Rusty Blackbird

Prospect Park, Brooklyn has been reporting a rusty blackbird for a week or so. A Saturday walk in the park allowed me to see this unrusty looking black bird. I missed it earlier in the morning at the Lilly pond. But I saw a report on Peter Dorosh's blog: Prospect Park Sightings & North Brooklyn that it had been sighted at the other end of the park in the Vale of Cashmere. Since my car was up that way I leisurely walked there. I saw lots of sunning turtles and a Yellow-rumped Warbler, the first warbler for the season for me. Yes, spring is coming.

I sat on one of the benches and watched the chickadees, titmice and other small song birds feed on some seed that someone had put out. I saw a grackle first and for a moment thought that was the black bird before realizing it was too big. Then I saw a black bird in the swampy pool digging through the leaves. It wasn't until another birder came and confirmed for me that yes, that is the rusty blackbird. Unlike most birds the male is more rusty in the non breeding season. If you caught his back in the right light you could see rows/stripes of rust on his back. Well I'll be. Sure enough there was the rust. His female counterpart is a slate color during breeding season.

"Its mine don't even think about it"

You can see the rust on the back, side and flecks in the face

Yum

"Three sunning turtles and a mallard on a log" (to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas) somtimes I get too carried away...

Finding a Timberdoodle

During a week off I spent time sleeping and birding. I had briefly seen an American Woodcock at Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn but I really wanted a closer look and a picture if possible. After an hour of looking in an area where I had briefly seen one the week before, I found none. My daughter and I were tired at this point and headed home. However, I was not ready to give up. I later drove back into the cemetery and parked in another area where woodcocks had been sighted. Well, after another hour of checking under every pine and low bush in the area, no Timberdoodle to be found. BUT as I was driving, just a very short distance away I looked over... Could it be a woodcock just sitting under a tree? Sure enough. I used a few headstones as blinds as I moved closer trying not to upset it too much.

"I do see you with my 360 degree vision"

Doesn't it look like a bunny rabbit without the ears?

Actually it's large eyes being so far back on its head has a purpose. It gives the woodcock a 360 degree field of vision.

It's long bill is also interesting. It uses it's bill to probe in the ground for earthworms and other invertebrates. Its made of bone and muscle. In fact the bird can actually open its beak while its in the ground allowing it to grab juicy earthworms to eat. It's rough tongue helps it with this.

Later in the week there was a woodcock walk out at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge at dusk. We arrived at their singing grounds, an open grassy area near the edge of brush and woods. We hoped to see the males perform their mating dance. We heard lots of buzzy "preents." and even saw 6-7 males but no dance. Apparently there were too many males and they had not worked out their pecking order so they did not dance.

If you are lucky enough to see their mating dance you would have to be there at dusk or dawn when the male woodcock preents and then takes off into the air making another sound; sounded like radio static. Then is descends in a zig zag pattern making a chirping sound. (which we didn't see).

Looking for woodcocks, timberdoodles or whatever else you want to call them was fun. Another sign that spring is coming slowly and so are the birds.

Signs of Spring...even if it was flurrying...

I took a walk in Prospect Park, Saturday the 16th of March, hoping to see the Varied Thrush. No thrush for me but I saw some subtle signs of spring.... even if it was flurrying

Spring buds

A Ruddy Duck turning ruddy. Love the blue beak

A male Hooded Merganser cruising for females

He was putting on quite a display. He would rear up hood elongated, lean back and make this croaking noise. I had never heard them make a sound before.

This is him on the wild side... What's not to love Ms. Merganser???

That got her attention

My mother called from CT to say there were three Robins in her backyard Friday. Maybe Spring is on the way... even if it is snowing today.

Compilation of birds seen since Hurricane Sandy

It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to post. Hurricane Sandy really wreaked havoc on so many of the lovely trees in Brooklyn as well as homes and habitat. Most of my students went without water, heat and electricity for a couple of weeks, some lost everything.

To take the edge off these heavy matters I have explored Prospect Park and Green-wood Cemetery more frequently. The gas shortage immediately after Sandy also helped to convince me to stay closer to home for birding.

There have been so many great birds to see. The winter finches in their bright colors have been plentiful. It took me a month to finally see some Crossbills. They have taken to frequenting Sweetgum trees rather than their usual conifer trees. Chickadees, Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, Redpolls (which I haven't seen yet) and even both types of Nuthatches seem to love the seeds of the Sweetgums also. Most of the time when I've been lucky enough to see Crossbills the sky has been too gray and they've been feeding high up in the tops of the trees. Instead of Warbler neck I've had a couple cases of Crossbill neck. Today I got to see them against clear blue skies and the trees where I watched them were not as tall.

So here is a compilation of the birds I've enjoyed watching over the last two months. Hope you enjoy seeing them as well.

Winter Wren (life bird)

American Kestrel

Merlin (life bird)

Two male Hairy Woodpeckers

Female Evening Grosbeak

Red -breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Red Crossbill (life bird)

Male White-winged Crossbill (lifebird)

I hope you get to see some of these birds while they are around this winter. Happy Birding and Happy New Year.

A Couple of Rarities

   Since the summer, I live a little closer to Prospect Park. I really didn't do much birding there prior to last spring. But this fall has seen some uncommon birds and it has been fun to see them. First there was the Barnacle Goose.When I arrived late afternoon he was in the middle of the lake with other Canada Geese. He looked to be swimming toward the west side which was closer to me anyhow. I walked around and several birders gathered hoping to get a glimpse. Boy were we lucky he swam right to us but stayed off shore while the Canada geese came ashore and milled around.

Such a pretty goose.

       Then this week a Grasshopper Sparrow was reported hanging around the Friends Cemetery in Prospect Park. I used it as an excuse to leave school earlier than normal; it was still daylight.  I couldn't find the sparrow and there was a lot of gas powered saws cutting up some of the beautiful trees that fell during the storm in the cemetery. I saw several thrushes and a pair of Bluebirds which surprised me. I walked back toward the area where he had been reported and a tiny bird hopped right in front of me and there he was. I had seen several pictures posted so I recognized it immediately. This is one tame bird. He got so close a couple of times my camera couldn't even take a picture.  I watched him forage for about 40 minutes. I couldn't see anything worth eating on the sidewalk but he sure seemed to be enjoying it. He has the cutest hop when he wants to move fast.
     2 life birds! Unfortunately there is a Nor'easter heading our way...just what Brooklyn and NYC needs; another storm with high winds. Hopefully this little sparrow will find some shelter or fly south out of the storm along with the Bluebirds.

I think this sparrow is so beautifully marked. Notice the touch of bright yellow on the primary coverts (hope I got that right?)

Finding a nice fat worm

Enjoy and stay warm.

Awesome Hawk!

I got out to the Community Gardens at Floyd Bennett Field about 8:00 on Saturday morning. I seemed to be the only one there. As I got out of the car there were phoebes, kinglets and yellow rumps flying and diving everywhere for yummie bugs. It was a very birdie day. When I came around the first corner I saw something on a fence in the back part. To be honest I thought it might be one of those fake owls at first, but it soon became apparent that it was something living and breathing.  It was this beautiful hawk. I was lucky to get a picture of it from its back side as well after in flew up into a tree.  The almost tear dropped feathers on his chest were beautiful. I believe this is a juvenile Northern Goshawk. I identified it by several factors. I could see the white stripe over it's eye especially apparent in the second picture. It's bill was two toned and his tail was striped. Life bird! There are a few rats that live in and forage in the gardens. Prey.

Know this is an old post. But the recent comment I got below added to my own questioning of the original ID. What do you think?

More Sparrows and Warblers in Community Gardens

I returned to Allen's Meadows last Saturday but the weather was such that there just wasn't alot going on. When I got back to Brooklyn I decided to try out the Community Gardens on Floyd Bennett Field. The Community Gardens at Allen's Meadows in Wilton are grest for birding so it only goes to say that the Community Gardens at Floyd Bennett Field should also be equally as great and they did not disappoint. There are more gardens and they back into some trees and brush in the back. The gardens themselves are interesting to walk thru and there were birds and more birds and Monarch Butterflies everywhere.

In the trees around a picnic area to the left of the gardens I saw brown creepers, red breasted nut hatch and other birds. I was hoping to see a Clay-Colored Sparrow that had been reported. I ran into some birders who said they had seen it an hour ago in the Berm by the crickett field. So I just kept going thru the gardens. I got two lifers.
From Floyd Bennett Field I saw:

A fluffy Red-Winged Blackbird

Inquisitive Palm Warbler

love the light on this Palm Warbler

I'd never seen such a bautiful colored Goldfinch

and Yes, finally, a Clay-Colored Sparrow - Life Bird
 

From Allen's Meadows in Wilton I saw:

Lincoln's Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

 

Not sure but think it is a Vesper Sparrow

It has been a great fall migration for me. I have seen a greater variety of migrating birds. Community Gardens are definately a great place to see them.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed the birds.