JBWR 10/17 The Ducks (& Geese) Are Back!

Brants panic as Norther Harrier swoops above them--photo by Shari Zirlin

Perfect day at Jamaica Bay--weather was clear & cool, lighting was perfect, and the birds were abundant. The winter ducks and geese have have returned in good numbers. There were thousands of Brants in the bay & on the West Bay. Strangely, none on the East Pond. The lone Snow Goose last week from Prospect Park has been followed by a large flock  on the West Pond. Again, none on the East. Lots of wigeons, shovelers, hundreds of Ruddy Ducks, both teals, a few Gadwalls, and scaup--most of them a coin toss as to whether Greater or Lesser, but a few we could confidently ID as Greater on the East Pond. (And for you out-of-towners, yes, that is the Manhattan skyline in the background--about 20 miles away.)

Green-winged Teal on Big John's Pond
--Photo Shari Zirlin

Like the salt marsh a couple of weeks ago, the place was lousy with Yellow-rumped Warblers--almost to the exclusion of any other passerines. There were some sparrows and other birds, but really, everywhere you looked a bird was flash its big yellow rump at you.

Hawks were also in evidence today. Merlins chasing each other, Northern Harriers scaring the birds on the ponds, and a couple of Sharp-shinned Hawks.

Shari Zirlin

Despite being practically on top of this hawk at Big John's Pond, Shari & I had a hell of a time deciding between Cooper's and Sharpie. The bird wouldn't turn around to give us a look at its breast. I thought the tail was rounded enough to make it a Cooper's, but after looking at a lot of pictures in books and on line I finally had to admit, mostly from the shape and coloring of the head that it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk. It was beautiful to see it from the blind for such a long time. That's the advantage of being able to take good pictures with Shari's new camera--we get review the birds we saw in tranquility, without the distraction of trying to identify all the other birds flying about at the same time.

The complete List for the day:
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
West Pond, East Pond, Big John's Pond
# of species: 42

Snow Goose    68
Brant    2000
Canada Goose    100
Mute Swan   106
American Wigeon    25
American Black Duck    10

Gadwall 3
Mallard    21
Blue-winged Teal    2
Northern Shoveler    12
Green-winged Teal    35
Greater/Lesser Scaup    20

Greater Scaup 5
Ruddy Duck    550
Pied-billed Grebe    2
Double-crested Cormorant    55
Great Blue Heron    3
Great Egret    4
Black-crowned Night-Heron    8
Northern Harrier    2
Sharp-shinned Hawk    2
Merlin    3

Peregrine Falcon 1
American Coot    6

American Oystercatcher    1
Greater Yellowlegs    11

Ring-billed Gull    X
Herring Gull    X

Great Black-backed Gull 1
American Crow    5
Black-capped Chickadee    1
Gray Catbird    4
Northern Mockingbird    1
European Starling    30
Yellow-rumped Warbler    90
Field Sparrow    1
Song Sparrow    2
Swamp Sparrow    1
White-throated Sparrow    16

Dark-eyed Junco    15
Northern Cardinal    1
Common Grackle 1
House Sparrow    2