Prospect Park 10/29--American Woodcock

Great Blue Heron on Lullwater

I ran into Rob B today on the peninsula and he mentioned that he thought he'd seen a woodcock over on Breeze Hill where the feeders are put up. His description--a brownish red bird moving out of the brush at speed--sounded right. We walked along for a while then he went up to Lookout Hill and I proceeded around the lake. Climbing up the southern side of Breeze Hill through the underbrush (the path was blocked by construction) I flushed the bird--it flew up a couple of feet away from me zipping to the right, its wings whistling. On the rare occasions that I flush a woodcock or snipe (like the one earlier this month at Salt Marsh Nature Center), my first reaction is always, "What the *@#% was that!?" This reaction loses valuable viewing time. But I've learned by now that this reaction also indicates woodcock or snipe--if the bird flies off in a zig-zag pattern with a raspy call then it's a snipe; a brown bird in underbrush flying straight and whistling--woodcock.

Birds were on the move this morning. When I got to the ballfields hundreds of birds were streaming overhead to the west--mostly juncos from what I could tell, but also a flock of flickers. Two other interesting birds were a late Blackpoll Warbler on the southern shore of the lake and an American Wigeon on the Upper Pool--the consolation prize for no Wood Ducks to be found.

Immature Double-crested Cormorants on Lullwater

List:

Prospect Park
Number of species:    41
Canada Goose    70
Mute Swan    7
American Wigeon    1    Drake, Upper Pool
American Black Duck    2    Lake
Mallard    50
Northern Shoveler    35
Ruddy Duck    55
Pied-billed Grebe    3    One on Lullwater, 2 on lake
Double-crested Cormorant    7
Great Blue Heron    3    Two on south Lullwater, one on Duck Island. 
Red-tailed Hawk    2    Lake & ball fields
American Coot    15
American Woodcock    1    Flushed on southern side of Breeze Hill
Ring-billed Gull    50
Herring Gull    10
Rock Pigeon    30
Mourning Dove    16
Downy Woodpecker    1
Hairy Woodpecker    2
Northern Flicker    10
Eastern Phoebe    1    Boathouse
Blue Jay    5
American Crow    30
Black-capped Chickadee    8
Tufted Titmouse    2
White-breasted Nuthatch    2
House Wren    1    Lullwater Trail
Golden-crowned Kinglet    4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet    9
Hermit Thrush    16
American Robin    10
Gray Catbird    1    Near Wellhouse
European Starling    50
Yellow-rumped Warbler    8
Blackpoll Warbler    1    By Three Sisters
Song Sparrow    60
White-throated Sparrow    100
Dark-eyed Junco    200
Northern Cardinal    5
American Goldfinch    2
House Sparrow    25

Cryptic Sign for Park Workers