Rye Playlands and Environs with Tom Burke and Gail Benson, 12/7/2024

Registrar: MaryJane Boland
Participants: 11
Weather: Clear, cold with intermittent wind.
Bird Species: 63

We were a collegial group of 11, happy to be in Westchester after struggling to find enough drivers. We visited three separate areas—Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Bowman Avenue Pond, and Marshlands Conservancy—and saw good numbers of many species. The Greater White-fronted Goose was at Bowman Avenue, just as he/she was last year, sleeping but giving good views. Skeins of Canada Geese were constantly going by overhead. This is definitely a trip to do every year.

Species List

Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Greater/Lesser Scaup
Surf/Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Killdeer
Purple Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Pied-billed Grebe
Common Loon
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Cardinal

Shirley Chisholm State Park and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with Peter Dorosh, 11/16/2024

Registrar: Matthew Fischer
Participants : 16
Weather: Few clouds; temperatures 50–57°F;  moderate NW breeze; humidity 41-52%
Bird Species: 64

Always very popular, this year’s trip, led by Peter Dorosh, was at capacity and included several younger birders as well as a South African birder in town on business. At Shirley Chisholm, we walked along Hendrix Creek and enjoyed the waterfowl, including Green-winged Teal, American Wigeons, a Pied-billed Grebe, and a Bufflehead, along with Northern Harriers, an American Kestrel and two Belted Kingfishers. We also saw a Fox Sparrow and multiple Purple Finches, including a very cooperative female. At Penn Dock we saw in the distance a huge chaotic commotion caused by hundreds of Larus-type gulls.
Our next stop was the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. We had lunch by the Visitor Center and then tackled the West Pond. At the breach we had an incredible variety of waterfowl, including majestic Northern Pintails, Hooded Mergansers, and Ruddy Ducks. We also had shorebirds, including Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, as well as Dunlin. We were also treated to a Sharp-shinned Hawk and excellent views of a Bald Eagle—a lifer for many on the trip. Closing out our time at the West Pond, we saw a pair of American Barn Owls, Lesser Scaup, a large flock of American Pipits, and a Eurasian Wigeon with its bold rouge head. Across the street at the East Pond, we had distant views of the long continuing American White Pelican.
While the official agenda was complete at that point, half of the group continued on to the after-party at Floyd Bennett Field, where a Greater White-fronted Goose was spotted. Along with a late Royal Tern, this was the perfect ending for a great day of birding with the legendary Peter Dorosh.

Species List

Greater White-fronted Goose
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
American Coot
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Royal Tern
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
American White Pelican
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
American Barn Owl <SENSITIVE>
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
American Pipit
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Hawk Watch at Belvedere Castle with Gabriel Willow, 11/8/2024

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 38
Weather: 68° F, clear, westerly winds at 7 mph
Bird Species: 23

A large group gathered on the steps of Belvedere Castle in Central Park overlooking the Great Lawn to look for late migrating raptors. The ongoing drought has increased the risk of forest fires; one burning in the New Jersey Palisades generated smoke that may have caused migrants to alter their flight paths. While five raptor species were seen, no eagles, our target species, were spotted during the watch. At least five Red-tailed Hawks and three Peregrine Falcons were seen, but we could not rule out the possibility that these were local birds that nested in Manhattan this year. The most exciting sighting of the day was a Merlin repeatedly attacking a Cooper’s Hawk over Turtle Pond.

Species List

Birds
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
American Herring Gull
Great Blue Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
Golden-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Brown Thrasher
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

Odonata
Autumn Meadow Hawk

Central Park Walk with Richard Davis, Alan Drogin and Alice Deutsch, 10/22/2024 

Registrar: Steve Holleran
Participants: 41
Weather: A blissful fall day with temperatures in the 60s
Bird Species: 49

On a splendid autumn morning we set out in three groups to explore the Ramble and nearby areas of the Park. Our combined observations added up to 49 species of birds, with seven New World sparrows, a Purple Finch, and late–lingering warblers, including distant but convincing views of an Orange-crowned Warbler. We were also gladdened by signs that the Tufted Titmice and Black-capped Chickadees are returning.

Species List

Canada Goose
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
Purple Finch
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Central Park with Kevin Sisco, Rahil Patel, Alice Deutsch, and Evelyn Huang, 10/15/2024

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 36
Weather: 45°–57° F, clear to partly cloudy, westerly winds
Bird Species: 65

It was one of the first chilly days of the autumn migration season, but a large group of birders dug out their fall jackets and joined the walk. We divided into three groups and visited the Ramble, Sparrow Rock, the Reservoir, Shakespeare Garden, and Belvedere Castle.

We were happy to see that winter species are starting to return, including Northern Shoveler, Hooded Merganser, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, Tufted Titmouse, and White-throated Sparrow. Warblers were still moving through, and
nine species were seen today, with Black-throated Blue and Yellow-rumped Warblers present in good numbers.

Species List

Canada Goose
Wood Duck 
Northern Shoveler 
Mallard 
Hooded Merganser     
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 
Mourning Dove 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 
Ring-billed Gull 
Herring Gull 
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron 
Great Blue Heron 
Turkey Vulture 
Sharp-shinned Hawk 
Cooper’s Hawk 
Bald Eagle 
Red-tailed Hawk 
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Northern Flicker 
American Kestrel 
Eastern Phoebe 
Blue-headed Vireo 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Black-capped Chickadee 
Tufted Titmouse 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
Golden-crowned Kinglet 
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch 
Brown Creeper 
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren 
European Starling 
Gray Catbird 
Swainson’s Thrush 
Hermit Thrush 
Wood Thrush
American Robin 
House Sparrow 
House Finch 
American Goldfinch 
Chipping Sparrow 
Field Sparrow 
Dark-eyed Junco 
White-crowned Sparrow 
White-throated Sparrow 
Song Sparrow 
Swamp Sparrow 
Eastern Towhee 
Common Grackle 
Ovenbird 
Black-and-white Warbler 
Common Yellowthroat 
Hooded Warbler
Cape May Warbler 
Northern Parula 
Magnolia Warbler 
Black-throated Blue Warbler 
Palm Warbler 
Yellow-rumped Warbler 
Northern Cardinal

Randall’s Island with Alan Drogin, 10/13/2024

Registrar: Dom Ricci
Participants: 8
Weather: Around 60 F, broken clouds, moderate breeze
Bird Species: 54

Randall’s Island sits at the confluence of the Bronx Kill, Harlem River, and East River and occupies a unique ecological niche in New York County. However, it was subject to environmental disruption throughout 2024 due to construction and human activity. A small but dedicated group of Linnaean birders led by Alan Drogin gathered to explore the island in search of fall stopover migrants. While we did not observe Ammospiza sparrows as expected in the remnants of the Bronx Kill saltmarsh, we encountered several mixed flocks containing Savannah, Chipping, and Song sparrows along the coastal walk around the northeastern ballfields. The freshwater marsh and fenced areas in the middle of the island held a variety of individual late warblers including Tennessee, Nashville, Cape May, and a Bay-breasted with residual breeding plumage. We beheld the largest migrant flock of the day inside the abandoned driving range, where a multitude of Yellow-rumped Warblers circulated amidst the overgrowth, accompanied by several Eastern Phoebes. Although we did not see any unusual rarities, this was more than made up for by the variety of species we observed.

Species List

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven (h)
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Common Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Cape May Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Floyd Bennett Field with Rob Jett, 10/12/2024

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 15
Weather: 52-78° F, partly cloudy, mild westerly winds
Bird Species: 47

We had a beautiful fall day for our annual field trip to Floyd Bennet Field, guided by leader extraordinaire, Rob Jett. The walk started in the area just north of Aviator Sports, where we kept our eyes peeled for sparrows and other migrating grassland species. We then proceeded into the North Forty, where we saw dozens of American Robins, as well as Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, woodpeckers, and several raptors, including two late Ospreys.

After leaving the northern part of the area, we saw multiple American Kestrels, some eating field crickets off the pavement; a Northern Harrier; a large flock of Brown Cowbirds; a murder of American Crows; and other passerines. At the community garden we were thrilled to spot a Mourning Warbler and a White-crowned Sparrow. Sadly, we saw that someone had wrapped sticky tape around the tree trunks south of the garden in a misguided effort to trap Spotted Lanternflies. Three dead Brown Creepers were found stuck to the tape, and feathers were seen on other traps, indicating that additional birds had been trapped but managed to escape.

We next proceeded to the end of Archery Road, overlooking Jamaica Bay. A small flock of Brant was seen, as well as Great Black-backed, Herring, Ring-billed, and Laughing Gulls. Double-crested Cormorants and a shorebird (unidentifiable due to distance) sat on the pilings.

The walk ended with a stroll through the campgrounds, where we spotted a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Black-capped Chickadee. Our final sighting was of two adult Bald Eagles soaring overhead—a magnificent species to end the day with.

Species List

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
shorebird sp.
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull (American)
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Nashville Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Insects
Spring/Fall Field Cricket