Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 15
Weather: 52-78° F, partly cloudy, mild westerly winds
Bird Species: 47
We had a beautiful fall day for our annual field trip to Floyd Bennet Field, guided by leader extraordinaire, Rob Jett. The walk started in the area just north of Aviator Sports, where we kept our eyes peeled for sparrows and other migrating grassland species. We then proceeded into the North Forty, where we saw dozens of American Robins, as well as Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, woodpeckers, and several raptors, including two late Ospreys.
After leaving the northern part of the area, we saw multiple American Kestrels, some eating field crickets off the pavement; a Northern Harrier; a large flock of Brown Cowbirds; a murder of American Crows; and other passerines. At the community garden we were thrilled to spot a Mourning Warbler and a White-crowned Sparrow. Sadly, we saw that someone had wrapped sticky tape around the tree trunks south of the garden in a misguided effort to trap Spotted Lanternflies. Three dead Brown Creepers were found stuck to the tape, and feathers were seen on other traps, indicating that additional birds had been trapped but managed to escape.
We next proceeded to the end of Archery Road, overlooking Jamaica Bay. A small flock of Brant was seen, as well as Great Black-backed, Herring, Ring-billed, and Laughing Gulls. Double-crested Cormorants and a shorebird (unidentifiable due to distance) sat on the pilings.
The walk ended with a stroll through the campgrounds, where we spotted a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Black-capped Chickadee. Our final sighting was of two adult Bald Eagles soaring overhead—a magnificent species to end the day with.
Species List
Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
shorebird sp.
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull (American)
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Nashville Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Insects
Spring/Fall Field Cricket