The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Red-tailed Hawk

I just received an e-mail from Bob Gochfeld, who was birding at the botanic gardens today. He confirmed that the Red-tailed Hawk Janet photographed is a juvenile bird. There is a very good likelihood that he is one of Ralph and Alice's offspring.

"Date: 11/21/06 11:19 AM

I spent about an hour this morning in the Botanic Garden from 9:15 - 10:15 [...] There is an extraordinarily tame immature Red-tailed Hawk hanging around the southern end of the Cherry Esplanade and the Rose Garden. It sits in the open; flies very low over the ground and allowed me to get within 15 feet.

Bob"

Ravine looking north towards gardens (click to enlarge)

(Photo credit - Google Earth)

Hawk banding and release

My friend, Christina, just returned from a visit to a great organization in New Jersey called "The Raptor Trust". While there she videotaped some Red-tailed Hawk bandings and releases. Below are three videos from her visit:







Thanks for sharing, Christina.

Red-tailed Hawk in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

I haven't tracked any of the Red-tailed Hawks lately so it was nice to receive a brief note from Janet along with a photo:

"Do you recognize this one? It was very close to the sidewalk in the BBG--a woman came up to me and said "an eagle is eating a rabbit!" Families with little kids were around--seemed foolishly fearless."

Rabbit anyone?

(Photo credit - Janet Schumacher)

I don't recognize this hawk. His head doesn't seem pale enough to be Ralph, plus, he would never be so cavalier around people. It's difficult to tell from this particular photo, but he doesn't seem to have a very pronounced belly-band. Janet's note and picture has motivated me to go out looking for the hawks tomorrow.

Turkey on the bridge

Christina e-mailed me the following New York Newsday article this morning. I know that there's a chicken (or turkey) joke in there somewhere.

Wild Turkey Stalls Traffic On NYC Bridge Toll Plaza

UPDATED: 10:24 pm EST November 14, 2006

NEW YORK CITY -- A small wild turkey wandered onto a busy bridge's toll plaza Tuesday afternoon, halting traffic for about 15 minutes as workers chased the fowl down.

No one knew how the 10-pound female bird ended up on the Triborough Bridge, which connects Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges and Tunnels officials received a call that there was a loose bird just before the start of the evening rush hour, and six officers chased it around the Manhattan toll plaza.

"Watching it unfold on our cameras, it seemed the only thing missing was someone playing (the American folk song) 'Turkey in the Straw,"' said Triborough Bridge General Operations Manager Ray Bush.

The frightened turkey skittered back and forth across the plaza, evading capture for 15 minutes. Bridge officers finally cornered it, and a construction worker snatched it.

MTA officials talked with state and city animal control authorities and released the turkey into a wooded area on nearby Wards Island, which has acres of open land inhabited by pheasants, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks.

Chasing birds, my jinx and a sparrow invasion

It has been almost two weeks since my last post. I’ll try to fill in the blanks without making this a long, rambling tome.

Last year ended with Shane, Sean and I deciding that 2006 would be our first attempts at a “Big Year”. In birding lingo that means, essentially, trying to track down as many species of birds as possible during the year. It usually involves a lot of travel. Our year would only include birds observed within the borders of New York State. The primary objective was to see if all three of us could reach 300. Along the way Doug joined us, adding the final piece to team “Wunderschmucks”. Neither Doug nor I own a car so our success depended on whether we could coordinate our schedules with Shane and Sean. At some point, I can’t pinpoint the date, Sean and Shane completely lost their minds. While Doug and I were trying to find bird number 250, the other half of the team had already passed the 300 mark! As of this writing my number stands at 301, Doug is 306 and the “S”s are tied with 327. With just under two months left and a pelagic trip scheduled for December, it’s impossible for me to guess the final total for Shane and Sean. I’m just happy that I reached 300.

Setting up at Dawn - photo Rob Jett

Sean, Shane and I took another drive up to the Franklin Mountain hawk watch. We needed to find a Golden Eagle for the year and, since it’s been my jinx bird, I’m surprised they invited me to come along. The weather was much milder than our visit two week ago with weak winds varying for west to northwest. Without the advantage of a strong northwest wind I was afraid that we’d miss out again. Normally, northwest winds hitting the face of the ridge created a lift for migrating raptors and they pass from right to left in front of the hawk watch. Unseasonably warm weather and little wind, however, didn’t stop the birds and their urge to fly south. The sky was mostly clear and a strong sun created columns of warm air rising up out of the valley. Most of the hawks that we observed took advantage of the thermals and were soaring across the valley and straight at us. At about 9:30am I spotted in my scope a very large bird on the horizon. It was an eagle, but which one? As it soared in slow circles I finally saw a thick, white band at the base of his tail. He was gradually moving farther away but white patches on the insides of his wings and the golden hue to his head were unmistakable. It was a juvenile Golden Eagle and my 12 year jinx was finally over! We would see two more before we left the mountain, one that gave us great looks. Another highlight of our visit to Franklin Mountain was beating the single day total for number of Red-shouldered Hawks. The previous high count was 25, we ended the day with 43. It’s not like we had anything to do with the large number of red-shoulders, it was just great witnessing such a mass exodus.

-Click here for more info on Golden Eagles-

Looking for Golden Eagles - photo Rob Jett

Red-shouldered Hawk and jet - photo Sean Sime

Migrating blackbirds - photo Rob Jett

From watching very large birds, I’ll fast forward to this past Saturday in Prospect Park and the small birds. It’s been three weeks since my last visit and I wasn’t prepared for the extreme transition in species and abundance. My first clue that something amazing had occurred was the presence of a flock of over 200 White-throated Sparrows near the 5th Street entrance to the park. There usually aren’t many birds in that area, usually just House Sparrows. As I continued towards the interior of the park I encountered sparrows everywhere I looked. On the Long Meadow a woman with a black lab tossed a ball ahead of her as she walked. As the dog ran south along the meadow he flushed up flocks of birds like he was kicking up dust. They were primarily White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. Along Sullivan Hill the white-throats were replaced by Song Sparrows constantly flying from the grass to the trees.

Merlin - photo Rob Jett

As I walked towards Payne Hill, “Ralph” flew low over the grass then slipped into the trees near the Ravine. Practically skimming the grass, he was acting more like a Merlin than a Red-tailed Hawk. Maybe he was hoping to grab one of the thousands of sparrows feeding on the grass seeds. No sooner had those thoughts entered my head that a Merlin did just that, but he didn’t catch anything either. I caught up with him perched in the top of an oak tree overlooking the sparrow bowl. He was scanning for prey but was rudely interrupted when another male Merlin arrived and chased him from his perch. The two falcons disappeared over Quaker Ridge and towards the Nethermead Meadow.

Orange-crowned Warbler - photo John Ascher

The woodlands sounded like gurgling water as thousands of sparrows scratched in the leaf litter for food. I observed another flock of White-throated Sparrows on the Nethermead. It was impossible for me to count them as they were continually flushed into the surrounding trees by pedestrians. A large flock of Chipping Sparrows were nearly invisible in the grass on the Peninsula Meadow. I thought that there were only a handful of birds present until someone walked across the field. A much greater number streamed up into the surrounding trees. I estimated that there were about 50 individuals in the flock.

Waterfowl numbers and diversity has also changed dramatically in the last few weeks. On October 15th there were five species of waterfowl in the park. In addition to the common residents, on Saturday I counted Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser and Ruddy Duck. The shovelers are already the dominant winter visitors on the lake. For a few minutes I watched a small flock swirling, face down in the water and thought, we’ve come full circle.

Purple Sandpiper - photo Steve Nanz

Finally, on Sunday Shane and I drove out to Montauk Point for a day of coastal birding. We left Brooklyn at 5am and arrived at the point just after sunrise.

In the water off of the point several thousand Laughing Gulls fed near a small flotilla of fishing boats. Some signs of the approaching winter cycle here were skeins of all three species of scoters and the arrival of small flocks of Common Eiders. We stopped at various inland ponds and coastal locations as we drove west towards Brooklyn. On the coasts, Red-breasted Mergansers have begun reappearing, as well as, Red-throated Loons. At Shinnecock Inlet we spotted a group of 7 Purple Sandpipers on the jetty. One unusual observation here was of a Northern Harrier migrating along the coast within a very large flock of cormorants. I suppose that it was just bad luck that he ended up stuck in the cormorant traffic jam.

Sean called on my cellphone while we were still driving back to Brooklyn. He wanted to find out if we located anything new. “No”, I replied, “just Red-throated Loon, Common Eider, all three scoters, Red-breasted Merganser, Purple Sandpiper, 4,000 Laughing Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Royal Tern and "Ipswich" Sparrow.” Under normal circumstances, that would have been a very good day. We got a good laugh out of how we’ve become so blasé and jaded regarding birds that we’d already seen this year. In some ways, I can’t wait until the year is over and I can resume a less frenzied birding pace.


(Photo credit - Rob J)

Lots of Red-tailed Hawks


(Photo credit - Rob J)

On October 30th of last year I posted a report where I mentioned that my “jinx” bird is a Golden Eagle. This is the time of year that Golden Eagles can be found migrating south. With that in mind Sean, Shane and I drove north to the Franklin Mountain hawkwatch. Sean and I left Brooklyn at 4am and planned to meet Shane at the watch.

The Franklin Mt. hawkwatch is situated near the top of a ridge that is part of the expansive Appalachian chain. It faces northwest and has great views of the Susquehanna River valley and surrounding hills of Otsego and Delaware Counties. Raptors in the mid-Atlantic part of the country take advantage of its unique topography. Travelling south from Canada across the Allegheny Plateau they are channeled into the sinuous ridges and valleys of the Appalachian Range. They conserve energy on their long trip by soaring on northwest winds deflected up off of the face of the ridges. Tremendous numbers of Red-tailed Hawks pass the hawkwatch every year.

Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch location


(Photo credit - USGS)

Shane had arrived about 45 minutes prior to us. We parked behind his car and walked the short incline to the watch. It was much colder than I had expected, thankfully I took Sean’s advice and wore many layers. At the clearing near the top of the hill a small wooden shelter had been constructed for the seasonal hawk counters. The northwest wall is exposed to the elements but a half wall provides the necessary respite from the frequent and frigid lake-effect winds. Unfortunately, we had to take advantage of its protection as wind, light rain and snow blasted us early in the morning.

Shane and Sean spotting hawks?

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Steve was manning the watch on Tuesday. After brief introductions we asked him about Golden Eagles. He assured us that we’d get to see one. I remarked that we probably wouldn’t because I was present. A thick blanket of clouds faded in and out over the horizon for two hours. A short-lived snow squall decreased visibility for a while but we still managed to see good numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks. Also observed were Turkey Vulture, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, American Kestrel, Northern Harrier and one Bald Eagle.

I was astounded by the numbers of Red-tailed Hawks that soared passed our perch on Franklin Mountain. Sean and I only stayed for two hours but in that time we counted 225 red-tails. That averages out to between 1 or 2 per minute! By 11am we still hadn’t seen a Golden Eagle but Sean and I had to leave. When I spoke to Shane later in the day he told me that 10 minutes after we left he and Steve spotted a Golden Eagle.

I was returning home late in the afternoon on Thursday. Standing at the intersection of 8th Avenue and 4th Street, waiting for the traffic light to change, I began daydreaming about Tuesday’s experience. I wondered if any of the individuals in the southbound stream of Red-tailed Hawks could pass through Brooklyn. I looked up into the sky and, above the brownstones and apartment buildings, I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk soaring in wide circles. When it flew out of view I crossed the street and continued towards my apartment. At the next corner I spotted a woman staring up at the sky. I figured that she was watching the red-tail so I stopped to talk to her. As the two of us were staring skyward we spotted a second then a third Red-tailed Hawk circling the area and slowly moving south. Perhaps that is how Big Mama, Split-tail, Ralph, Alice and the Green-Wood Cemetery red-tails found their way to Brooklyn, only they never went north in the spring.

-Click here for more info on Franklin Mt.-

Another bird in need of help

Some of my non-birding friends and acquaintances refer to me as a "bird expert". (I feel like I should be saying, "I'm not a bird expert, but I play one on television".) I'm flattered that so many people come to me for advice but I'm just a lowly computer technician who knows a little more about birds than the average person. That said, a friend of my wife's just e-mailed her about an injured bird that she found. She wanted to know the identification.

I was surprised when I saw her photo of a Saw-whet Owl (they're rare but regular winter visitors here in NYC), but subsequently found out that they are year around residents in the Salt Lake City region.

From: Josette
Sent: Oct 25, 2006 11:20 AM
Subject: Visitor

This little guy was on the pedal of our golf cart here at the track. Since your hubby is a big bird fan, I thought I'd send it to you. He has a mouse in his claws, and a broken wing so they took him to get better.

Josette
Miller Motorsports Park

Northern Saw-whet Owl in golf cart

(Photo credit - Josette Ono)

Bird in my livingroom

This morning I had an interesting visitor in my home.

Robin left the house before me and called to say that she had an injured songbird near the subway (she always seems to find them). I grabbed a bag and ran four blocks to meet her. When I arrived she had a tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet cupped in her hands. I held the bag opened and she carefully placed him inside. I assumed that he had hit a window and was stunned so I brought him home to recuperate. At home I looked up the website for "Project Safe Flight" and read that collision victims should be kept in the bag, in a quiet location for about 1 hour. Then, if they appear uninjured, released into a park.

Golden-crowned Kinglet (click images to enlarge)

(Photo credit - Rob J)

After an hour it sounded like he was beginning to get active in the bag so I decided to let him go. Before taking him out of the bag I opened our fire escape window and pushed up the screen. I had looked online for the proper way to handle a bird so that I wouldn't inadvertently injure him. Once out of the bag he struggled to get free. That seemed like a good sign. When I was certain that he was alright and he could fly to the trees next to the fire escape I released my hold on him. I expected him to immediately rush to the tree branches about 8 feet from my window. I guess he liked my company because he just sat there on my hand, looking around or closing his eye for brief moments. A couple of times he bit me. Maybe he was hungry. His bill is so tiny, though, I barely felt it.


(Photo credit - Rob J)


(Photo credit - Rob J)

We keep our bicycles on a rack near the window and, when I'm not using my bike's padded pack, I keep it on the window sill. I couldn't stand at the window all morning so I prodded him off of my hand and onto the pack. I went back to working on my computer but, so that I could keep an eye on him, I removed our hallway mirror and propped it up on a chair next to me. He promptly fell asleep but would ocassionally wake up and preen his feathers. At 9:56am he hopped up to the very edge of the pack. He sat and looked all around for a couple of minutes. Then, without warning, he flew onto the fire escape railing then into the London Planetree in front of our building.


(Photo credit - Rob J)



(Photo credit - Rob J)

I'm glad that he wasn't seriously injured but I already miss the sight of a Golden-crowned Kinglet sitting five feet away while I work.

The Northern Wheatear

Over the weekend a Northern Wheatear was discovered in Upstate New York. It's not a bird that shows up in the northeast very often so it has generated a lot of excitement among birders. Shane actually drove 5 hours through the night and successfully located the bird. He came back to Brooklyn, extremely tired but gloating. Doug, who is going to school upstate, just sent Sean and I the following amusing note:

"Date: 10/23/06 1:48 PM

So when are you two lazy (persons born of parents that are not married to each) gonna make the short little jog up to see the wheatear? All you've gotta do is leave you're warm and comfy house at 9:30 PM, drive 85 MPH for 6 hours in pitch black, take a 2 hour nap in a Waste Treatment Plant Parking Lot, then go out pre-dawn in 25 MPH winds, and shine your headlights on the wheatear in lieu of sunlight........c'mon, all the cool kids are doin' it.

Doug"

I'll let you know if we become temporarily insane and make the trip.

-Click here for Doug's wheatear photos-

Overdue north wind arrives

Autumn Olive berries

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Autumn's northwest winds finally kicked in. Shane an I were already at Floyd Bennett Field when the sun started peeking over the horizon. While it was still fairly dark we could see the silhouettes and hear the calls of a great deal of birds moving south. The most easily recognized were the flocks of robins. Lots of Yellow-rumped warblers were also seen moving south, as well as, within every shrub, tree or patch or grass we encountered. Another passerine heard flying overhead, and new for me for the season, was American Pipit. Migrating sparrows were plentiful and we ended the day with 11 species. One highlight was a Vesper Sparrow on the cricket field at Floyd Bennett Field.

Unidentified mushroom


(Photo credit - Rob J)

At Fort Tilden we flushed a meadowlark near the beach. Later in the morning we saw two more fluttering over the fields.

The highlight of the day was watching virtual streams of raptors flying south along the coast. From outside the western edge of Fort Tilden we observed a near contant flow of Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Merlins and kestrels. We also counted 4 or 5 Northern Harriers.

Sharp-shinned Hawk


(Photo credit - Rob J)

After lunch we made a brief run to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, stopping first at Big Egg Marsh. At first it seemed pretty lifeless near the small patch east of the ballfields. The wind was gusting very hard at that point so we made a cursory look around the grass. Suddenly, from a few yards in front of us, an American Bittern burst from the grass and began flying towards the west. I'm not sure about Shane's reaction, but it scared the chill right out of me.

At Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge we continued to observe a fair number of accipiters. Some were following the shoreline of the South Marsh, staying out of the wind by flying only a couple of feet above the beach. We also spotted a single Turkey Vulture over the north end of the East Pond.

Waterfowl abundance and variety have continued to rise on the two ponds. The East Pond has completed its seasonal transition from a habitat of festering mudflats crawling with flocks of shorebirds to an overflowing lake brimming with hundreds of waterfowl.

Looking north on East Pond 10/21

Looking north on East Pond 8/19

(Photo credit - Rob J)

- - - - -

Floyd Bennett Field, Fort Tilden, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 10/21/2006
-
Pied-billed Grebe
AMERICAN BITTERN
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Brant
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Killdeer
American Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Forster's Tern
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Tree Swallow
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
VESPER SPARROW
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
EASTERN MEADOWLARK
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird

Other common species seen (or heard):
Double-crested Cormorant, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, American Crow, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, House Sparrow

A morning along the coast


(Photo credit - Google)

Daybreak at Robert Moses SP (click to enlarge)

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Sean and I did some coastal birding yesterday and I ended the morning by adding one more bird species to my year. I’m not sure what we were thinking, but we headed out at 5:00am. The sun didn’t rise until about 7:15am so we ended up standing around in a dark parking lot at Robert Moses State Park listening to the surf for almost an hour. We heard the flight notes of a few migrating birds as they passed overhead but couldn’t identify them by sound alone.

Sunrise at Robert Moses SP

(Photo credit - Rob J)

It was a route that Sean, Shane and I had travelled a few times this year and it always seemed to produce something interesting. We’d drive east for an hour or so, and begin the day at Robert Moses State Park. Following the ocean as we drove west towards the city, we’d also make stops at Jones Beach, Long Beach, Ft. Tilden and Floyd Bennett Field.

Torpid Monarch (click to enlarge)

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Monarch Butterflies are still migrating in an abundance that I haven’t seen for years. Sean pointed out one that was resting on the parking lot’s cold pavement in the dim early morning. I got out of the car, let it climb up onto my finger and walked to the edge of the dunes. I didn’t want it to get run over, plus, it would make a good photo op. After a few photos I put my hand next to some dune grass thinking that he’d climb onto the plant. He probably preferred the heat from my hand and I had to gently prod him onto the stalk of grass.

Eastern Phoebes were seen just about everywhere we went. At Fort Tilden a few shared a stretch of fence surrounding one of the baseball fields. Both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were observed (and heard) in great number. We also saw four or five Merlins hunting above the open fields along the coast.

The best find of the day was a Vesper Sparrow that was feeding in the sparse grass next to the boulder piles at Long Beach. It was in this location that we observed a Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow two weeks ago. The birding gods seemed desperate to keep us from seeing this bird. Every bird in the area seemed a little on edge when we arrive. A Merlin buzzed the area and all the birds hunkered down. When we found the vesper Sean ran back to his car to retrieve his camera gear. Then a feral cat showed up and spooked all the birds again. We remained patient and the sparrow returned to feeding near a mound of dirt. Then a massive truck arrived and dumped it’s tons of boulders causing the earth to vibrate like the San Andreas Fault had just shifted. And yes, the birds flew and hid again. We played this game until Sean was able to take a few photos then we headed off to the next location. As we were exiting the park we spotted a Merlin perched in a tree at the back of the boulder area. He had a freshly killed Dark-eyed Junco in his talons.

Vesper Sparrow



(Photo credit - Sean Sime)

By the time we arrived at Floyd Bennett Field we were both pretty spent and half-heartedly scanned the grasslands. A kestrel perched on a bluebird nest box caught our attention and we very slowly crept up to get a closer look. He was periodically flying down from his perched, into the grass and returning with a cricket or some other insect. In flight they appear to be a fairly large falcon but, after watching him dine on a cricket, he left an impression of a very compact, delicate predator.

Merlin eating a junco

(Photo credit - Sean Sime)

Kestrel at Floyd Bennett (click to enlarge)

(Photo credit - Sean Sime)

- - - - -

Robert Moses SP; Jones Beach; Long Beach; Ft. Tilden; Floyd Bennett Field, 10/19/2006
-
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Black-bellied Plover
American Oystercatcher
Sanderling
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Forster's Tern
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole

Other common species seen (or heard):
Double-crested Cormorant, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, House Sparrow

Merlin and dragonflies

Nethermead Meadow in Autumn (click to enlarge)

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Walking across the Nethermead Meadow in the late afternoon I spotted a Merlin zipping back and forth above the grass. She was trying to catch one of the hundreds of dragonflies that were pursuing their own prey. The flattened perspective through my binoculars made it look like she was dive-bombing a black Labrabor Retriever walking along the path. Her twisting, turning manuevers paid off as she ascended to the top of an oak tree to eat a huge, Green Darner.

Autumn in Prospect Park

Nethermead colors

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Female Northern Flicker

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Yesterday I pedalled a few laps around Prospect Park in the late afternoon before stopping to check on some of the recent seasonal changes.

Despite a clear sky and bright sunshine a cold wind sweeping in from the northwest created a classic, crisp autumn afternoon. The annual kaleidoscope of changing leaves has already passed their peak in upstate New York but is just beginning here in the city. Asters, goldenrod, snakeroot and other low wildflowers spotlight edges of meadows and woodland openings. Pink smartweed, and other long grass that escaped the lawn mower blade, attract mixed flocks of migrating sparrows. Near Nelly’s Lawn I discovered a flock that contained Chipping Sparrows, Field Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrow and Dark-eyed Juncos. Some of the white-throats and juncos will likely remain through the winter.

Asters and bee

(Photo credit - Rob J)

As I was passing the Midwood I heard the sharp alarm squeals of a squirrel. Once I located the source of the call I started to scan adjacent trees for the hawk that was, in all likelihood, causing the squirrel’s agitation. I started walking up the bridle path and, a few yards into the forest, a Red-tailed Hawk flew over my head travelling south. I got a clear impression of a hawk with faded head feathers, very different from the typical, hooded appearance of a red-tail. It was definitely Ralph. Once the leaves drop it will become much easier to find him, Alice and their offspring.

One my way home I decided to stop at the small wildflower meadow next to the baseball fields. It’s usually a good spot to find sparrows and I was hoping to locate a bird or two. As I was walking slowly along the edge of the black, steel fence that encloses the meadow, something on the ground caught my eye. At the base of the fence and a few inches away from the sidewalk was a sleeping warbler. I squatted down to get a better look and to check it for any obvious injuries. It was a Blackpoll Warbler and he must have been really tired as he just gave me a passing glance then tucked his head back into his feathers. I picked him up to see if he was alright. He wasn't crazy about that idea and squirmed in my hand. I gently put him down and he hopped back over to the same spot in the sun and went back to sleep. I was afraid that he might get stepped on or run over by a bicycle so I gave him a couple of light nudges on his rump. He glared at me then hopped through one of the holes in the fence, continued for a few feet into the meadow then tucked his head into his feathers and went back to sleep.

Tired Blackpoll Warbler (click to enlarge)




(Photo credit - Rob J)

Blackpoll Warblers make one of the longest migrations of the wood-warblers. Part of their southbound trip is about 3,000 km over water which requires flying non-stop for nearly 88 hours. Perhaps the bird I found was exhausted and had just stopped to rest and refuel. I hope he makes it.

- - - - -

Prospect Park, 10/15/2006
-
Wood Duck (9, back of upper pool.)
Red-tailed Hawk (1 adult, Midwood.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1.)
Northern Flicker (Common.)
Eastern Phoebe (2 or 3.)
Blue-headed Vireo (1.)
Winter Wren (1, Midwood.)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Common.)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Common.)
Hermit Thrush (3-6.)
Gray Catbird
Northern Parula (2.)
Magnolia Warbler (1.)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (2.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (2.)
Palm Warbler (6-10.)
Blackpoll Warbler (1.)
Ovenbird (1.)
Common Yellowthroat (4-6.)
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow (Approx. 30.)
Field Sparrow (3, Nelly's Lawn. 1, Nethermead Meadow.)
Savannah Sparrow (2, Nethermead.)
Song Sparrow (Fairly common.)
Swamp Sparrow (1.)
White-throated Sparrow (Fairly common.)
Dark-eyed Junco (Fairly common.)

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

Natural Velcro?
Tickseed

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Burdock

(Photo credit - Rob J)

Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler (click to enlarge)


(Photo credit - Sean Sime)

Savannah Sparrow

(Photo credit - Sean Sime)

Sean and I took advantage of a brief break in our work to rush out to Kissena Park, in Queens, to try and locate a reported Orange-crowned Warbler. Thanks to Jean Loscalzo’s excellent directions we were able to locate the warbler without a problem. It was found foraging for insects in the company of a Nashville Warbler within a pair of locust trees. The time was approximately 2:15pm. The addition of the orange-crowned to my year list makes this the first time that I've seen all the expected northeastern wood-warblers in one year. Thankfully we managed to get to the park, find the bird and head back to Brooklyn before the cloudburst.

Also of note was an abundance of Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers. Along the weedy edges of the baseball fields was a nice assortment of sparrows. As we were leaving we spotted a kestrel flying over the field clutching a small passerine in his talons. It didn’t look like an Orange-crowned Warbler.

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Kissena Park, 10/11/2006
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Red-tailed Hawk (3, flying low over velodrome.)
American Kestrel (Flying over baseball field with prey.)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
Orange-crowned Warbler (Feeding in locusts near sidewalk north of velodrome.)
Nashville Warbler (Feeding with orange-crown.)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Abundant.)
Palm Warbler (Abundant.)
Chipping Sparrow (Approx. 20.)
Field Sparrow (2.)
Savannah Sparrow (Several.)
Swamp Sparrow (Several.)
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow (1.)
Baltimore Oriole (1.)

Other common species seen (or heard):
Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

Three times a charm

After three tries in three different locations Sean finally got to see a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Thanks to a tip from Tom Burke, we found it at Hempstead Park in Long Beach.

It was in a weedy, overgrown field used as a repository for large boulders, concrete chunks and retired concrete & rebar highway dividers. Primarily birds of marshy habitats, this bird, like the individual that Shane and I located at Fort Tilden, was foraging in an area that was very far from the nearest marsh. I guess when you're hungry sometimes fast food will have to suffice.

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow (click to enlarge)



(Photo credit - Sean Sime)

Thirsty Great Black-backed Gull at Robert Moses SP

(Photo credit - Rob J)