Haven't posted in a while. Spent two weekends ago with my husband, and some birding in between as we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Then last week I came down hard with a stomach virus, it sucked, 100%. Yesterday I finally felt well enough for walking and going out to find the Common Gallinule that has been hanging around at Prospect Park since last week. A few other bonuses also showed up too...
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From across the way... I noticed a goose that was not like the others... |
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I present, a cackling goose! |
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With its wings looking almost too long for its body, smaller size, and wedge-shaped, small bill, this is a separate species from the Canada geese. |
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The one furthest back is definitely a cackling-- I question the one right in front of it. |
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Oh yeah... I was looking for that gallinule- the cackling was a little distraction. But then, distracted again- this great blue heron was on a mission... |
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While hordes of people skated just 100 yards away, this great blue heron found lunch. And no one but me watched it al go down. |
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A tasty frog that it even dipped, gently in the water to get it nice and wet so it could easily swallow it down. |
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Then a gust of wind came and even knocked this bird off-balance. |
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It was a great afternoon though, to photo pied billed grebes. These funny little birds are often shy, but today they were busy hunting in the tangles of the now dying lilies. |
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Also, lots of plump ruddy ducks, close to shore doing the same as the grebes. |
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Looking like a baby dinosaur... |
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Swimming through reflecting autumn colors. |
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And now for sub-par photos of the common gallinule. Not a year bird for me, but a county bird, for sure! |
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My coworker and friend found it last Sunday, and I am so glad it stuck around! While a bird like this could be in NYC, as it is within its range, we just don't have a lot of its preferred habitat. In places upstate, even into Canada, these birds are not rare occurrences as the summer and breeding range extends north of here. I did see these birds last winter in Florida at Merritt National Wildlife Refuge, in large abundance. |
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This is very much a juvenile bird and a fun one to tack on to your Kings County list, if it isn't there already! |
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