Registrar: Marie-Claire Cunningham
Trip Report: Miriam Rakowski
Participants: 29
Weather: Cloudy, temperature range 68-72; winds from the south at 4-6 mph
Bird Species: 51
The weather forecast for this morning’s walk had been threatening for the last few days. I suspect many who came last week performed a non-rain dance. If so, it was successful, as the weather cooperated all morning. Twenty-nine happy people went off in three groups on their birding adventure in Central Park. As the winds had been coming from the south for the last few days, we did not expect to see many birds. Yet our group was able to eke out ten species of warblers, including a Tennessee.
An interesting conversation ensued when we sighted a large, rather bulky raptor. Its size suggested a Red-tailed Hawk but it lacked a belly band. It possessed a longish, striped tail suggesting an accipiter. However, we were puzzled by its large size. We finally agreed on it being a female Cooper’s Hawk.
Some other highlights included a Scarlet Tanager, a couple of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Despite the cloudy weather, we had a bright morning filled with 52 species of birds.
Species Lists
Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Herring Gull
Cooper’s Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
