Prospect Park 9/23

I thought I was doing all right today in the park--I found a couple of towhees, 8 species of warblers (lots of yellowthroats and waterthrushes), a Veery, a couple of very vocal Carolina Wrens, etc. The White-throated Sparrows are back. 35 species in all--not bad, not amazing, but not bad I thought, until I saw the list for the Brooklyn Bird Club walk this morning--77 species! Yikes. Granted, there were 15 or 16 pairs of eyes to my one set, and of course, some of those birders are a lot better than I am at quick identification, but still--more than double my total? I crossed paths with the walk on the south side of the lake and stopped to chat for a little while with a couple of the birders I know. They both said that up until that point it had been pretty slow. If they were having a slow morning than what was I having? Very discouraging.

While I was standing around with the group a few of them spotted a Willow Flycatcher in a tree--but I couldn't find it and asking for its location would have been futile--what part of the cloud of leaves is it in? So I realize that I probably walk by a dozen species either through inattention or impatience.

But, just to give a sense of how many species of birds are in that park, I still found 4 species that they didn't see. So then I wonder, "How did they overlook those birds?" They didn't find the towhees, they didn't find the phoebe, or the Song Sparrows--how come I did? Luck, I guess. What I find is luck; what they find is skill.
With all that said, here's the list:
Prospect Park

Number of species:     35

Canada Goose     65

Mute Swan     7

Wood Duck     4     Upper Pool

Mallard     50

Northern Shoveler     4     South Lullwater

Double-crested Cormorant     3

Red-tailed Hawk     1

Rock Pigeon     40

Mourning Dove     11

Red-bellied Woodpecker     7

Downy Woodpecker     1

Northern Flicker     4

Eastern Wood-Pewee     1     Vale

Eastern Phoebe     1     Vale

Red-eyed Vireo     1     Peninsula

Blue Jay     9

Black-capped Chickadee     1     Lookout Hill

Carolina Wren     2     Lookout Hill, both very vocal.

Veery     1     Behind Boathouse

American Robin     23

Gray Catbird     25

European Starling     2

Northern Parula     2     South shore of lake

Magnolia Warbler     3

Yellow-rumped Warbler     2     South shore of Lake

Palm Warbler     2

Black-and-white Warbler     2     South shore of Lake

American Redstart     2

Northern Waterthrush     5     South shore of lake

Common Yellowthroat     7

Eastern Towhee     2     M&F. Lookout Hill

Song Sparrow     3

White-throated Sparrow     5

Northern Cardinal     10

House Sparrow     70