The group met at the entrance to Central Park’s North Woods at 103rd Street and Central Park West. We started by reviewing use of binoculars, field guides, and field marks. We walked down to the north end of the Pool area, where we found a lot of bird activity, including Scarlet Tanagers and a Prairie Warbler, as well as Magnolia Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, and Northern Waterthrushes. We walked to the southern end of the Pool, and then proceeded into the Loch. We ended the walk a little after 11 am at the Loch Overlook, where we saw two Brown Thrashers.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Gadwall Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Double-crested Cormorant Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Swainson’s Thrush American Robin House Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Common Grackle Northern Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Prairie Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Registrar: Amanda Bielskas Weather: Beautiful early fall day Participants: 7 Bird species: 35
This was the first LSNY Family Walk, hopefully we will offer one again. We met on the Great Hill, near the restrooms at 10:30am and since the area was quite birdy we stayed up there for a while. On the Great Hill we observed several warbler species, a Brown Thrasher, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and had several kettles of Broad-winged Hawks flyover. We then walked down to the Pool and through the paths of the Loch before circling back to our starting point. We totaled 35 species for the morning and fun was had by all!
Species Lists American Redstart American Robin Baltimore Oriole Black-and-white Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blue Jay Broad-winged Hawk Brown Thrasher Canada Goose Chestnut-sided Warbler Chimney Swift Common Grackle Common Yellowthroat Double-crested Cormorant Eastern Phoebe Gray Catbird Gray-cheeked Thrush House Sparrow Magnolia Warbler Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Northern Waterthrush Peregrine Falcon Red-bellied Woodpecker Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Rose-breasted Grosbeak Swainson’s Thrush Tennessee Warbler White-throated Sparrow Winter Wren Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Yellow-billed Cuckoo
A small but hardy bunch of participants braved the trek from the five boroughs to the Watch Hill Ferry Terminal in Patchogue, where we embarked on the boat taking us to Fire Island. On board, we were treated to good looks at Royal Terns, and a Belted Kingfisher and a (seemingly ailing) Common Loon were the waiting to welcome us as we made landfall.
On the island itself, our leader Paul Sweet guided us around a mix of different habits, all offering up a different menu of birds. In small groups of trees, we saw an array of foraging warblers, including Cape May and Pine, while other migratory passerines included Rose-breasted Grosbeak and an injured Scarlet Tanager which some of the group took back to Wild Bird Fund in Manhattan! On the beach, our gull haul included almost as many Lesser Black-backed as the much more common Great Black-backed, a rare situation particular to Fire Island. Overhead, we saw Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcom, American Kestrel and Bald Eagle, while one Merlin after another passed through — sometimes hunting, sometimes not — on their migratory journeys south. In the marshy area of Watch Hill, we had lingering looks at a number of Saltmarsh Sparrows, but were unable to see any of its Ammospiza cousin, the Seaside Sparrow, which was being too furtive to be evident. Other highlights included a brace of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and a Great Cormorant in amongst a slew of Double-cresteds.
Species List
Birds Canada Goose Mute Swan Mallard Green-winged Teal Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull Forster’s Tern Royal Tern Common Loon Great Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Turkey Vulture Osprey Northern Harrier Bald Eagle Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Phoebe Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Fish Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tree Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow American Goldfinch White-throated Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
We were very fortunate to have Andrew Farnsworth lead this walk for our organization. Andrew directs the BirdCast Project, a collaboration between ornithologists and computer scientists to forecast bird migration. Our field trip got off to an exciting start when participant Junko Suzuki found a first for the county—a Buff-breasted Sandpiper—before the trip even began! We were treated to great views of this special visitor to the county, and for several in our group, it was a life bird. While we were watching it, a Peregrine Falcon flew over, and the sandpiper froze still on the grass. Andrew explained that this was typical behavior for this species: freezing in place when it senses danger, rather than flying off.
After some time spent examining and learning about the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, we started exploring the northeastern end of the island. We soon found some Savannah Sparrows, and Andrew helped us focus on certain features (short tail and crisp breast streaking) in order to quickly differentiate this sparrow from the more commonly seen Song Sparrow (longer tail, coarser breast streaking).
After covering the northeastern part of the island we headed west, walking down to Little Hell Gate Marsh and then up to the north side of the Freshwater Wetlands. Finally, we walked back to the fields in the northeast to end the trip, after seeing a nice variety of species and learning a great deal from our expert leader.
Species List
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Buff-breasted Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Laughing Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Black-crowned Night-Heron Red-tailed Hawk Belted Kingfisher Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Eastern Phoebe Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven House Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird American Robin House Sparrow House Finch Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Common Yellowthroat Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Kathleen Matthews Participants: 32 Weather: Sunny, 65F at start, warming up to 73F; humidity of 69%; winds 5 mph Bird Species: 49
We were two groups who enjoyed a nice variety of fall migrants on a glorious autumn day. As usual, we began in Strawberry Fields, which was productive enough to keep both groups busy for at least 30 minutes before splitting up and separately working our way into the Ramble via Triplets, Oak Bridge, Shakespeare’s Garden, and Belvedere Castle, followed by Tupelo, Maintenance, Azalea Pond, and the Oven. A small group also got to the Reservoir and finished around noon.
While there were no unusual sightings on this walk, there were plenty of birds to enjoy, including 12 warbler species, a large number of Brown Thrashers and Northern Flickers, and some first-of-season Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
Species List
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Gadwall Mallard American Black Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Red-tailed Hawk Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Veery Swainson’s Thrush American Robin House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Baltimore Oriole Common Grackle Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Yellow Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Pine Warbler Prairie Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Registrar: Janet Wooten Participants: 16 Weather: Mostly sunny, 70-73F, winds wnw, 6-8 mph Birds: 41 species (+1 other taxa)
Sixteen enthusiastic birders met at the Boathouse and proceeded into the Ramble to look for migrating warblers and other fall migrants. As we walked by Azalea Pond and the Gill, Black-and-white Warblers, American Redstarts, and Black-throated Blue Warblers gave good views. Tupelo Meadow was busy: a Rose-breasted Grosbeak nibbled on seeds in a jewelweed patch; Scarlet Tanagers, Swainson’s Thrushes, American Robins, and a lingering Veery picked berries from trees; and several Northern Parulas and a Magnolia Warbler gleaned insects from leaves at eye level.
Later in the morning we visited Strawberry Fields and were surprised by a small flock of vireos, including a rare Yellow-throated Vireo actively feeding in a larch tree with a Blue-headed Vireo. Several Cape May Warblers and a Palm Warbler joined the flock. Perhaps the most interesting find was a cooperative Olive-sided Flycatcher that perched on open branches next to two Eastern Wood-Pewees, offering us the opportunity to compare the field marks and habits of these two flycatcher species, which are often confused in the field. We cheered as the Olive-sided Flycatcher caught and ate two invasive Spotted Lanternflies!
We ended the walk with a tally of ten warbler species and four Monarch butterflies migrating high overhead. You can view the detailed checklist here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S119088057 .
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Red-tailed Hawk Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Olive-sided Flycatcher Eastern Wood-Pewee Empidonax sp. Yellow-throated Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Red-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Veery Swainson’s Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin House Sparrow American Goldfinch Baltimore Oriole Common Grackle Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting
After checking the weather for a couple of weeks, Phil and Anne decided we finally had an afternoon with favorable, if not ideal, winds. After our group gathered at Belvedere Castle, Phil and Anne did a great job of instructing us on how to search the skies for hawks, at the same time offering useful identification tips. Participants included both seasoned and new hawkwatchers, and some of the newest were delighted to find that they gained skills quickly enough to spot distant hawks and identify them during our watch. We tallied about 75 Broad-winged Hawks, the main target species for this time of year. A good time was had by all!
Species List
Birds
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
European Starling
Gray Catbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal
After meeting Tom Stephenson near the Grand Army entrance to Prospect Park at 7:30 am, we headed to the Rose Garden and the Vale of Cashmere, where we got good looks at many warblers, including a Cape May. As we crossed Nellie’s Lawn, a cooperative Scarlet Tanager landed on the ground in front of the group, giving great views. From there, we headed to the Picnic House via the Ambergill Ravine area near Esdale Bridge. Several people glimpsed a Gray-cheeked Thrush and we had lovely views of a Black-throated Blue Warbler still in spring plumage.
Next, we headed past the pools and went to the patch of Jewelweed off Center Drive. There we saw several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Red-breasted Grosbeaks as we waited for glimpses of an elusive, Yellow-breasted Chat, which many in the group saw.
As we exited the wooded area onto the peninsula, we were greeted by a loud rendition of You Can Fly from Disney’s Peter Pan. It was Raptor Fest! We glanced around and took a group photo together in the park-ranger made nest. As we headed out to quieter areas, we saw a Bald Eagle fly overhead, quickly followed by an Osprey, completely unrelated to the festival.
We circled the southern end of the park, which was becoming less birdy as the day went on. We found a few additional species of warblers but as we started to wind down, we got a friendly tip on a roosting Common Nighthawk. Of course, it was on the complete opposite side of the lake, but many of us went to see it anyway.
We stopped at Smorgasburg for mediocre but overpriced ice cream and then headed back to the jewelweed clump for a great Chat sit-in. While we were there, we saw another Gray-cheeked Thrush and a Chestnut-sided Warbler. Eventually, everyone got at least a glimpse of the Yellow-breasted Chat.
It was a successful day of birding with 55 species and many types of warblers and thrushes. The most notable birds for the day were the Yellow-breasted Chat, roosting Common Nighthawk, Bald Eagle, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Cape May Warbler and Bay-breasted Warbler. Many thanks to Tom for his experience and guidance throughout the day.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mute Swan Wood Duck Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Common Nighthawk Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ring-billed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Osprey Bald Eagle Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Ruby-crowned Kinglet Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson’s Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow American Goldfinch Yellow-breasted Chat Baltimore Oriole Common Grackle Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Pine Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
