1-4-12 Bronx and Queens Birding Highlights...Birding Dude

1-4-12 Bronx and Queens Birding Highlights...

A trip out to the Bronx this morning for the Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) at Van Cortlandt Park did not pan out, making this my second try and DIP for the little fella. I did ran into Lynne Hertzog from NYC Audubon who helped me to sift through the flock to no avail. Lynne and I continued to monitor and keep track of the Geese as they flew into the field. The numbers grew to a respectable amount but no BRNG. When I finally caved, the Geese had grown to a sizeable flock of about 1500. Before leaving Van Cortlandt Park, I birded around the lake and found some land birds. The notables being a few Rusty Blackbirds and a Blackbird sp., I say sp. because I had to work at the ID, although, I was leaning towards a Rusty in a plumage that it should not be in for this time of the year. What do you think?

Leaving the Bronx, I headed back to Queens, where I birded Kissena Park. My highlights included an Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celataone) of the continuing OCWA that Warbler whisperer, Eric Miller, found last year. And I picked up a pleasant surprise in a Lincoln Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii). Here are some photos.