Registrar: Anne Lazarus
Participants: 10
Weather: some morning clouds, then sunny, wind and gusts in exposed areas, 22 F. warming to about 30 F.
Bird Species: 40
Ten enthusiastic Linnaean participants bucked the wind, snow, ice, and cold to enjoy an exciting avian tour of Croton Point Park. We were met at the Croton train station by our excellent leader, Ethan Goodman, who immediately showed us two Bald Eagles. One Mallard was visible in the water, along with many gulls. We walked to the official Croton Park entrance, where a Brown Creeper appeared and stayed around long enough for photographic opportunities, a most unusual and courteous behavior for a Brown Creeper
Also in the area were several flocks of sparrow species, including, American Tree Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and one Field Sparrow.
Our next target was the Red-headed Woodpecker that had been reported in the area. We climbed the hill behind the visitor center and almost immediately found 2 two of them, along with Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Downy Woodpecker and other birds. Ethan spotted a Black Vulture in the distance, along with two Turkey Vultures and another Bald Eagle. We thank Ethan for guiding us to the precise location of these birds, the parking lot for the model airplane field.
We never slowed down. We next walked the periphery of the of the main landfill, where Mary Beth Kooper spotted a Killdeer. Flocks of sparrows were foraging, dominated by American Tree Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows. We stopped for a lunch break, and Ethan treated us to hot beverages and donuts, which we very much appreciated. We continued our walk toward the pine groves and enjoyed Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, more Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a Gray Catbird, another Brown Creeper, a Song Sparrow, American and White-throated Sparrows, a Cooper`s Hawk, a Northern Cardinal and four Buffleheads.
Our final destination was the very gusty, main landfill. We walked across the top seeing more Savannah Sparrows, a Bald Eagle, a wind-blown American Kestrel, a Red-tailed Hawk and a Common Raven. Two participants remained with Ethan until dusk—Trang Do and Kenelma Perez and were rewarded with views of a Screech Owl, a Northern Harrier and a Cooper`s Hawk.
Thank you Ethan for your scouting, organizing, and a comprehensive ebird list.
Birds
Canada geese
Mallard
Bufflehead
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Cooper`s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Eastern Screech Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Field Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated SparrowSavannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Cardinal
