Friday, February 18, 2011

Prospect Park 2/18--Ruby-crowned Kinglet

A spring-like day and my duty as a citizen-scientist to participate in Cornell's Great Backyard Bird Count took me out this morning to Prospect Park. Prospect Park is my backyard. The best bird I saw was the last bird I saw--Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the Rose Garden. I saw it fluttering among the bare tree branches on the northern perimeter. It's rushing the season and that's all right with me.

Other new birds for the year: Hairy Woodpecker on the suet by the feeders--on one side was the Hairy, on the other a Downy Woodpecker, making the identification so easy; Common Grackles have returned; and I heard my first Carolina Wren of the year.

I am annoyed, though, that I missed 2 Ring-necked Ducks spotted by another birder on the lake. I can't imagine how I could have overlooked them. Maybe my timing was off, again.

Two lists:
Prospect Park
Number of species:    32
Canada Goose    153
Mute Swan    6
American Black Duck    4
Mallard    165
Northern Shoveler    77
Ruddy Duck    1
Red-tailed Hawk    4
American Coot    5
Ring-billed Gull    200
Herring Gull    100
Great Black-backed Gull    2
Rock Pigeon    1
Mourning Dove    8
Red-bellied Woodpecker    2
Downy Woodpecker    2
Blue Jay    18
Black-capped Chickadee    21
White-breasted Nuthatch    2
Carolina Wren    1    Near Wellhouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet    1    Rose Garden

American Robin    9    In sumac near peninsula
Northern Mockingbird    1    Behind Boathouse
European Starling    13
Song Sparrow    2    One behind Boathouse, one in Vale
White-throated Sparrow    10
Dark-eyed Junco    8    Vale
Northern Cardinal    20
Red-winged Blackbird    1    Lake shore
Common Grackle    4    Boathouse
House Finch    4    Breeze Hill
American Goldfinch    6    Five on Breeze Hill, one bathing in ice puddle on lake
House Sparrow    30


Feeders
Number of species:    16
Mourning Dove    3
Red-bellied Woodpecker    1
Downy Woodpecker    3
Hairy Woodpecker    1
Blue Jay    5
Black-capped Chickadee    6
Tufted Titmouse    1
White-breasted Nuthatch    2
White-throated Sparrow    3

Dark-eyed Junco    1
Northern Cardinal    5
Red-winged Blackbird    1
House Finch    1
Pine Siskin    2
American Goldfinch    5
House Sparrow    2

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