Some good birds in advance of the bad weather today at Calvert Vaux Park, or actually in the northern parcel that’s accessed at the foot of Bay 44th Street. As the rain was starting to pick up around 10:30, several birds were congregating in the shelter of the rise just east of the dilapidated pier, among them a first fall BLUE GROSEBEAK as well as two ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS that chased each other through the scrub. Five heron species remain, but the turn toward winter was evident in the increased numbers of waterfowl, especially Brant and ducks including Wood Duck and Northern Pintail.
Regarding the construction project, the park remains accessible via the east arm along the Six Diamonds ball fields, while much of the northeast area of the main peninsula has been fenced off, including the upper edge of the boat basin. Only preparatory work seems to have gone on so far, and a contractor there today seemed frustrated that he had not yet been given “the go ahead.” Today’s birds come on the heels of a strong flight observed Wednesday in Prospect Park which included good numbers of sparrows and other seasonal birds, the highlight being an EASTERN MEADOWLARK, a rarity in Prospect and the first I’d seen there in five years of birding the park. Details are posted to Peter Dorosh’s Prospect sightings blog at: http://peters-prospect-bird-sightings.blogspot.com/ Good birding, Alex Wilson Brooklyn, NY Location: Dreier-Offerman Park Observation date: 10/15/09 Number of species: 56 Highlights: Brant 400 Wood Duck 3 Gadwall 8 American Wigeon 8 American Black Duck 25 Northern Pintail 1 (Drake in basin.) Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 2 Snowy Egret 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 6 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Osprey 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Cooper's Hawk 1 American Kestrel 2 Merlin 2 Killdeer 1 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Short-billed Dowitcher 4 (Early flyover group of 3 calling; heard once more later.) Belted Kingfisher 2 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 15 Eastern Phoebe 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10 Hermit Thrush 3 Gray Catbird 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 2 (Together along the sheltered edge of the north field east of the pier.) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 50 Palm Warbler (Western) 1 Palm Warbler (Yellow) 30 Common Yellowthroat 3 Chipping Sparrow 4 Field Sparrow 1 Savannah Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 20 Swamp Sparrow 20 White-throated Sparrow 35 White-crowned Sparrow 2 (Juveniles.) Blue Grosbeak 1 (First fall, in brush at sheltered corner of north field east of the pier.) -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
