Mount Loretto 6/11--Play Misty For Me

At times today I felt very much like a vegetable at Stop & Shop--a constant mist was sprayed on me, my glasses, and my binoculars. It was alternately foggy and windy; throw in a leaden sky and you have perfect birding conditions so long as you don't mind birding in shades of gray.

However, I did find a few cool birds, like the family of Wood Ducks I saw on one of the ponds: momma and her 6 little ducklings.

I was also surprised to find a Wood Thrush on the main asphalt trail. I saw a bird pulling at a overhanging twig and at first thought it might be a thrasher but closer looks revealed its thrushiness--too small to be a thrasher and too brown & spotted to be any other thrush.

Mammalia found were Muskrat, bunny, and a very startled deer.

28 species on a day that reminded me of one those lousy, rainy days when you're on vacation at the shore.
Wood Duck    9
Mallard    8
Double-crested Cormorant    3    Raritan Bay
Great Egret    3    All flyovers
Snowy Egret    1    Edge of bay
Herring Gull    10
Great Black-backed Gull    1
Mourning Dove    2
Northern Flicker    2
Eastern Wood-Pewee    1
Willow Flycatcher    1
Eastern Kingbird    1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow    1
Tree Swallow    1
Barn Swallow    6
Wood Thrush    1
American Robin    20
Gray Catbird    7
European Starling    10
Cedar Waxwing    1
Yellow Warbler    6
Common Yellowthroat    4
Song Sparrow    1
Red-winged Blackbird    50
Common Grackle    2
Boat-tailed Grackle    1
Brown-headed Cowbird    2
American Goldfinch    4

Marine Park--Southwest 6/10: Willet

I mostly found the expected birds today in Marine Park's marsh. Walking back along the shore I scared up a Willet. And I do mean scared--it flushed from the high grass and began circling me, calling incessantly (and, interestingly, not the "pee-willet" call it is known for). I felt bad that it was so distressed. I thought maybe it had a nest nearby and was trying to distract me, the way Killdeer will, but it flew in ever widening circles around me as I walked along. It would land in the grass for a moment, then take off again chattering in flight. Finally it flew off behind me. If the Willet is reading this, sorry to disturb you.

It was low tide, hot and clammy, so by noon I was through. 31 species I could identify. A couple that I had to let go by due to bad light or distance.
Mallard    4
Double-crested Cormorant    3
Great Egret    7
Snowy Egret    3
Black-crowned Night-Heron    1
Osprey    2
American Oystercatcher    6
Willet    1
Herring Gull    20
Least Tern    2
Sterna sp.    1
Rock Pigeon    4
Mourning Dove    5
Chimney Swift    1
Willow Flycatcher    2
Empidonax sp.    1
American Crow    2
Barn Swallow    8
Marsh Wren    1
American Robin    10
Gray Catbird    3
Brown Thrasher    1
European Starling    40
Yellow Warbler    3
Common Yellowthroat    6
Eastern Towhee    2
Song Sparrow    4
Northern Cardinal    2
Red-winged Blackbird    25
Common Grackle    3
Boat-tailed Grackle    5
Baltimore Oriole    1
House Sparrow    4 

Smart Car wreck Week 2

Still there.

Wreck with kayakers and Great Egret in background

In a thousand years this car will have returned to the Earth.

New junk that wasn't there last week.

Psychics Can Look into Your Future But Not, Apparently, the Dictionary

West 27th & 7th Av
Photo: Michel Theard

Clinton St & Atlantic Av

JBWR 6/5

I finally saw my first American Redstart of the year, on the trail between the south and north gardens. It was getting embarrassing how long it took to find one. And I probably wouldn't have seen this one had Shari not picked it out.

24 American Oystercatchers made Shari happy. Late scaup, ruddies and Brants were hanging around.

We went counter-clockwise around the West Pond today, so our last stop was Bench One where we showed a guy with 2 little kids their first Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and Great Egret. Dad was excited, the two little kids semi-interested, but we did our bit to recruit a couple of new birders. Someday one of those kids will be saying, "Gee, I remember the first Yellow-crowned Night Heron I ever saw, my dad picked me up and put my eye to the scope this nice couple had set up." Or maybe dad will get hooked; he was writing down the sightings in his new Sibley's.

48 species among the 3 ponds. No shorebirds but the oystercatchers. I guess we have to wait for mid-summer when they start heading south.

West Pond
Brant    3
Canada Goose    100
Mute Swan    1
Gadwall    5
American Black Duck    3
Mallard    10
Greater Scaup    2
Ruddy Duck    32
Double-crested Cormorant    1
Great Blue Heron    1
Great Egret    8
Snowy Egret    5
Little Blue Heron    1
Black-crowned Night-Heron    5
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron    4
Glossy Ibis    20
Osprey    4
Clapper Rail    1
American Oystercatcher    24
Laughing Gull    50
Ring-billed Gull    1
Herring Gull    1
Great Black-backed Gull    1
Forster's Tern    20
Mourning Dove    2
Willow Flycatcher    3
American Crow    3
Tree Swallow    50
Black-capped Chickadee    2
Carolina Wren    1
House Wren    1
Marsh Wren    2
American Robin    2
Gray Catbird    10
Northern Mockingbird    2
European Starling    5
Cedar Waxwing    4
Yellow Warbler    12
American Redstart    1
Common Yellowthroat    4
Eastern Towhee    6
Song Sparrow    4
Northern Cardinal    5
Red-winged Blackbird    50
Boat-tailed Grackle    2
Big John's Pond
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron    3
American Crow    1
Yellow Warbler    2
Red-winged Blackbird    1
East Pond
Canada Goose    100
Mute Swan    95
Gadwall    4
Mallard    10
Double-crested Cormorant    5
Laughing Gull    150
Herring Gull    25
Great Black-backed Gull    20
Common Tern    1
Willow Flycatcher    1
American Crow    1
Tree Swallow    20
Barn Swallow    5
American Robin    3
Gray Catbird    10
Brown Thrasher    1
Yellow Warbler    10
Eastern Towhee    1
Red-winged Blackbird    10

Marine Park--Southwest 6/4

It was high tide on Gerritsen Creek this morning, so the only shore birds I saw were Killdeer and good old reliable oystercatchers. The scofflaws were out in force though. While the Army Corps of Engineers is spending millions restoring 45 acres of the salt marsh, including stabilizing the shoreline,  nothing & no one prevents water skiers (below) or Jet-Skis from creating wakes that will undo the work by creating wakes almost as fast as it done. When all the work is done, I'm sure there will be an elaborate ceremony--just don't have it at high tide because nothing will be heard over the roar of outboard motors.

Joke
Q: What's the difference between a vacuum cleaner and a Jet Ski?
A: The dirt bag attaches in different places.

Meanwhile, I continue to find abandoned, stolen, burnt up cars. The is one is fresh; it wasn't there last Sunday. The woods still smelled of the fire, which was intense enough to burn all the paint off the car. Looks like a Smart Car. It is right off the main trail, just across from the model airplane field. This one is at least accessible--let's see how long it just sits there. We can watch as it rusts.

I was surprised to find that the Killdeer were the first ones I've seen Brooklyn, ever. I also saw my Brooklyn FOY Cedar Waxwing--a singleton, which I found odd since they are gregarious birds.

37 species for the day.
Canada Goose    20
Mallard    2
Double-crested Cormorant    1
Great Blue Heron    1
Great Egret    7
Snowy Egret    5
Osprey    1
Northern Harrier    1
Killdeer    2
American Oystercatcher    3
Laughing Gull    20
Ring-billed Gull    10
Herring Gull    30
Least Tern    6
Common Tern    2
Rock Pigeon    10
Mourning Dove    3
Willow Flycatcher    3
Empidonax sp.    1
American Crow    3
Fish Crow    1
Barn Swallow    5
American Robin    30
Gray Catbird    10
Northern Mockingbird    2
Brown Thrasher    2
European Starling    100
Cedar Waxwing    1
Yellow Warbler    4
Common Yellowthroat    6
Eastern Towhee    1
Chipping Sparrow    1
Song Sparrow    4
Northern Cardinal    7
Red-winged Blackbird    50
Common Grackle    6
Boat-tailed Grackle    5
House Sparrow    10

Great Egret with starlings & pigeons

As we did last week, let's end with a more pleasant image. 

Prospect Park 6/3--Summer Doldrums?

Someone closed the door, shut the window, flicked the switch, pulled the plug: Migration is over. It could have been because it was very windy this morning, but not much was happening in the park. It seemed like all the birds were robins, starlings, or pigeons. The only "interesting" sighting today was 5 cygnets on the Lullwater--this is not necessarily good news seeing as how swans are essentially floating pigeons.

And speaking of pigeons, the weirdest sight today was a pigeon swimming (not bathing) in the lake. Flailing is a more apt description. Since it was a mostly white pigeon my first reaction was some kind of horribly deformed gull. It whacked away at the water until it disappeared into some reeds on the bank. Never saw anything like that before.

Anyway, it was a pleasant walk in the park.
Number of species:    25
Canada Goose    15
Mute Swan    10    Five cygnets on Lullwater
Mallard    12
Double-crested Cormorant    1    Lullwater
Great Egret    1    Lake
Black-crowned Night-Heron    1    Lullwater
Rock Pigeon    13
Mourning Dove    4
Chimney Swift    10
Red-bellied Woodpecker    1
Downy Woodpecker    1
Northern Flicker    1
Eastern Kingbird    1
Blue Jay    1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow    1
Tree Swallow    2
Barn Swallow    6
American Robin    60
Gray Catbird    6
European Starling    35
Yellow Warbler    2
Northern Cardinal    6
Red-winged Blackbird    10
Common Grackle    5
House Sparrow    20

Pier One 6/2--Ducklings

I don't know if these are the first birds to breed at Pier One since the park was opened last year, but they're the first babies I've seen. This is one of two broods I saw today. Possibly one of the two are hybrid offspring of the hen Mallard and drake AMBD I saw together a few weeks ago, since there is one black duck still hanging around.

Nothing else of note--lots of the park was blocked off in preparation for an event they're staging there.
Number of species:    13
Canada Goose    3
American Black Duck    1
Mallard    12
Double-crested Cormorant    3
Ring-billed Gull    3
Herring Gull    1
Great Black-backed Gull    1
Mourning Dove    1
Barn Swallow    5
Northern Mockingbird    1
European Starling    6
Song Sparrow    1
House Sparrow    10