Marcus Webb, 38, was in Prospect Park with binoculars watching a yellow-rumped warbler when a woman called 911 to report he was “surveilling the neighborhood.” Officers arrived, verified his Audubon Society membership, and noted warblers are migratory and do not present a threat. Webb had identified seven species. The warbler flew away during the incident report.
“She came up to me twice,” Webb said. “First to ask what I was doing. Second to tell me she was calling the police.” Officer Dana Reyes, herself a birder, confirmed the warbler was still in the tree upon arrival. It flew away during the incident report. Webb logged the sighting with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It counted. The call did not.