I began my search for the Avocet this morning (9:00) at Leon Kaiser Park. The Avocet was nowhere to be seen from the sandy beach off Bayview Ave. (where it was seen in the afternoon yesterday and today). But I eventually spotted if from the park's promenade farther east (near the soccer field). It was feeding well up into the northern arm of the creek near mud exposed By the low tide Also seen from the Kaiser Park vantage was a single white goose among ~60 Canada Geese (CAGO) sitting on the water. I briefly thought I'd gotten very lucky and scored a 2-for-1 deal on both Brooklyn rarities and wouldn't have to go to Floyd Bennett Field for the Ross's Goose. But careful study of the bird through my scope proved it to be a Snow Goose-- at least 3/4 the size of the CAGOs and having a large bill with a prominent grin patch. I also looked through the flock of geese and gulls feeding on the Kaiser Park lawn (adjacent to the soccer field), but the Ross's was not there either. I should have checked the school yard where Janet Zinn found the Ross's later in the day. Wanting a closer look at the Avocet, I decided to relocate to the Home Depot on Cropsey Avenue and walk across the adjacent ball fields to access the creek nearer the bird. I found it feeding actively near some Black Ducks and American Wigeon. It caught at least 2 minnows while I observed and photographed it.
At Floyd Bennett I struck out on the Ross's, both at the golf center on the west side of Flatbush Ave. and in the park proper. There were no geese at all in the former and only CAGOs at FBF. To add insult to injury, I had a frustratingly brief look at a Shrike while driving along the runway that ends at Dead Horse Bay, near the radio-controlled model airplane area. Frustrating because I only saw the bird obliquely through the windshield of my car; It was backlit; And then, right on cue, a Mockingbird flew into the same tree to harass the Shrike, which pulled a vanishing act in the 4 seconds it took me to shut off and exit my car. Upon doing so I turned around to see only the Mockingbird still in the tree. I spent the next 45 minutes waiting and searching for the Shrike to no avail. Northern would of course be the much more likely Shrike species to find, but keeping in mind the Loggerhead Shrike at Jones Beach last year and this fall's mild weather, I couldn't confidently ID this bird based on the poor look I got of it. Of course, I did see at least another 3-4 Mockingbirds. Mocking me. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
