Central Park with Ken Chaya, Alan Drogin, and Kevin Sisco, 4/4/2023

Registrar: Theresa Brown
Participants: 41
Weather: High 40s and sunny, light breeze
Bird Species: 51

A beautiful cool day for our first Central Park walk of the Spring season. Some late migrating winter species combined with our first warblers to make for a lot of variety. We saw a number of nests and many birds carrying nesting material. The park was full of song.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-tailed Hawk
Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Brown Creeper
European Starling
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Louisiana Waterthrush
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Brooklyn Coastal Birding with Peter Dorosh, 3/18/2023

Registrar: Matthew Fischer
Participants: 15
Weather: Mix of overcast and broken clouds, cloud cover 75–100%; temperature 44–46°F; NW breeze, fresh to strong; humidity 48–56%
Bird Species: 53

Another marathon day of birding with Peter Dorosh. We started the day bright and early at Shirley Chisholm State Park. For many of the 15 participants, this was their first time visiting the park, which opened in 2019. We were immediately treated to multiple rafts of Greater and Lesser Scaup and saw some early American Oystercatchers fly in. It did not take long before Peter captured our first target in his scope, a continuing rarity: an Eared Grebe. After getting the group on it, he explained to us the differences between the Eared Grebe and the nearby Horned Grebes. We were also treated to a Common Goldeneye, Red Throated Loons, and hovering Northern Harriers.

Our second stop of the day was Floyd Bennett Field. There we checked out the North Forty Natural Area, had splendid views of multiple American Kestrels hunting on the derelict runways, and saw a nesting Bald Eagle from the kayak launch. Our third and final stop of the day was Marine Park, where we quickly spotted our second priority target of the day, another continuing rarity: a juvenile Red Headed Woodpecker. We ended the splendid day with a walk on the Salt Marsh Nature Trail.

Species List

Birds
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
White-breasted Nuthatch (h)
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Cardinal

Central Park Winter Walk with Richard Zainaldeen, 3/12/2023

Registrar: Kathleen Matthews
Leaders: Richard Zainaldeen, Erika Piik, & David Spawn
Participants: 39
Weather: Sunny, 38-42° F, 8 mph N wind, “feels like 36”
Bird Species: 38

A forecast of rain and snow, on our originally scheduled March 11th walk, forced a reschedule to
Sunday, March 12th and meant only 39 of the originally 58 registrants were able to participate.

Dividing into three groups, we fanned out into Strawberry Fields, then moved to Hernshead, Oak
Bridge, and into the Ramble. Absent from our list were American Woodcocks and most of the
other hoped-for, early Spring migrants, but we did enjoy the almost comical abundance of Tufted
Titmice, multiple Fox Sparrow (some signing), and a lovely showing of “Geraldine”- Central
Park’s seemingly resident Great Horned Owl.

Species

Birds:
American Coot
Bufflehead
Canada Goose
Hooded Merganser
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Blue Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal

Pelham Bay Park with Jack Rothman, 2/25/2023

Registrar: Evelyn Huang
Participants: 16
Weather: 28–33° F; mostly cloudy, some snow, 6 mph NW wind
Bird Species: 41

The group met at 9:00 am at the Orchard Beach parking lot, and immediately proceeded to Orchard Beach. We started scanning the SE corner of Hunter Island, then scanned the Sound from the middle of Orchard Beach continuing to Twin and Two Tree Islands. We then did some land birding through Hunter Island, persisting even when it started snowing in contravention of the weather forecast.

Walking back from the shore, we saw some White-tailed Deer walking in the woods, and the sight of them in the falling snow was very charming. Just before we were set to depart, someone suggested checking a nearby spot in the woods where a Barred Owl had been seen. The majority of the group made the short walk and after scanning the copse of trees we shortly found the owl and had good looks. It was a wonderful morning despite the snow and wind-chill.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant (Atlantic)
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Purple Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Great Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Barred Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle

Mammals
White-tailed Deer

Croton Point Park with Ethan Goodman, 2/18/2023

Registrar: Mary Braza
Participants: 7
Weather: Clear skies, 30-40 degrees F, windy
Bird Species: 27

The group explored nearly the entire park, including the designated trails of the grasslands on the site of a former landfill. Highlights of the trip were the Bald Eagles, the American Kestrel, and the Eastern Bluebirds. After hiking through both the grasslands and the wooded section of the park, we looked for additional birds near the Croton-Harmon Railroad Station.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Bufflehead
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
American Tree Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

Birding the MET with Kevin Sisco, 2/17/2023

Registrar: Amanda Bielskas
Weather: Partly cloudy and a little rainy temperature was warm (for February) but cooled throughout the day.
Participants: 9
Bird species: 20+

Our group of 9 birders met promptly at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 10:30am for a tour of some of the birds that can be found inhabiting the museum. We started in Ancient Greece, worked our way over to the Ancient Egyptian wing where there were numerous falcons, hawks and vultures, many herons and even the sacred ibis. After Egypt we toured some Byzantine and early Roman art where we saw birds including doves which were depicted in many religious works and also passed several tapestries in the Medieval section that featured falcons and partridges. We then made some stops in the American Wing where we saw more eagles and some aquatic birds including swans and ducks. We did a slight detour and managed to find the likely extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the visible storage section. We continued onto the Native American galleries and admired the imagery of Thunderbirds and Ravens. The Tour continued in some of the European Painting Galleries where we were able to view some parrots and finches in some classic works. The tour concluded with the art deco gallery from a Paris apartment with beautiful wall sized oil paintings featuring herons and peacocks. This was an amazing informative tour full of beautiful works of art in a vast variety of mediums. Many thanks to Kevin for guiding us through thousands of years of artworks and over 20 species of birds real and imagined.

Species Lists

Birds
Chickens/Roosters
Coots
Cranes
Doves
Ducks
Eagles
Falcons
Flycatcher
Geese
Goldfinches
Griffins
Hawks
Herons
Hoopoe
Magpie
Ostrich
Owls
Parrots
Partridges
Peafowl/Pheasants
Pelicans
Pigeons
Ravens
Sacred Ibis
Sirens
Swallows
Swans
Thunderbird
Vultures

Coney Island Pier and Coney Island Creek Park with Rob Jett, 2/11/2023

Registrar: Linda LaBella
Participants: 16
Weather: Clear skies and cool temperatures, 45 degrees 
Species: 39

Rob Jett’s field trips to Coney Island and Coney Island Creek Park are always fun and often fruitful, and this trip was no exception. Right from the start, while viewing from the boardwalk, we witnessed thousands of Northern Gannets in a continuous stream—diving, feeding, and circling over the bay. It was an amazing sight that continued the entire time we remained at the beach.

On the pier, we were treated to close views of three Razorbills, a seabird of the Alcidae family that has been unusually abundant this winter in the waters around NYC. Along the beach on our way to the 35th Street overlook, and at the jetty, we saw three more Razorbills, Common Loons, and Long-tailed Ducks. We then continued to Coney Island Creek Park, encountering yet another Razorbill as well as hundreds of Brant and other waterfowl, and finished up at the 23rd Street overlook. 

Species List

Birds
Snow Goose
Brant 
Canada Goose 
Mute Swan
Gadwall 
Mallard
American Black Duck 
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup 
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove 
Razorbill
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Cooper’s Hawk 
American Crow
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
European Starling 
House Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbirds
Northern Cardinal

Staten Island with Richard ZainEldeen, 2/5/2023

Registrar: Ursula Mitra
Participants:  11
Weather: 44-47 F, overcast, winds WSW 5 mph
Species:  54

This trip started on a high note as eleven Linnaean members collected in the Wolfe Pond parking lot for the annual Staten Island field trip with Richard ZainEldeen, one of the Linnaean Society’s veteran field trip leaders. 

A Peregrine Falcon with a full crop was spotted sitting high in a tree, and it remained there until we left the park two hours later. Within minutes we saw an American Kestrel and a Merlin, also perched.

Richard took us to four planned locations: Wolfe’s Pond Park; Lemon Creek Park; Mt. Loretto Unique Area, where we saw four Harbor Seals relaxing on rocks out in the water; and Blue Heron Park, with its lovely nature center and picnic area.

When news of a Cackling Goose at Silver Lake Park reached us, Richard agreed to add it to the itinerary. We ended the trip on a high note there, seeing a female Common Goldeneye close up, Ring-necked Ducks, and the CACKLING GOOSE!

Thank you, Richard, for another great experience, and thank you to all of the participants for making this a very memorable trip.  Nobody wanted it to end!

Here are the ebird checklists for all locations, with photos by the participants.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S127707223  
https://ebird.org/checklist/S127707330  
https://ebird.org/checklist/S127707370  
https://ebird.org/checklist/S127707417  
https://ebird.org/checklist/S127707468  

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Killdeer
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Cardinal

Mammals
Harbor Seal