Date: Saturday, 7 November 2009 (10:10a-5:00p) Location: Floyd Bennett Field, Four Sparrow Marsh & Salt Marsh Nature Center Observers: Eve Levine, Ben Cacace Reported by: Ben Cacace
Taxonomic listing below the groupings by abundance. We took public transportation to Floyd Bennett Field and walked the grounds starting at the hangars and moving south through the community gardens & compost heap. Then to the pines south of the center of the X formed by the two longest landing strips. Then up to the Pond in the North Forty. A surprise was the relative lack of sparrows seen and the decent number of raptors at Floyd Bennett Field - both nocturnal and diurnal. The raptors were not migrating but were acting local. Google Map showing entrances to the 3 locations: http://preview.tinyurl.com/yh4ugmq Floyd Bennett Field = FBF Four Sparrow Marsh = FSM Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park = SMNC ** Total species - 40 ** 'Scarce' seen in habitat, but not daily [1 spp]: - Ring-necked Pheasant - 1 north of the soccer field at FBF 'Uncommon' seen in small numbers; 1-3 per day in habitat [6 spp]: - Osprey - 1 over FSM - Red-shouldered Hawk - 2 incl. 1 over FBF & 1 over SMNC - Peregrine Falcon - 1 over FBF - Laughing Gull - 5 at SMNC - Great Horned Owl - 1 - American Tree Sparrow - 1 at SMNC 'Fairly Common' usually seen; 3-12 per day in habitat [11 spp]: - American Wigeon - 24+ at SMNC - Greater Scaup - Pair at SMNC - Great Blue Heron - 1 at SMNC - Northern Harrier - 2 incl. 1 over FBF & 1 over SMNC - Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 over FBF - Red-tailed Hawk - 2 incl. 1 over FBF & 1 over FSM - American Kestrel - 1 male at FBF - Greater Yellowlegs - 2 incl. 1 at FBF & 1 at SMNC - Downy Woodpecker - Several heard (2+) - Northern Mockingbird - 6+ at FBF - American Goldfinch - 6+ at FBF 'Common' seen easily; more than 12 per day in habitat [22 spp]: - Brant - 75+ incl. 50 at FSM & 25 at SMNC - Canada Goose - 50+ incl. 22 at FBF & 28 at FSM - Mallard - 30+ incl. 6 at FBF & 24 at SMNC - Northern Shoveler - 3 at the Pond at FBF - Green-winged Teal - 14+ at the Pond at FBF - Bufflehead - 50+ at SMNC - Double-crested Cormorant - 24+ FBF, FSM & SMNC - Ring-billed Gull - 1 over FBF - Herring Gull - 12+ over FBF - Great Black-backed Gull - 2 over FBF - Rock Pigeon - 12+ - Mourning Dove - 12+ - American Crow - 40+ at FBF - European Starling - 100+ at FBF - Yellow-rumped Warbler - 50+ at FBF - Song Sparrow - 12+ mainly around community gardens - Swamp Sparrow - 2 at FSM - White-throated Sparrow - 6+ mainly around community gardens - Dark-eyed Junco - 6+ at FBF - Brown-headed Cowbird - 200+ between Ranger Rd & Enterprise Rd in FBF - House Finch - 2+ at FBF - House Sparrow - 12+ at FBF Abundance categories from 'The New York City Audubon Society Guide to Finding Birds in the Metropolitan Area' published 2001. Abundance season is 'late Fall', mid September - November, and applies to all of New York City. Taxonomic order: - Brant - 75+ incl. 50 at FSM & 25 at SMNC - Canada Goose - 50+ incl. 22 at FBF & 28 at FSM - American Wigeon - 24+ at SMNC - Mallard - 30+ incl. 6 at FBF & 24 at SMNC - Northern Shoveler - 3 at the Pond at FBF - Green-winged Teal - 14+ at the Pond at FBF - Greater Scaup - Pair at SMNC - Bufflehead - 50+ at SMNC - Ring-necked Pheasant - 1 north of the soccer field at FBF - Double-crested Cormorant - 24+ FBF, FSM & SMNC - Great Blue Heron - 1 at SMNC - Osprey - 1 over FSM - Northern Harrier - 2 incl. 1 over FBF & 1 over SMNC - Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 over FBF - Red-shouldered Hawk - 2 incl. 1 over FBF & 1 over SMNC - Red-tailed Hawk - 2 incl. 1 over FBF & 1 over FSM - American Kestrel - 1 male at FBF - Peregrine Falcon - 1 over FBF - Greater Yellowlegs - 2 incl. 1 at FBF & 1 at SMNC - Laughing Gull - 5 at SMNC - Ring-billed Gull - 1 over FBF - Herring Gull - 12+ over FBF - Great Black-backed Gull - 2 over FBF - Rock Pigeon - 12+ - Mourning Dove - 12+ - Great Horned Owl - 1 - Downy Woodpecker - Several heard (2+) - American Crow - 40+ at FBF - Northern Mockingbird - 6+ at FBF - European Starling - 100+ at FBF - Yellow-rumped Warbler - 50+ at FBF - American Tree Sparrow - 1 at SMNC - Song Sparrow - 12+ mainly around community gardens - Swamp Sparrow - 2 at FSM - White-throated Sparrow - 6+ mainly around community gardens - Dark-eyed Junco - 6+ at FBF - Brown-headed Cowbird - 200+ between Ranger Rd & Enterprise Rd in FBF - House Finch - 2+ at FBF - American Goldfinch - 6+ at FBF - House Sparrow - 12+ at FBF -- 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/ --
