[nysbirds-l] Staten Island, Sat. 8-May-2010 incl. PF & Lesser Yellowlegs
Date: Saturday, 8 May 2010 (7:15a-7:25p) Location: Clove Lakes Park, Goethal's Bridge Pond & Wolfe's Pond Park Reported by: Ben Cacace A checklist committee is being formed to update the Staten Island checklist < http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SINaturaList/message/1648 >. The new checklist may be produced as early as Fall of 2010 or Spring of 2011. It's clear the status of the 1st two birds has changed since the 2000 list was published. It'll be interesting to see how the decade has changed things for the birds. A trip to Goethal's Bridge Pond didn't clearly reveal the presence of Pectoral Sandpiper. A candidate landed in with the Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs but disappeared too quickly to get confirmation. A better look at the potential Worm-eating Warbler in Clove Lakes Park fell into the same category. The group of 22+ yellowlegs on Goethal's Bridge Pond contained at least 8 LESSER YELLOWLEGS. The count of LEAST SANDPIPERS was 35+. Feeding with them were 3+ SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS. The other shorebirds present were KILLDEER and 1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Towards the end of my stay all the shorebirds lifted. This was due to a visit by a sub-adult PEREGRINE FALCON. It spent a few minutes chasing the birds and landed on the pond for a second but did not pick up a meal for its efforts. Soon after, most of the birds returned. An adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was feeding along Old Place Creek just off Western Ave. Two OSPREY were seen. One low & north of Goethal's Bridge Pond and another was seen low over Acme Pond in Wolfe's Pond Park. The afternoon west winds off Raritan Bay were amazing. Off Wolfe's Pond Park there is a male RED-BREASTED MERGANSER molting out of breeding plumage with very few feathers on its right wing. I was wondering if this was the molting process or damage to its wing? It spent quite some time on the beach. Transportation: M15 bus to ferry, 6:30a ferry, S48 to Clove Lakes Park, S48 to Goethal's Bridge Pond, S40 to St. George, S.I. Rail to Wolfe's Pond Park, S78 to ferry, 9pm ferry, M15 home. Abundance categories below from 'The Birds of Staten Island' checklist last updated in 2000. Abundance categories below for 'Spring'. Weather for 8-May for Newark, NJ (6:51a-7:51p) < http://tinyurl.com/3xzl4u4>: - Conditions: Mostly Cloudy / Light Rain / Scattered Clouds - Temperature: 60.1 to 78.1 F (15.6 to 25.6 C) - Wind direction: Variable to roughly WSW changing to W by 11am - Wind speed: Calm - 41 mph (gusts to 54 mph) ** Total species - 65 ** Not listed as a 'Spring' migrant [1 spp]: - Forster's Tern - 3 attempting to feed over rough waters on Raritan Bay off Wolfe's Pond Park 'Rare' seen every 2-5 years [1 spp]: - Bank Swallow - 5+ over Wolfe's Pond 'Occasional' seen a few times per season [2 spp]: - Peregrine Falcon - 1 subadult scaring up shorebirds on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Lesser Yellowlegs - 8+ in a group of 22+ yellowlegs 'Uncommon' present but may not be seen [11 spp]: - Mute Swan - 2 on Wolfe's Pond - Common Loon - 1 adult in breeding plumage on Raritan Bay off Wolfe's Pond Park - Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 1 adult along Old Place Creek off Western Ave. - Turkey Vulture - 2 just N of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Osprey - 2 incl. 1 over Goethal's Bridge Pond & 1 over Acme Pond in Wolfe's Pond Park - Red-tailed Hawk - 2 incl. Clove Lakes Park & Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Oystercatcher - 2 off Wolfe's Pond Park - Warbling Vireo - 2 in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1 over Wolfe's Pond - Wood Thrush - 1 seen & heard in Wolfe's Pond Park - Wilson's Warbler - 1 adult male in Clove Lakes Park near Martling Ave. 'Common' certain in proper habitat [24 spp]: - Red-breasted Merganser - 1 adult male coming out of breeding plumage off Wolfe's Pond Park - Great Egret - 1 off Wolfe's Pond Park over Raritan Bay & on the beach - Snowy Egret - 5+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Green Heron - 1 along Purdy Place Creek off Lemon Creek Park - Killdeer - 2 incl. 1 on Goethal's Bridge Pond & 1 off Wolfe's Pond Park - Spotted Sandpiper - 1 on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Least Sandpiper - 35+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Chimney Swift - 1 over Clove Lakes Park - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - Blue-headed Vireo - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Black-capped Chickadee - 2 in Wolfe's Pond Park - Veery - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Swainson's Thrush - 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Mockingbird - 2+ around Goethal's Bridge Pond - Cedar Waxwing - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Parula - Several in Clove Lakes Park (5+) - Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Blackpoll Warbler - 10+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Waterthrush - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Canada Warbler - 1 male in Clove Lakes Park - Scarlet Tanager - At least 1 male in Clove Lakes Park - Baltimore Oriole - 4+ incl. Clove Lakes Park & Wolfe's Pond Park - House Finch - 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Goldfinch - 4 at Goethal's Bridge Pond 'Abundant' sure to see [26 spp]: - Brant - 150+ off
[nysbirds-l] Staten Island, Sat. 8-May-2010 incl. PF Lesser Yellowlegs
Date: Saturday, 8 May 2010 (7:15a-7:25p) Location: Clove Lakes Park, Goethal's Bridge Pond Wolfe's Pond Park Reported by: Ben Cacace A checklist committee is being formed to update the Staten Island checklist http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SINaturaList/message/1648 . The new checklist may be produced as early as Fall of 2010 or Spring of 2011. It's clear the status of the 1st two birds has changed since the 2000 list was published. It'll be interesting to see how the decade has changed things for the birds. A trip to Goethal's Bridge Pond didn't clearly reveal the presence of Pectoral Sandpiper. A candidate landed in with the Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs but disappeared too quickly to get confirmation. A better look at the potential Worm-eating Warbler in Clove Lakes Park fell into the same category. The group of 22+ yellowlegs on Goethal's Bridge Pond contained at least 8 LESSER YELLOWLEGS. The count of LEAST SANDPIPERS was 35+. Feeding with them were 3+ SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS. The other shorebirds present were KILLDEER and 1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Towards the end of my stay all the shorebirds lifted. This was due to a visit by a sub-adult PEREGRINE FALCON. It spent a few minutes chasing the birds and landed on the pond for a second but did not pick up a meal for its efforts. Soon after, most of the birds returned. An adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was feeding along Old Place Creek just off Western Ave. Two OSPREY were seen. One low north of Goethal's Bridge Pond and another was seen low over Acme Pond in Wolfe's Pond Park. The afternoon west winds off Raritan Bay were amazing. Off Wolfe's Pond Park there is a male RED-BREASTED MERGANSER molting out of breeding plumage with very few feathers on its right wing. I was wondering if this was the molting process or damage to its wing? It spent quite some time on the beach. Transportation: M15 bus to ferry, 6:30a ferry, S48 to Clove Lakes Park, S48 to Goethal's Bridge Pond, S40 to St. George, S.I. Rail to Wolfe's Pond Park, S78 to ferry, 9pm ferry, M15 home. Abundance categories below from 'The Birds of Staten Island' checklist last updated in 2000. Abundance categories below for 'Spring'. Weather for 8-May for Newark, NJ (6:51a-7:51p) http://tinyurl.com/3xzl4u4: - Conditions: Mostly Cloudy / Light Rain / Scattered Clouds - Temperature: 60.1 to 78.1 F (15.6 to 25.6 C) - Wind direction: Variable to roughly WSW changing to W by 11am - Wind speed: Calm - 41 mph (gusts to 54 mph) ** Total species - 65 ** Not listed as a 'Spring' migrant [1 spp]: - Forster's Tern - 3 attempting to feed over rough waters on Raritan Bay off Wolfe's Pond Park 'Rare' seen every 2-5 years [1 spp]: - Bank Swallow - 5+ over Wolfe's Pond 'Occasional' seen a few times per season [2 spp]: - Peregrine Falcon - 1 subadult scaring up shorebirds on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Lesser Yellowlegs - 8+ in a group of 22+ yellowlegs 'Uncommon' present but may not be seen [11 spp]: - Mute Swan - 2 on Wolfe's Pond - Common Loon - 1 adult in breeding plumage on Raritan Bay off Wolfe's Pond Park - Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 1 adult along Old Place Creek off Western Ave. - Turkey Vulture - 2 just N of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Osprey - 2 incl. 1 over Goethal's Bridge Pond 1 over Acme Pond in Wolfe's Pond Park - Red-tailed Hawk - 2 incl. Clove Lakes Park Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Oystercatcher - 2 off Wolfe's Pond Park - Warbling Vireo - 2 in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1 over Wolfe's Pond - Wood Thrush - 1 seen heard in Wolfe's Pond Park - Wilson's Warbler - 1 adult male in Clove Lakes Park near Martling Ave. 'Common' certain in proper habitat [24 spp]: - Red-breasted Merganser - 1 adult male coming out of breeding plumage off Wolfe's Pond Park - Great Egret - 1 off Wolfe's Pond Park over Raritan Bay on the beach - Snowy Egret - 5+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Green Heron - 1 along Purdy Place Creek off Lemon Creek Park - Killdeer - 2 incl. 1 on Goethal's Bridge Pond 1 off Wolfe's Pond Park - Spotted Sandpiper - 1 on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Least Sandpiper - 35+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Chimney Swift - 1 over Clove Lakes Park - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2+ in Clove Lakes Park - Blue-headed Vireo - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Black-capped Chickadee - 2 in Wolfe's Pond Park - Veery - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Swainson's Thrush - 3+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Mockingbird - 2+ around Goethal's Bridge Pond - Cedar Waxwing - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Parula - Several in Clove Lakes Park (5+) - Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Blackpoll Warbler - 10+ in Clove Lakes Park - Northern Waterthrush - 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Canada Warbler - 1 male in Clove Lakes Park - Scarlet Tanager - At least 1 male in Clove Lakes Park - Baltimore Oriole - 4+ incl. Clove Lakes Park Wolfe's Pond Park - House Finch - 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Goldfinch - 4 at Goethal's Bridge Pond 'Abundant' sure to see [26 spp]: - Brant - 150+ off Wolfe's Pond
