark (Floyd Bennett, Ft. Tilden.)
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch (Ft. Tilden.)
American Goldfinch

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

A Ton of Kinglets

I have a bad habit of referring to a large quantity of birds as a "ton" of birds. For example, within the last week large numbers of Ruby-crowned Kinglets have been moving through Prospect Park. These tiny, energetic birds have been eating their way through the park on their way north. When a friend asked me about the recent status of the migration in the park I reported to him that there were suddenly a ton of kinglets around.

I began to think about my use of the specific quantitative evaluation when it probably would have been more accurate if I had used more general terms like "abundant" or "fairly common". Could there have been literally a ton of those four inch long balls of feathers in Prospect Park's 526 acres? I decided to do the math.

The "Sibley Guide to Birds" lists the average weight of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet as 6.5 grams. There is a little over 453 grams to a pound:

453.59237 * 2000 = 907184.74
907184.74 / 6.5 = 139566.8830769231

Number of Ruby-crowned Kinglets it takes to equal a ton = 139,567.

It seems unlikely that there would ever be a ton of kinglets in Prospect Park. Maybe the next time someone asks I'll just say a busload. The results did start me thinking, though. I wonder how many pounds of bugs 139,000 kinglets could eat in a day...

Prospect Park with Sean S.

It's getting close to hatching time for the Red-tailed Hawks so Sean and I decided to check up on the two pairs this morning. We met near the Upper pond (technically it's now called the Upper "Pool" but most birders have always know that area as Swanboat Pond) and walked through the Ravine to check the pine tree nest first. Along the way we spotted an immature red-tailed soaring above the Nethermead Meadow. He was gradually moving north towards the nests. We figured that it was only a matter of time until one of the adults attacked him. Within moments Split-tail came into view and began circling the young hawk. We watched them as well as possible through the trees and were surprised that Split-tail didn't appear to be aggressive towards the other raptor. He merely flew in circles with the other hawk as they followed the low rise of Quaker Ridge. It's possible that he eventually chased him off when we weren't watching but he seemed extremely passive compared to his aggressive attacks in late-January and February. I wonder why he has suddenly become so tolerant?

A quick check of the pine tree nest revealed that one of the adults was still sitting on the nest. Up on Payne Hill it looked like Big Mama and her mate were also still incubating their eggs. We decided to abandon nest sitting and instead walk around the park to see what the recent short burst of south winds have helped to carry into the park.

The most obvious change has been the switch in abundance between the Golden-crowned Kinglet and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. All of a sudden there are very few golden-crowned while the ruby-crowned seem to be chittering and singing from just about everywhere. We saw quite a few Brown Creepers moving through the park and Yellow-rumped Warblers have gone from a couple last week to at least 10 today. Palm Warblers seem to have also begun to increase in number although they are still scarce.

It was a very good morning for sparrows. The grey, drizzly weather left the park almost devoid of people allowing flocks of sparrows to feed out in the open on the meadows. Chipping Sparrows were fairly common in the grass feeding among juncos and Song Sparrows. Swamp Sparrows were seen along the edges of almost all the waterways and we also had one pleasant surprise on the Nethermead. While scanning the flocks of sparrows, robins, starlings and cowbirds on the field Sean spotted a Vesper Sparrow. Once I located the bird in my binoculars it was easy to pick out the comparatively chunky sparrow among the small, delicate Chipping Sparrows. Also seen on the Nethermead were Savannah and Field Sparrows.

April is a funny part of the northbound migration. It's almost like spring training for the "real" season. Certain species arrive at relatively predictable intervals and in relatively predictable abundance. Viewing birds is still pretty low-key and easy. One day in May, though, the floodgates (or windgates) will open and the ground, trees and sky will teem with feathered activity drawing our eyes and ears like a bloodhound on a scent. I can't wait.
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Prospect Park, 4/14/2004
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Pied-billed Grebe (2, Prospect Lake.)
Great Egret (Prospect Lake.)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (4, Duck Is.)
Wood Duck (Near Duck Is.)
Northern Shoveler (Several.)
Ruddy Duck (Several.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3 adults, 1 immature.)
American Coot (2.)
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2.)
Northern Flicker (Several.)
Eastern Phoebe (~12.)
Tree Swallow (~10.)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Lullwater.)
Brown Creeper (~7.)
Winter Wren (Ravine.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (3 or 4.)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (~50.)
Hermit Thrush (5.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (~10.)
Pine Warbler (2.)
Palm Warbler (5.)
Chipping Sparrow (Fairly common.)
Field Sparrow (1, Nethermead. 1, singing near Upper pond.)
Vesper Sparrow (Nethermead.)
Savannah Sparrow (2 or 3, Nethermead.)
Fox Sparrow (2.)
Swamp Sparrow (5.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch (~8, Rick's Pl.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker (2.), Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee (Nethermead.), Tufted Titmouse (Payne Hill.), American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow (common.), Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Something Weird

Sitting on my window sill next to the kitchen table is one of those Audubon Bird-a-Day calendars. I don't always remember to tear the pages off in a timely manner and today I noticed that it was still on Thursday, April 8th (the Green Violet-ear). While eating lunch I tore off the old page. Low and behold guess what Good Friday's bird was? A Least Bittern. Too weird...

(Photo credit - Steve Nanz)

Prospect Park rare bird

A birder can spend years honing their skills in the field and by studying bird field guides and song recordings but making an exciting find sometimes boils down to one thing; dumb luck.

I hadn't planned on going into the park Friday morning. The computer vendor on whom I was depending on making a delivery messed up the order and it wouldn't be arriving at the studio where I was working until early next week. I decided to take a walk over to the hawk's nest to check up on Big Mama and Split-tail before heading into the city for an afternoon appointment.

As I climbed the rise adjacent to the nest I quickly scanned the surrounding trees for perched hawks. Once at the top of the hill I checked the nest closely but it didn't seem like anyone was home. I walked around to get different angles on the nest and finally noticed the tip of a red tail sticking up. It was the smaller Split-tail on incubation duty. I walked back to my post next to a large elm tree and waited for his mate to return. To my right is a stand of spindly black cherry saplings where a pair of Eastern Phoebes were hawking for insects. As I was watching the flycatchers I noticed what I thought was either a clump of dead leaves or an old nest about 25 feet off the ground. For whatever reason I decided to look at it with my binoculars. It was neither and what I saw made my heart jump. It was a tiny Least Bittern sleeping in the tree. I tried to talk myself out of the identification and turn it into the much more common Green Heron. It had a black crown and back, buffy wing patches that faded to a darker orange on the edges, a white line on its wings, pale buffy streaks on its neck and breast and bright yellow feet and legs. The pigeon-sized egret perched in a tree was definitely a Least Bittern.

It's never enough for me to observe a "good" bird alone, I need to share it. I began making calls on my cellphone to try and get other birders into the park. Sean was on his way with his camera, Steve left work and pedaled home on his bike to grab his camera gear and I left messages with a few other people. I shouted to the first person that I saw walking by with a pair of binoculars, "Are you a birder?" He gave me a strange look and said, "Yes". I told him about the bittern and directed him up the hill. John appeared to be a beginner birder and I don't think he realized his good fortune that morning. Once Sean arrived I ran over to the Landscape Management Office to find Peter. I walked into his office and very calmly said, "Grab your binoculars, we're going to look at a Least Bittern." Peter looked kind of dumbfounded, checked his hearing aid and asked if he heard me correctly.

The last time a Least Bittern was observed in Prospect Park was on May 6, 1939 by Bernard Nathan and Edward Whelen. I don't believe that this bird is so much rare as it is rarely seen. They are a shy, secretive species that normally remains hidden in the reeds and grasses of marshes. Why this particular individual was perched high off the ground and out in the open is a mystery.

Eventually a group of about 9 people assembled below the rise watching the bittern in bright, morning sunshine. When one of the Red-tailed Hawks circled above the woods the bittern assumed his camouflage posture. He stretched his neck out, pointed his bill skyward and began to slowly rock from side to side. If he were standing among a patch of cattails he probably would have been very difficult to see but, perched among the slim, dark branches of a cherry tree, he just looked comical.

When I left to go to work there were still seven very happy people watching the bittern. I felt strangely upbeat, with the silly notion that I had accomplished a difficult feat and people were applauding me. But it was merely luck on my part and it was the performance of the bird that deserved the standing ovation. It was the first time that a late package from Fedex was a good thing. It really was a Good Friday.
(*see the link to Steve's photos above.)
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Prospect Park, 4/9/2004
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Least Bittern (Payne Hill. Seen by Shale B. (with Eliza & Lucy), Rafael C., Peter D., Ron E., Mary E., Rob J., Steve N., Sean S., Heidi S., Ann W., John, Louise.)
Wood Duck (3, flying over Payne Hill.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2, Payne Hill.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2, Payne Hill.)
Northern Flicker (Payne Hill.)
Eastern Phoebe (3, Payne Hill.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Payne Hill.)
Hermit Thrush (2, Payne Hill.)
Pine Warbler (2, Picnic House & Payne Hill.)
Fox Sparrow (Singing at Rick's Place.)
Dark-eyed Junco
American Goldfinch

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mallard, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (Payne Hill.), Downy Woodpecker (2.), Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee (Payne Hill.), Tufted Titmouse (2, Payne Hill.), American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

This story was in today's New York Daily News:

Flies off the handle and wounds a bird
by Tom Raftery

"This Michael Jackson wasn't satisfied to tell a hawk to beat it.

Michael Jackson, 49, of Centereach, L.I., was released on bail early yesterday after he allegedly winged a red-tailed hawk with a pellet gun.

He was peeved that the bird was picking on his pigeons, Suffolk County police said.

Jackson was picked up just after 9 p.m. Monday following an anonymous 911 call saying a hawk had been shot outside his Eastwood Blvd. home.

The hawk was found alive and taken to the Selden Animal Hospital, where it was expected to recover."

**********

I was unhappy to read about Mr. Jackson's stupid behavior but was glad to see that one of his neighbors dropped a dime on him. Perhaps they were glad to see a hawk thinning out his pigeon flock. I don't know too many New Yorkers that would enjoy living next door to a pigeon flock. I wonder what the fine will be? It is a federal offense to injure any migratory bird.

Prospect Park, Central Park and Inwood Hill Park

According to Marie Winn's website Central Park's "Pale Male" and "Lola" have been incubating eggs since March 8th. Big Mama and Split-tail have been exchanging places on their nest since March 18th. The pair using the Ravine pine tree nest in Prospect Park have been incubating eggs since about March 13th. I don't have any information on the annual nest in the Green-Wood Cemetery yet but will check it out this week.

I also just received the following e-mail from Barry F. -

"Two weeks ago, Rita and I went to Inwood Hill Park (northern Manhattan) for a look at the nest that has been used for the last several years by Red-Tailed Hawks. Its unkempt appearance and the fact that, using only binoculars, we could not see a bird on the nest led us to the sad conclusion that the nest was not in use. (I think we made the same mistake last year.)"

"Today, with scope, we saw a red-tailed adult on the nest, engaged in incubation. At one point, she (I presume) stood up and turned 180 degrees before settling down again. The side of the nest visible to us from across the soccer field (ENE?) still looked disheveled but I suspect the center has been made habitable. Good luck, mom and dad!"

City rodents should be very wary come mid-April!

Prospect Park with members of the New York City Audubon Society

My legs and feet are really tired. Sometimes I get so excited about sharing my knowledge of Prospect Park birds with others that I try to find them every species residing in or passing through the park. I don't realize how much I've walked until I get home and sit down to write my report. It is a good tired, though, knowing that the members of New York City Audubon that attended today's trip went home happy with the day's observations. We ended the day having seen 49 species and I added two more as I walked home from Grand Army Plaza after leaving the group.

Like yesterday's weather, it was cold and damp with overcast skies threatening to ruin our outing. The rain gods spared us, though, and we had several nice highlights to report.


(Photo Credit - Sean Sime)

I brought the group up to see Big Mama and Split-tail's nest. The ever-growing structure has made seeing a hawk on the nest difficult but we could discern the top of someone's head. I started to make excuses that one sometimes needs to wait for a long time in order to see interesting interactions at the nest. I didn't want people to get bored so suggested that we move on. We had just begun to leave when someone spotted the other adult soaring in the air above the nest. He landed on a branch a short distance above the nest and used his bill to snap off a twig. I guess he didn't like the small piece of wood because he quickly dropped it. He stepped a little further along his perch and snapped off a larger twig. That one seemed to fit his needs and he brought it over to the nest. Big Mama stood and backed up to the edge of the nest to allow her mate to perform a structural update. She then flew off towards the Long Meadow and perched in a tree over the foot path. Split-tail settled down on the eggs.

A small flock of Ring-necked Ducks remains on the upper pond and people seemed pleased to be able to observe these normally shy waterfowl up close. A pair of Bufflehead were also still present.

Near the Boathouse we spotted a Belted Kingfisher and a small flock of waterfowl circling very high in the sky. I misidentified the flock and was corrected by the more experienced waterfowl birders in the group. The passing flock were Northern Pintails, which is a good sighting as they are not seen very often in Prospect Park.

We heard the warbling trill of our first Pine Warbler of the day as we were entering the stretch of trees along the narrow Lullwater. It wasn't until we were adjacent to the Terrace Bridge that we actually observed one. It was a brilliant, yellow male singing from a perch in a pine tree. There were also a few ruby and golden-crowned kinglets in this area, as well as, a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches. We continued our walk onto the Peninsula where we had very good looks at three more Pine Warblers and two Yellow-rumped Warblers.

The number of Tree Swallows flying over Prospect Lake has increased considerably since my previous day in the park. On the "Thumb" of the Peninsula a flock of approximately thirty swallows gathered on the spindly branches of a small paper birch and other saplings at the edge of the water. The small, blue and white birds were alternately perching in chattering, feisty groups then taking flight at once, soaring low over the water. Back and forth, this activity continued even as we stood a few yards away scanning the lake for waterfowl. The gull numbers on the lake has dropped off with the small remaining group taking flight when a Red-tailed Hawk plummeted towards Three Sisters Island from a very high altitude.

On our way back to Grand Army Plaza we passed by the Upper pond one last time. A quick scan here yielded a Great Egret standing like a statue on the north side of the water. The Belted Kingfisher flew by us again as we walked slowly north along the Long Meadow. Near the north end of the meadow a stand of magnolia trees have begun flowering and as we exited the park at Grand Army Plaza I noticed a few small cherry saplings covered in tiny, red blossoms. We've had so much precipitation already this year that I can't wait to see the explosion of "May flowers" that the seasonal "April showers" are going to bring.
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Prospect Park, 4/3/2004
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Pied-billed Grebe (1, Lullwater.)
Great Egret (Upper pond.)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Three Sisters Island.)
Wood Duck (Drake, Lullwater.)
Northern Shoveler (Several, Prospect Lake.)
Northern Pintail (~6, flying over Boathouse.)
Ring-necked Duck (5, Upper pond. 2, Prospect Lake.)
Bufflehead (2, Upper pond.)
Ruddy Duck (~60, Prospect Lake.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
American Coot (4, Lullwater.)
Ring-billed Gull
Belted Kingfisher (Near Boathouse.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Lullwater.)
Northern Flicker (Several.)
Eastern Phoebe (~10.)
Tree Swallow (~30, Peninsula "Thumb" and Prospect Lake.)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2, Lullwater.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (3.)
Brown Creeper (2.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Several.)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (3.)
Hermit Thrush (1, Payne Hill.)
Northern Mockingbird (Meadowport Arch.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (2, Peninsula.)
Pine Warbler (2, Lullwater. 3, Peninsula.)
Fox Sparrow (Several.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle (Abundant on Peninsula.)
Brown-headed Cowbird (4, Peninsula meadow.)
American Goldfinch (2, Rick's Place.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan (2.), Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (Quaker Ridge.), Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee (Heard in Lullwater.), Tufted Titmouse (2, 3rd Street entrance.), American Robin (Abundant.), European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park

Winter seems to be having a difficult time surrendering to spring and brilliant, yellow forsythias and dazzling daffodils warmed the grey morning, defiantly pushing back the cold.

The first year that I followed the exploits of Big Mama and Split-tail was 2002-2003. That season Split-tail had the interesting habit of collecting bits of discarded newspaper for lining the nest. This year he's learned to use strips of bark for insulation. I guess he didn't like the black ink on his belly.

When I arrived at Payne Hill this morning Big Mama was on the nest. I had only been watching for a short time when I spotted Split-tail flying in from the direction of the zoo (I hope he hadn't been harassing the prairie dogs). To maneuver around the tangle of branches near the top of the nest tree he always drops in quickly with his wings pulled in close to his body. Just before hitting the nest he opens his wings like a parachute, lowers his feet, straightens his body and lands on a large branch near his seated mate. Today, instead of going right over to the nest he hopped down onto a branch below. Most of its outer layer had already been stripped away and he set about tearing off the little bit that remained. He flew up to the nest with a strip of dark grey bark in his bill and perched at its north edge waiting for Big Mama to stand up. She stood on the opposite side and slowly stretched her right leg straight back, pulled it in and then stretched her left leg out. It looked like such an enjoyable exercise that I imagined hearing her say "aahhh". Big Mama took a needed break and after Split-tail arranged the piece of bark, he sat down on the nest.

At Rick's Place a robin had laid claim to a young white pine and it looked like he had already begun a nest or returned to an old one. A pair of Blue Jays were trying to steal the nest and he aggressively defended it for 10 minutes. I was surprised by his tenacity as he flew back and forth between the two jays attacking them whenever they got close. In other parts of the park I observed several other jousting matches between male robins competing for mates or territory.

On Prospect Lake the Ruddy Ducks outnumber the Northern Shovelers for the first time since November. Most of the shovelers that had overwintered seemed to have moved on and a few more ruddies have moved in for a short visit. I observed five Pine Warblers today and have been searching for my first arriving bluebird.
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Prospect Park, 4/2/2004
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Pied-billed Grebe (2, upper Lullwater.)
Double-crested Cormorant (2, Prospect Lake.)
Northern Shoveler (~12.)
Ring-necked Duck (5, Upper pond. 3, Prospect Lake.)
Bufflehead (2, Upper pond.)
Ruddy Duck (~60, Prospect Lake.)
Red-tailed Hawk (4.)
Ring-billed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Payne Hill.)
Northern Flicker (~20.)
Eastern Phoebe (1, Ravine. 2, Upper pond. 2, Lullwater. 3, Peninsula.)
Tree Swallow (5, over Prospect Lake.)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Peninsula.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (3.)
Brown Creeper (Lullwater.)
Hermit Thrush (2, Lullwater.)
Pine Warbler (2, Lullwater. 3, Peninsula.)
Eastern Towhee (Rick's Place.)
Field Sparrow (Binnen Waters.)
Fox Sparrow (2, Rick's Pl. 4, Ravine. 10, Lullwater.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle (Abundant.)
American Goldfinch (~12.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (3.), Downy Woodpecker (2.), Blue Jay (common.), American Crow (3.), Tufted Titmouse (4.), American Robin (Abundant.), European Starling, Song Sparrow (common.), Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park

I was standing below the hawk's nest when my cellphone rang. It was one of my client's in need of technical assistance. I provide computer support to a small number of graphics companies and, on occasion, have been able to solve their problems while watching the hawks. It was Tony P. calling with an e-mail problem that didn't seem too complicated. While we were talking I spotting Split-tail flying across the Long Meadow holding something in his talons. He landing in the elm tree nearly right over me and began calling for his mate seated on the nest. My client interrupted me in mid-sentence and asked, "What is that noise in the background?" I replied, "It's a Red-tailed Hawk. He just brought a rat for his mate and is calling her." There was an awkward silence on the line then he said, "You're kidding me, right?" No. He completely forgot about his e-mail problem and began asking me all sorts of questions regarding the hawks. I interrupted him when Split-tail flew up to the nest with his lunch treat for Big Mama. She examined the rat but either wasn't hungry or didn't like the looks of the partially eaten rodent. Instead she took off towards the Midwood while Split-tail settled down on the eggs. On the phone Tony sounded giddy and genuinely excited by hearing the hawk's calls and my play-by-play. Could this be a radio show in the making?
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Prospect Park, 3/29/2004
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Ring-necked Duck (5, Upper pond.)
Bufflehead (3, Upper pond.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2, Payne Hill.)
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe (4, Payne Hill. 3, Vale of Cashmere.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (1, Payne Hill.)
Winter Wren (1, Vale of Cashmere.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Abundant.)
Hermit Thrush (1, Payne Hill.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
American Goldfinch

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Mallard, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (1, Payne Hill.), Hairy Woodpecker (1, Payne Hill.), Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse (2, Payne Hill.), American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

Prospect Park with Robin J., Barry F. and Rita F.

I just don't understand the relationship between urban tree squirrels and Red-tailed Hawks. I mean, I get the part where the hawks want to eat their roasted peanut fattened bodies but why do those little grey rodents seem to enjoy tormenting the hawks? Case in point; two years ago we had Squirrelly Knievel who regularly snooped around the hawk nest and once made a daredevil jump over the nest. Now we have one of his relatives torturing Big Mama while she incubates her eggs.

This morning my wife and I brought Barry and Rita up to see the nest. Over the past two years Barry has been writing me about his experiences with nesting Peregrine Falcons on NY Hospital. He had also been observing Bald Eagles in the short-lived reintroduction project in upper Manhattan. He was very interested in meeting Big Mama and Split-tail. It had just begun raining when they arrived at Prospect Park. By the time they got their bins on it had started coming down harder. I wasn't guaranteeing any stupendous experience today as one never knows how the wildlife around the park will behave at any given moment. But, as luck would have it, the morning turned out very well.

As we walked across the deserted meadow towards the Ravine a Merlin rocketed low across the grass in front of us. It made a strafing run at a flock of starlings feeding in the grass on Payne Hill. It missed grabbing a meal, wheeled around in the opposite direction and perched in her favorite tree at the edge of the lower pond.

We took a quick look at the red-tailed nest in the Ravine pine tree. It appeared to be empty but it's also very difficult to get a clear look into. We headed up towards Big Mama's nest.

When we arrived at the nest I spotted a Pine Warbler foraging in the leaf litter, not where I would expect to see him, but bugs is bugs. Now here is where it gets weird. We look up in the tuliptree and see a squirrel sneaking up below the obviously occupied nest. He starts to peer over the south side of the nest and, boom, Big Mama jerks her wings up. He retreats a short distance. He then decides to climb up the north side of the nest. He takes a careful peek over the nest and, boom, she jerks her wings again. He hides under the nest. This odd behavior went on for a few minutes until "Squirrelly Knievel II" finally climbed back down the tree.

Not long after the squirrel departed we spotted Big Mama's mate flying in near the north side of the nest. He perched in a black cherry tree and tried to break off a small branch for the nest. I'm not sure that the nest really needs it but he ultimately gave up. He flew to the nest where Big Mama stood up and the two of them flew to a perch a short distance away where they quickly copulated. She then flew back to the nest and returned to incubating her eggs.

I'm still puzzled by the hawk-squirrel relationship. Do the squirrels intentionally try to harass the hawks so that they'll move to a new location? Is it a form of squirrelian high-risk recreation? Or is it just that squirrels have a brain the size of an acorn?
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Prospect Park, 3/27/2004
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Pied-billed Grebe (Prospect Lake.)
Great Blue Heron (3, Flying over Nethermead Meadow.)
Wood Duck (Boathouse pond.)
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck (2, lower pond. 2, Boathouse Pond. 3, Prospect Lake.)
Bufflehead (3, Upper pond.)
Hooded Merganser (3, Prospect Lake.)
Ruddy Duck
Red-shouldered Hawk (Calling, edge of lake near Three Sisters Island.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2.)
Merlin (2. Female, Upper pond. Male, Roosevelt Monument.)
American Coot (~10)
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Belted Kingfisher (Lower pond and Lullwater.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (3.)
Northern Flicker (Fairly common.)
Eastern Phoebe (~12.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Ravine.)
Brown Creeper (2, Peninsula and near Roosevelt Monument.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Abundant.)
Hermit Thrush (2, Payne Hill and Peninsula.)
Northern Mockingbird (Picnic House.)
Pine Warbler (5; Ravine, Payne Hill, Binnen Waters, Lullwater, Peninsula.)
Palm Warbler (Peninsula.)
Field Sparrow (2. Peninsula, Binnen Waters.)
Fox Sparrow (Rick's Place.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Abundant, Payne Hill.)
Common Grackle (Abundant, Peninsula.)
American Goldfinch

Other resident species seen (or heard):
American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (2.), Blue Jay, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow (25, Peninsula Meadow.), Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park with Eileen

When I first entered the park I spotted Split-tail as I was walking across the Long Meadow towards the Ravine. He circled the Sparrow Bowl a couple of times, gaining altitude. Then he gained some serious attitude and attacked another Red-tailed Hawk perched near the Tennis House. He practically knocked the other bird out of the tree. I didn't spend much time watching the Red-tailed Hawk nest today. I stayed just long enough to observe Split-tail and Big Mama exchanging places on their eggs. I decided, instead, to look for migrating Pine Warblers.

The weather and timing seemed right and I got lucky, spotting my first Pine Warbler of the spring. It was a textbook male in brilliant, breeding plumage - olive green back, bright yellow throat & breast and broad, bright white wingbars. His slow foraging in the trees along Breeze Hill and near the Terrace Bridge was an interesting contrast to the hyperactive feeding frenzy of a flock of tiny Golden-crowned Kinglets in his company.

At first I was very excited about seeing my first incoming warbler but then I began to feel a little anxious. I spend a lot of time alone in the woods observing the hawks. I think my anxiety is born of an unrealistic desire to protect "my" forest from the impending onslaught of human activities. During the winter months, especially during week days, Prospect Park seems virtually deserted. The millions of New Yorkers that surround the park are almost invisible. Like clockwork, though, the peaceful solitude of the winter woods will soon explode not only with birds and song, but also people. I'm not a curmudgeon (at least, not much) I just get disillusioned sometimes seeing all the damage that some folks inflict on the park year after year. Is it possible to teach people to tread more lightly?
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Prospect Park, 3/26/2004 - 11:30am to 1:30pm
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Pied-billed Grebe (Prospect Lake.)
Double-crested Cormorant (Prospect Lake.)
Great Egret (Prospect Lake.)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Prospect Lake.)
Northern Shoveler (Prospect Lake.)
Ring-necked Duck (5, Upper Pond. 4, Prospect Lake.)
Bufflehead (3, Upper pond.)
Hooded Merganser (2, Prospect Lake.)
Ruddy Duck (Prospect Lake.)
Turkey Vulture (Soaring over Peninsula.)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Immature, Breeze Hill.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
Killdeer (Long Meadow.)
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Payne Hill.)
Northern Flicker (~10.)
Eastern Phoebe (3, Payne Hill. 2, Lullwater. 2, Long Meadow. 1, Upper pond.)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Lullwater.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (2, Lookout Hill.)
Brown Creeper (Breeze Hill.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (~20, Terrace Bridge/Breeze Hill area.)
Hermit Thrush (Payne Hill.)
Pine Warbler (Terrace Bridge/Breeze Hill area.)
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Abundant.)
American Goldfinch (~20.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (Payne Hill.), Downy Woodpecker (Lookout Hill.), Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee (Payne Hill.), Tufted Titmouse (2, Payne Hill.), American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park

Split-tail growled at me today. I was shocked, not just by a vocalization that I'd never heard before, but also by his apparent distress. I thought our three year relationship meant something. We had an understanding; I'd be respectful of him and he would let me quietly observe him and his mate's activities. I was standing in my usual spot next to the elm tree watching Big Mama on the nest and he was perched in a large maple at the edge of the Long Meadow. Suddenly he flew directly towards me. As he was flying I could hear him making a deep, throaty growling sound, almost like an angry cat. He flew up onto a rotted limb about five feet above my head and started biting into the peeled back bark of the dead branch. A minute or two later he flew off towards the Boulder Bridge but perched only about fifty feet away in a sycamore next to the footpath. I walked slowly over towards him and as I approached he began making that angry growl again. I backed off and walked down to the Ravine. Ten minutes prior to this incident I spotted a pair of juvenile Red-tailed Hawks flying north above the Long Meadow. As they passed Payne Hill Split-tail chased after them letting them know that they weren't welcome in Prospect Park. I guess I shouldn't take his behavior personally, maybe he was still a little agitated and was taking it out on me.

My concern for the Ravine Red-tailed Hawks was a little premature. This morning I could see one of the pair back sitting in their nest atop the pine tree.

Phoebe numbers are still increasing and there were four of them hawking for insects in the woods below the nest. I've also noticed that Song Sparrow numbers have increased dramatically over the last week throughout the park.

As I was leaving the park at 5th Street I heard what sounded like a Monk Parakeet squawking. I searched the trees in front of the Litchfield Villa and spotted a Merlin trying to attack a Northern Flicker. It was the flicker that was making the loud noises as he tried to avoid the diving assault of the tiny falcon. The Merlin quickly gave up and flew off towards the Long Meadow.
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Prospect Park, 3/24/2004 - 11am to 1pm
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Ring-necked Duck (4, Upper pond.)
Bufflehead (3, Upper pond.)
Hooded Merganser (3, Upper pond.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3 adults, 2 immature.)
Merlin (Litchfield Villa.)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Payne Hill.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Payne Hill.)
Downy Woodpecker (2, Payne Hill.)
Hairy Woodpecker (Payne Hill.)
Northern Flicker (Litchfield Villa.)
Eastern Phoebe (4, Payne Hill.)
Black-capped Chickadee (2, Payne Hill.)
Tufted Titmouse (3, Payne Hill.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Payne Hill.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Payne Hill.)
Fox Sparrow (5, Rick's Pl.)
Song Sparrow (Approx. 10.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
American Goldfinch (Payne Hill.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

Prospect Park with Sean S.

I arrived at the nest at 10:30 and it appeared to be empty. I knew from previous years that when the much smaller "Split-tail" was sitting on the nest that he was difficult to see so I tried looking from a few different angles. The west wind was roaring over Payne Hill and the nest tree was swaying from side to side. When I stood upwind of the tree I could see the brown feathers on the top of Split-tail's head fluttering in the wind. At about 11:20 Big Mama flew in from the south and made a tight, swooping turn above the nest, tucked her wings in and made a hard landing in the tree. Her mate must have been hungry because he didn't linger at the nest and quickly departed. Big Mama stepped into the nest but kept her head down for a couple of minutes as if she were examining its contents. She gently eased her body down into the nest then settled down for her turn on the eggs.

I noticed some more seasonal changes in the park today. Along Wellhouse Drive the Magnolia trees are now adorned with green, velvet covered buds. As more insects have emerged the number of arriving Eastern Phoebes has increased, as well. Three days ago I counted only one of these small flycatchers, today there were twelve. Lately Peter D. has been asking me where the heck all the kinglets are; he can finally stop asking as I counted about 20 Golden-crowned Kinglets today. Oddly, one flock was moving south through the trees near the Picnic House. I tried pointing them the other way but they wouldn't listen.

Also new for the season was an Osprey being chased by Split-tail above the Long Meadow. Its whistling cry drew my attention as the much larger bird was clearly intimidated by our local red-tail. Finally, Sean spotted our first Tree Swallow of the spring as it surfed the high winds blowing across the lake.
- - - - -
Prospect Park, 3/21/2004
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Pied-billed Grebe (2, upper Lullwater.)
Turkey Vulture (3.)
Wood Duck (1.)
Northern Shoveler (Abundant.)
Ring-necked Duck (5, Upper pond. 5, Prospect Lake.)
Hooded Merganser (5, Prospect Lake.)
Ruddy Duck
Osprey (Chased by Red-tailed over Long Meadow.)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Peninsula, flying towards Lookout Hill.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2.)
Merlin (Female, Long Meadow by Tennis House.)
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Payne Hill.)
Eastern Phoebe (12; 2, Payne Hill. 1, Lookout. 1, Breeze Hill. 4, Lullwater. 2, Pagoda Pond. 2, Midwood.)
Tree Swallow (Over Prospect Lake.)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2, Lookout Hill.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (2, Lullwater.)
Brown Creeper (edge of Upper pond.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Approx. 20, Picnic House area & Lullwater.)
Fox Sparrow (~10.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch (Approx. 12, Lullwater & Rick's Place.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (2.), Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (Midwood.), Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee (1.), Tufted Titmouse (3.), American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow (Common.), Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Bayridge, Brooklyn

Yesterday morning, while Shane and I were driving down 7th Avenue in Bayridge towards the Verrazano Bridge, I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk chasing some pigeons. It seemed like a rather odd location for a large hawk. We were stopped at the intersection of 73rd Street where the surrounding neighborhood is comprised of mostly lowrise apartment buildings. The hawk perched adjacent to a tiny park named McKinley Park that has few large trees. It was an immature red-tailed with unusually dark, practically black, facial feathers. It looked very similar to the beat-up hawk that Sean S. and I saw being chased from Prospect Park by the adults on February 27th.

During the course of the day we spotted about five Red-tailed Hawks between Bayridge, Staten Island and Jones Beach. I began to wonder about all the locations where they could possibly be nesting around the five Boroughs. I am aware of the three pairs in my corner of Brooklyn and the annual nest on 5th Avenue across from Central Park but where else are they breeding?

Wolfe’s Pond, Great Kills, Fort Tilden, Breezy Pt., Pt. Lookout, Hempstead Lake SP with Shane B.

I'm glad Shane called me to join him today for some coastal birding. It was a needed change of scenery from the view of the hawk nest and its surrounding woods. What started off as a trip to look for the Western Grebe that has been hanging out on Staten Island turned into a tour of many coastal areas from Point Lookout to Breezy Point. We also stopped at Hempstead Lake State Park to look for Redheads.

Finding the Western Grebe was almost too easy. At 8:00 the wind was calm and there wasn't a ripple on the ocean. Just scanning with our naked eyes was enough to locate it about 400 yards offshore. As it preened it frequently turned its head rapidly from side to side, as if it were practicing part of a courtship display. It also kept stretching its right leg out to the side; probably just some early morning calisthenics. The pond was mainly occupied by scaup but there were also a few Ring-necked Ducks, shovelers, a pair of Gadwall and a Great Egret along the shore. A quick stop at Great Kills wasn't very productive so we decided to head over to Brooklyn to check on the recently reported gull flocks at Fort Tilden and Breezy Point.

As we were passing the Verrazano Bridge we stopped along the highway to check out a raft of scaup on Gravesend Bay. There were about 3,000 or more ducks in a flock that was mostly Greater Scaup but also included a small number of lesser. The large flocks of gulls at Tilden and Breezy have dispersed leaving mostly the expected numbers and assortment. The only unusual sighting was of a Red-necked Grebe. So we were off to Long Beach to check for gulls at Pt. Lookout. There was a flock of about 300 Bonaparte's Gulls present but it wasn't until about a quarter of them took flight that Shane noticed one standout - a Little Gull. I only had fleeting looks at the slight seabird's dark underwings. I would have preferred a more in depth study of this bird as I've never seen one before. After lunch I suggested stopping at Hempstead Lake SP as I've been lucky to find Redheads there 3 out of 4 times. As luck would have it there were 9 Redheads and a single Canvasback trying to blend in with his similar cousins. Also seen at Hempstead Lake SP were Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, hooded and Common Merganser.

We were hoping to locate some of the recently reported rare gulls but since that was, essentially, a bust we thought we might as well try to pump up our waterfowl day list. We were fortunate to spot a couple of Snow Goose on our way home but were missing (at least) a Ruddy Duck. As we were driving up Prospect Park Southwest Shane stopped the car near Prospect Lake. We were tired and lazy but could see the lake clearly through the trees. We rolled down the windows and scanned the lake. We could see plently of shovelers but where was a ruddy when you needed one. Finally I said, "There's one in front of the Thumb". Then it dove and Shane said, "We can't leave until I see it." "OK, it's up, let's go".

- - - - -

Staten Island (Wolfe’s Pond, Great Kills), Brooklyn (Fort Tilden, Breezy Pt.), Nassau County (Pt. Lookout, Hempstead Lake SP), 3/20/2004
-
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe (Hempstead Lake SP.)
Horned Grebe (various.)
Red-necked Grebe (Breezy Pt.)
Western Grebe (Wolfe's Pond.)
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret (Wolfe's Pond.)
Snow Goose (Flying over Meadowbrook Pkwy. near Jones Beach.)
Canada Goose (various.)
Brant (various.)
Mute Swan (Hempstead Lake SP.)
Wood Duck (~8, Hempstead Lake SP.)
Gadwall (Wolfe's Pond, Hempstead Lake SP.)
American Wigeon (Hempstead Lake SP.)
American Black Duck (various.)
Mallard (various.)
Northern Shoveler (Wolfe's Pond.)
Green-winged Teal (Hempstead Lake SP.)
Canvasback (Hempstead Lake SP.)
Redhead (5 drake, 4 hen. Hempstead Lake SP.)
Ring-necked Duck (Wolfe's Pond, Hempstead Lake SP.)
Greater Scaup (Wolfe's Pond, Gravesend Bay.)
Lesser Scaup (Gravesend Bay.)
Common Eider (Wolfe's Pond.)
Long-tailed Duck (Wolfe's Pond, Fort Tilden, Pt. Lookout.)
Bufflehead (various.)
Common Goldeneye (Great Kills.)
Hooded Merganser (Hempstead Lake SP.)
Common Merganser (Hempstead Lake SP.)
Red-breasted Merganser (various.)
Ruddy Duck (Prospect Park.)
Red-tailed Hawk
American Oystercatcher (Breezy Pt., Pt. Lookout.)
Little Gull (Pt. Lookout.)
Bonaparte's Gull (Wolfe's Pond, Pt. Lookout.)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Monk Parakeet (Avenue I.)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe (Hempstead Lake SP.)
American Crow
Fish Crow (Hempstead Lake SP.)
Black-capped Chickadee
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Northern Cardinal
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow

Prospect Park

As I trudged across the snow blanketed Long Meadow I noticed that the recently arrived, scattered flocks of robins were now all concentrated in one area. Snow plows clearing the footpaths inadvertently dug a shallow trench in the dirt along the edge of the grass. A flock of robins lining up in single file along the thin strip of mud stood like statues with their ears tipped to the ground. On Center Drive a flock of ten Fox Sparrows scratched in a patch of leaves at the edge of the curb that had been uncovered by snow plows.

The dense, wet snow on the rise beneath Big Mama's nest was clean and trackless. I felt strangely reluctant to christen it with my boot prints. I've found that the view of the nest is best from beside a large elm tree. Today I noticed that hungry squirrels nibbling on fresh buds above me were sprinkling tiny, amber petals in the snow surrounding the elm. I had only been watching the nest for a minute or two when I spotted Big Mama flying through the woods a short distance to the north. She landed in a blackcherry tree and aggressively tugged and twisted on a small branch until it snapped free. She carry it up to the top of the tuliptree where she positioned it like a nest layer cake atop a thin, white covering of snow. She fiddled around in the nest for a few minutes until her mate arrived with a mouse. They noisily greeted each other, she took the mouse and few off to a perch near the Midwood to eat. What occurred next surprised me.

Split-tail stayed in the nest and fidgeted around in its base for about five minutes. He circled around and around like a dog getting comfortable on the living room carpet. He found a cozy position facing out towards the Long Meadow and remained on the nest. He was still there when I departed, about 20 minutes later. It appears that Big Mama has finally laid an egg or two. If so, we should be seeing signs of hatchlings around the week of April 19th.

I'm concerned about the hawks nesting in the Ravine. On Monday I observed the male of that pair, with a fresh kill, as he called for his mate over and over. Today I spotted him in the same spot near the nest with a rat in his talons. Again, he chirped for her over and over. He then flew to the nest in the pine tree but she wasn't there. The nest was covered with a layer of undisturbed snow. He flew off towards the cemetery with the rat, still calling her. I followed as best as I could but it doesn't appear that he located her. I hope she's alright.

Also of interest today was an Eastern Phoebe at the lower pond. It was hawking along the edge of the pond and gently snapping up miniscule prey from the surface of the water.
- - - - -
Prospect Park, 3/18/2004
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Northern Shoveler (Abundant.)
Ring-necked Duck (5.)
Bufflehead (2.)
Hooded Merganser (1.)
Ruddy Duck
Cooper's Hawk (Immature, Payne Hill.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Quaker Ridge.)
Northern Flicker (Quaker Ridge.)
Eastern Phoebe (Lower pond.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Nethermead Meadow.)
Fox Sparrow (Approx. 12, Center Driver/Quaker Ridge.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
American Goldfinch (4, Center Drive.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (1.), Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (Quaker Ridge.), Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee (Rick's Place.), Tufted Titmouse (Payne Hill.), American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

Prospect Park with Big Dave and Sean S.

Pussy willows emerging from shrubs around the edges of the upper pond were glowing with the pink blush of the late afternoon sunshine. One of the Red-tailed Hawks was calling from somewhere in the narrow strip of woods behind the pond. A small flock of Blue Jays were squawking in the same area, no doubt trying to drive the hawk away. The pond held a small collection of beautiful winter waterfowl. The bold black and white pattern of four male Ring-necked Ducks was accented by a subtle, purple sheen on their outstretched necks. A lone male Hooded Merganser unfurled his monochrome sail to impress two females. Sunlight shining through his hood illuminated his crown like a stained glass window. A pie-chart headed male Bufflehead succeeded in chasing off a single competitor and today courted a female by himself. I was commenting to Sean how nice it was to see a pond of waterfowl that didn't include a flock of Mallards. Before I had time to finish my sentence two Mallards flew in and landed in front of us.
- - - - -
Prospect Park, 3/15/2004
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Wood Duck (Drake and hen, Upper pond.)
Ring-necked Duck (5, Upper pond.)
Bufflehead (2, Upper pond.)
Hooded Merganser (3, Upper pond.)
Turkey Vulture (1, flyover Nelly's Lawn.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
Great Black-backed Gull
Northern Flicker (Sparrow Bowl.)
Fox Sparrow (~6.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (~30, Battle Pass.)
Rusty Blackbird (Vale of Cashmere.)
American Goldfinch (~20, Vale of Cashmere.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (Vale of Cashmere.), Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin (~30, Nelly's Lawn.), European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park with Shale B. and Marty S.

Tiny, white, bell-shaped Snowdrops (Galanthus) have joined the tulips and crocuses emerging around the park. We noticed a small blanket of them between Nelly's Lawn and the "Aralia Grove".

I only stopped very briefly at the hawk's nests today. A hawk was sitting on the nest in the pine tree. The other nest was empty but Big Mama and Split-tail were soaring above Nelly's Lawn. My goal this morning was to try and locate the Red-shouldered Hawk and a phoebe for Marty and Shale. We struck out on the phoebe but I found the red-shouldered. It was soaring over the lake and came down into a tulip tree overlooking the skating rink. Much later in the day, after Marty and Shale had left, I came across it again perched low behind Three Sisters Island. I probably would have walked right passed without noticing it but it began calling. He must be lonely. Its tail is very tattered and I'm not sure if it is the result of molting or a dispute with the local red-tails.

On the Upper pond (formerly called "Swanboat Pond") a male Hooded Merganser periodically pulled his neck in, tipped his head back and pointed his bill skyward. It was impossible to tell if the two females paddling along behind him were impressed with his courtship display. I walked by the pond again on my way home and noticed one of the Ring-necked Duck doing something curious. While swimming along next to a female ring-necked he would occasionally stretch his neck out, showing off his namesake purple ring. I'm not sure if it was a courtship display but it was nice to see the ring that is almost always hidden. Early this morning, at the other end of the Ravine, a Hairy Woodpecker perched on a hollow branch drummed a rapid message for a potential mate.

We sat on a park bench at the Vale of Cashmere listening to a Rusty Blackbird. Its "check" call is almost indistinguishable from the Red-winged Blackbird to my ear but a secondary call sounds like a rusty hinge.
- - - - -
Prospect Park, 3/14/2004
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Pied-billed Grebe (Prospect Lake.)
Brant (13, Prospect Lake.)
Wood Duck (3 drake, 1 hen. Prospect Lake.) [Rob Jett]
Northern Shoveler (Abundant.)
Ring-necked Duck (4, Upper pond. 1, Prospect Lake.)
Bufflehead (3, Upper pond.)
Hooded Merganser (3, Upper pond.)
Ruddy Duck
Red-shouldered Hawk (Near skating rink, later behind Three Sisters.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
Merlin (Perched on Long Meadow near ponds.)
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Brown Creeper (South side of lake.) [Rob Jett]
Northern Mockingbird (Near carousel.)
Fox Sparrow (Approx. 6-8.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Rusty Blackbird (2, Ravine and Vale of Cashmere.)
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch (Approx. 15-20.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (3.), Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (2, Ravine & Vale of Cashmere.), Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee (Nelly's Lawn.), Tufted Titmouse (2, Nelly's Lawn.), American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park with Big Dave

The bright sunshine and clear, blue sky was a bit deceptive as the temperature was a chilly 19 degrees this morning. As Dave and I stood below the nest strong wind gusts caused the bare tree branches above us to crack and creak. We were a little concerned about getting clobbered by falling branches. The recently seen isolated pockets of butterflies and small, swirling clouds of flies appeared to be hunkered down somewhere and out of sight. On Payne Hill my first Eastern Phoebe of the season was also looking for them. The only flocks of land birds observed were in the lee of Payne Hill along the rise of the Midwood.

It's possible that the female Red-tailed Hawk of the Ravine nest has laid an egg. Like a giant pendulum her nest swayed dramatically from side to side in this morning's powerful gusts. Unfazed by the roller coaster ride she remained firmly in place on her nest at the top of the pine tree.

Big Mama and Split-tail were staying out of the wind and were perched in the relatively calm air of the forested Midwood. We watched Big Mama methodically stripping the bark from her perch in a tuliptree. We figured that the long, stringy fibers were probably going to be used as insulation for her nest. I guess they've been using that spot for a while as the top half of the four foot long branch was almost completely devoid of its outer covering. After a few minutes of tugging and tearing she carried a billfull of the threadlike bedding up to the nest.

Despite today's blustery weather, now that I've seen my first migrating phoebe it really feels like spring has arrived.
- - - - -
Prospect Park, 3/13/2004
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Ring-necked Duck (2, Upper pond.)
Bufflehead (1, Upper pond.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2.)
Eastern Phoebe (Payne Hill.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (2, Payne Hill.)
Northern Mockingbird (Litchfield Villa.)
Fox Sparrow (Rick's Place.)
White-throated Sparrow (Rick's Place.)
Rusty Blackbird (1, Between upper and lower ponds.)
American Goldfinch (Approx. 10, Rick's Place.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (Payne Hill.), Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee (Payne Hill.), American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow (Rick's Place.), Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

Prospect Park

As I entered the park at 5th Street I noticed that dozens of tulips have begun to emerge from the flower beds surrounding the Litchfield Villa. At the edge of the lake, alders are sprouting drooping, yellowish catkins.

When I was walking across the Long Meadow towards the hawk nest I spotted Big Mama and Split-tail as they flew in my direction from their nest woods. They circled the Long Meadow and, as they ascended, gradually traveled south towards the Green-wood Cemetery. I thought about the hawk's-eye view of Prospect Park and a satellite photograph of the area that I found on the Internet. Walking through this urban park gives one the impression of a wide expanse of trees and meadows. In reality, for a hawk flying overhead it's a postage stamp of green with a narrow spine of forest. Since the hawks had just left the nest I decided to walk through the Ravine and along the edge of Quaker Ridge, the wooded north-south backbone of the park.

The woods were more active than I have seen in weeks. A large number of Dark-eyed Juncos were moving north through the area. I wish I could playback in words the energized sounds from the woods today. Juncos chipped and trilled while digging in the leaf litter, Fox Sparrows whistled from high perches, White-breasted Nuthatches muttered nasal interjections while hanging upside down and Northern Cardinals, like choral soloists, belted out slurred whistles from above all the other songsters. Further south along the forested strip a flock of robins competed for attention in a seemingly endless rondo of "Cheerily, cheeriup, cheerio". At Lookout Hill a loud repetitive "kee-yer, kee-yer, kee-yer" made me think that I was being fooled by a Blue Jay again. I searched the trees overlooking Prospect Lake and found an adult Red-shouldered Hawk calling loudly. The sound seemed out of place for Brooklyn and more appropriate for Florida.

When I returned to the Ravine I found a hawk sitting on the nest in the pine tree. Further north I could hear that Big Mama and her mate had returned. I followed their calls and, by the sound of their brief, hoarse chirps I assumed that they were involved in their favorite activity. When I arrived at their tree Big Mama was perched on a branch above her nest and Split-tail had just departed. She was snapping off the dry, brown tulip flowers near her face. I thought that she was preparing to break off a branch for the nest but was merely clearing an opening around her balcony.

In 2002 this pair's nest was relatively low to the ground and above a roadway. Last year it was a little higher, a bit more substantial but close to Flatbush Avenue. This year they seemed to have read the field guide description for nest placement; ""a large tree with a commanding view." I hope they have a long-term lease on this location.
- - - - -
Prospect Park, 3/11/2004
-
Double-crested Cormorant (2.)
Brant (12.)
Northern Shoveler (Abundant.)
Bufflehead (2 drakes, Upper pond.)
Ruddy Duck (Approx. 70-80, Prospect Lake.)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Adult, Lookout Hill.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
White-breasted Nuthatch (2, Ravine.)
Fox Sparrow (~8.)
Dark-eyed Junco (Approx. 50-60.)
American Goldfinch (9, Rick's Place.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan (4.), Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (2.), Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Prospect Park with Sean S.

In February of 2002 I began my first Red-tailed Hawk journal. I was motivated by a pair of hawks building a nest next to the roadway near the 3rd Street playground. Among the many highlights that season was a daring tree squirrel that I named "Squirrely Knievel". He seemed to enjoy tormenting the hawks and his various exploits included leaping over the occupied hawk nest. Somehow, he managed to escape the dinner menu. Late this afternoon, when I returned to Brooklyn, I walked over to the nest where I met Sean taking some photos. He related a familiar story.

He began by saying, "I think Squirrely Knievel has a cousin." While he was waiting for something to photograph a squirrel climbed up the tree and nosed around on the nest. Big Mama and Split-tail were perched nearby at Rick's Place. They had just copulated and their post-coital bliss was disturbed by that sneaky squirrel. Big Mama took off and charged at the uninvited visitor to her nest. The squirrel scurried about 20 feet down the tuliptree but Big Mama followed and made a couple of close passes before giving up. I guarantee we haven't seen the last of this dispute.
- - - - -
Prospect Park, 3/9/2004
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Ring-necked Duck (3, Upper pond.)
Bufflehead (2, Upper pond.)
Hooded Merganser (3, Upper pond.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
Merlin (Next to ponds.) [Sean S.]

Prospect Park with Tom P. and Sean S.

Despite the fact that snow showers are predicted for this evening spring is gently nudging winter aside. This morning I spotted two Morning Cloak butterflies circling each other as they fluttered passed my seat below the hawk nest. Later on Tom and I also noticed a tiny, Cabbage White near the bird feeder on Breeze Hill. The drooping branches of linden trees all around the park are sprouting tiny, red buds and crocus have begun pushing up through the leaf litter along the Lullwater. Many more of the over-wintering Fox Sparrows have found their spring voice; in a month they'll all be gone, replaced by other melodies. At Rick's Place there was a noisy flock of goldfinches feeding on the bristly, hanging balls of the London Planetrees. As kids we used to call these fruits "itchy balls". I'd never observed this behavior before and had assumed that these seeds were useless as a food source.

I was wrong about the second hawk nest located in the Ravine. When I showed Tom the nest I was surprised to find it occupied. I'm not sure if it was the male or female but one of the pair was sitting on the nest and calling for its mate.

The activities around "Big Mama's" nest have become routine. One of the Red-tailed Hawks can usually be found perched close by, either resting or hunting. Occasionally the pair will add more sticks to the nest and they copulate often. The latter activity lasts for only a few seconds with one or both of the hawks loudly vocalizing. This afternoon I noticed that one of the hawks sounds very hoarse. I wonder how frequently they mate each day. By the sound of their voice I guess it's pretty often.

By mid-afternoon, shortly after Tom had departed, Sean and I were getting a little bored at the nest and decided to walk to the lake to check out the waterfowl. As we were walking across the Nethermead Meadow we noticed something odd. A pigeon was flying south along the length of the meadow. It was moving slowly, flying only a few feet above the ground and landed in the woods at the base of Lookout Hill. Moments later it was followed by a Red-tailed Hawk. It was a beautiful, warm afternoon so the field was loaded with people playing Frisbee, walking their dogs or cheering on a soccer match at the southwest corner. The hawk wasn't the least bit deterred by all the activity and charged into the woods after the pigeon. It easily caught it and I think Sean and I were the only ones who noticed (or cared). It must have been a plump pigeon as the hawk appeared to have some trouble gaining altitude as it ascended to a perch at the edge of the Quaker Cemetery to eat its prey. As Sean was setting up his tripod I noticed that the pigeon, while clutched firmly in the hawk's right foot, was still thrashing about. After a few minutes it stopped moving and the hungry raptor began using its sharp bill to pluck the feather from around the pigeons neck and nape. Suddenly, lunch began flapping its wings again. In retrospect it sounds a bit ghoulish but we were riveted on that hawk for about 20 minutes as the trapped pigeon struggled to escape, even while being prepared for eating. The Red-tailed Hawk eventually flew deeper into the cemetery to eat in peace only to be mobbed by a small flock of Blue Jays.

Focusing on the hawk's activities sometimes blinds me from the "non-natural" activities in this crowded, urban park. Sometimes it's a challenge to ignore them. Twice today I stood near the Quaker Cemetery looking at the wildlife. The first time I was chased away by a young man practicing Bagpipes. Is there anything worse than the sound of bad Bagpipes? The second time Sean and I tried our best to tune out a toothless, possibly, mentally ill blues musician. I think he went by the name of "Murky Waters".
- - - - -
Prospect Park, 3/7/2004
-
Ring-necked Duck (14, Prospect Lake.)
Bufflehead (2, Upper pond.)
Hooded Merganser (3, Upper pond.)
Red-tailed Hawk (3; 2 at Payne Hill nest. 1 on Ravine nest.)
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Breeze Hill feeder.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (3.)
Hermit Thrush (Breeze Hill feeder.)
American Tree Sparrow (Breeze Hill feeder.)
Chipping Sparrow (Breeze Hill feeder.)
Fox Sparrow (~12, Rick's Place, Breeze Hill, Peninsula.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle (Peninsula.)
American Goldfinch (~12, Rick's Place.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (2.), Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (2, Rick's Place.), Blue Jay (~12.), American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee (3, Breeze Hill.), Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

Prospect Park

I managed to dodge the raindrops and take a quick look at the Red-tailed Hawk nest today. Upon entering the park at 5th Street I spotted "Split-tail" (he looks like he's developing that weird split in his tail again) perched above the Litchfield Villa. The squirrels were all squealing in unison. His mate, "Big Mama" was perched near their nest and she chirped for him when he circled above their woods. All along the grassy rise of Payne Hill a large flock of robins and juncos fed, taking advantage of the rain softened ground.

Ominous-looking dark clouds were rolling in so I didn't linger at the nest for very long. I quickly looped through the Ravine to check on the second red-tailed nest. As I walked on the lower path a flock of robins, juncos and jays suddenly scrambled for cover. In his panicked state one of the juncos nearly crashed into me. I searched the trees for predators but couldn't locate any.

It appears that the second pair of red-tails have relocated as their nest now seems unused. I wonder if "Big Mama" chased them off. As I walked passed the Lower pond I spotted the object of the birds panic earlier in my walk; a female Merlin. Perched near the top of her favorite Gingko tree, she methodically plucked the dark grey feathers from a freshly killed junco.
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Prospect Park, 3/6/2004
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Bufflehead (3, Upper Pond.)
Hooded Merganser (3, Upper Pond.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2. Litchfield Villa, Payne Hill.)
Merlin (Perched next to Lower Pond.)
Ring-billed Gull
White-breasted Nuthatch (Litchfield Villa.)
Fox Sparrow (3, Ravine.)
White-throated Sparrow (~50, Ravine.)
Dark-eyed Junco (~100, Payne Hill & Ravine.)
Common Grackle (Long Meadow.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker (Ravine.), Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee (Payne Hill.), Tufted Titmouse (Payne Hill.), American Robin (~75, Payne Hill.), European Starling, Song Sparrow (3, Ravine.), Northern Cardinal

Prospect Park with Bob B.

Mother Nature teased my senses today with a plate of spring-like appetizers. The sweet, warm air smelled like spring and I tried to resist the feeling that the migration was right around the corner.

As I walked into the park I spotted a flock of 6 Turkey Vultures slowly soaring northward over the Long Meadow nudged along by tepid thermals. Red maple buds and yellow witchhazel flowers were unexpected bright spots on the park's mostly grey landscape. Small turtles have begun charging their solar batteries on logs and other haul-outs around the lake. Also on the lake, male Ruddy Ducks have started their transition from drab winter coloration to rusty, red plumes and sky blue bills. Early Common Grackles have arrived and staked nesting claims in conifers at Park Circle, the carousel and the peninsula. A rising chorus of red-winged "konk-la-reee" from the phragmites surrounding the lake seems to have begun virtually overnight.

I stood on Payne Hill for almost an hour watching an empty Red-tailed Hawk nest. I looked away from the nest and started listening to a changing landscape. Some of the resident birds such as chickadees, titmouse, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpecker and Blue Jay were extremely vocal in the surrounding woods. Fifty yards to my east, at Rick's Place, I could hear Fox Sparrows singing their clear, melodious spring whistles. Numerous trilling junco's reminded me of Pine Warblers to come and spring's happy, tickle briefly surged through the pit of my stomach. Nearby, the-jay-that-cried-hawk insisted on tormenting me. His Red-tailed Hawk "keeeer" call is extremely convincing and I'm not sure if he does it out of boredom or suicidal tendencies. A large, adult Cooper's Hawk flew in and perched a couple of feet away from the red-tailed nest. The woods suddenly fell quiet. She only stayed for a moment then flew off towards Battle Pass. A few minutes later "Big Mama" arrived at the nest with a pine bough, adding a splash of color to her stick construction. Through the bare trees I could see her mate, "the-hawk-previously-known-as-splittail", prying a branch from a sweetgum at Rick's Place. He joined her at the nest and deposited the branch. She seemed pleased, he mounted her and quickly made another, noisy deposit.

Also of note is a flock of Ring-necked Ducks increasing in numbers on Prospect Lake and the return of "Woody". Our resident Wood Duck disappeared in early January to parts unknown. Today he was back to taking bread-crumb handouts and flirting with the female Mallards.
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Prospect Park, 3/2/2004
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Pied-billed Grebe (1, Prospect Lake.)
Double-crested Cormorant (2, Prospect Lake.)
Brant (22, Prospect Lake.)
Wood Duck (5, Prospect Lake.)
Gadwall (Male & female, Prospect Lake.)
Northern Shoveler (Adundant.)
Ring-necked Duck (10, Prospect Lake.)
Hooded Merganser (6, Prospect Lake.)
Ruddy Duck (~30, Prospect Lake.)
Turkey Vulture (6, soaring over Long Meadow traveling north.)
Cooper's Hawk (Adult, Payne Hill.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2 adults, 1 immature.)
American Coot
Killdeer (Calling as it circled Long Meadow.)
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Breeze Hill.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Payne Hill.)
Brown Creeper (Payne Hill.)
Fox Sparrow (~5, Vale and Payne Hill.)
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle (~10.)
American Goldfinch (4, Payne Hill. 6, Vale of Cashmere.)

Other resident species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker (2.), Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow (2.), Black-capped Chickadee (3, Lullwater.), Tufted Titmouse (2, Payne Hill.), American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow