Less Birds, More Work!

     I headed down to Calvert Vaux/Dreier-Offerman (whatever you prefer) Park today to bird along Coney Island Creek. I specifically picked here because I will soon be calling Coney Island, proper, my work home. I will be joining the Wildlife Conservation Society at the New York Aquarium as an outreach coordinator with the education department, bringing various lessons to folks around Brooklyn!
     In finally attaining employment once again, I will probably be hiking, birding, and investigating a bit less than I have been, but I promise to still get out and continue doing Jen things. After two days straight of not venturing out much today I had to get out and it was worth it. Got another lifer, three raptor species (raptors are my favorites), and TONS of brant geese.

A juvenile cooper's hawk flies over the fields chasing birds, including crows, which honestly are comparable in side to this bird.

This brant is giving me the stink eye.

A mallard is clear for landing. 

Great blue heron on the various "wrecks" in Coney Island Creek. 

Red-bellied woodpecker

A yellow-rumped warbler

Song Sparrow

Lots of brant, I love the guy up front stuffing his face... "Everyone, we want to channel our inner swan... BARRY, BARRY- seriously dude, what are you doing?! You're ruining it!"

Savannah sparrow

A new bird for my list- Field sparrow! A very warm, handsome sparrow! 

Another look at the (urban) field sparrow. 

A terrible photo, but as I am trying hard to learn some new sparrows, I like this one because in one picture you have the Savannah (closer, to the right) and the Song (back, left) sparrow, and can see how similar and different they look! 

A female American Kestrel, so tiny, but saw this little lady from quite a ays back as I was leaving, glad I had a chance to say hi!

Most birds of prey look alike, among the sexes, with females just being larger than the males. American Kestrel males are a bit more "colorful" than the females with a bluer head and wings, with a buffy rusty-colored breast.

Mocking birds were holding their own while the kestrel was around.

An Eastern Phoebe grabs a crunchy lunch.