There is a vantage point from 61st Avenue (the right turn at the top of the hill, after the shopping plaza). The view is limited, as I don’t think you can see over the high points a few hundred yards out. There’s a road into the golf course here, but it looks to me like it’s for maintenance vehicles. I’ve never actually gone inside, but you would think there should be a public access point. The golf course is administered by NYC Parks. Now I’m motivated to try finding out – harder than I’ve tried in the past.
You can check their web site at https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/douglaston-park-golf-course SW From: Gus Keri [mailto:gusk...@zoho.com] Sent: Friday, January 12, 2018 2:27 PM To: Steve Walter <swalte...@verizon.net> Cc: nysbird...@list.cornell.edu Subject: RE:[nysbirds-l] Queens Gr. White-fronted Goose Update I went chasing after this goose yesterday. I checked the small pool where it was reported, between LIE and Douglaston PKWY. I saw around 30 Canada geese. No GWFG. The geese flew off toward the hill east of the pool. I looked at the map and I saw a large golf course there. I thought the geese might use this golf course for feeding. I circled the whole area but I couldn't find any spot where I could see the inside of the golf course. I gave up and left. If anyone has access to this golf course, or knows a spot where it can be seen from outside, the goose might be still there. Sent using <https://www.zoho.com/mail/> Zoho Mail ---- On Fri, 12 Jan 2018 06:47:03 -0800 Steve Walter <swalte...@verizon.net <mailto:swalte...@verizon.net> > wrote ---- I was curious to see if any geese came into Alley Pond overnight, and got a chance to check, with the rain holding off. But only about 10 geese were there. Seems pretty quick to change roosting spots. The nearest possibility that I can think of is Lake Success, which is a few miles away. I took a look at a couple of the spots that I had mentioned. Only a small number were on the field by Oakland Lake. The ballfields look to be dug up, perhaps being converted to turf. It doesn’t look like a viable feeding spot anymore. If that’s the case, a lot of the local geese could have just moved on. We’ll see. The lawn around the pond should be snowless soon enough. There were, however, a few new ducks on Alley Pond, most notably a Canvasback. Having missed a pair that were briefly on Oakland Lake about five years ago, this is my first one in northeast Queens in maybe 25 years. They used to winter commonly on Little Neck Bay. Sort of the waterfowl version of Bonapartes’ Gull. But anyway, for local year listers, this could be easier than some other options. Steve Walter From: Steve Walter [mailto:swalte...@verizon.net <mailto:swalte...@verizon.net> ] Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2018 6:57 PM To: nysbird...@list.cornell.edu <mailto:nysbird...@list.cornell.edu> Subject: Queens Gr. White-fronted Goose Update As far as I know, it was not seen today at Alley Pond. I know it was looked for this morning, but there were much fewer geese than yesterday at a comparable time of the morning. Based on the previous reports, it would seem that the geese were roosting there, making the early morning the best time. My plan for today was to watch them coming in to roost in the late afternoon. Well, the 40 or so geese that were there when I arrived at 3:30 left shortly thereafter. As of 4:45, only one lone Canada had come in. I suppose it’s possible that they could come in after dark. It’s not the way I think they do it, but who knows? I’m pretty sure I’ve heard geese flying over my house at night. There was one flock that flew by Alley Pond around 4:20, coming from the northwest, but they kept going toward the east. At least that reminded me of a couple of other spots to look, if you’re moved to do so. Oakland Lake (Cloverdale Blvd., just south of Northern Blvd.), which is currently mostly frozen. Geese sometimes feed on the field across the street from the lake or on the grass along the entrance ramp to the Cross Island Parkway, but that’s more likely when there’s an open lake to go back to. The ball fields at Cardozo High School and Queensboro Community College (on 56th Avenue, west of Cloverdale). Douglaston Golf Course. And when not snow covered, geese will feed right around Alley Pond. We’ll see how much the rain melts away tomorrow. Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> Surfbirds <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> ABA Please submit your observations to <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> eBird! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --