Registrar: Steve Holleran Participants: 38 Weather: Brisk and mostly cloudy, 30’s to low 40’s, light NNE wind Bird Species: 50
On our final Central Park outing of the year, we covered a broad area from the Ramble to the North Woods, and observed a total of 50 species of birds. Owls of two different sorts were seen, as well as an American Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon. Another highlight was the appearance of a mature Bald Eagle hunting low over the Reservoir, then swooping into a tree to pose for happy photographers.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Northern Shoveler Gadwall Mallard Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Coot Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Cooper’s Hawk Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl Barred Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch European Starling Northern Mockingbird Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Fox Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
It was a beautiful fall day for our second-to-last Central Park walk of the year. Thirty-seven enthusiastic birders met at 86th Street at 8am and split into two groups. The groups visited the Reservoir and then continued north to the Pool, the Loch, the Conservatory Garden and the North Woods. Some birders continued into the Ramble where they spotted a perched Red-shouldered Hawk, a rarity for Central Park. Other highlights were a Broad-winged Hawk (flyover at the beginning of the walk), a beautiful pair of Wood Ducks, and a female Green-winged Teal at the Pool, as well as many chickadees and titmice throughout the park. It was a wonderful walk, enjoyed by new and experienced birders alike.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Northern Shoveler Gadwall Mallard Green-winged Teal Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Coot Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Cooper’s Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Peregrine Falcon Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren European Starling Northern Mockingbird Hermit Thrush American Robin
Registrar: Richard Davis Participants: 33 Weather: 60–61 F, wind w/sw, 5 mph, cloudy to partly cloudy Bird Species: 50
Thirty-three participants gathered on a cloudy damp morning. With the threat of rain from overnight mostly gone, the day was mild and the sun seemed to want to break through as the morning progressed. This late fall walk took us to different parts of the Park than earlier in the season, starting at the Pinetum, where our two groups eventually found the continuing Redheaded Woodpecker after a thorough search by all 66 eyes. It was also interesting to observe first-of-the-winter arrivals of American Coot, Northern Shoveler, Hooded Merganser, and Ruddy Duck on the reservoir, with a Green-winged Teal on the Pond as a bonus.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Northern Shoveler Gadwall Mallard Green-winged Teal Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Coot Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Peregrine Falcon Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet White-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Common Grackle Ovenbird Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
The group met at 9 am at the parking lot of the National Wildlife Refuge and proceeded to the trail along the West Pond that begins at the Visitor Center. Although the morning started out very chilly and windy, we were rewarded by seeing a huge blizzard of migrating Brants, both in the bay and on the pond as well as flying overhead. Many of us speculated as to the numbers, with estimates reaching well over ten thousand.
At the viewing areas around the West Pond, we saw many waterfowl species, including Northern Shovelers, American Wigeons, Buffleheads, Pied-billed Grebes, Greater Scaups, Hooded Mergansers, and Green-winged Teals. Among the gulls we were surprised to find two Black-headed Gulls, an adult and an immature. Other species included Great Egrets, a Great Blue Heron, and a Greater Yellowlegs.
It warmed considerably, with the sun coming out as we finished our circuit of the West Pond and had lunch at the picnic tables by the parking lot.
We then walked across Cross Bay Boulevard to check out the East Pond, where we found the water levels extremely high. We only made it to the first lookout, but it was a good spot where we found more ducks, including Northern Pintails, more Green-winged Teals, Gadwalls, and a Red-breasted Merganser. Along the far shore, we also saw some shorebirds, including Dunlins, Killdeer, and Greater Yellowlegs. Some of us were a bit appalled to see a Greater Black-backed Gull attack, kill, and proceed to eat a Ruddy Duck. As we were scanning the water, a Northern Harrier swooped overhead and caused a massive flight of gulls to lift off.
We ended the walk a little after 2 pm at the East Pond, after getting looks at some fairly faraway Ring-necked Ducks.
Many thanks to Joseph DiCostanzo for leading such an enjoyable and informative walk.
Species Lists
Birds Brant Canada Goose Mute Swan Northern Shoveler Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard American Black Duck Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe American Coot Killdeer Dunlin Pectoral Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Black-headed Gull Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Peregrine Falcon Eastern Phoebe American Crow Fish Crow Black-capped Chickadee Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Carolina Wren European Starling Northern Mockingbird Hermit Thrush American Robin House Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Yellow-rumped Warbler
Registrar: Barrie Raik Participants: 24 Weather: Dense fog and mist, low 60s Bird Species: 48
On a misty and overcast day, (foggy was the “wordle” by chance), 24 birders managed to see quite a few birds, although lighting was difficult. We started in Strawberry fields and walked to the Ramble, Locust Grove, Pinetum, and beyond. An unexpected Yellow-breasted Chat was the highlight for those who were still with the group. Other nice finds were Purple Finch, White-crowned Sparrows, Field Sparrows, and a Rusty Blackbird. Unlike last year when they were scarce, Tufted Titmice were everywhere.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Blue Heron Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Peregrine Falcon Blue Jay Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper House Wren Winter Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow Purple Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-crowned Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Yellow-breasted Chat Brown-headed Cowbird Rusty Blackbird Common Grackle Northern Parula Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Lisa Kroop Participants: 15 Weather: 40°F – 57°F, sunny, no wind Bird Species: 53
Mill Creek Marsh is a remediated wetlands habitat in the New Jersey Meadowlands that long ago was a freshwater swamp with stands of Atlantic white cedar. Today it is a brackish marsh, with vestiges of the Atlantic white cedar seen as stumps, particularly at low tide; a mixture of water pools and mud flats; and native vegetation growing in a landscape once dominated by phragmites. It is a prime birding location year-round with 228 species on the eBird Field Checklist.
We began our walk on the edges of the parking lot at the trailhead looking especially for sparrows; there were many in the grass, and in the trees we saw Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers. While we were surveying the scene, a Carolina Wren popped up close to us and perched in the open on a dead branch long enough for all to see.
The Mill Creek Marsh Trail passes through mud flats, impoundments, marshy areas and uplands. Among the highlights during our walk were a Sora that had emerged from the grasses and for an appreciable time stood along the water’s edge; a Northern Harrier that landed, and then perched facing us on the far shore of the North Tidal Pool, showing its facial disc and brown chest plumage; a late-in-the-season Indigo Bunting moving low in the underbrush and between the trees shading the path, amid the sounds of the NJ Turnpike; and an unexpected large group of Tree Sparrows actively feeding over the water.
This being October, sparrows were a focus of our walk. A few weeks earlier, at this very park, our leader had come upon a Brewer’s Sparrow – a first-time record for New Jersey – and he showed us the exact spot. While the Brewer’s had yet to be seen again, we did see many other sparrows including several White-crowned and numerous White-throated, Swamp and Song Sparrows.
A big thank you to Rick for a terrific walk and for sharing with us his knowledge and experiences of birding at Mill Creek Marsh.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Northern Shoveler Mallard American Black Duck Green-winged Teal Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Mourning Dove Sora Greater Yellowlegs Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Peregrine Falcon Eastern Phoebe Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tree Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow House Finch Purple Finch American Goldfinch White-crowned Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Common Yellowthroat Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting
Registrar: Sally Weiner Participants: 39 Weather: 48-50 F, more clouds than sun, breezy Bird Species: 64
A large number of species were seen thanks to the persistence of the leaders and to the overlap of the fall and winter migrants. Fewer warblers were around but there were increasing numbers of sparrows. The unquestioned star was the Grasshopper Sparrow, which has been seen near the King Jagiello monument for five days; it was foraging determinedly, oblivious to the pedestrians only a foot or so away.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Northern Shoveler Mallard Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper House Wren Winter Wren Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Grasshopper Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Baltimore Oriole Common Grackle Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Registrar: Susan Joseph Report by: Arabella Pajoohi, age 11 Participants: 25 Weather: Started with a light autumnal chill and developed into a warm, sunny day with clear skies. Light NW winds overnight produced some movement of migrants, contributing to good diversity on the ground Bird Species: 70
Under a dark blue sky and shining moon of an early October morning, we gathered near the sands of Jones Beach to introduce ourselves and meet our guide for this trip, Tim Healy, a local Queens resident, high school Living Environment teacher and a former NYS Young Birder’s Club member. Twenty miles from New York City, Jones Beach (located on Long Island) feels a world away with its abundance of native plants, wildlife, sandy beaches, and open ocean.
Jones Beach was molded by glaciers encroaching and relapsing during the last ice age (over 10,000 years ago) and now sits on barrier islands. In the mid-1920s, 40 million cubic yards of sand were taken from the ocean floor to raise the land and millions of seagrass plants were hand planted by thousands of men to make sure the newly excavated sand did not erode. After a causeway, parking lots, and dining and catering facilities were completed, Jones Beach opened to the public on August 4, 1929. It is now one of the most visited beaches in the world by humans and yet, as we observed, nature, despite humans, still finds a way here.
As we began taking in our spectacular surroundings on this warm October day, we spotted Yellow-rumped Warblers in the pines next to the parking lot and a flock of feeding House Finches. Then, an Indigo Bunting called as it flew overhead, and we noticed a Northern Cardinal hopping about. Suddenly, a Field Sparrow flitted out of the brush offering us a brief glimpse before retreating to its hiding spot.
We then headed down to the dock, where we spotted Double-crested Cormorants coming in for a near shore landing and preening, as well as both Ring-billed and Great Black-backed gulls. Multiple Canada geese were floating in the water while Laughing and Herring Gulls soared up above or walked and paced around on the land. A Great Blue Heron walked through the water while on a large sandbar close to shore, and we saw approximately twenty American Oystercatchers feeding in the shallows and strolling along the sand. Amongst the various gulls, a Snowy Egret strode through the water, serenely. Greater Yellowlegs walked along the sandbar with the oystercatchers as a group of Green-winged Teal flew overhead. We then witnessed a Great Black-backed Gull pecking at an unfortunate crab, another gliding in the air, and yet another riding the waves. This was our lucky day!
So far out that they were barely visible, we caught sight of a flock of Black Skimmer resting on a sandbar. And, further off in the distance, too far for our strained eyes so that we pulled out our scopes, cameras, and binoculars to view, we watched a female Black Scoter bobbing up and down like a little brown buoy in the waves, then diving and resurfacing repeatedly. By that time, nearly thirty more American Oystercatchers had sailed in to join the first ones.
We decided to move on and inspect the brush adjacent to the Coast Guard Station in hopes of spotting kinglets and warblers. We were not disappointed! Almost immediately, we heard the calls of Ruby crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers. A beautiful but secretive Blue-headed Vireo was both calling and hiding in the brush; luckily for us, however, it appeared from behind a clump of leaves, and we snapped photos of its head peeking out and over the clump. Northern Cardinals were also partaking in the feeding frenzy among the kinglets as Purple Finches and Cedar Waxwings flew over. Then, a female Black-and-white Warbler appeared hanging from a log propped on another tree, and just as we began to move on, a massive Northern Flicker arrived and perched atop a pine. Looking up, we noticed Eastern Meadowlarks on the move above us. While some members moved on to search again for the Blue-headed Vireo, those who stayed behind were treated to a gorgeous yet tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet perching out in the open in a patch of sun.
As the group reconvened on the other side of the brush, a Cooper’s Hawk flew in front of us and landed on a nearby fence. Tim speculated that the Cooper’s was waiting for us to flush birds out of trees, grass, and bushes and explained that this happened with birds of prey that were used to being around humans. After perching in front of us for some time, it then flew so close it felt like we could almost reach out and touch her!
After that exciting encounter, we journeyed to a pine forest where we encountered a Red-breasted Nuthatch calling in the trees as others answered it’s calls; it then emerged and landed atop a dried-out pine tree, where it feasted on a plentiful bounty of cones. In a different pine tree, we noticed movement – a Golden-crowned Kinglet hopping about searching for its next meal of insects (these little birds eat three times their body weight each day!). We moved on to where low-lying shrubs were mixed in with grasses and short, stubby trees interspersed with sand and spotted Dark-eyed Juncos dancing about, along with White-throated and Song Sparrows. Looking up, we observed Wood Ducks flying over and heard the pipit call of American Pipits.
We then returned to our cars to bird a nearby location; a quick drive brought us to the other side of Jones Beach and the open Atlantic Ocean where we heard the sharp check calls of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the grass, and with Tim’s help spotted a Merlin on a pine tree in the distance. The Merlin appeared to be eating something, although at first we could not tell who or what. Then, the Merlin raised its prey, and we spotted the golden stripe on the head of a Golden-crowned Kinglet (nature is beautiful but painful to watch sometimes).
We ventured on, noticing beautiful and vital native Seaside Goldenrod, Beach Pea, and Beach Grass – food sources for birds and mammals alike – and encountered some Fowler’s Toads and sand toads gazing comically at us in the sand. Walking toward the waves, we passed by whale bones that had been placed there and glimpsed an Osprey flying overhead with a fish in its talons. We turned away from gazing at this beautiful bird to find a Northern Harrier far off in the skyline and one patrolling the distant dunes.
Soon after reaching the open ocean, we encountered Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the shore and spotted a flock of Sanderlings quickly flying by. The waves were irresistible and some of us ran into the ocean to enjoy the salty water while others remained on the lookout for birds. After some time (and for some of us, coaxing by our parents), we turned back toward the parking lot, where we noticed a different group of birders photographing a White-crowned Sparrow in the brush. Our group began to creep closer to the lovely little bird in hopes of capturing a photo but each time a car drove by the White-crowned Sparrow and the White-throated Sparrows accompanying it would flee back into the brush.
As we continued our day, we came across more Merlins sitting on trees and Eastern Phoebes flying off low over the grasses. Cooper’s Hawks were on the hunt, and some of us heard the call of what we believed to be a White-throated Sparrow in pain! A flash of brown and white overhead turned out to be a Savannah Sparrow accompanied by Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
As the habitat changed from trees to scrub, with lichen coating the ground, we heard a Hermit Thrush’s call and spotted more Eastern Phoebes as well as Yellow-rumped Warblers and Kinglets. We also, much to our dismay, encountered sand burrs (quite painful and difficult to remove)! After removing the burrs, we got back into our cars and returned to our beginning meeting point. By this time, the tide had swallowed the sandbar and the American Oystercatchers had disappeared, but we still spotted many birds swooping and diving and grabbing a quick snack of fish on the fly. Among the swooping mass of over one hundred Forster’s Terns was a lone Common Tern. On the grass near the pier, a Ring-billed Gull inspected us as it stood in the sun and on the pier were two hundred or so Double-crested Cormorants flying in, sunbathing, resting, and preening. Farther out, near a green buoy with a Double crested Cormorant perched atop it, a male Northern Pintail decoy bobbed up and down in the waves.
Continuing down the pier, we came across a fish (potentially about to become a tern’s snack) that flew up through the cracks in the pier, shoved about by the waves. After returning it to the water and climbing over a jumble of rocks onto the beach, we found quite a sad sight indeed. A tiny male Ruby crowned Kinglet had drowned. We buried the poor creature and set up a tiny grave for him.
We decided to end our time together on a happier note, and we concluded our day with some last minute birding on the open grass. In these final moments, a Vesper Sparrow hopped about accompanied by an entourage of White-throated Sparrows. Then, a tiny blur whizzed by, and Tim commented that it was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, slightly late for this time of year but with the warm weather not necessarily unexpected. As Rock Pigeons and Mourning Doves roosted on a gazebo and tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglets danced about our feet, seeming not to even notice us, we shared goodbyes. With a final farewell, American Pipits flew overhead sending us on our way. Despite ongoing bird sightings, it was time to part and say our goodbyes and see you soons. Until next time!
