Registrar: Janet Wooten
Participants: 16
Weather: Sunny, 64F, WSW winds, 10mph
Bird Species: 56 species (+2 other taxa)
A beautiful late September morning yielded wonderful birding. Along our usual route from the Boathouse to Evodia field, we spotted our first Eastern Towhee of the season, a female, and a Gray-cheeked Thrush. We moved on to the Maintenance Meadow where we were treated to close views of warblers including Nashville, Magnolia, Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, and American Redstart. Brown Thrashers bolted through the trees and Northern Flickers streaked through the air.
Our next stop was Tupelo Meadow. Right away, two rare Yellow-billed Cuckoos flew in together, offering excellent views! American Robins and Gray Catbirds surrounded a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the Tupelo tree while several Swainson’s Thrushes and a Wood Thrush foraged on the ground below.
We stopped at the Overlook in the Ramble, where Cape May, Black-and-white, and Black-throated Blue Warblers chased insects with a small Empidonax flycatcher that could have been a Least Flycatcher. We also noted our first Central Park Yellow-rumped Warblers of the season here.
As we headed towards the Swedish Cottage, we could hear a Red-breasted Nuthatch call. On our way to Sparrow Rock we spotted another Yellow-Billed Cuckoo near the Delacorte Theatre!
We concluded the walk at the Pinetum with nice views of Pine and Blackpoll Warblers, and several Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. With a tally of 14 warbler species and satisfying views of three Yellow-billed Cuckoos, our field trip was a success. You can view the detailed checklist here.
Species Lists
Birds
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Herring Gull
Larus sp.
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Empidonax sp.
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Butterflies
Monarch
Cabbage White
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail