Prospect Park

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General Information

Like Central Park, Prospect Park was designed and built by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Also like Central Park, the park is operated by a third party group: the Prospect Park Alliance (cf. the Central Park Conservancy). This relatively large park attracts a large number of enthusiastic birders, second only to Central Park, and has it's own Audubon Center in a collaboration between the Alliance and NYC Audubon.

Maps

Locations Within the Park

The mix of habitats within the park echo Vaux and Olmstead's other creation, Central Park. There are water features, open grassy areas, and relatively dense wooded sections as well as intermediate areas. The large stone arch of Grand Army Plaza marks the major entrance at the north end of the park and although I have watched Monarch butterflies migrating from there it's not a birding destination of itself but a useful landmark.

Of more interest are:

  • The Ravine and Midwood (Quaker Cemetery)
  • The Lake
  • The Peninsula
  • Lullwater and Audubon Center
  • Nethermead and Lookout Hill
  • Vale of Cashmere

Being a park, Prospect is not without it's share of open grassy areas - the largest of which is the curved area of Long Meadow running down the west side of the park from Grand Army Plaza down to the south-west corner of the park. The other major area lies roughly in the middle of the park - Nethermead -

Upper and Lower Pool

Best Locations for Birding

As you might expect, the best locations to find passerine migrants are the wooded areas: Lookout Hill and the Peninsula on the north shore of the Lake; the central wooded areas from Quaker Hill through The Ravine to Midwood along and the Vale of Cashmere along the north-east corner. These cover most of the major areas in the park with canopy, although there are smaller less continuous areas (e.g. along the west edge of Long Meadow). The Lake tends to be better in late fall and winter, and does a good job of attracting waterfowl unless it freezes over completely.

Seasons

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Directions

Prospect Park is in the borough of Brooklyn and well-served by a variety of subway lines. The best ones to take would be the F to 15th St./Prospect Park or to 7th Ave. at 9th street. The 2 and 3 lines stop at Grand Army Plaza. The Q line stops at 7th Ave at Flatbush Ave. The 4 and 5 lines stop at Franklin Ave which will require you to walk back a few blocks west to reach the park (but this stop is convenient for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden). See the MTA subway map.

For bus service see the Brooklyn bus map (in PDF).

If driving, there is some parking to be found in the area of Park Slope on the west side of the park - this would appear to be the safest area to attempt street parking but can also be fairly popular. From the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges take Flatbush Ave to Grand Army Plaza and work the local streets west and south of there. From the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) take the 38th Street exit, left onto 4th Ave and the right on a street between 14th St and Union St to put you on Prospect Park West.

Expected Species

Checklist from the Prospect Park Bird Club.

Using this abundance classification: Common , Uncommon, very uncommon/rare which reflects the number of birds in the park rather than the ease of finding them (i.e. you'll find it easier to find the two Mute Swans than two Winter Wrens).

Purple Finch uncommon migrant, irruptive
House Finch common resident, breeds
Common Redpoll rare irruptive migrant/winter visitor, irruptive
Pine Siskin rare irruptive migrant/winter visitor, irruptive
American Goldfinch common to abundant winter visitor
House Sparrow abundant resident, breeds


Unexpected Species

Tundra/Trumpeter Swan immature in December 2006
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