Date: Saturday, 10 April 2010 (8:40a-1:30p, 3:20p-6:45p) Location: Goethal's Bridge Pond, southern S.I., Lemon Creek & Wolfe's Pond Parks Reported by: Ben Cacace
Highlights are mainly personal first of season birds. Walking for the day totaled 13.25 miles: *Goethal's Bridge Pond*: Today I finally found 2 good spots to observe the pond which was unexpectedly a low tide mud flat. I hadn't checked the tides. This map shows the locations & both are easily accessible on foot < http://tinyurl.com/yatr52d >. The mudflats were rather quiet but 15 individual shorebirds were seen including 3 *PECTORAL SANDPIPERS*, 10 *GREATER YELLOWLEGS* & 2 *KILLDEER*. There was also 2 pair of *GREEN-WINGED TEAL*. *TREE SWALLOWS* were already testing out nest boxes. *Lemon Creek Park*: 1 *RED-THROATED LOON* continues on the bay and 3 *BARN SWALLOWS* were also spotted here. *Wolfe's Pond Park*: 1 *OSPREY* was checking out Wolfe's Pond for a meal. After deciding not to take the plunge it headed south. Weather for 10-Apr for Newark, NJ (8:51a-6:51a) < http://tinyurl.com/ydmxvc8>: - Conditions: Mostly Cloudy > Scattered Clouds > Partly Cloudy > Clear - Temperature: 45.0 to 64.0 F (7.2 to 17.8 C) - Wind direction: WNW > WSW > W > WSW - Wind speed: 11 - 22 mph (gusts to 29 mph) Abundance categories below from 'The Birds of Staten Island' checklist last updated in 2000. Abundance categories below for 'Spring'. *Taxonomic order follows the categories*. ** Total species - 47 ** Not listed for 'Spring' season [1 spp]: - Great Cormorant - 1 on "52" buoy/structure off Conference House Park 'Occasional' seen a few times per season [2 spp]: - Northern Shoveler - At least 2 males on Wolfe's Pond - Boat-tailed Grackle - Several along Hylan Boulevard (2+) 'Uncommon' present but may not be seen [8 spp]: - Mute Swan - 1 on Wolfe's Pond - Red-throated Loon - At least 1 on the bay from Lemon Creek Park - Great Blue Heron - 1 adult on Wolfe's Pond - Turkey Vulture - 6+ incl. 3 over Goethal's Bridge Pond & 3 over Conference House Park - Osprey - 1 looking for a meal over Wolfe's Pond - Red-tailed Hawk - 3 incl. 1 adult & 1 juv. circling together around Goethal's Bridge Pond - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 at Mariners Marsh Park - Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1 over Wolfe's Pond 'Common' certain in proper habitat [12 spp]: - Gadwall - Pair (m/f) on Wolfe's Pond - Green-winged Teal - 4+ (2m/2f) on the mudflats of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Red-breasted Merganser - 2 females on the bay from Conference House Park - Snowy Egret - 1 on the Goethal's Bridge Pond mudflats - Killdeer - 2 on the Goethal's Bridge Pond mudflats - Bonaparte's Gull - 1 on the bay from Wolfe's Pond Park - Downy Woodpecker - 1 heard at Lemon Creek Park - Eastern Phoebe - 1 heard at Conference House Park - Fish Crow - Several incl. Mariner's Marsh Park (3+) - Northern Mockingbird - 2+ - Brown-headed Cowbird - 2+ incl. 1 female around Goethal's Bridge Pond & 1 male at Mariner's Marsh Park - American Goldfinch - 6+ around Mariners' Marsh Park 'Abundant' sure to see [24 spp]: - Brant - 250+ mainly from Tottenville & the bay - Canada Goose - 30+ - American Black Duck - 2+ - Mallard - 24+ - Bufflehead - 8+ incl. Newark Bay, Tottenville & Wolfe's Pond - Double-crested Cormorant - 36+ - Greater Yellowlegs - 10 on & flocking over Goethal's Bridge Pond - Ring-billed Gull - 200+ - Herring Gull - 75+ - Great Black-backed Gull - 25+ - Rock Pigeon - 24+ - Mourning Dove - 15+ - Northern Flicker - 2+ - Blue Jay - 2+ - Tree Swallow - 2+ around Goethal's Bridge Pond - Barn Swallow - 4 incl. 1 over bay from Conference House Park & 3 at Lemon Creek Park - American Robin - 75+ - European Starling - 25+ - Song Sparrow - 5+ - White-throated Sparrow - A few heard (2+) - Northern Cardinal - 10+ - Red-winged Blackbird - 15+ - Common Grackle - 150+ - House Sparrow - 24+ Taxonomic order: - Brant - 250+ mainly from Tottenville & the bay - Canada Goose - 30+ - Mute Swan - 1 on Wolfe's Pond - Gadwall - Pair (m/f) on Wolfe's Pond - American Black Duck - 2+ - Mallard - 24+ - Northern Shoveler - At least 2 males on Wolfe's Pond - Green-winged Teal - 4+ (2m/2f) on the mudflats of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Bufflehead - 8+ incl. Newark Bay, Tottenville & Wolfe's Pond - Red-breasted Merganser - 2 females on the bay from Conference House Park - Red-throated Loon - At least 1 on the bay from Lemon Creek Park - Double-crested Cormorant - 36+ - Great Cormorant - 1 on "52" buoy/structure off Conference House Park - Great Blue Heron - 1 adult on Wolfe's Pond - Snowy Egret - 1 on the Goethal's Bridge Pond mudflats - Turkey Vulture - 6+ incl. 3 over Goethal's Bridge Pond & 3 over Conference House Park - Osprey - 1 looking for a meal over Wolfe's Pond - Red-tailed Hawk - 3 incl. 1 adult & 1 juv. circling together around Goethal's Bridge Pond - Killdeer - 2 on the Goethal's Bridge Pond mudflats - Greater Yellowlegs - 10 on & flocking over Goethal's Bridge Pond - Bonaparte's Gull - 1 on the bay from Wolfe's Pond Park - Ring-billed Gull - 200+ - Herring Gull - 75+ - Great Black-backed Gull - 25+ - Rock Pigeon - 24+ - Mourning Dove - 15+ - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 at Mariners Marsh Park - Downy Woodpecker - 1 heard at Lemon Creek Park - Northern Flicker - 2+ - Eastern Phoebe - 1 heard at Conference House Park - Blue Jay - 2+ - Fish Crow - Several incl. Mariner's Marsh Park (3+) - Tree Swallow - 2+ around Goethal's Bridge Pond - Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1 over Wolfe's Pond - Barn Swallow - 4 incl. 1 over bay from Conference House Park & 3 at Lemon Creek Park - American Robin - 75+ - Northern Mockingbird - 2+ - European Starling - 25+ - Song Sparrow - 5+ - White-throated Sparrow - A few heard (2+) - Northern Cardinal - 10+ - Red-winged Blackbird - 15+ - Common Grackle - 150+ - Boat-tailed Grackle - Several along Hylan Boulevard (2+) - Brown-headed Cowbird - 2+ incl. 1 female around Goethal's Bridge Pond & 1 male at Mariner's Marsh Park - American Goldfinch - 6+ around Mariners' Marsh Park - House Sparrow - 24+ -- 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 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
