Prospect Park red-tail nest

As I stepped onto the pathway that leads into the Ravine, Ralph flew out of the woods and directly over my head. His narrow, finely streaked belly-band and washed out facial feathers make him easy to identify. I was walking toward his nest tree, he was flying towards the south end of the Long Meadow.

I spent the next 90 minutes watching the hawk nest, but, other than my initial encounter, didn't observe either Ralph or Alice. The only late afternoon activity that I noticed in their nest woods was a male and female Hairy Woodpecker calling to each other as they chiseled away at adjacent trees.

I photographed the empty Red-tailed Hawk nest and compared it to the image I took on the 17th. The hawks appear to have added more branches, so they are probably still using it. I suppose I've just had bad timing with respect to viewing their activities at the nest.

From the Ravine, I walked north along the Long Meadow to Prospect Park's main entrance at Grand Army Plaza. There's a narrow lane divider and crosswalk between the loop roadway's entrance and exit at the top of the park. I set up my scope at that location as it affords views of both the "raptor perch" on the monument and the roof top of One Plaza Street. I was optimistic that I'd be able to witness a kestrel entering a nest hole somewhere on the apartment building. A more realistic expectation was that I'd be able to take some photographs of one perched on the plaza's monument. A third, and eventual outcome, had never crossed my mind - that neither would occur. In spite of that, I never consider observing nature a waste of time, so I made the best of my time outdoors.

On the east and west side of the road are several ornamental cherry trees. Most of the trees are "Kwanzan Cherry" that will not reach peak bloom flower for another month. There is also one similar, unidentified tree, with rich fuchsia buds that have already begun to blossom. It is likely an ornamental hybrid cherry, but I'm not sure.

Most people entering or exiting the park didn't seem to notice or care that I was focusing a telescope towards the monument. Occasionally, someone would look at me then glance up at the monument, but that was the extent of their interest. At around 4:45PM a young girl with wavy red hair walked passed slowly, then stopped to watch me. I smiled. She flashed a silvery, braces bejeweled smile then looked at me quizically as if to say, "What are you looking at?" Without prompting I said, "Nothing, actually, well, at least, not at the moment." I explained about the falcon, to which she asked, "Peregrine Falcon?" When I told her that it was an American Kestrel she was surprised as she had assumed that Red-tailed Hawks were the only local raptors. Her name was Sarah and she looked to be about 15 or 16 years old. Frequently, strangers who notice my binoculars will ask me about hawks or just birds in general. More often than not, their questions, from my perspective, show a disturbing lack of awareness to ones surroundings. The nature of Sarah's questions indicated that, for a New Yorker, she had an above average awareness and interest in her urban environment. She wasn't a birdwatcher, but explained that she loved all animals.

As we were talking I noticed a pair of crows chasing a raptor in the sky over One Plaza Street. It was a juvenile Cooper's Hawk. As the hawk flew closer to the park I handed Sarah my binoculars. She seemed genuinely excited by the new creature and asked how it differed from a red-tail. The Cooper's Hawk disappeared from view as it flew over the Brooklyn Public Library, towards the botanic gardens. A few minutes later I packed up my gear and began walking with Sarah towards the Long Meadow. We crossed the park roadway near the Meadowport Arch and walked down the incline to the Long Meadow.

We were about 100 yards south of the tunnel at the northwest corner of the meadow when I spotted one of our Red-tailed Hawks flying low over the field. I put my bins on the hawk and noticed that it was carrying some type of prey in its talons. It looked like a bird. It was Ralph again, but this time he was heading towards Nelly's Lawn. I gave my binoculars to Sarah. Ralph began to alternately climb then dive for short intervals in a small section of the air near the Vale of Cashmere. It reminded me of the way a child might jump up and down in the waves at the ocean. Perhaps Alice was perched in a tree nearby and that was his way of announcing to her that he had arrived with a dinner treat. He eventually disappeared behind the trees.

Sarah handed back my binoculars and thanked me for the impromptu lessons. She continued walking south along the meadow and I crossed the road heading towards 3rd Street. My favorite part of birding and nature observation is being able to share my knowledge with others. Hopefully, I can also transfer some of my energy and passion to that person. Judging by Sarah's enthusiasm, I suspect that, some day when I'm out birding, I'll cross paths with her again, but she'll have her own binoculars.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Signs of Spring

On Tuesday morning, while walking to the subway at Grand Army Plaza, I noticed a kestrel flying overhead. It was heading towards Flatbush Avenue and vanished from view atop One Plaza Street. At about the same time I received a phone call, so I sat down at a park bench across the street from the building.

During a 15 minute telephone conversation I kept my eyes pointed at the apartment building's red, ceramic tiled roof. I couldn't see the peak at the top of the 16 story structure, but assumed that's where the falcon landed, as I didn't see him fly out over Flatbush Avenue. It is the same building where I was looking for nesting kestrels last Spring.

Last week I photographed a kestrel that was perched on the "Soldiers and Sailors Monument" at Grand Army Plaza. It's a favorite hunting perch for hawks and falcons. I had walked to the north entrance of Prospect Park hoping to find one atop "Columbia's" flagpole.

The kestrel was using the statue as a launching point for hunting forays. While I was watching, he took off over Eastern Parkway towards the Brooklyn Museum. During his absence several starlings flew to the top of the monument. They took off several minutes later when they spotted him returning.

It was late in the day and, before the sunshine disappeared off of Columbia and her chariot, the kestrel took off. This time he headed down the west side of the park, following the roof line of the buildings along Prospect Park West.

I went up to my roof to check if I had a clear view of One Plaza Street. If there is a pair of kestrels nesting somewhere on top of the apartment, I should be able to spot them through my telescope. I don't have any idea how many pairs of kestrels are nesting near the park, but I'll keep an eye on Plaza Street, as well as, the presumed nest location that I learned of last year.

In the last week there has been an explosion of buds and flowers on the city's Red Maple trees. A quick look up into the trees will usually find squirrels dangling from their hind legs, nibbling on the tender, fresh growths. Discarded twig "pick-up sticks" litter the ground beneath the trees.

Crocuses have started to emerge and join the delicate snow-drops blooming in Prospect Park's woodlands. The blossoms of Cornelian Cherry Dogwood and forsythia have begun to reveal themselves as a faint yellow haze among some of the park's shrubs.

I noticed a tiny drop of sap hanging on the underside of a recently trimmed cherry sapling and it reminded me that Spring has indeed returned. In autumn, the veins that carry sap into and out of a tree's leaves gradually close. The leaves change color, then drop off. Now, as the daylight hours have increased, the sap has begun to flow back towards the ends of the branches and the leaves with regrow.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Spring in the air

This afternoon I saw my first Eastern Phoebe of the season in Prospect Park. I guess that means Spring has officially arrived ... at least in my corner of Brooklyn. Another sure sign is that the flocks of Common Grackles that annually breed in Prospect have already laid claim to the park's scattered stands of conifers.

The 300+ Northern Shovelers that overwintered on Prospect Lake have nearly all departed. Ruddy Ducks have also been reduced to just two very small flocks at the south end of the lake. One unexpected treat on the water was the arrival of a male Northern Pintail. A female pintail spent the winter trying to blend in with the resident Mallards. I guess he spotted her while on a rest stop during his northbound migration. She seems to have acclimated to urban living, readily taking hand outs from humans. The male, however, was reluctant to get too close to shore. He paddled back and forth from a safe distance, watching her every move, while bobbing his head and emitting a high, squeaky whistle. Eventually, he got up the nerve and joined her among the Mallards, Mute Swans, Canada Geese and coots. Like most wild waterfowl, pintails usually shy away from humans. The invention of rifles might have something to do with that avoidance behavior. I guess that, for this particular bird, a cute hen and Springtime hormones made the potential risk seem worthwhile.

Many of the other overwintering species in Prospect Park are still present and beginning to sing. I heard several crooning Fox Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows in the Midwood. Song Sparrows appear to have increased in numbers as there were several dozen spread throughout the park. At a stretch of ground behind the nature center that had recently been covered with wood chips, I counted 12 feeding together.

I spotted a Brown Creeper resting about six feet up the side of a tree trunk and was able to take a few photographs. Like sharks, they rarely seem to stop moving and are usually on the opposite side of the tree by the time I'm ready to take a picture.

Before I left the park I stopped near Alice and Ralph's nest to watch for activity. I was leaning up against my bike and talking to Steve on my cellphone at 4:05PM when Alice flew over my head from the south and headed directly into the nest. She left the nest about 1 minute later and flew towards the Midwood. It was a complete surprise when, 2 minutes later, she was followed by Ralph leaving the nest. I hadn't noticed that he was in the nest during the 30 minutes that I had been monitoring it. Does that mean that Alice has already laid at least one egg and Ralph was taking his turn incubating it? I guess I should begin the countdown starting today.

Prospect Park, 3/15/2008
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Pied-billed Grebe (4.)
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail (Male & female.)
Ruddy Duck
Red-tailed Hawk (5.)
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Belted Kingfisher (1, Lullwater.)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (3.)
Hairy Woodpecker (2.)
Eastern Phoebe (1, Ravine.)
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (2.)
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Woodcocks at Ridgewood Reservoir

American Woodcock are early migrants around New York and the males begin competing for mates by mid-March. Last Sunday I went over to Ridgewood Reservoir with Scott hoping to find signs of their arrival. Lou, who lives close to the reservoir, met us there.

Woodcocks are medium-sized, plump birds with a long, slender bill that they use to probe the soil for insects and worms. Their feathers are a cryptic blend of browns, rust and other earth tones that enables them to virtually disappear into a forest floor's leaf litter. These nocturnal creatures are rarely observed unless unintentionally flushed when strolling through the woods; even then, it is just a fleeting glimpse of their rear end before they drop back to the ground and vanish. Once a year, however, they make an exception to their reticence and announce their presence to anyone interested in watching and listening.

Scott, Lou and I arrived at the reservoir at 6PM. Sunset would be at 6:56PM. We walked up the stairway from Vermont Place to the running path at the edge of the reservoir basins. Basin #3 is the south-most and largest of the three empoundments. Within basin #1 and #3's forested habitats include some small wet meadows. Wet meadows are the preferred staging ground for the woodcock's conspicuous activities. We stood at the edge of the chainlink fence that surrounds basin #3 and waited for the show to begin.

Scott was setting up his camera, I was talking softly and Lou was quietly facing into the basin. It was getting dark, but there was still enough light that we could see the floor of the basin. Something flashed through the edge of my peripheral vision and I pointed my binoculars down into the artificial valley a few yards away from the base of the retaining wall. A woodcock had just flown out of his daytime roost and was slowly walking back and forth, probing the forest floor for worms. It was pure luck on my part, but I was able to get both Scott and Lou on the bird. He eventually wandered out of view and into the darkness of the young forest.

Shortly after the sun went down, I heard the first woodcock's call.

I suppose the reason that it is referred to as a "call" and not a "song" is because it's not very melodic (at least not to us humans). It is a single, nasal note, usually described as "peent". The sound is similar to blowing into the business end of a double-reed instrument, such as an oboe, without the instrument attached. The woodcock's peenting notes are separated by pauses that can range from a few seconds to several minutes. When the suitor is confident that he has gained a female's attention, he'll take off like a rocket, heading skyward and making wide spiraling arcs. Near the apex of the flight, his wings begin making a high, twittering sound. Chirping and chattering, he will return to earth in a twisting, bat-like flight. If a female is present near the stage, he will start "peenting" and resume the nocturnal choreography

On Sunday, a strong wind was blowing towards the basin. The woodcocks launched themselves into the wind and directly over our heads. About twenty minutes after the sun had set we heard males peenting from three different locations within basin #3. Scott struggled with his video camera, trying to anticipate where the next twittering woodcock would appear over the running track. I couldn't decide whether to stand in once place or follow the peenting calls to the north end of the basin. After about 30 minutes of peenting, twittering and spiraling woodcocks, we decided to call it a day. Unfortunately, the future for this unique city habitat and American Woodcock display ground is in question as the department of parks wants to remove the forest and turn it into baseball fields. See the Ridgewood Reservoir blog for more information.

Click the play button to watch a woodcock video

(Video credit - The Internet Bird Collection)

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

A Windy Day at the Refuge

I started off the first morning of daylight savings time with a day trip to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Paige picked me up in front of my place at 7AM and, although I missed an hour of sleep, it felt good to walk outdoors into the sunshine with the clock shift's symbolic preparation for spring in the back of my mind. In only three weeks, day and night will be of equal duration, beginning the gradual advance of daylight until July. When I opened the front door and heard the calls of jays, chickadees and cardinals, it felt like my entire body heaved a sigh of relief, shaking off the sleep of winter.

Every March I sense that the greening of Spring is just around the corner. Today I noticed that small, ruby red flowers have appeared on maple trees. Silvery pussywillow buds have also begun to emerge on slender willow branches. Unfortunately, thirty mile per hour winds blowing in from the west turned the hope of a spring-like morning into a raw winter outing and reminded me that March can be cruel. The wind kicked up white-caps on Pumpkin Patch Marsh and the waters surrounding the West Pond. Several thousand scaup were concentrated into the lee at the southwest end of the pond. A flock of about a dozen pintails fed along the shoreline while most of the waterfowl slept with their heads tucked under a wing. Small flocks of Snow Goose arrived at the pond for a respite from the wind. A single Greater Yellowlegs stood in knee deep water, looking a little perplexed among the thousands of ducks and geese.

Paige and I had begun the morning by walking through the windbreak of the North and South Gardens, hoping that songbird flocks were doing the same. We then continued around the West Pond in a counter-clockwise direction. At the first break in the trees at the edge of Pumpkin Patch Marsh I noticed a Peregrine Falcon perched on an Osprey nest platform. He visited us an hour later.

We were approaching bench #2 and stopped briefly in the windbreak created by a tangle of shrubs and vines. Several black ducks and a small, unidentified duck had just taken flight and were heading south across the bay. In my peripheral vision, I saw another bird coming up low from the pond and heading towards the edge of the windbreak. I turned to look and realized that it was a Peregrine Falcon in hot pursuit of the ducks. The raptor either didn't notice us or just thought he could navigate around us because, as he passed by, he was so close that had Paige stuck her arm out, she would have struck him. I haven't a clue how fast he was traveling, but the event was so fleeting, that we stared at each other, with dumbstruck, did-that-really-just-happen expressions.

There wasn't nearly the concentration of waterfowl on the East Pond, but there was a nice mix of species. Like on the West Pond, the birds avoided the strong wind by hugging the pond's western shore. The majority of the flock was scaup, but there were also shovelers, Canvasback, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead and a single Redhead. From the blind located a short distance north of the Raunt, we noticed an unusual behavior by the scaup. Some of the low branches of a willow tree were hanging over the water. A small group of the scaup were remaining close to the branches. Occasionally, some of the ducks would stretch out their necks, grab something from the branches and eat it. At first it appeared that they were just breaking off bits of twigs. After watching them for a few minutes we realized that they were eating the willow buds. Capers?

We made a quick stop at Big Egg Marsh where we observed more Snow Goose resting out of the wind. On the way back to Park Slope we stopped off at Floyd Bennett Field. A flock of Horned Larks were on the grass at the cricket field. Unlike other species, they seem to enjoy the wind and were feeding out in the open. Something spooked the flock and they took off, heading in the direction of Flatbush Avenue. While we were trying to relocate them I noticed some birds near the fence at the western edge of the field. It was a flock of Killdeer. They blended into the surrounding earth colors so well that, as we counted then recounted, we kept finding more.

The day's theme ended up being waterfowl and we ended up with a list of 19 species.

03/09/08, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Big Egg Marsh, Floyd Bennett Field

Horned Grebe
Great Cormorant
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Brant
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
American Crow
Horned Lark
Carolina Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Red-tailed Hawk dispute

The first time that I observed nesting Red-tailed Hawks was back in the mid-1990's. It wasn't until Big Mama & Split-tail began building their nest in Prospect Park during the winter of 2002 that I became a hawk devotee. I quickly learned that Red-tailed Hawks are intelligent, resourceful animals, but what I observed today was completely unexpected.

I had a doctor's appointment late in the afternoon and decided to leave early, so I could walk across the park. My plan was to check the Ravine nest, and if there were no signs of change, I'd walk through the Midwood looking for a second nest.

It's difficult to tell if Alice and Ralph have built up the Ravine nest, but I took a photo so I can compare it with Saturday's images. I walked along Center Drive and scanned the south end of the Midwood for hawks and nests. Alice was perched in a towering Tuliptree with something gray in her talons. At first I thought it was a rat, but it turned out to be a very young squirrel. Despite the fact the she was perched about 60 feet up, she seemed nervous while I was watching and jerked her head from side to side. After about a minute she moved to a perch near the top of the ridge at the west side of the woods. I walked through the Midwood forest and scanned for nests. The woods are dominated by mature tuliptrees and sweetgums. They have massive trunks and thick, spreading branches that would make an excellent platform for a hawk nest. I didn't find any and walked up to Rick's Place, turned left and followed the ridge above the Midwood to look across the treetops.

At the point where the ridge begins to descend back towards Center Drive there is an opening in the canopy. It's one of Ralph's favorite spots and I've photographed him there several times. I wasn't surprised to find him there today perched on a low branch, directly below his mate of 7 years. He preened while Alice ate her squirrel. Suddenly, they both took off flying towards the zoo near Park Drive East. I heard them making a chirping call that is part of their bonding behavior. Maybe they moved their nest closer to the zoo. I walked back down to Center Drive and followed the sound of their calls to the fence that surrounds the zoo.

Several years ago, Big Mama hatched three chicks in a nest near the zoo. Two became very ill and one of them died. The second one survived but was unreleasable, so they built an enclosure in the zoo for him where they use him for educational purposes. Last year the parks department announced that they had brought in a second Red-tailed Hawk which they placed in the same outdoor enclosure.

When I arrived at the walkway a few yards from the zoo's fence, I spotted Alice and Ralph perched in trees above the hawk enclosure. The source of the amorous calls was neither Alice nor Ralph. It was from a large, very dark (Western race) female Red-tailed Hawk within the Prospect Park Zoo's hawk aviary. The outdoor enclosure is constructed of a metal mesh that is suspended by cables, like a circus tent. I couldn't figure out if our resident hawks were "interested" in or just curious about the caged birds. The zoo was closed, so I stood up against the wrought iron fence, quietly watched and shot images through the bars. It only took a few minutes for me to decide what was on Alice's mind.

As I watched, Alice and Ralph began to fly to perches ever closer to the aviary. Finally, with Ralph directly above the cage, Alice dropped down onto the top of the mesh enclosure and tried to attack the calling female. She hop-flapped to several spots on the black metal mesh looking for a way to get to the other hawk. In one corner of the enclosure is a four-sided plywood shelter where the zoo's hawks roost in inclement weather. The top of the shelter is only about three feet away from the mesh that separates the captive animals from Alice's protective instincts. At one point, the zoo's red-tail hopped up onto the shelter and was met by Alice directly above. The chirping hawk flipped over and locked talons with Alice through the enclosure. She hung there for a second or two before releasing her grip. The intimidation by Alice continued for at least 30 minutes. There were times when she would stand above the caged female and, with her crown feathers raised, snap open her wings and lean forward. The other hawk would usually flinch and back down.

Ralph had flown to a low branch about 20 yards from the enclosure and just watched. Finally, at about 5:30PM, Alice flew to a perch near the walkway and above the zoo's fence. She silently stared down at the captive hawks. A moment later Ralph flew to her perch and mounted her. When I left they were still perched, shoulder to shoulder, staring down at the hawk aviary.

One unrelated observation was a Turkey Vulture soaring over the park at 5:40PM. I believe that it is the first migrating vulture to be seen in the park this season.

Watch closely at the 1 minute mark, you'll see the female inside the aviary hang upside down for a moment.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Winter flowers, March and Hawks

At about noon on Friday I walked up to the park to check on the hawk nest. Hawks will sometimes start work on one nest then change their minds and settle on another location. Alice and Ralph have been using the same pine tree location for 5 years. Scott and I did witness them working on it last week, but I wanted to be certain that they hadn't moved to another spot.

The Winter Aconite flowers on the south-facing hillside in the Ravine have opened creating a beaming, yellow patch along the mostly brown incline. Another yellow flower, witch-hazel, is also blooming. Unlike the aconite, witch-hazel is widespread throughout the park. Within the next couple of weeks we should begin to see another blossoming yellow flower - cornelian cherry. I wonder if it's just a coincidence that the first flowers are yellow in color.

I walked over the Boulder Bridge towards the Midwood. My thought was that from the top of the ridge I would be able to see the Red-tailed Hawk pair coming from all directions. There was no way for me to tell if they had added more material to the nest since my last visit. I sat down on a Black Cherry log to wait. While waiting for the hawks I noticed that the one end of the log had a line of about 10 vivid scarlet fungi; Cinnabar Red Polypore. In the bright sunshine, their brilliance almost makes them look artificial.

I had an appointment in the city, so I couldn't watch the nest for very long. There was no sign of the hawks for an hour.

I went back into the park on Saturday morning determined to take some photographs of Ralph working on the pine tree nest. The weather was changing minute to minute. It started out sunny and warm, then the clouds rolled in and the winds kicked up. Ten minutes later the sun would be back out. For the three hours that I watched the nest, the clouds wavered from little, puffy patches to a thick blanket of gray.

I found a spot to set-up my scope next to a boulder and in the lee of a large oak. There were large flocks of robins already migrating through the park. One flock of about 200 landed in a sweetgum tree. They fed on the few remaining berries from a bittersweet vine that had wrapped around the tree's trunk. I heard the brash "conk-a-reee" song of Red-winged Blackbirds in the cattails surrounding the upper and lower pools. I recognized the sharp "chack" calls from small flocks of grackles passing over my section of woods.

Two hours and I still hadn't seen or heard the Red-tailed Hawks. Maybe it was still a little early in the season. The alder shrubs in the forests have sprouted long, pale green catkins. At least they are right on schedule.

I couldn't sit much longer, so I walked around to various other areas in the woods surrounding the nest. After 5 years, I'm pretty sure I've tried out all vantage points, but it wouldn't hurt to look one more time. Alice and Ralph had picked a perfect spot, that is if they didn't want anyone watching them. I can view the nest fine now, but once the trees leaf out, it's like they've pulled the drapes closed.

After a 3 hour wait and no Red-tailed Hawks, I packed up my gear and went home.

On Sunday, Marge and I went to look for owls. It's getting a little late in the season for Northern Saw-whet Owls as most have begun heading back north. I thought that there was a slight chance we could still find one. There were several location that we planned to check and we were hoping to find Great Horned Owl, Long-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl and Short-eared Owl. Out of respect to the owls and the ABA's Code of Birding Ethics I will not post any directions or locations of roosting or nesting owls. Suffice to say, it was a long morning but we did manage to see a magnificent Great Horned Owl.

Before the sun set we drove over to the Green-Wood Cemetery. Big Mama and Junior's 2007 nest has fallen from the tree and they have not restarted another. We wanted to take a slow drive around the cemetery looking for a new nest. There is an impressive nest a short distance away, but Marge said they built it last year, then decided not to use it. Perhaps they will this year.

While we were in the cemetery we drove over to the pond where the wayward Snow Geese have been staying. Three juvenile birds have joined the resident flock of Canada Geese and Mallards. One of the Snow Goose had a severely injured foot. Marge tried to get it help, but was told she had to catch it, which would have been impossible. The poor animal lost the foot, but has survived. Marge brings him cracked corn and watches him eat as he is considerably thinner than the other geese. I sat on the ground next to this wild bird and watched the interaction of his flock-mates. I was intrigued by what I observed.

Two years ago a Snow Goose with an injured wing appeared in the cemetery near one of the ponds. Her prognosis did seem very good, but Marge kept an eye on her and brought the occasional cracked corn treat. Most of the Canada Goose were relentlessly mean towards the injured bird. They bullied and chased her away from Marge's offering. Her wing has healed, somewhat, and she has learned to stand up to the threats of the larger geese. Then one day another injured Snow Goose arrived at the same pond in the cemetery. I would think that the, now healthy, adult Snow Goose would look after the younger bird. Guess again. If I hadn't been sitting protecting "Stumpy" while she ate, the older goose would have chased her away. At times, even when I was sitting only 2 feet away, that ungrateful Snow Goose would try and intimidate the poor thing. Some Mother Goose she turned out to be!

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Prospect Park nest activity

I spend a short time in Prospect Park this morning hoping to observe any Red-tailed Hawk nesting activity.

There's a wooden gazebo at the top of the Ravine that gives a good perspective of the surrounding woods. I stationed myself in that spot and waited. It was late morning and the only activity that I observed was a pair of Ruby-crowned Kinglets feeding in the low shrubs. The forecast called for rain and sleet, but fortunately it was just dark, foreboding weather and I remained dry. Mary and Scott were walking through the Ravine and joined me at the gazebo. Neither had seen any signs of nesting red-tails.

Scott had been at Breeze Hill checking the birds at the feeder. He noticed that another greedy goldfinch had climbed into the largest feeder and gotten caught inside. What happened next was both sad and amusing. Scott said that it took a few minutes for him to lower the feeder and coax the panicked bird from the container. Within seconds of freeing the bird, the goldfinch was snatched from the air by a Sharp-shinned Hawk. The clever hawk must have been watching the not-so-clever goldfinch the entire time.

I didn't have much time to spend in the park, so after about 30 minutes started down the stairs into the Ravine. Mary headed towards the Long Meadow, while Scott and I remained for a few minutes so I could photograph some yellow flowers that I had never seen before in the park. They are Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis). When I was finished we walked the path through the woods towards the Nethermead Arches. Mary called to say that there was a pair of Red-tailed Hawks circling over the baseball fields. We changed course. About 30 seconds later I heard the chirping, contact calls of a Red-tailed Hawk coming from the forest to our right. We changed course again. Mary called to say that the hawks disappeared somewhere in our direction.

It took a moment to locate the source of the calls and, as I had hoped, it was Ralph and Alice. They were perched in the same tree. I pointed out their extreme markings to Scott so he would know them in the future. Ralph then flew a short distance to another tree and began examining branches. He snapped off a couple that dropped to the ground. I guess they weren't to his liking, but he eventually found a good one and flew with it to their nest of the past five years. Alice flew overhead and landed in a tree at the Midwood. Ralph added another branch then joined her in the other tree. He broke off a branch from the tree a few feet from where Alice was perched that was nearly as long as his wingspan and brought it to the nest. I wonder if there was any significance to him taking nest material from directly in front of her, especially such a huge branch.

The lighting was terrible for photographs (and will be for a few days), but now that I know they are back at the same location, I plan to go back over the weekend.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

More Brooklyn Coast

Sunday's cloud free, sunny weather was a good opportunity to try and photograph the Purple Sandpipers along Gravesend Bay.

When I was a beginner birder I couldn't understand why these mostly, gray shorebirds were called "purple". It took several trips to the rocky jetty at Breezy Point to view them that I finally saw the color. The purple is a subtle iridescence in the plumes that can only be seen when the sunlight strikes their feathers at certain angles. Also, it helps to be close to the bird, which one usually isn't when observing them at Breezy Point.

There were about 2 dozen of the sandpipers along the water's edge. They were very cooperative and I shot both still images and a short video (the purple sheen is visible in the video at the end of this post). I was getting ready to start walking back to 4th Avenue when I ran into my friend Alex. He had been walking north from Calvert Vaux Park. I joined him and when we were several hundred yards from the Verrazano Bridge I noticed a small, pale bird pop up onto the concrete wall edging the path. It quickly ducked out of sight and I thought that it might have been some kind of shorebird. Alex thought it was a sparrow. It flew back up to the top of the wall and we were both surprised to see that it was a Snow Bunting. Not the typical habitat for this arctic breeder. Their winter range includes New York City, but they are usually found along the beaches from Breezy Point and east. There are grassy areas along the promenade between the highway and the pedestrian paths, but hardly enough that I would ever expect to observe overwintering flocks of Snow Buntings. They are gregarious birds and rarely found singly during the winter. We speculated that he was separated from his flock during the snow storm. He was hungry and made short, nervous flights from the wall to open patches in the snow along the edge of the running path where he nibbled on exposed grasses. At one point he perched on the wall only about 10 feet from us. We waited for him to move before continuing towards the bridge.

I commented to Alex that I knew Peregrine Falcons nested on the bridge, but that I had never seen one perched anywhere on the bridge. On a whim, I opened up my scope and focused it on the top of the near tower. Sure enough, amidst the cameras and antennas, was a perched Peregrine Falcon. If it were only that easy all the time. I forget that, even standing below it, the scale of the bridge is so massive that the profile of a Peregrine Falcon could easily get lost among all the cables, girders, lighting fixtures and other equipment.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Hawks preparing for spring

This week I received the following email from Leslie Day:

From: Leslie Day
Sent: Tue, 19 Feb 2008
Subject: Riverside red tail nest

A pair of red-tails are building a nest on a large honey locust tree that hangs over the W.79th Street on ramp to the West Side Highway. Lots of people are gathering each morning to watch them carry twigs to the nest. We're a bit worried that it is being built over a busy street leading to the northbound West Side highway. Amazing and wonderful to see this process.

It reminded me of the hazardous choice that Big Mama and Split-tail made for their first nest near the 3rd Street playground in Prospect Park. Located directly above a crosswalk and busy road, they somehow managed to avert tragedy and raised two healthy offspring. In the years that followed her first family, I guess Big Mama has figured out that life is much less stressful when her nursery is located farther from the flow of traffic. She never reused the 3rd Street nest.

Leslie's email motivated me to check in on Alice and Ralph's nest in Prospect Park. I am still not certain if they've decided to stick with the Ravine location. I walked up to the park at around 4:45PM. From the 5th Street parking lot entrance, I had a clear view of the 17 story apartment building across from the park near Grand Army Plaza. It's the building that the pair "Slingshot" and "Walnut" have been frequenting for the last year. Anyway, I spotted a pair of red-tails circling the roof and quickly took out my binoculars to watch. One of them disappeared from view over the park and into the trees that border Prospect Park West. Moments later, I followed the second one in my bins as it abruptly dropped to treetop level and headed towards the Litchfield Mansion on my right. The first hawk had apparently flown to the building's roof while I was looking the other way. The second hawk joined his mate and they circled the building a couple of times. The one that I presume is the male because of his small size flew over my head, then out of the park and down 5th Street. His mate followed.

They traveled in a direction that didn't make much sense, at least if I were a Red-tailed Hawk looking for a nesting location. I live on 5th Street, so when I returned home, I went up to the roof to scan for the two hawks. Apart from the low brownstones that dominate the area, there are only 4 large buildings in the direction that they flew. Also note that there aren't any parks in that direction. If they are building a nest within that several block area it could only be on Methodist Hospital, its housing across from the hospital, St. Savior's Church & High School or John Jay High School. It may still be winter, but I should start spending more time on my roof scanning for them. I'm not a Red-tailed Hawk, so it's impossible for me to know why they left the park. There is a fairly large flock of pigeons that roosts on top of Methodist Hospital, so maybe they just had a dinner date at the hospital.

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

South Brooklyn & Gravesend Bay

Last Sunday I took the "R" train to 95th Street and 4th Avenue in Bayridge. It's the last stop in the borough of Brooklyn. From there it's a short walk to the coastline beneath the Verrazano Bridge. From there I would walk south along the promenade to the highway overpass at Bay 8th Street, walk north to the 18th Avenue "D" train station, then go to Coney Island to walk along the boardwalk and check out the coastline.

Two block from the the "R" train station I noticed a bird perched on an apartment building's television antenna. I hadn't taken my bins out yet, but guessed that it was a kestrel. He stayed long enough for me to unpack my binoculars and, in fact, it was a kestrel. I'm pretty sure that most people (at least around NYC) have discovered satellite or cable television and disconnected their vintage TV antennas. Thankfully, they've left them mounted on their roofs and the local falcons have put them to good use.

It was low tide when I arrived along the water's edge under the bridge. There were several dozen gulls feeding on the rocky shoreline. Most were Ring-billed Gulls, but one small, dark gull stood out from the flocks. It turned out to be a Lesser Black-backed Gull. They are a regular, but rare winter sighting, usually along the ocean. There were Purple Sandpipers also feeding along the edge of the water. Along the 1-mile route, I counted 23. A flock of between 18,000 - 20,000 scaup was still present near the cove close to Bay 8th Street. The wind had shifted to the south since my last visit, so they had moved farther from the shore and closer to the "Toys 'R' Us" parking lot.

While I was on the "D" train heading into the Stillwell Avenue station at Coney Island, the train stopped on a trestle that spans Coney Island Creek. It is in an area a short distance from where a Western Reef Heron made a short appearance last year. I was looking out the window and noticed 2 Great Blue Herons on the shoreline beneath the Stillwell Avenue bridge.

After eating some pizza at Totonno's on Neptune Avenue, I headed over to the boardwalk. The temperature had dropped about 10 degrees and the wind had picked up, so I didn't spend much time on the beach. At the old parachute ride next to the Brooklyn Cyclone's stadium, I spotted a pair of birds perched within two of the octagonal, steel trusses. I made an educated guess at their identity. A quick look through my bins and I was 2 for 2. It was a pair of Peregrine Falcons.

The unused steel tower is a favorite perch for the local peregrines. The Brooklyn Cyclone's are a minor league team in the New York Mets organization. I usually go to about 8 games a year. The team has only been in existence for several years and it was during my first or second game that I discovered the raptor's choice perch. Our seats were along the first base line, in line with the tower. I noticed one, then two, then several feathers fluttering passed. The source was from the top of the tower. A Peregrine Falcon had just caught a pigeon and was plucking it from its perch on the parachute ride. It was a nice diversion during a slow inning.

Gravesend Bay; Coney Island Creek; Coney Island, 2/17/2008
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Great Blue Heron (2, Coney Island Creek.)
Brant
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
American Kestrel (Intersection of Marine Avenue and 4th Avenue.)
Peregrine Falcon (2, Parachute Ride.)
Purple Sandpiper (23.)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Beneath Verrazano Bridge.)
Rock Pigeon
European Starling
House Sparrow

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Gravesend Bay

Shane and I went over to Gravesend Bay yesterday to look for a huge flock of scaup that he had seen on Wednesday. Gravesend Bay is the section of water on the south side of the Verrazano Bridge, between Brooklyn and Staten Island. The flock was primarily composed of Greater Scaup, but there were some Lesser Scaup scattered throughout the birds.

It's not unusual for scaup to be seen overwintering in that area. What was unusual was the quantity of birds. When Shane called me the night before he described a group of nearly 20,000 birds! I was looking forward to seeing such a spectacle.

When he picked me up at 8:30AM, it was sunny and clear, but blustery. Strong winds were whipping in from the northwest and we were concerned that the birds would have moved or just been difficult to see between the whitecaps on the water. When we arrived we found that most of the ducks had moved closer to shore and into the lee of a small protected curve in the shoreline. There were also two smaller flocks of about 2,000 birds each, farther from the shore. There were lesser numbers of Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser in the area.

Click to Enlarge

You'll probably think that we are a little obsessive, but we attempted to count (or at least estimate) the number of scaup present. After counting groupings of birds and extrapolating, we felt reasonably certain that there were between 18,000 to 20,000 individuals present. While that may sound like a lot of waterfowl (and it was easily the most scaup I've ever seen in one place), 250,000 were recorded on the Great South Bay on Long Island on December 3, 1929. According to "Bull's Birds of New York State", recent surveys have shown that the species is in decline.

Also of note in that area were 4 Purple Sandpipers along the rocky shoreline. They are another bird species that overwinters along the rocky coasts of New York City and Long Island. I tried to take some photos but the strong wind and low temperature was making my camera a little cranky. Now that I know how easy it is to find them in that area, I may go back this weekend.

Gravesend Bay, Spring Creek, Fresh Creek Park, Floyd Bennett Field, 2/14/2008
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Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Great Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Brant
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Killdeer
Purple Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Horned Lark
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Other common species seen (or heard)
Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, American Crow, European Starling, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"

Ridgewood Reservoir, Green-Wood Cemetery & Prospect Park

I've been neglecting my blog for the last two weeks. It hasn't been so much that I haven't been getting out or even taking pictures. Between work, my Ridgewood Reservoir project and spending time with my wife, things have just been getting pushed to the bottom of the pile. I had even created a new post, uploaded several photos and my day lists, but just never managed to finish writing the words.

At the Ridgewood Reservoir I noticed that the Department of Parks had cleaned up the edge of Basin #1 (the bog) where people from the neighborhood had created an illegal paintball course. They had dragged all sorts of garbage into the basin to use as barricades and forts. I was surprised to see that park workers had taken the clean-up job to an unnatural level of tidiness. They had gone so far as to collect branches, logs and other elements of a normal forest understory and neatly stacked everything in little piles. I found it not so much weird, but from a habitat standpoint, completely unnecessary.

The cold snap had rapidly frozen the saturated soil within the bog and created tiny crystallized columns that lifted up sections of moss, grass and earth.

While I was walking the path around the south end of the basins I spotted a Woolly Bear caterpillar crossing the path. Their fuzzy covering is usually an arrangement of orange and black bands. The one I spotted appeared to be completely black. When I moved it off of the path so that it would get squashed, it curled up revealing extremely fine orange bands. Folk legend says that the amount of orange banding is an indication of the coming winter's severity. They say it is only a myth, so I think I'll just continue to rely on the television meteorologists.

My wife and I took a walk through the Green-Wood Cemetery recently. I had found a document on the Internet that described a history walk through the cemetery so we decided to check it out. We spent about an hour walking the areas near Battle Pass before heading back to the main entrance.

The Monk Parakeets that nest on the stone spires above the entrance are always noisy, but when we approached they seemed louder than normal. About two dozen of the bright green birds had flown from the red, stone towers and perched out in the open. I scanned the adjacent trees briefly and spotted Big Mama. She had a freshly killed pigeon clutched in her talons. I thought it was odd that, rather than fleeing, the loud birds chose to perch out in the open. Maybe they understood that the relatively slow Red-tailed Hawk relies on the element of surprise to catch prey. Watching her from a safe distance probably increased their chance of survival. Had there been a Peregrine Falcon perched nearby, they might have chosen to hide inside of their huge nests.

I spent a few hours over a couple of different days searching for the Red-tailed Hawks in Prospect Park. By March they should be working on the old nest or preparing a new one for the spring.

As I was walking through the Ravine, a hawk flew over my head and perched in a tree near the Nethermead Arches. I walked up the stairway to Center Drive to get a better view of the bird. It was a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk that seemed smallish. Perhaps it was a male bird. I looked for a band on its leg to see if it was one of the rehabilitated hawks that was released. It didn't have one, so it could have been one of Alice and Ralph's offspring. It had a very noticeable white patch on its forehead.

I watched him for about 15 minutes then he took off into the Ravine. He was heading towards the ground, so I hurried back down the stairs hoping to find him with a fresh kill. Instead, when I got to the path adjacent to the stream, an adult Red-tailed Hawk flew out of the woods and perched above me. I immediately thought, "Ralph!" It has been a while since the last time I saw the small, pale-headed hawk. He was quickly followed by his darker mate, Alice. She was chasing the young red-tail out of their section of woods. The juvenile hawk flew under the bridge, while his pursuer flew above. A jogger on the roadway stopped in his tracks on the bridge, startled by the huge bird. A moment later, Ralph flew across the road and perched near the top of a large sweetgum tree. They clearly did not want the young Red-tailed Hawk in their territory, but they stopped chasing him as he flew off towards the boathouse. The two adult Red-tailed Hawks then took off flying towards the woods of Quaker Ridge.

I caught up with them near the bridle path a short distance from the Quaker Cemetery. I had never seen them perched side by side for any length of time and the comparison of their features was dramatic. Alice's head is very dark and, in the late day sun, looked bronze. The feathers around her eyes are nearly black. Her thick belly band has a lot of dark contrasting streaks and, in profile, seems to extend the entire length of her body. Her flight feathers are a rich, chocolate brown and she has very few pale splotches on her back. Ralph was preening his feathers for most of the 20 minutes that I was observing the pair. Unlike his larger mate, his pale, finely streaked head plumes have a silvery quality. His belly band is so faint that, from the side, it is nearly non-existent. He has extensive white splotches on his back and hazel-colored flight feathers. Most Red-tailed Hawks in flight have a hooded appearance from a distance. Ralph's overall paleness, on the other hand, makes him look almost as if his head is white. In Green-Wood Cemetery, Big Mama and her mate, Junior are much more similar and I'm still looking for unique characteristics in each bird so that I can easily tell them apart. I've been told that hawk's patterns change slightly when they molt each year, so it may not be possible.

A couple of days after I saw Alice and Ralph chase the young hawk, I located him perched in a tree next to the Tennis House. At first, I wasn't certain who I was looking at, but then I noticed the large white patch on his forehead. He appeared to be stalking pigeons that were roosting on the Spanish-style terracotta roof of the Tennis House. Several times he landed on the curved, ceramic tiles, but seemed ungainly and confused when standing on the hard surface. He eventually gave up and flew off towards the maintenance garage near Prospect Park West.

Later in the morning I came across another juvenile Red-tailed Hawk next to the boathouse. He was perched in a Pagoda Tree next to the Camperdown Elm. Rangers Tom and Tony were standing below the hawk, waiting to lead a birding trip in the park. Tom told me that the young hawk had attempted to grab a duck from the water near the Boathouse Bridge. Apparently, she only succeeded in getting soaked and spent the next 45 minutes drying off in the tree. As I was watching, a careless squirrel was climbing up and down the branches dangerously close to the wet raptor. The rodent was missing most of his bushy tail. From the looks of it he probably has had one close brush with death and, if he continued his foolish ways, it wouldn't be his last. Fortunately for him, the Red-tailed Hawk showed only a brief interest in the squirrel and made no attempt to catch it.
____________________

Ridgewood Reservoir, 2/2/2008
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Ruddy Duck
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadee
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
*American Tree Sparrow (new for species list)
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco

Other common species seen (or heard):
American Black Duck, Mallard, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, European Starling, Song Sparrow
____________________

Prospect Park, 2/7/2008
-
Canada Goose
American Black Duck
Mallard
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk (3.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
____________________

Prospect Park, 2/9/2008
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Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk (2.)
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch

Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow
____________________

Prospect Park, 2/10/2008
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Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Cooper's Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
American Goldfinch

Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Mallard, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow

by Rob Jett for "The City Birder"