Floyd Bennett Field March 29th

Leader Rob Jett

 Floyd Bennett Field birds today
 From: Rob Jett Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:47:28

 This morning I led a trip for the Brooklyn Bird Club to Floyd Bennett Field and the adjacent Dead Horse Bay. Our start at sunrise allowed us time to find a few good birds before the rain started. The highlight of the morning was a singing Eastern Meadowlark on the grasslands trying to outperform the dozens of Red-winged Blackbirds perched throughout all the fields. Also of note was a big increase in kestrels on the grasslands since last weekend. I counted 9 within two fields and I'm sure there were a few more. Shane mentioned to me that there were 16 on Thursday. Other changes since last weekend were 3 Osprey, a Greater Yellowlegs, a few more oystercatchers and lots of Killdeer.

There were still a couple of Red-necked Grebe spotted on the bay off Archery Road and some of the lingering Horned Grebes are transitioning to breeding plumage. The raft of thousands of overwintering scaup on Dead Horse Bay have been reduced to just several hundred. I think that this will be the first weekend since my sighting on November 27th of last year that Snowy Owl will NOT be on my Brooklyn list. I suppose it was inevitable. :`( Good birding, Rob 

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 Date: Saturday, March 29, 2014

Locations: Dead Horse Bay, Floyd Bennett Field

Species: 42

Notes: 9 observers; heavy cloud cover with rain eventually starting by 10:30am.

Brant

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Green-winged Teal (2, Return a Gift Pond.)

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Red-breasted Merganser

Ring-necked Pheasant

Common Loon (4.)

Horned Grebe (12.)

Red-necked Grebe (2, bay off Archery Rd.)

Double-crested Cormorant

Osprey (3.)

Red-tailed Hawk (1.)

American Oystercatcher (4.)

Killdeer (11.)

Greater Yellowlegs (1, Raptor Point Pond.)

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel (9.)

Tree Swallow (2 .)

White-throated Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Eastern Meadowlark (1, singing in Field "G".)

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Goldfinch

Other common species seen (or heard):

Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Black Duck, Mallard, Ring-billed Gull , Herring Gull , Great Black-backed Gull , Rock Pigeon, crow sp., Carolina Wren, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow

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http://citybirder.blogspot.com

@thecitybirder

Saturday, March 22nd Brooklyn "Wildcard"

Salt Marsh Marine Park, photo by Chris Laskowski

Leader Keir Randall

We had a great trip yesterday with a group total of around 60 species. Sites and highlights:

Floyd Bennett Field:

Snowy Owl, Red-necked Grebe, FOS Osprey, Field Sparrow

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17556064

Marine Park:

Redhead, Boat-tailed Grackle, Turkey Vulture, Tree Swalllow

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17556012

Coney Island Creek/ Drier Offerman:

Red-necked Grebe (very close), Eurasian Wigeon, leucistic Ring-billed Gull

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17556064

best

Keir

Location

Floyd Bennett Field, Kings County, New York, US ( Map )

Date and Effort

Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:30 AM

Protocol:

Traveling

Party Size:

12

Duration:

2 hour(s)

Distance:

2.0 mile(s)

Observers:

, Bambi Friedman, Chris Las, Dennis Hrehowsik, Janet Schumacher, Joshua Malbin, Kathleen Toomey, Keir Randall, Monica Berger, Roberta Manian, kristin costello

Species

35 species total

45	Brant (Atlantic)
12	Canada Goose
5	Mute Swan
2	American Wigeon
3	American Black Duck
3	Bufflehead
5	Red-breasted Merganser
1	Ring-necked Pheasant Heard only, Ecology Village
1	Red-throated Loon
2	Common Loon
2	Horned Grebe
1	Red-necked Grebe Off of Archery Road, probably two
2	Great Cormorant
1	Osprey
4	Killdeer
X	Ring-billed Gull
X	Herring Gull
3	Great Black-backed Gull
X	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
1	Snowy Owl A darker individual on the fields
3	American Crow
20	Horned Lark
1	Carolina Wren
7	American Robin
1	Northern Mockingbird
X	European Starling
9	American Tree Sparrow
1	Field Sparrow
3	Song Sparrow
2	White-throated Sparrow
1	Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
1	Northern Cardinal
10	Red-winged Blackbird
2	Brown-headed Cowbird
2	House Sparrow
Additional species seen by Janet Schumacher:
1	Northern Flicker
Additional species seen by Dennis Hrehowsik:
1	Northern Flicker
Additional species seen by Roberta Manian:
1	Northern Flicker
Additional species seen by Kathleen Toomey:
6	Gadwall
1	Peregrine Falcon
Additional species seen by Joshua Malbin:
1	Northern Flicker
1	Dark-eyed Junco
Additional species seen by kristin costello:
1	Northern Flicker
Additional species seen by Chris Las:
1	Northern Flicker
1	Dark-eyed Junco
Additional species seen by Monica Berger:
1	Northern Flicker
1	Dark-eyed Junco
Additional species seen by Bambi Friedman:
1	Northern Flicker

Brown headed Cowbirds

Location

Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park, Kings County, New York, US( Map )

Date and Effort

Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:00 AM

Protocol:

Traveling

Party Size:

12

Duration:

2 hour(s)

Distance:

1.0 mile(s)

Observers:

, Chris Las, Dennis Hrehowsik, Janet Schumacher, Joshua Malbin, Keir Randall, Monica Berger, Roberta Manian, kristin costello

Species

34 species (+1 other taxa) total

40	Brant (Atlantic)
25	Canada Goose
2	Mute Swan
2	American Wigeon
7	American Black Duck
30	Mallard
1	American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid)
25	Northern Shoveler
2	Green-winged Teal (American)
1	Redhead Female with Brant on water near golf course. "Scaup like" but no white at bill base, darker on cap and nape with lighter cheeks.
5	Lesser Scaup
9	Bufflehead
1	Red-breasted Merganser
20	Ruddy Duck
1	Ring-necked Pheasant HO near golf course
1	Common Loon
1	Pied-billed Grebe
1	Horned Grebe
1	Turkey Vulture
5	American Coot
2	American Oystercatcher
1	Killdeer
25	Ring-billed Gull
12	Herring Gull (American)
2	Great Black-backed Gull
X	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
1	Peregrine Falcon
1	Fish Crow
2	Tree Swallow
1	Northern Mockingbird
X	European Starling
5	Song Sparrow
1	Northern Cardinal
5	Red-winged Blackbird
2	Boat-tailed Grackle
Additional species seen by Janet Schumacher:
1	Double-crested Cormorant
1	American Goldfinch
Additional species seen by Dennis Hrehowsik:
1	Double-crested Cormorant
1	American Goldfinch
Additional species seen by Roberta Manian:
1	Double-crested Cormorant
1	American Goldfinch
Additional species seen by Joshua Malbin:
1	Double-crested Cormorant
1	Greater Yellowlegs
1	American Goldfinch
Additional species seen by kristin costello:
1	Double-crested Cormorant
Additional species seen by Unknown Observer:
1	Double-crested Cormorant
Additional species seen by Chris Las:
1	Double-crested Cormorant
Additional species seen by Monica Berger:
1	Double-crested Cormorant
1	American Goldfinch

Location

Coney Island Creek, Kings County, New York, US ( Map )

Date and Effort

Sat Mar 22, 2014 2:21 PM

Protocol:

Traveling

Party Size:

8

Duration:

2 hour(s), 45 minute(s)

Distance:

2.0 mile(s)

Observers:

, Chris Las, Dennis Hrehowsik, Joshua Malbin, Keir Randall, Monica Berger, Roberta Manian, kristin costello

Species

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27 species (+2 other taxa) total

300	Brant (Atlantic)
12	Canada Goose
4	Gadwall
3	American Wigeon
1	Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid) Swimming near the piers off the restored habitat on the west side of the inlet (opposite Six Diamonds). Originally identified as Eurasian Wigeon but it has been suggested that the hint of green around eye, the extended pink into the gray in flanks etc. make this better for hybrid. A very distant record shot:
25	American Black Duck
30	Mallard
8	Lesser Scaup
2	Greater/Lesser Scaup
13	Bufflehead
5	Red-breasted Merganser
1	Common Loon
2	Horned Grebe
1	Red-necked Grebe Continues in the creek between Home Depot and the Cropsey Ave. bridge.
2	American Coot
2	Killdeer
250	Ring-billed Gull Including one presumed leucistic (or partially so) Ring-billed Gull
20	Herring Gull
2	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
1	Mourning Dove
1	Downy Woodpecker
5	Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
1	Eastern Phoebe
3	American Robin
2	Northern Mockingbird
35	European Starling
1	Field Sparrow
8	Song Sparrow
2	Northern Cardinal
Additional species seen by Dennis Hrehowsik:
1	Eurasian Wigeon
1	Belted Kingfisher
Additional species seen by Roberta Manian:
1	Eurasian Wigeon
Additional species seen by Joshua Malbin:
1	Eurasian Wigeon
5	Great Black-backed Gull
3	American Crow
3	Red-winged Blackbird
Additional species seen by kristin costello:
1	Eurasian Wigeon
Additional species seen by Unknown Observer:
1	Eurasian Wigeon
Additional species seen by Chris Las:
1	Eurasian Wigeon
5	Great Black-backed Gull
3	American Crow
3	Red-winged Blackbird
Additional species seen by Monica Berger:
1	Eurasian Wigeon
5	Great Black-backed Gull
3	American Crow
3	Red-winged Blackbird

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Drier- Offerman /Calvert Vaux Park, photo by Chris Laskowski