Registrar: Amanda Bielskas
Weather: It was cold, in the mid 30s with light to heavy snow at points. Mild wind, but was windier out on one of the piers we were able to walk out onto.
Participants: 20
Bird species: 21
It was a great day birding in Brooklyn at Bush Terminal Piers Park. This was the second Birds & Brews excursion to Brooklyn and it was a success! After birding for about 3 hours we headed over to Industry City for some convos and snacks. We had 21 species, great birds, and snowy weather!
We started off near the main entrance to the park around 43rd Street. We birded the area around the piers at the entrance for a while waiting for everyone in the group to arrive. After introductions, we continued birding and quickly amassed a decent list of birds including may ducks (Gadwall, Mallards, American Widgeon) and a couple of Great Cormorants at the end of the pier to the north. There were also many Brant around and a couple Canada Geese as well. We didn’t walk very far before we found a fairly close juvenile Iceland Gull on one of the piers. It was rather brown overall, and had a pinkish bill base, it was also noticeably smaller than the nearby Herring Gulls and larger than the Ring-Bill Gulls.
We proceeded along the path and headed out onto the traversable pier. It was a bit cold and windy out there, but we got better views of the Great Cormorants and some of the other birds that were a bit further out in the water. After the pier we headed around to the other side of the basin and a Mockingbird popped up and flew between and behind us, we then got closer looks at many gulls. Some of the Ring-billed Gulls tried to trick us into thinking they were Iceland Gulls, but we persevered in our study and realized they were juvenile Ring-bills. Next, we headed around the hill to the far side of the park. One member of our group spotted a Palm Warbler in the woods, but the rest of us headed directly for the other side where there were many Buffleheads, Lesser Scaup, and a couple Greater Scaup swimming. We also got quick, distant looks at several Red-breasted Mergansers. After admiring the scaup, we walked back through a bit of the woods but were not successful in re-finding the Palm Warbler.
Since the snow was getting a bit heavy, and we were getting a bit cold, we walked over to Industry City where we convened for lunch and libations at the Japan Village. After lunch we went our separate ways though a few of us made our way to Lilac Chocolate for a sweet bite to end the day.
Species Lists
Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Iceland Gull
Great Cormorant
American Crow
Common Raven
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Song Sparrow
Palm Warbler