More Migrating Birds

Brief South winds over this past week have helped carry even more new species of birds into Brooklyn and all of New York City. My previous week's migration update tallied 63 species of birds. This week the number has jumped up to 104.

Last Sunday Keir, Heydi and I met at Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island at first light. We planned on walking up Cropsey Avenue to Calvert Vaux Park. This park on a peninsula jutting into Gravesend Bay has a nice stretch of open grass and a possible stopover for Upland Sandpiper. From there we'd walk back to the boardwalk and scan offshore along the beach. The previous day I spent birding Prospect Park where we added a few new species including Chimney Swift, Blue-headed Vireo, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler and Chipping Sparrow. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher makes one of my favorite, cute calls which sounds more like an insect than a bird. You can hear it at this link.

Crossing over Coney Island Creek as the sun came up made for a nice photo op. What the image doesn't reveal is that, after Newtown Creek, this creek is one of the most toxic bodies of water within New York City. I wonder what the mortality rate is for the waterfowl that live here all year. There are actually Fiddler Crabs eking out a living in some sections of the shoreline, which the Black-crowned Night-Herons eat. Hopefully they find healthier pickings elsewhere around New York's harbor.

Across the cove on the South side of Calvert Vaux Park there used to be a narrow stretch of trees and understory that attracted migrating birds. I say "used to" because the department of parks appears to be cutting everything down and bulldozing it. This photo is a view from that side of the cove facing the park. Needless to say, we didn't find many birds in that area, although a small flock of Glossy Ibis flying overhead was new for the season for me.

We did manage to find a small, mixed flock of sparrows feeding in the parking lot at Calvert Vaux. The flock contained 6 Field Sparrows. Perched in a treetop overlooking the parking lot was an Eastern Meadowlark. From there we continued to the large grass fields at the far end of the peninsula. The fields were depressingly devoid of bird life. This Peregrine Falcon scanning the ground from one of the lampposts overlooking the fields might have had something to do with all the missing birds. In addition, there was a female kestrel in a tree at the opposite side of the field.

By the time we made it back to the boardwalk winds from out of the West had picked up considerably. The early morning glass calm water was now choppy, making spotting birds much more challenging. There were lots of gannets feeding offshore, but nothing new or unusual that we could pick out. After a short break for breakfast, we hopped the train and headed to Marine Park.

Forster's Terns have returned and there were a couple squawking along the Western edge of Gerritsen Creek. Lots of molting Ruddy Ducks were still present, but I assume will all disperse in the next few weeks. The parks department erected a pair of Osprey nest platforms a few years ago on the East side of the creek. It appears that one is finally being used. I am always amazed by the size of some of the nest material that this unique raptor manages to drag up onto its platforms. I have hands with opposable thumbs and am pretty sure that I'd have a very difficult time maneuvering some of those tree limbs into a nest.

Wednesday's tour of Green-Wood Cemetery revealed lots of Chipping Sparrows moving through the area. Some will no doubt remain as chippings do nest within the cemetery. There were also Hermit Thrushes all over the place and the highest number of Blue-headed Vireo that I've seen so far this season. Pine, palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers continue to dominate the warbler landscape. One surprise for me was a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak calling from the top of a tree. I had initially discounted the sound as "real" because the large number of mockingbirds in the cemetery had been imitating everything from car alarms to Great Crested Flycatchers. It seemed a little early for grosbeaks, but I decided to check it out anyway. I'm glad I checked because it was the real McCoy.

I've included this photo of Norway Maple flowers because it is an important indicator for warbler migration. These trees are beginning to flower. Their flowers attract insects just around the time that the wood-warblers and other neotropic songbirds arrive in our area. They are some of the best trees to scan for songbirds in the Spring. The flowers of these trees start to drop as the oaks become festooned with catkins...also another good spot for warblers to find insects. The winds have switched to the South and will continue throughout the night. Early tomorrow morning may not be so much fun if you don't like rain, but hungry birds don't care, they still need to eat. I plan on being in the park at first light and, if you want to find some amazing birds, you should, too.

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Dates: Apr 13, 2013 - Apr 19, 2013
Locations: Coney Island Beach, Dreier-Offerman Park, Green-Wood Cemetery, Prospect Park, Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park--Southwest
Species: 104

Brant
Wood Duck
American Wigeon
BLUE-WINGED TEAL
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Ring-necked Pheasant
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
SNOWY EGRET
Black-crowned Night-Heron
GLOSSY IBIS
OSPREY
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Killdeer
American Oystercatcher
SPOTTED SANDPIPER
Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
FORSTER'S TERN
CHIMNEY SWIFT
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Monk Parakeet
Eastern Phoebe
BLUE-HEADED VIREO
Fish Crow
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
HOUSE WREN
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
HERMIT THRUSH
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing

LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER
YELLOW WARBLER
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW
Dark-eyed Junco
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
White-winged Crossbill
American Goldfinch

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

Friday's Foto

The Greater Yellowlegs is relatively common throughout the United States. Nesting in the Canadian boreal forests and the tundra, little is known about their breeding habits. It is very similar in appearance to the Lesser Yellowlegs. Here is a comparison of the two species, although this posting points out that using their vocalizations for identification is not necessarily definitive.

A Weird Bird

This week I received a note from Marilyn Smith at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. She had an odd bird sighting and needed help with identifying the species.

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From: Marilyn Smith
Date: April 17, 2013

[…] One of our gardeners, who oversees the Native Flora Garden, took a photo this morning of a rail hiding among some empty pots. I so rarely get to see these, I don’t think I can ID it to species. Would you be able to tell? (I could send a higher res photo if that would help.)

I hope this adds a little more zing to your spring!

Marilyn Smith
Director of Children's Education
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

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Here is the photo she attached:



The bird is a Virginia Rail and they seem to show up in the most unexpected places. Here's a link to a posting I did several years ago that lists some of their more memorable resting places in NYC. ...Read more

Some mid-April Blooms

Here are some more blooms from this past week, which includes Saucer Magnolia and Spring Beauty.

Wildlife Rehabbers Update

Apparently, the petition drive seemed to have really helped (over 31,000 signatures as of this evening). Bobby and Cathy just posted the following on their Facebook page:

WINORR- Wildlife In Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation

We received great news today ! Over the weekend Supervisor Venditto called me at home to discuss the situation and again yesterday as well and finally we were able to meet today to work out a solution. We have been granted permission to continue rehabbing wildlife with some adjustments which should benefit everyone involved. We will still be able to work from our home but will also look into alternative sites such as Tackapauasha Museum, our town animal shelter , or any other appropriate location to expand long term . Cathy and are are very happy and look forward to work with our town and all the other agencies we have served over the years. We appreciate John Venditto's acknowlegdement of the important work we do and today his actions backed up what he has said to me over the past few days. We want to thank all the people who have publicly supported us starting with Robin Lynn and the petition she started on our behalf . I've never been involved in anything like this before and watched it start out and just grow and gain speed in no time at all. Thank you . And too all the others who took the time out on our behalf to show your support with an e mail, letter , or phone call including old friends and new, attorneys, rehabbers, rescue groups, and governmental agencies I also thank you . Over the years Ive had more than my share of media coverage but this obviously was not the type of thing I would wish on anyone. We are glad its over, just want to be good neighbors and will strive to improve and continue to assist whenever and wherever we can.

Treehugger Tuesday

More information is emerging about the tar sands pipeline spill in Mayflower, Arkansas and an attempted cover-up. Steve Horn at the Desmog Blog has a very well researched report.

Arkansas Hires Notorious Private Contractor To Clean Up Mayflower Tar Sands Spill, Same Firm Also Contracted For KXL

Arkansas' Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has contracted out the "independent analysis of the cleanup" of the ExxonMobil Pegasus tar sands pipeline spill to Witt O'Brien's, a firm with a history of oil spill cover-ups, a DeSmogBlog investigation reveals.

At his April 10 press conference about the Mayflower spill response, AG McDaniel confirmed that Exxon had turned over 12,500 pages of documents to his office resulting from a subpoena related to Exxon's response to the March 29 Pegasus disaster. A 22-foot gash in the 65-year-old pipeline spewed over 500,000 gallons of tar sands dilbit through the streets of Mayflower, AR.

McDaniel also provided the media with a presser explaining that his office had "retained the assistance of Witt O’Brien’s, a firm whose experts will immediately begin an independent analysis of the cleanup process."

Witt O'Brien's describes itself as a "global leader in preparedness, crisis management and disaster response and recovery with the depth of experience and capability to provide services across the crisis and disaster life cycle."

But the firm's actual performance record isn't quite so glowing. O'Brien's has had its hands in the botched clean-up efforts of almost every high-profile oil spill disaster in recent U.S. history, including the Exxon Valdez spill, the BP Deepwater Horizon spill, the Enbridge tar sands pipeline spill into the Kalamazoo River, and Hurricane Sandy.

Most troubling of all, Witt O'Brien's won a "$300k+ contract to develop a Canadian-US compliant Oil Spill Emergency Response Plan for TransCanada’s Keystone Oil Pipeline Project" in Aug. 2008.

Thus, if the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline inevitably suffered a major spill, Witt O'Brien's would presumably handle the cleanup. That should worry everyone along the proposed KXL route.

From OOPS, Inc. to Witt O'Brien's

In Dec. 2012, Witt Associates merged with O’Brien’s Response Management to form Witt O’Brien’s. The merger at-large is owned by Seacor Holdings.

O'Brien's was formed in the early 1980s by Jim O'Brien - a former U.S. Coast Guard officer - as O'Brien Oil Pollution Service, otherwise known by OOPS, Inc. That's not a joke, it was their actual name.

OOPs, Inc. was acquired by Seacor Holdings Inc. under the auspices of Seacor Environmental Services division in 1997, later renamed The O'Brien's Group (TOG). TOG was later re-named O’Brien’s Response Management Inc. in Oct. 2008.

Importantly, in Dec. 2009, O'Brien's acquired a powerful public relations spin machine wing, as its former website explains:

In December of 2009, O’Brien’s completed the successful acquisition of PIER (Public Information Emergency Response) Systems Inc., a crisis communications company that has developed the PIER software application, an all-in-one, web-based solution for communications management, public relations, media monitoring, employee notification, and business continuity.

Witt Associates, meanwhile, was founded by James Witt, former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under President Bill Clinton who also served Gov. Clinton in Arkansas as head of the state's Office of Emergency Services. He started Witt Associates upon leaving his Clinton Administration post.

Oil and Gas Industry Ties Run Deep at Witt O'Brien's

Many of Witt O'Brien's clients are oil and gas industry giants and many of its employees formerly worked for the industry.

Tim O'Leary, its Vice President of Communications, formerly worked for Shell Oil's Media Relations and Crisis Management team. Don Costanzo, Senior Vice President Business Applications at Witt O'Brien's, formerly had a client list that included BP, ExxonMobil and Shell during his time spent as head of Renfroe & Company, according to his LinkedIn page.

Steve Candito, President and CEO of National Response Corporation (NRC), is a former ExxonMobil employee, serving as a marine engineer aboard its domestic tanker fleet from 1980-1985. He is a "member of the Boards of Directors of various SEACOR Environmental Services entities (which owns Witt O'Brien's)," according to his biographical sketch on the NRC webpage.

A March 2011 version of the O'Brien's Response Management website shows a client list including ExxonMobil, BP and Transocean (of Deepwater Horizon infamy), ConocoPhillips and pipeline industry giant Kinder Morgan.

One of Witt Associates' former clients is ICF International, where Energy Secretary nominee Ernest Moniz sits on ICF's Board of Directors. ICF was one of the three oil and gas industry-tied consulting firms contracted out by the U.S. State Department on behalf of TransCanada to conduct the Keystone XL Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

Enbridge Kalamazoo River Tar Sands Pipeline Spill: A Literal Cover-Up

In July 2010, one of Enbridge's tar sands pipelines spilled over 1 million gallons of tar sands dilbit into the Kalamazoo River in an incident now known by close observers as the "dilbit disaster," the worst inland pipeline spill in U.S. history.

O'Brien's was hired for cleanup duties. A whistleblower later revealed that O'Brien's engaged in a literal cover-up on behalf of Enbridge.

An excerpt from the three-part investigation by NRDC's OnEarth magazine explains it in a nutshell:

On...September 6, [2010], Jason Buford, a representative from O’Brien’s Response Management...called a meeting...[and] said that, if they were going to meet deadline now, they needed to stop wasting time with small oil-clogged areas. He directed [a] crew to go through the woods, thin out oily debris, and mix mud into the remaining oil so that the EPA would clear the site.

The whistleblower was fired when he spoke out against O'Brien's demands to cover up oil and threatened to go to the press and government authorities.

“I want you to spread out the oil,” the whistleblower's attorney said to OnEarth in explaining O'Brien's demands in April 2012. “Rake it into the soil. Cover it with grass. Cover it with leaves. I want you to hide it -- to dupe the EPA and the (Michigan Department of Natural Resources).”

BP Deepwater Horizon Dispersant Cover-Up and Exxon Valdez

Witt O'Brien's was also involved in the cleanup effort for the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the worst oil spill in U.S. history, as well as for the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the second worst in U.S. history.

Seacor Environmental Services, which owns Witt O'Brien's, was one of the parties responsible for spraying the toxic chemical oil dispersant Corexit into the Gulf of Mexico during the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout, according to an Aug. 2010 story in The Wall Street Journal.

Anne Landman, writing for PR Watch, explained that Corexit does not actually clean up oceanic spills.

BP's Web site gives the impression that dispersants "clean and control" ocean oil spills by putting the oil in a state where "it becomes a feast for the naturally-occurring microbes that inhabit the ocean." But dispersants do not clean the water, nor do they remove oil at all, but rather re-arrange where it exists, and change where it goes.

BP applied roughly 1.1. million gallons of surface dispersant in the Gulf and over 720,000 gallons of subsea dispersant. It is a "science experiment" - as Aaron Viles of the Gulf Restoration Network put it - whose impacts are still unknown on water, on water-based animals, and on water-based animals when converted into consumable food.

Corexit was also applied during the Exxon Valdez oil spill, a disaster response O'Brien's helped oversee, according to its website.

O'Brien's also helped with the damage control in the form of PR spin for the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Brad Johnson, then writing for Think Progress, explained that Witt O'Brien's PIER Systems was "being used by Unified Command for media and public information management” during the Deepwater Horizon spill in an article titled, "BP’s Secret Army Of Oil Disaster Contractors." BP was listed as one of PIER's clients in a 2008 version of its website.

Former Bush Administration FEMA head of External Affairs, John "Pat" Philbin, got a gig as Senior VP of PIER upon leaving FEMA.

Jeb Bush in the Fray

In Sept. 2011, Jeb Bush - brother of former President George W. Bush and former Republican Governor of Florida - joined the O'Brien's team.

"Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, through his firm Old Rhodes Holdings LLC, and O’Brien’s Response Management (O’Brien’s), a wholly owned subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CKH), today announced a strategic partnership to facilitate O’Brien’s growth into new markets," explained an O'Brien's press release.

George W. Bush's first FEMA Director, Joe Allbaugh, called for privatization of FEMA's functions.

"Expectations of when the federal government should be involved and the degree of involvement may have ballooned beyond what is an appropriate level," he once said. "We must restore the predominant role of State and local response to most disasters."

2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also called for the full-privatization of FEMA during one of the presidential debates.

Crisis Communications and Keystone XL: Spill Cleanup or Image Cleanup?

Witt O'Brien's has been tasked by TransCanada to oversee spill response for its prospective Keystone XL tar sands pipeline that will bring the dilbit from Alberta to Port Arthur, TX, after which it will be placed on the global export market.

Yet its track record in Valdez, the Gulf of Mexico, Kalamazoo and now in Arkansas indicates that O'Brien's is more interested in PR damage control than spill cleanup. Crisis management is a key aspect of Witt O'Brien's client offerings, and its spin machine is currenly likely working just as hard as its actual spill clean-up team.

With Lake Conway and its accompanying cove now contaminated with tar sands dilbit, 22 households evacuated in Mayflower, it's no wonder ExxonMobil is running the show both by land and by air there. Yet, Attorney General McDaniel is taking spill cleanup advice from a firm known for cover-up and not clean-up, all under the guise of a robust independent investigation of Exxon.

This can't end well, and begs the unpleasant question as to whether the same situation can be expected for the Keystone XL.

Photo Credit: Duncan Firm ...Read more

Wildlife Rescue Petition Being Delivered

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips within NYC's five boroughs for the weekend of April 20, 2013 - April 21, 2013:

Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Prospect Park
Meet 7:15 am at Grand Army Plaza park entrance (Stranahan Statue)
Trip Leader: Tom Stephenson

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Linnaean Society of New York
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Richard ZainEldeen
Registrar: Taeko Tsujimoto
Registration opens Monday 4/8
Ride: $15
Field trip information page here

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, April 20, 2013, 8am – 9:30pm
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: Andrew Baksh or Urban Park Rangers (first Saturday of the month) With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center, Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank learned their craft on Van Cortlandt Park's ecologically diverse grounds, and these walks celebrate the tradition set by them. Participants will look for resident and migrant species and discuss a wide range of avian topics.
For more information, please call 718-548-0912. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Sunday, April 21, 2013, 9am – 1pm
Biking and Birding: Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery
Guide: Gabriel Willow Meet at the Grand Army Plaza Arch. May is Bike Month. To celebrate, get back on your bike! Tour Prospect Park, an Important Bird Area, and Green-Wood Cemetery, home to nesting parakeets. A gentle ride of moderate distance with some hills. Bring binoculars, water, and your bicycle. Limited to 15. $30 Click here to register

Sunday, April 21, 2013, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families
Guides: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the Park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues). Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. Learn as a family how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Visitor Center. For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370. Limited to 20. Age 5 and up. Free.
Click here to learn more and register

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Sunday, April 21, 2013, 10:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.
Arbutus Creek Bluebelt Watershed
Join naturalist and former New York State archaeologist Mike Shanley on an exploration of the Arbutus Creek Bluebelt in Huguenot. We will make our way through the Kingdom Avenue Woods, Arbutus Woods, Huguenot Ponds Park, and finally visit a relatively unknown pond adjoining Our Lady Star of the Sea. Meet at the corner of Jansen Street and Kingdom Avenue.
For more information call Mike at 917-753-7155, or email Falecore@yahoo.com.

Sunday, April 21, 2013, 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Huguenot Ponds Walk
Kingdom Pond Park, Arbutus Woods, Bunker Pond and the Huguenot Pond Park are small parks in the lower Huguenot area. Meet along Kingdom Avenue (parallel to Huguenot Avenue) at the intersection of Jansen Street.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Inwood Hill Birding with Mike Feller at Inwood Hill Nature Center (in Inwood Hill Park)
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Join Mike Feller for an early morning nature walk through Inwood Hill Park.
Free!

Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Bird Walks focus on wildlife happenings in the park and are led by NYC Audubon experts or the Urban Park Rangers.
Free!

Woodland Discovery Kit in Central Park at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Visit The Wild Garden: Discovering Central Park Woodlands exhibit and start exploring the North Woods on your own by borrowing a North Woods Discovery Kit stocked with binoculars, a hand lens, and…
Free!

Birding: Spring Migrants at Prospect Park Picnic House (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.
Our Exploration series focuses on unique wildlife viewing opportunities during particular seasons.
Free!

Bird Walks at The New York Botanical Garden at Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park), Bronx
11:00 a.m.
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert.

Sunday, April 21, 2013
Birding for Families at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Experience Central Park as a precious bird habitat and learn how to spot our feathered neighbors on a walk with NYC Audubon.
Free!

Woodland Discovery Kit in Central Park at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Visit The Wild Garden: Discovering Central Park Woodlands exhibit and start exploring the North Woods on your own by borrowing a North Woods Discovery Kit stocked with binoculars, a hand lens, and…
Free! ...Read more

Bird Migration Advances

I was out of town last weekend, but did manage to get out for a bit this week. South winds and warm weather helped advance the North-bound migration and we saw the arrival of several more species.

The most obvious change this week has been the arrival of Palm Warblers. These tail-bobbing, bright yellow songbirds are suddenly fairly common. Listen for their weak warbling song. They forage in trees, but can also frequently be seen on the ground looking for insects. Another wood-warbler which has increased in numbers is the Yellow-rumped Warbler. One unexpected warbler sighting this week was of a Northern Parula. Not typically an early Spring arriver, it has been recorded as early as April 1st along the coast. We spotted it in Prospect Park foraging low in a sapling at the edge of the Upper Pool.

As Golden-crowned Kinglet numbers continue to increase, they have been joined by lower quantities of the related Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

A non-warbler species which has begun dropping into our city parks and backyards this week is the Hermit Thrush. While their numbers are still relatively low, they have definitely increased from the few that managed to overwinter this year.

The winds this weekend won't be optimal for large numbers of North-bound birds, with mostly North or Northwest winds forecast. There will be several hours of South winds predicted for Saturday afternoon into the evening, so perhaps Sunday will be the better day to search for birds.

Below is my species list from this week. The species in all caps are migrants that have either made their first appearance around Brooklyn this Spring or whose abundance has noticeably increased.

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Date Range: Apr 8, 2013 - Apr 14, 2013
Locations: Prospect Park
Species: 63

Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
RING-NECKED DUCK
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
GREAT EGRET
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
OSPREY
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
COOPER'S HAWK
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
SPOTTED SANDPIPER
LAUGHING GULL
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
TREE SWALLOW
BARN SWALLOW
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
HERMIT THRUSH
NORTHERN PARULA
PALM WARBLER
PINE WARBLER
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
EASTERN TOWHEE
American Tree Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch

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

Help Save Those Who Save Wildlife

I've posted many times on my blog about the great work that Bobby and Cathy Horvath do rescuing animals. Their non-profit organization, Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR) is now under attack by an unscrupulous town supervisor. They have only until next Tuesday (April 16th) to find a new place for the animals that they rescue. Read about it here and here. The story was also just covered tonight by CBS News.

Please sign this petition to allow them to continue their great work. You can also write the town supervisor here:

Commissioner Ippolito
Department of Planning and Development
74 Audry Ave.
Oysterbay, NY 11771

Here's the CBS News video:

Friday's Foto

I couldn't decide on just one photo for today's posting. With each warm day revealing more Spring blooms, early to mid-April is a feast for the eyes and nose. Here is a selection of flowering plants from this week. It includes the mint relative "Bugle", daffodil, Flowering Quince, forsythia (which is about to pop), Lesser Celandine, Okame Cherry, periwinkle, Red Maple, Siberian Squill, Star Magnolia, as well as, two plants that I haven't yet identified.

Green-Wood Hawks Update

The storm took out Mama and Junior's favorite nest tree. It was a towering Littleleaf Linden at the corner of Linden and Atlantic Avenues. Earlier in the season the pair seemed to have been repairing an old nest in a cedar tree nearby, but soon abandoned their effort. Marge and I had searched the surrounding area and were unsuccessful in tracking down a new nest. I had promised her that we would get together and scour Green-Wood Cemetery until we found it. Turns out, she didn't need my help.

I was out of town over the weekend and on Sunday I received a very excited message from Marge. She was walking through "The Flats" in the cemetery when she spotted Junior flying into a conifer near Sassafras and Vine. When she focused in on the tree she watched as Big Mama and Junior exchanged places on a large nest. This is especially good news because, not only did she find the nest, but the exchange also means that they are incubating eggs. Like their previous two nest sites in the cemetery, it is in view of the huge antenna tower at Bishop Ford High School. The red-tails not only use it as a launching spot for hunting, but it affords them a great perch for monitoring their nest.

I still haven't figured out where Alice and Ralph (formerly of Prospect Park's Ravine nest) have relocated to, but I have received reports that Nelly and Max are still on their new nest at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Here are a few photos of the new Green-Wood nest:



...Read more

Counting Tree Rings

New York City lost tens of thousands of trees as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Street trees, public parks and cemeteries paid a heavy toll, but one person has used the opportunity to study the age of some of those tree.

Green-Wood Cemetery arborist Adam Rychlicki has marked the growth rings on some of the cemeteries casualties with pushpins. This beech tree (I think), which had been growing next to the grave of William Poole, has its growth marked off in 10 year intervals. That would have made it 110 years old when it was felled by the storm. Ansel Adams was born the year that this tree was planted.

Treehugger Tuesday

NYC Begins Largest Bike Share Program in Nation

Transportation Nation just published the following story about New York City's new bike share system:

NYC Starts Placing Bike Share Docks
By Alex Goldmark | 04/08/2013 – 6:05 pm

Signs of the largest bike share program in the United States are starting to appear. New York City has installed the first of 600 bicycle docking stations, which will house 10,000 bikes in much of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. The first wave, launching in May, will have about 5,500 bikes and 300 docks.

“We probably have ten in the ground now,” the NYC Department of Transportation’s Jon Orcutt told Transportation Nation. “We started implementation on Saturday–it’s underway. And we’ll be moving through the Brooklyn area and then into Manhattan over the next few weeks.” Orcutt is a policy director at the NYC DOT and project manager for New York City Bike Share.

Read the entire article here.

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips within NYC's five boroughs for the weekend of April 13, 2013 - April 14, 2013:

New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, April 13, 2013, 8am – 9:30pm
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: Andrew Baksh or Urban Park Rangers (first Saturday of the month) With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center, Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank learned their craft on Van Cortlandt Park's ecologically diverse grounds, and these walks celebrate the tradition set by them. Participants will look for resident and migrant species and discuss a wide range of avian topics.
For more information, please call 718-548-0912. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Sunday, April 14, 2013, 9:30am – 11:30am
Birding at Wave Hill
Guide: Gabriel Willow With Wave Hill Meet at the Perkins Visitor Center and search for spring migrants in the beautiful gardens and woodlands of Wave Hill. Advanced registration is recommended, either online, at the Perkins Visitor Center, or by calling 718-549-3200 x305. (Walks run rain or shine; in case of severe weather call the number above at x245 for updates.) Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult. Walks are free; please visit www.wavehill.org for Wave Hill admission pricing. NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission

Sunday, April 14, 2013, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families
Guides: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the Park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues). Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. Learn as a family how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Visitor Center. For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370. Limited to 20. Age 5 and up. Free.
Click here to learn more and register

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Forest Restoration Workshop at the Greenbelt Nature Center
Meet in the Nature Center parking lot at Rockland Avenue and Brielle (additional parking at the Recreation Center nearby). We will remove invasive shrubs from areas adjacent to the Nature Trail. Protectors will supply tools, gloves and refreshments. After a two-hour work session (our 200th monthly workshop), we will take a short walk over nearby trails.
For more information call Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 or Chuck Perry at 718-667-1393. (Note: This is not the 3rd Saturday.)

Sunday, April 14, 11:00 A.M to 12:30 P.M.
Crooke’s Point, What was Sandy’s Impact?
Despite Protectors’ energetic effort to halt the restoration of Crooke’s Point, the National Park Service has proceeded with their plan to clear invasive plants and replant the area with native trees after a prolonged period of herbicide application. Visit the site of application with Ellen Pratt and see first-hand how the restoration of Crooke’s Point has progressed. Meet in the last parking lot before the Point.
For more information call Ellen at 718-948-2662.

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Staten Island Museum
Saturday, April 13, 2013, 1:00pm
Springtime Wildflower Walk
Location: Huguenot Woods at Cornelia Ave. and Hylan Blvd.
Free
Enjoy an afternoon walk with naturalist Ray Matarazzo in search of special wildflowers that bloom for a short time in early spring. Meet at the corner of Cornelia Ave. and Hylan Blvd.
Reservations are required, please call Ed Johnson at 718.483.7110.

Sunday, April 14, 2013, 9:00am - 11:00am
Ecology Walk: Fields are springing to life!
Location: Mount Loretto Unique Area
Free
Join the Nature Section's annual stroll around the blooming fields of Mount Loretto Unique Area. Enjoy the sounds of migrating birds and the sights of the spring flora. Meet at DEC parking area on Hylan Blvd. across from the CYO Center.
For more information call Seth Wollney at 718.483.7105.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Bird Walks focus on wildlife happenings in the park and are led by NYC Audubon experts or the Urban Park Rangers.
Free!

Nature Photography with Expert Naturalist, Mike Feller at Heather Garden (in Fort Tryon Park), Manhattan
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Bring your camera and spend some time exploring the park through its view finder.
Free!

Woodland Discovery Kit in Central Park at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Visit The Wild Garden: Discovering Central Park Woodlands exhibit and start exploring the North Woods on your own by borrowing a North Woods Discovery Kit stocked with binoculars, a hand lens, and…
Free!

Birding: Spring Migrants at Alley Pond Park Adventure Center (in Alley Pond Park), Queens
10:00 a.m.
Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free!

Bird Walks at The New York Botanical Garden at Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park), Bronx
11:00 a.m.
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert.

Sunday, April 14, 2013
Birding for Families at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Experience Central Park as a precious bird habitat and learn how to spot our feathered neighbors on a walk with NYC Audubon.
Free!

Woodland Discovery Kit in Central Park at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Visit The Wild Garden: Discovering Central Park Woodlands exhibit and start exploring the North Woods on your own by borrowing a North Woods Discovery Kit stocked with binoculars, a hand lens, and…
Free!

Birding at Pelham Bay Ranger Station (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx
11:00 a.m.
Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome.
Free! ...Read more

Last Weekend's Birds

Last weekend added a couple of North-bound migrants to the Brooklyn land and soundscape, although the full force of songbird migration is still a little ways off.

The trilling, warbling song of Pine Warblers are now being heard sporadically in Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery. It's a nice counterpoint to the similar sounding, but thinner trill of the recently awakened Dark-eyed Juncos which have overwintered. At Green-Wood Cemetery I was pointing out a groundhog den to Heydi and mentioned that these large, overfed "squirrels" should no longer be hibernating, at which point this guy below popped his head out of his burrow:



Blue-winged Teal, which are scarce around NYC during migration, appear to be heading North with individuals recently spotted at Gravesend Bay, Prospect Park and Floyd Bennett Field.

There are still a fair number of White-winged Crossbills in the area and some people are speculating that we could see some breeding locally. New York City is a long way from their Northern breeding grounds, but this species does typically begin nesting around this time. At Green-Wood Cemetery Heydi and I watched about a dozen Pine Siskins and six crossbills foraging on the ground for sweetgum seeds. Piles of dried sweetgum balls had collected at the edge of the roadway beneath a stand of these trees. While the siskins probed the spiky balls for seeds, the crossbills had a very different technique. They would carefully select one with seeds, carry it up into a nearby tree where it would use its needle-nose plier like bill to dissect the dried fruit, extracting every last bit of food.



The weather forecast calls for the winds to shift to the South overnight on Saturday, so Sunday could see many more migrants moving through the area.

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Date: 03/29/13 - 04/01/13
Location: Coney Island, Green-Wood Cemetery, Prospect Park
Species: 59

Brant
Gadwall
BLUE-WINGED TEAL
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Northern Gannet
Great Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
LAUGHING GULL
Iceland Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Monk Parakeet
Eastern Phoebe
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Northern Mockingbird
PINE WARBLER
American Tree Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
White-winged Crossbill
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch

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

Remixing Bird Songs

The following piece was on NPR's program "Soundcheck" yesterday:

New Rite of Spring From 'Studio 360'
Host Kurt Andersen joins Soundcheck with a short list from the ‘Remixing Spring’ project.
Thursday, April 04, 2013

Spring is officially here, but for one of our sister programs at WNYC, the season started a little bit early. Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen recently embarked on a listener challenge called “Remixing Spring.” The show posted twelve bird songs taken from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which recently completed digitizing its collection of 150,000 animal sounds. Listeners were tasked with taking those clips and making an original composition from them. Over one hundred people participated.

Before the show announces the winner this weekend, Andersen visits Soundcheck to name his short list of entries. The winner will be announced this weekend.



Of the finalists, I especially like this piece because it includes my favorite bird song, the Bobolink:



Click here for full "Remixing Spring' Playlist

Friday's Foto

If you search the fertile woodland soils of your local park right now you may be lucky enough to spot some blossoming Bloodroot flowers. The brief flowering cycle of this native species of the poppy family may only last for a few days. Its red sap has been attributed with numerous medicinal qualities, including a treatment for skin cancer. Dr. Andrew Weil has more reasonable advice here, plus I recommend leaving these lovely flowers in the forest for others to enjoy.

Treehugger Tuesday

CONTINUUM is a feature length documentary telling the story of where we came from, who we are, and the possiblities of our future. The film features interviews with poets and astronauts, physicists and storytellers, anthropologists and Tibetan lamas, and stunning cinematography from around the world. The many voices of the film share a unified vision: we must start acting as a planetary civilization.

March Birds

The month of March is when we finally begin to see significant seasonal changes. Wildflowers are emerging and the first of the early migrant birds appear. The past month, while fairly typical of the status and abundance of new species at this time of year, did reveal one incredible Western vagrant - a Varied Thrush. This "Alaskan Robin" appeared on March 7th and, as of this writing, is still present in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Of the 14 Brooklyn year birds I spotted in March the Varied Thrush was new for me for the county. My two previous sightings of this beautiful thrush in New York State were in Central Park on November 30, 2010 and in Rick Flood's backyard in Penfield, NY on December 29, 2006.

Now bring on the Wood-warblers!

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NYS total: 130
Kings total: 127

114) American Woodcock (Green-Wood Cemetery, 03/05/13)
115) Varied Thrush (Prospect Park, 03/08/13)
116) Wood Duck (Green-Wood Cemetery, 03/13/13)
117) Ring-necked Pheasant (Gerritsen Creek, 03/17/13)
118) Eastern Phoebe (Green-Wood Cemetery, 03/17/13)
119) Eastern Meadowlark (Green-Wood Cemetery, 03/17/13)
120) Osprey (Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park, 03/23/13)
121) Boat-tailed Grackle (Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park, 03/23/13)
122) Wilson's Snipe (Four Sparrow Marsh, 03/23/13)
123) Great Egret (Prospect Park, 03/26/13)
124) Pine Warbler (Prospect Park, 03/26/13)
125) Tree Swallow (Prospect Park, 03/27/13)
126) Rusty Blackbird (Prospect Park, 03/27/13)
127) Laughing Gull (Coney Island, 03/31/13) ...Read more

Upcoming Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips within NYC's five boroughs for the weekend of April 6, 2013 - April 7, 2013:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Sunday, April 7, 2013, 8am
Morning Bird Walk: Changing Seasons, Changing Birds
Free
See the birds that call the Park home all winter. Start your Sunday morning surrounded by nature!

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Mount Loretto Preserve, Staten Island
Trip Leader: Gil Shrank
Focus: early spring migrants, sparrow, grass and field species, waterfowl
Car Fee: $20.00
Registrar: Dennis Hrehowsik, deepseagangster [AT] gmail.com home phone 718-768-0398
Registration period: March 26th - April 4th

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, April 6, 2013, 8am – 9:30pm
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: Andrew Baksh or Urban Park Rangers (first Saturday of the month) With the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center, Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank learned their craft on Van Cortlandt Park's ecologically diverse grounds, and these walks celebrate the tradition set by them. Participants will look for resident and migrant species and discuss a wide range of avian topics.
For more information, please call 718-548-0912. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Sunday, April 7, 2013, 10am – 11am
Birding for Families
Guides: NYC Audubon Offered by the Central Park Conservancy Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the Park at 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues). Bring the kids and visit one of New York City’s richest bird habitats. Learn as a family how to spot and identify our feathered neighbors in their natural surroundings. Binoculars can be borrowed from the Visitor Center. For weather cancellation information, call 212-860-1370. Limited to 20. Age 5 and up. Free.
Click here to learn more and register

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods (Staten Island)
Saturday, April 6, 2013, 10:00 to 12 Noon
Field Guide to Medicinal Plants
Join herbalist Gert Coleman for a stroll through the paths and gardens at Conference House Park to identify both wild and cultivated medicinal plants.
Meet in the parking lot at the end of Hylan Boulevard.
For more information call Gert at 718-356-9235.

Saturday, April 6, 2013, 12 Noon to 2:00 P.M.
Long Pond Park
During a one and a half mile hike through the woodlands of Long Pond Park we will look for evidence of the geologic history and human influence on the park as well as observe the wildlife of the park. Meet at PS 6, on Page Avenue and Academy Avenue three blocks northwest of Hylan Boulevard.
For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.

Sunday, April 7, 2013, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m.
Cherry Blooming Time at Silver Lake
The park is loveliest in the spring. Let’s identify what trees are blooming and see what birds and insects are about. Meet at Silver Lake Park Road and Forest Avenue for a walk across the lake bridge to the trails above.
If it’s raining at the time of the walk, the event is postponed to Sunday, April 14, same time. Dress appropriately.
Contact Hillel Lofaso at hlofaso [AT] siprotectors.org for more information.

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

*All walks start at 9:30 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
Any questions please Call Steve at (516) 987-8103.
For directions to our bird-watching locations, click here.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Bird Walks focus on wildlife happenings in the park and are led by NYC Audubon experts or the Urban Park Rangers.
Free!

Woodland Discovery Kit in Central Park at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Visit The Wild Garden: Discovering Central Park Woodlands exhibit and start exploring the North Woods on your own by borrowing a North Woods Discovery Kit stocked with binoculars, a hand lens, and…
Free!

Bird Walks at The New York Botanical Garden at Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park), Bronx
11:00 a.m.
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert.

Sunday, April 7, 2013
Birding for Families at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Experience Central Park as a precious bird habitat and learn how to spot our feathered neighbors on a walk with NYC Audubon.
Free!

Woodland Discovery Kit in Central Park at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Visit The Wild Garden: Discovering Central Park Woodlands exhibit and start exploring the North Woods on your own by borrowing a North Woods Discovery Kit stocked with binoculars, a hand lens, and…
Free! ...Read more