The conclusion to a golden year: American Goldfinch claims Prospect Park as Lucky “Golden Bird” #8 in a celebratory year November 22 Leader : Peter Dorosh. With Sameer and Nolan

https://ebird.org/checklist/S285664015

My conclusion to my golden year , achieving success with American Goldfinch ,the 8th and final gold bird. Thanks to Sameer hearing and spotting 20 goldfinches low over the path just before the Rocky Pass fork..

"Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love—that makes life and nature harmonize."

Mary Ann Evans ( pen name George Eliot) 18th c author














   

Jones Beach in Coastal Beauty November 15

Leader : Max Epstein 
Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2025 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S284650641

November 8 : A Tribute to Paul Keim: A nostalgic return to Fort Tilden

 

Sick /injured Common Loon at Fort Tilden,  rescued by BBC members

 "Loon Squad"

 to Wild Bird Fund ( photo by Lisa Curtiss)

US Park Police helping hands, carried the loon to a members car.

 Photo by Birgitta.

Safe at Wild Bird Fund ,upper NYC ,photo by Lisa

Leader Peter Dorosh

Members: Lisa Curtiss, Tim Sequin, Sameer Ajmani, Birgitta and Dave Norman  "The Loon Squad"

Hilight was the rescue of a sick /injured Common Loon that beached itself , with teamwork along  with the US Park Police (officer Rodriquez) providing a dog cage for transport in Birgitta and Dave 's car and primary members making calls Lisa and Tim assisting. Two passerbys , one an animal expert moved the loon into the cage carefully ( avoiding its dagger bill) .The bird was taken to to Upper Manhattan's Wild BIrd Fund where care is pending.. Many thanks to all who helped this one precious life given a chance rather than suffering alone on the beach. 

Checklist compiled by Sameer Ajmani

https://ebird.org/checklist/S283505254

Atlantic Ghost Crab  at Riis Beach, photo by Birgitta Norman

selfie by Sameer

Video Atlantic Ghost Crab taken by David N.

November 1st, Autumn’s Birding Allure at Floyd Bennett Field

 Leader Heydi Lopes

Photo by Annie Tan

Hey Peter,

See below list.  Forrest kindly offered to do the checklist.

As always, it was a wonderful group of birders, and it was a beautiful day.  Not quite as birdy as I hoped, but we did see some nice birds.

Thanks for keeping me in mind for walks .  If you need anything else, please let me know.

Best regards,
Heydi

—————————————————————
Floyd Bennett Field, Kings, New York, US
Nov 1, 2025 8:20 AM - 3:04 PM
Protocol: Traveling
4.037 mile(s)
50 species (+3 other taxa)

Brant (Branta bernicla)  200
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon))  50
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  45
Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  5
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  20
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)  5
gull sp. (Larinae sp.)  200
Common Loon (Gavia immer)  2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  100
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii)  3
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter striatus/Astur cooperii)  2
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  2
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  6
Merlin (Falco columbarius)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  7
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  9
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  7
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  2
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2     Flagged: late. Two flying together over the pumpkin patch area, each navy blue on top, orangey on the bottom, and—we made sure to check!—with deeply forked tails to rule out Cave and Cliff.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)  4
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)  13
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  2
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)  1
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  6
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  135
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)  3
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  200
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  25
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  2
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  2     Morning flyovers, together, calling.
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  10
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)  5
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  6
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  20
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  4
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  50
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  75
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  6
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  13
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  8
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  4     Morning flybys.
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  20
blackbird sp. (Icteridae sp.)  30
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  55
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  5

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S282391635

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Sameer's photo gallery  https://photos.app.goo.gl/CKW1KAKzogHATAY89

Photo by Annie Tan

October 23-25 Overnight Trip: Golden Target Bird #7 In A Celebratory Year: Where Golden Eagles Soar At Hawk Mountain

Leconte's Sparrow at Alpha Grasslands, founded and photo'd by Marc Brawer 

Lecontes ,Photo by Dan Smith 

Leader : Peter Dorosh

Members : Ryan Goldberg, Angie Co, Marc Brawer, Chris Laskowski, Adelia Honeywood, Dan Smith

Hilight was the mega rarity Leconte's Sparrow discovered by Marc Brawer in Alpha Grasslands Preserve, which only was supposed to be a 20 minute stop on the way home but became the best golden spot. No Golden Eagle but plenty of Balds (8)..

Checklists ( thanks to Ryan Goldberg, compiling)

Leaser Lake  https://ebird.org/checklist/S283920813

Hawk Mountain North Lookout   https://ebird.org/checklist/S283920815

Kernsville Dam Recreation Area  https://ebird.org/checklist/S283920819

Alpha Grasslands  https://ebird.org/checklist/S283920811

Spruce Run Recreation Area https://ebird.org/checklist/S283920823

Round Valley Recreation Area  https://ebird.org/checklist/S283920807

Clinton township waterfront  https://ebird.org/checklist/S283920825

Black Vulture by Hawk Mountain trail, photo by Angie Co

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky

   

On top at the hawkwatch

Ryan and Peter ,photo by Angie Co

Dan arrives atop Hawk Mt ,photo by Angie Co

Flyby Turkey Vulture, photo by Angie Co

Partial group photo in front of South Raritan River at conclusion of trip in Clinton,NJ

Fwd: Wednesday Migration Morning in Brooklyn Bridge Park 10-22-2025

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Mike Yuan <mjyuan@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Oct 22, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Subject: Wednesday Migration Morning in Brooklyn Bridge Park 10-22-2025
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>, Dennis Hrehowsik <deepseagangster@gmail.com>

We had a lovely final outing of the season, with the rain clearing and the sun rising right before our usual 7:15am start time.

We headed straight for Pier 3 after counting 5 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONs at their usual Long Pond roost on Pier 1. At the Pier 3 lawn, Ross Kruse spotted a distant raptor over the upper harbor, which thankfully continued towards us, revealing itself as a NORTHERN HARRIER. Rare for the park, with sightings in the single digits. Upon returning to the Pier 3 lawn after inspecting the concrete planting area, we spotted an EASTERN MEADOWLARK dwarfing the sparrows it fed with.

As always, a great morning with an eager group. Looking forward to Spring '26!

8 participants, 31 species

https://ebird.org/checklist/S280797936

Thanks,

Mike

--

" Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot,the only home we've ever known"

                                                                            --Carl Sagan

Last BBC walk of fall season

https://ebird.org/checklist/S280213279

Led by Dennis

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

Fwd: BBC Thursday walk report

Led by Chris Miller

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Chris Miller <cmnyc79@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 16, 2025, 6:13 PM
Subject: BBC Thursday walk report
To: prosbird@gmail.com <Prosbird@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

We had a gorgeous Fall day with a large turnout of birders and birds. According to birdcast nearly 1.5 million birds crossed Kings County last night and I think 1 million of them must have been Hermit Thrushes 😆 Jokes aside, we had a lot of nice birds today with the highlights being a group of Purple Finches, an early Fox Sparrow, a few Field Sparrows, a White Crowned Sparrow and 2 Ring-necked Ducks.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S279762513

Here's the list:

Canada Goose 

Mute Swan 

Wood Duck 

Northern Shoveler 

Mallard 
American Black Duck 
Green-winged Teal 
Ring-necked Duck 
Ruddy Duck 
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 
Mourning Dove 
Chimney Swift 
American Coot 
Double-crested Cormorant 
Black-crowned Night Heron 
Great Blue Heron 
Turkey Vulture 
Cooper's Hawk 

Red-tailed Hawk 

Merlin 
Peregrine Falcon 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Northern Flicker 
Eastern Phoebe 
Blue-headed Vireo 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Tufted Titmouse 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch 
Red-breasted Nuthatch 
Brown Creeper 
Winter Wren 
Carolina Wren 
Gray Catbird 
Northern Mockingbird 
Swainson's Thrush 
Hermit Thrush 
American Robin 
Cedar Waxwing 
House Sparrow 
Purple Finch 
American Goldfinch 
Chipping Sparrow 
Field Sparrow 
Fox Sparrow 
Dark-eyed Junco 
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow 
Savannah Sparrow 
Song Sparrow 
Swamp Sparrow 

Eastern Towhee 

Red-winged Blackbird 

Common Grackle 
Black-and-white Warbler 
Common Yellowthroat 
Magnolia Warbler 
Black-throated Blue Warbler 
Palm Warbler 

Pine Warbler 

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 

Northern Cardinal 

Best,

Chris Miller

instagram.com/otrodios

Fwd: Wednesday Migration Morning at BBP 10-15-2025

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Mike Yuan <mjyuan@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Oct 15, 2025, 8:50 PM
Subject: Wednesday Migration Morning at BBP 10-15-2025
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>, Dennis Hrehowsik <deepseagangster@gmail.com>

Plenty of activity throughout the park today, keeping our pace slow as birds appeared everywhere on our route.

The Pier 1 salt marsh is often a nice place to stay put for a while, as birds find their way onto the pier from the south. Odd to see one on marsh grass, but we had a LINCOLN'S SPARROW there and a male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER in the sumacs.

On our way to Pier 3, we had our first-of-season BRANTS, a flock of 12 flying south high over Brooklyn Heights.

Last outing of the season is next Wednesday!

11 participants, 37 species

https://ebird.org/checklist/S279538953

-Mike

Fwd: Tuesday BBC walk recap

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ryan Goldberg <ryan.goldberg@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025, 3:42 PM
Subject: Tuesday walk recap
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

Our last Tuesday walk of the season was a good one. The sun even peeked out late in the morning! We had 61 species, with a mix of ducks, including Green-winged Teals and a Ring-necked, sparrows, and lingering warblers, plus a few raptors on the move and our first Tufted Titmouse of the season.

Here's our list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S279372857.

Thank you to Sheila, Megan, and Angie for co-leading all season, and the many regulars who've made it such a special group. I can't believe the season's over for us, but I look forward to seeing folks in the months ahead.

Ryan

Fwd: Thursday's BBC Walk

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tom Stephenson <12toms@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 9, 2025, 6:02 PM
Subject: Thursday's Walk
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>
Cc: Marisa Hernandez <shishi47@gmail.com>, Valerie Masten <valerie.masten@gmail.com>, Amy Cook <brklynamy@gmail.com>, Bob Curtis <bobolink@nyct.net>, Dennis Hrehowsik <DeepSeaGangster@gmail.com>, Ryan Goldberg <ryan.goldberg@gmail.com>, Angie Co <Angie.co@gmail.com>, Roberta Manian <roberta.manian@gmail.com>, Lisa Curtiss <lccurtiss@gmail.com>, Sameer Ajmani <ajmani@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

Another brilliant Fall day, crisp weather and crispy underfoot. We had a huge frenetic flurry at GAP, no doubt overnight arrivals, and then a good number of birds throughout the park. Except for Field Sparrow we ran the sparrow list down including the Nelson's, Vesper, White-crowned, Savannah and more; and some but not a lot of warbler species, for a total of 64 overall. Not the 74 we had last week but good for a Fall day. Lots of new faces including 3 folks from the UK.

Here's the list.

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

American Black Duck

Mallard

Northern Shoveler

Green-winged Teal

Ruddy Duck

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Merlin

Rock Dove

Mourning Dove

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Eastern Phoebe

Blue-headed Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Red-breasted Nuthatch

House Wren

Winter Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Swainson's Thrush

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

European Starling

Nashville Warbler

Northern Parula

Cape May Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Pine Warbler

Palm Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

Common Yellowthroat

Scarlet Tanager

Eastern Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Nelson's Sparrow

Fwd: Tuesday walk recap

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ryan Goldberg <ryan.goldberg@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 7, 2025, 8:07 PM
Subject: Tuesday walk recap
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

It was a quiet day in the park but I'm sure that'll change when these 80-plus temperatures finally break this week. That said we had one very memorable sighting: an adult Peregrine Falcon, perched on a dead tree on the Peninsula, lit up by the sun's rays, let us watch it for at least 20 minutes, and still hadn't moved once we decided to push on. The bird was spotted by a visitor from Portland, Oregon; another visitor in the group, all the way from Karachi, told me it had been his dream to see this bird. The second highlight was a Clay-colored Sparrow on the Nethermead, which was a lifer for a few people.

Here's my list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S277861807.

We had 41 species, though I had to leave around 11AM after we found the Clay-colored. The group continued, and added a few more species: Brown Thrasher (score another for the Picnic House drip), American Kestrel, Savannah Sparrow, and Eastern Phoebe.

Next week is our last walk of the season! It's been a strange fall with all these warm days. But maybe we'll go out with a bang. Thanks to Sheila, Megan, and Angie for co-leading.

Ryan

BBC Tuesday walk

https://ebird.org/checklist/S277861807

Note Clay colored sparrow

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

Fwd: First Sunday walk recap

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ryan Goldberg <ryan.goldberg@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Oct 5, 2025, 2:27 PM
Subject: First Sunday walk recap
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

I led the club's first Sunday walk from the Boathouse today. It was way too warm for the first week of October (mid-80s by late morning), but the Chimney Swifts didn't seem to mind. There was a big group of them above Lookout. We also saw the male Ring-necked Duck that has been hanging around, first on the lake and later on the Lullwater, where it was loosely joined by two Green-winged Teals. There were still good numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglets and Red-breasted Nuthatches, and I'm sure those will increase with colder temperatures coming in a couple days.

Here's our list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S277485174.

Next month's walk in November will start at 10am as opposed to today's 8am.

Ryan

Fwd: Thursday's BBC Walk

Led by Tom S.

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tom Stephenson <12toms@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 2, 2025, 5:27 PM
Subject: Thursday's Walk
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>
Cc: Dennis Hrehowsik <DeepSeaGangster@gmail.com>, Roberta Manian <roberta.manian@gmail.com>, Ryan Goldberg <ryangoldberg@gmail.com>, Angie Co <Angie.co@gmail.com>, Megan Thornton <megankthornton@gmail.com>, Valerie Masten <valerie.masten@gmail.com>, Marisa Hernandez <shishi47@gmail.com>, brian d foy <briandfoy@pobox.com>, Amy Cook <brklynamy@gmail.com>, Marleny R <marleny@rafferty.net>, Chris Miller <cmnyc79@gmail.com>, radka osickova <Radkadesign@yahoo.com>

Hi Peter,

It was a really beautiful Fall day with a very large, enthusiastic group and, although very spotty, a good number of birds. We saw 74 species including 14 species of warblers. Highlights were ducks including a Ring-necked and a Green-winged Teal spotted by mystery birder M; raptors including a Kestrel, and migrating sharpie and cooper's; and a very cooperative Prairie Warbler.

Here's the list.

Best regards,

Tom

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

Wood Duck

Gadwall

American Black Duck

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Ring-necked Duck

Ruddy Duck

Osprey

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Laughing Gull

Rock Dove

Mourning Dove

Chimney Swift

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Eastern Phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher

Blue-headed Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Common Raven

Red-breasted Nuthatch

House Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Swainson's Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

Northern Mockingbird

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Northern Parula

Cape May Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Pine Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Palm Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

American Redstart

Ovenbird

Northern Waterthrush

Common Yellowthroat

Scarlet Tanager

Chipping Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Fwd: Tuesday BBC walk recap

"I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift." — Dodinsky














   

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ryan Goldberg <ryan.goldberg@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 30, 2025, 4:18 PM
Subject: Tuesday walk recap
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@gmail.com>

Hi Peter,

We've been lucky with the Tuesday walks this season, getting good weather and some good pulses of migration on multiple occasions. Today was no exception. We had 69 species. It grew so warm that there were a few insect hatch-outs around the park, including one along the Lullwater, by Music Island, that drew in a bunch of warblers, vireos, kinglets, nuthatches, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. At the start of the walk, a huge swarm of Chimney Swifts fed over the lake and Parkside Avenue. There were also a bunch of Scarlet Tanagers around.

Here's our eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S276524153.

Thanks to Angie and Sheila for co-leading and all the participants (including one birder from Colorado!) who made it such an enjoyable outing.

Ryan