Tour of Prospect 10.10.16

     After a weekend of work, I got in a good couple of hours of birding on Monday with my coworker who wanted to bird Prospect and learn its different areas. Like seriously, you don't have to beg me for such an ask.
     We walked through the park covering lookout hill, crossing the ballfields to the upper pool, lower pool, into the ravine, past the Ambergill, after exiting through the Neathermead Arches, walked through the Midwood to the Vale, then back down the drive to wander down the Lullwater to the pink beach and into the Penninsula. We covered enough ground for sure!
     Not too great of photos, but really had a great walk and enjoyed running into the birds that we did, enjoy!

It must have rained yellow-rumped warblers all weekend. I suppose that was not water, just warbler. They were EVERYWHERE. Often triggering the "OH, WHAT'S THAT!?! ...ugh, yellow-rumped." response.

A hunting Coopers Hawk over Lookout Hill. I am excited that it is hawk season, I love raptors and am planning a trip this week to the Hook to do some hawk watching. Ask me how excited I am...   :)

An adorable little pom-pom of a common yellowthroat.

A juvenile white crowned sparrow in the Vale among song sparrows, swamp sparrows, annnnnnd...

A ruby-throated hummingbird! <3

In lacking a ruby colored thorat, we know this is a female. Better get a move on, little one, the weather is getting cold and migration lies ahead. This little bird, weighing 0.1-0.2 oz (16 oz=1lb), travels all the way to Central America, getting there by flying across the Gulf of Mexico- how is that for a little warrior?!

A bright magnolia warbler in his finest fall plumage.

House sparrows looking joyous at bath time. I love watching them splish-splash!

A male cardinal gorging on pokeweed and the berries it produces, which birds find delectable!

A Northern Shoveler and Friend. The friend is a female green-winged teal.

Here she leads the group, and you can see her green wings, from which she gets her name. I also love the female shoveler who seems to be cracking a smile or emitting a sound.

This female mallard was swimming near us, and I kept hearing that sound similar to when you blow bubbles in your chocolate milk through a straw. This duck seemed to be having a bit of fun, or immature for her age...

But upon investigating the internet, it seems that ducks need to submerge their bills to clear out their sinuses- so I suppose that is what she was doing. She was cute none the less, and I like to think that she was just enjoying the fact that she can make funny bubbles with her nose.