Prospect Park 3/10

It felt like a spring day in the park and this Great Blue Heron was the happy surprise of the day. Nothing new has flown in yet, but there is a Ring-necked Duck on the Upper Pool and I'm wondering if it is the same one that took up residence there all last summer. Doubtful, but it will be interesting to see how long this one sticks around.   There were quite a few Ring-necks on the lake a couple of days ago, passing through on their way up north.

There were also 2 Buffleheads, a hen & a drake on the Upper Pool. I didn't think to try to take a picture of them. Even when I have the camera I usually don't think to use it. You can either look at birds or you can take pictures of birds and unless you have a very good camera (& I don't) it isn't worth the bother unless there's something really unusual, or something really big (like the heron).

This duck isn't really swimming through oil; it's only the reflection of the lowering March sky on the Boathouse Pool.
Prospect Park

Observation date:     3/10/10

Number of species:     37

 Canada Goose     110

Mute Swan     7

Wood Duck     1     Boathouse pond

American Black Duck     7

American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid)     2

Mallard     145

Northern Shoveler     6     Lullwater

Ring-necked Duck     1     Drake on Upper Pool

Bufflehead     2     Hen & Drake, Upper Pool

Hooded Merganser     2     Drakes on the lake

Ruddy Duck     26

Great Blue Heron     1     Near West Island

American Coot     10

Ring-billed Gull     50

Herring Gull     20

Great Black-backed Gull     2

Rock Pigeon     20

Mourning Dove     6

Red-bellied Woodpecker     1

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     1     Vale Cashmere

Downy Woodpecker     5

Blue Jay     7

American Crow     4

Black-capped Chickadee     4

Tufted Titmouse     3

White-breasted Nuthatch     3

American Robin     49

Northern Mockingbird     1     Lullwater Trail

European Starling     32

Song Sparrow     7

White-throated Sparrow     19

Dark-eyed Junco     12

Northern Cardinal     11

Red-winged Blackbird     10     Feeders

Common Grackle     20

House Finch     5     Feeders

American Goldfinch     6

House Sparrow     25