Date: Friday, 30 April 2010 (8:35a-6:40p) Location: Clove Lakes & High Rock Parks plus Goethal's Bridge Pond area Observers: Catherine Barron & Dave Eib in the a.m. at Clove Lakes Park Reported by: Ben Cacace
Today I was hoping to better the 55 species seen last week and almost made a mistake by heading to High Rock Park where I added only 2 species. This is a beautiful park and has nicely laid out trails but I didn't hit any hot spots and will need to find out how to bird this park. The walk up Nevada Ave. was a treat as it's steepness isn't matched by anything I know of on Manhattan. My life PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was first found by Catherine. As I was nearby she called me over and we found the bird again feeding over the stream just north of Martlings Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park. Also in Clove Lakes Park was a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH along the stream just north of the stone bridge near the north end of the park. While carrying my scope I glassed a plain faced thrush in my bins and immediately placed the scope down ... on a slope. Focusing on finding the bird I heard the scope thump to the ground. Luckily it fell on soil. It appears to not have suffered at all from the drop. The thrush turned out to be my first of season VEERY. Another was spotted in High Rock Park. The scope is a Pentax 80mm. Two ORCHARD ORIOLES were spotted while searching for the Prothonotary. The first was a 1st summer male and the second an adult male. A GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER was also seen while searching for the warbler. A pair of PECTORAL SANDPIPERS continue on Goethal's Bridge Pond. They appear to enjoy feeding near the shopping cart reef that is always visible at low tide. Also on the pond were 16+ GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER, 2 KILLDEER, 6+ SNOWY EGRETS & 8 pair of GREEN-WINGED TEAL. The SAVANNAH SPARROW at Goethal's Home trailer park was good to see. It was feeding on grass seeds on a lawn at the north end of the A-B line of houses. It eventually flew to the phragmites as I was leaving. I was able to scope this bird and was offered a close-by binocular view in the phrags. Google Maps detail of NW corner of Staten Island. I added a tides icon (fish with hook) with 4 choices: http://tinyurl.com/25q86xh Transportation: M15 bus to ferry, ferry to S.I., S48 bus to Clove Lakes Park, S54 to High Rock Park, S57 & S48 to Goethal's Bridge Pond, S40 to ferry, ferry to Manhattan, M15 back home. Weather for 30-Apr in Newark, NJ (8:51a-6:51p) < http://tinyurl.com/2aezok8>: - Conditions: Mostly Cloudy to Partly Cloudy - Temperature: 64.0 to 80.1 F (17.8 to 26.7 C) - Wind direction: W / WNW / WSW - Wind speed: 6-18 mph (gusts to 24 mph) ** Total species - 60 ** Abundance categories below from 'The Birds of Staten Island' checklist last updated in 2000. Abundance categories below for 'Spring'. First of season birds for Staten Island (19) preceded with a plus sign: 'Accidental' seen only once or twice [1 spp]: - Pectoral Sandpiper - Pair (m/f) continues on Goethal's Bridge Pond 'Rare' seen every 2-5 years [1 spp]: + Prothonotary Warbler - 1 just N of Martlings Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park 'Uncommon' present but may not be seen [8 spp]: - Turkey Vulture - 1 over Western Ave. from Old Place Creek - Osprey - 1 N of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Red-tailed Hawk - 4 incl. 2 in Clove Lakes Park & 2 circling together N of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Hairy Woodpecker - 1 male in High Rock Park + Louisiana Waterthrush - 1 north of the stone bridge near the N end of Clove Lakes Park + Savannah Sparrow - 1 off Goethal's Bridge Pond at the end of the A-B line at the Goethal's Homes trailer park - Swamp Sparrow - 1 just N of the red bridge just N of Martlings Ave. in Clove Lakes Park + Orchard Oriole - 2 incl. 1 summer male & 1 adult male just N of Martling's Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park 'Common' certain in proper habitat [27 spp]: - Green-winged Teal - 16 (8m/8f) on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Snowy Egret - 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond + Green Heron - Pair in Clove Lakes Park - Killdeer - Pair on Goethal's Bridge Pond + Spotted Sandpiper - 1 on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Belted Kingfisher - 2 incl. 1 female in Clove Lakes Park & 1 around Lake Ohrback in High Rock Park - Red-bellied Woodpecker - Several heard incl. 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Downy Woodpecker - Several heard incl. 2+ in Clove Lakes Park + Great Crested Flycatcher - 1 just N of Martlings Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park + Blue-headed Vireo - 6+ in Clove Lakes Park - Black-capped Chickadee - 1 heard in Clove Lakes Park - White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 heard in High Rock Park - Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park + Veery - 2 incl. 1 in Clove Lakes Park & 1 in High Rock Park - Hermit Thrush - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Mockingbird - 4 incl. 3 around the Goethal's Bridge Pond area + Northern Parula - Several heard (6+) + Yellow Warbler - 1 just N of Martlings Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park + Black-throated Green Warbler - 4+ in Clove Lakes Park + Palm Warbler - 3+ in Clove Lakes Park + Ovenbird - 3+ in Clove Lakes Park + Northern Waterthrush - 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - Chipping Sparrow - 50+ in Clove Lakes Park + Rose-breasted Grosbeak - At least 1 adult male in Clove Lakes Park - Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 heard in Clove Lakes Park - House Finch - Several including 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - American Goldfinch - 2+ in Clove Lakes Park 'Abundant' sure to see [23 spp]: - Canada Goose - 6+ in Clove Lakes Park - Mallard - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Greater Yellowlegs - 16+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Ring-billed Gull - 3+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Herring Gull - 3+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Rock Pigeon - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Mourning Dove - 1 around Goethal's Bridge Pond - Northern Flicker - At all sites incl. 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Blue Jay - 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - Tree Swallow - 4+ around the Goethal's Homes trailer park - Barn Swallow - 1 over Clove Lakes Park - American Robin - At all sites incl. 24+ in Clove Lakes Park + Gray Catbird - 2+ at Clove Lakes Park - European Starling - At all sites incl. 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Yellow-rumped Warbler - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park + Black-and-white Warbler - 3+ in Clove Lakes Park + American Redstart - 1 adult male in Clove Lakes Park - Song Sparrow - Several heard at Goethal's Bridge Pond (2+) - White-throated Sparrow - At all sites incl. 24+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Cardinal - At all sites incl. 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Red-winged Blackbird - At all sites incl. 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Common Grackle - 6+ in Clove Lakes Park - House Sparrow - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park Taxonomic order: - Canada Goose - 6+ in Clove Lakes Park - Mallard - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Green-winged Teal - 16 (8m/8f) on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Snowy Egret - 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Green Heron - Pair in Clove Lakes Park - Turkey Vulture - 1 over Western Ave. from Old Place Creek - Osprey - 1 N of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Red-tailed Hawk - 2 circling together N of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Killdeer - Pair on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Spotted Sandpiper - 1 on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Greater Yellowlegs - 16+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Pectoral Sandpiper - Pair (m/f) continues on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Ring-billed Gull - 3+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Herring Gull - 3+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Rock Pigeon - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Mourning Dove - 1 around Goethal's Bridge Pond - Belted Kingfisher - 2 incl. 1 female in Clove Lakes Park & 1 around Lake Ohrback in High Rock Park - Red-bellied Woodpecker - Several heard incl. 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Downy Woodpecker - Several heard incl. 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - Hairy Woodpecker - 1 male in High Rock Park - Northern Flicker - At all sites incl. 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Great Crested Flycatcher - 1 just N of Martlings Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park - Blue-headed Vireo - 6+ in Clove Lakes Park - Blue Jay - 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - Tree Swallow - 4+ around the Goethal's Homes trailer park - Barn Swallow - 1 over Clove Lakes Park - Black-capped Chickadee - 1 heard in Clove Lakes Park - White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 heard in High Rock Park - Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Veery - 2 incl. 1 in Clove Lakes Park & 1 in High Rock Park - Hermit Thrush - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - American Robin - At all sites incl. 24+ in Clove Lakes Park - Gray Catbird - 2+ at Clove Lakes Park - Northern Mockingbird - 4 incl. 3 around the Goethal's Bridge Pond area - European Starling - At all sites incl. 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Parula - Several heard (6+) - Yellow Warbler - 1 just N of Martlings Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park - Yellow-rumped Warbler - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park - Black-throated Green Warbler - 4+ in Clove Lakes Park - Palm Warbler - 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Black-and-white Warbler - 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - American Redstart - 1 adult male in Clove Lakes Park - Prothonotary Warbler - 1 just N of Martlings Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park - Ovenbird - 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Waterthrush - 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - Louisiana Waterthrush - 1 north of the stone bridge near the N end of Clove Lakes Park - Chipping Sparrow - 50+ in Clove Lakes Park - Savannah Sparrow - 1 off Goethal's Bridge Pond at the end of the A-B line at the Goethal's Homes trailer park - Song Sparrow - Several heard at Goethal's Bridge Pond (2+) - Swamp Sparrow - 1 just N of the red bridge just N of Martlings Ave. in Clove Lakes Park - White-throated Sparrow - At all sites incl. 24+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Cardinal - At all sites incl. 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Rose-breasted Grosbeak - At least 1 adult male in Clove Lakes Park - Red-winged Blackbird - At all sites incl. 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Common Grackle - 6+ in Clove Lakes Park - Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 heard in Clove Lakes Park - Orchard Oriole - 2 incl. 1 summer male & 1 adult male just N of Martling's Ave. near the red bridge in Clove Lakes Park - House Finch - Several including 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - American Goldfinch - 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - House Sparrow - 12+ in Clove Lakes Park -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
