Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Marine Park to Prospect Park

     Yesterday after work I ventured through Marine Park and today after work, through Prospect Park.   I went looking for specific things but really didn't see what I had hoped, but got other little surprises instead. I really wanted to see the bobolinks at Marine Park yesterday and I am 99% sure I saw them, flying among the tall grass, but was kinda sad I didn't get to photograph them. And today in Prospect I went to search for a prothonotary warbler seen earlier, but to no avail. In both today and yesterday I got an alternate surprise instead. So not all that bad!

Marine Park:
More excited to see this guy than ANY bird. I have never seen a real live monarch caterpillar EVER before! This guy munched and munched from the time I first spotted him to when I checked him again before leaving. This guy is a legit New Yorker, if it survives to adulthood it will make it to Mexico. It will never return to New York, it will overwinter in Mexico where it goes into a stall in it's reproductive life, called diapause. When they are ready to head north, they will come out of this period and breed, but in the southern range of the US, it's a pretty amazing life cycle! Learn more about it here from the Monarch Butterfly Fund.
A few least sandpipers landed below the reeds near the osprey nest. Yellow legs, a slightly droopy bill signals least sandpiper.
My favorite thing, a great egret flyover!
 Prospect Park:
An interesting place for a bald faced hornet nest! 
Found a black and white warbles (this guy), redstarts, grackle, and fly catchers among others on the peninsula.
Peek-a-boo! This guy was my favorite part, a chestnut-sided warbler in fall plumage. Yeah, looks nothing like breeding plumage! He was super cute, very active, even landed on the pavement right in front of another birder and myself!
A nice way to end a quiet walk, in good company, with some decent birds.

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