Registrar: Miriam Rakowski
Attendees: 30
Weather: temperatures, 52-70F; Winds, NNW 6-10 mph.
Bird Species: 61
Our walk began on the morning of the fall equinox, with crisp air and warming temperatures as the day progressed. Our group included about 30 old and new friends, divided into three smaller groups.
In the early cool morning, insect activity was slow, with few birds. As it warmed, we began to see warblers, mainly American Redstarts, Magnolias, and Black-and-whites among others. One special warbler seen by Janet and a few others, was a Golden-winged Warbler. Soon, we saw a few kinglets of both types, harbingers of fall. Throughout the morning we saw small groups of perhaps as many as 50 Blue Jays, who make a shorter migration.
At Belvedere Castle, where we had a panoramic view, some of us noticed two raptors with pointy wings flying over. First, we thought they might be falcons. However, one sharp-eyed member of our group noticed white crescents near each of the wing tips, and, excitedly, we realized we were seeing Common Nighthawks.
Species Lists
Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Herring Gull
Green Heron
Osprey
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Butterflies
Question Mark
Red Admiral
