Monday, February 28, 2011

February Wrap-up

Winter birding is tough. Weather is a problem for me and the birds. The cold doesn't bother them so much, but it bother me. When its windy they hide--and so do I.

So, naturally, we went to Berkshire County in Massachusetts this month, where it was both really cold and 1 day, really windy. And naturally, we found our best birds there: COMMON REDPOLL (a lifer for us) and Bohemian Waxwing, a rarity even up there and a species we'd only seen once before, a few years ago at Sandy Hook. That was a single bird. This was a flock.

Ironically, the weekend we traveled up to MA to seek out redpolls, they irrupted down here in NY. Reports from all over, including the feeders at Prospect Park, Jones Beach, Sandy Hook, Seven Presidents...all the places we like to bird. And yet, had we not gone to MA and chased them down here, I'm certain we'd have heard, "Oh, you just missed them, they were here 10 minutes ago."

I did a little better this month than last--72 species compared to 63. I don't consider it a successful month unless I see a minimum of 100.
Counties birded in February:
New York: Kings, Richmond.
New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth.
Massachusetts: Berkshire

Snow Goose  E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Brant          E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Canada Goose E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Mute Swan   Prospect Park
Tundra Swan E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Gadwall         E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
American Wigeon Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
American Black Duck  E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Mallard                 Iselin
Northern Shoveler E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Northern Pintail E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Green-winged Teal Mount Loretto Unique Area
Ring-necked Duck Batsto Village
White-winged Scoter Sandy Hook
Long-tailed Duck  Sandy Hook
Bufflehead E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Hooded Merganser E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Common Merganser E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Red-breasted Merganser Sandy Hook
Ruddy Duck E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Red-throated Loon Sandy Hook
Common Loon  Seven Presidents Park
Pied-billed Grebe   Batsto Village
Horned Grebe Sandy Hook
Double-crested Cormorant Brooklyn Bridge Park--between Piers 3 & 4
Great Blue Heron E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Turkey Vulture Iselin
Bald Eagle County Rd 542
Northern Harrier E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Cooper's Hawk Gurley Ave
Red-tailed Hawk  Iselin
Merlin Marine Park--West
Peregrine Falcon   E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
American Coot Prospect Park
Sanderling Seven Presidents Park
Ring-billed Gull E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Herring Gull   E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Great Black-backed Gull E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Rock Pigeon    Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Mourning Dove 18 Aberdeen Avenue
Monk Parakeet Marine Park--West
Barred Owl E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Red-bellied Woodpecker 18 Aberdeen Avenue
Downy Woodpecker Prospect Park--Feeders
Hairy Woodpecker Prospect Park--Feeders
Blue Jay    18 Aberdeen Avenue
American Crow E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Carolina Chickadee E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Black-capped Chickadee Prospect Park
Tufted Titmouse E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
Red-breasted Nuthatch Batsto Village
White-breasted Nuthatch    Prospect Park--Feeders
Carolina Wren Prospect Park
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Prospect Park
American Robin Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Northern Mockingbird Prospect Park
European Starling 18 Aberdeen Avenue
Bohemian Waxwing Windsor -- North Street
Yellow-rumped Warbler E. B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
American Tree Sparrow Prospect Park
Fox Sparrow Prospect Park--Feeders
Song Sparrow Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
White-throated Sparrow 18 Aberdeen Avenue
Dark-eyed Junco 18 Aberdeen Avenue
Northern Cardinal 18 Aberdeen Avenue
Red-winged Blackbird Prospect Park--Feeders
Common Grackle             Prospect Park
House Finch Prospect Park--Feeders
COMMON REDPOLL            Coles Brook Farm
Pine Siskin Prospect Park--Feeders
American Goldfinch Prospect Park--Feeders
House Sparrow 18 Aberdeen Avenue


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