My Birding spot this week was Floyd Bennett Field. After seeing the forecast for rain all day Friday. I got out for a little after work on Thursday afternoon, and headed back there this morning for more. I was not disappointed.
While it appears the grasses of the fields have been moved, the cricket field is (mostly) over grown; a portion was mowed for the green meadows farm that takes over every fall. The Cricket field is a sparrow's and sparrow hawk's paradise right now. I'd highly suggest a visit!
And bonus, today was World Migratory Bird Day!
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I birded ecology village after work Thursday with the baby. We didn't see a whole lot, mostly because a pair pf merlin were patrolling the skies. We did see lots of yellow-rumped warblers, though. |
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Also a nice treat, Thursday, a not shy and very low red-breasted nuthatch. It was working really hard at stashing a little morsel it had. It really had a tough time finding the best spot to cache its find.
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This morning I made a quick decision to go to Floyd Bennett Field hoping to see an American Golden Plover. Usually when I try to find a bird that is reported, I usually fail. Not today! It was hanging with a few black-bellied plovers in a puddle on an old runway. This was a lifebird.
These birds breed in the high Arctic and migrate through the middle of the country. I'm glad I have finally gotten to see one!
Next I went over to the Cricket Field.
And so did this female American Kestrel. She knew there was also good things to be found here.
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I love this wind-swept look...
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Of course today my daughter was not with me, and there were quite a few kestrels around.
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Below the Kestrel, the birds were rightfully upset, sounding the alarm in sharp, loud calls. Robins even approached the tiny falcon and sized up to her. Smaller, more prey-likely birds stayed low, but still called out their anger. This Savannah sparrow was just the start of the sparrow show. Soon after spotting this savannah, I spotted swamp, song, white-throated, white-crowned, and field sparrows.
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And then I saw this little chonky sparrow, white eye-ring and white boarders to the tail means only one thing: VESPER SPARROW!
And what a treat, you cab even see the detail of its pupil! A beautiful little thing just popping up in the open. What luck! Always check all your sparrows; this one was with a group of Savannah's.
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I am also happy to have found this bird on my own. That always gives me the birding warm and fuzzies.
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And even if most of the birds on the field were Savannah Sparrows, let's be real, you cant get tired of looking at these little stunners.
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The buttery end to a good morning of birds. (Yellow-rumped warbler, aka: butter butt) |
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