Starr Saphir Memorial Fall Migration Walk in Central Park with Jeffrey Kimball, 9/29/2024

Registrar: Suzanne Zywicki
Participants: 12
Weather: Rainy, low 60’s
Bird Species: 31

Our annual fall walk to celebrate and remember the iconic birding guide, Starr Saphir, focused on Central Park’s Ramble and surrounding areas. We began in Strawberry Fields, where we quickly spotted several Scarlet Tanagers, a Veery and a Brown Creeper, among other species.

As we moved through the Park, we saw four species of warbler, especially appreciating our good looks at a Blackpoll. Later in the morning we were treated to extended views from the Oak Bridge of a Belted Kingfisher as it flew back and forth over the Lake, stopping to perch quite close to the bridge.

Unfortunately, the unexpected rain continued through the morning, causing us to end the walk earlier than planned, but our group was pleased with the over 30 species seen in the two hours we spent in the Park.

Species List

Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Herring Gull
Black-crowned Night Heron
Green Heron
Great Blue Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker – Heard
Northern Flicker
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
House Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
White-throated Sparrow
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Blackpoll Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal

Central Park North Woods with Ursula Mitra, 9/28/2024

Registrar: Evelyn Huang
Participants: 19
Weather: 43–45 degrees F, intermittent rain, winds NE at 6 mph
Bird Species: 60

Despite moderate rain in the forecast, we nonetheless had nineteen birders show up for a morning of fall birding in the North Woods. We started near the Great Hill, where we saw a few warblers, a Scarlet Tanager, Wood and Swainson’s Thrushes, an Eastern Towhee, and a few other sparrow species. We proceeded to the Pool, where we found more warblers, a Great Blue Heron, and a few duck species, including Gadwall and Green-winged Teal. At the Loch we saw a Green Heron and more warblers.

The highlights of the walk were several Scarlet Tanagers and fifteen species of warblers, as well as a Belted Kingfisher, heard between the Loch and the Meer. Many thanks to our leader Ursula Mitra.
The link to the eBird list is: https://ebird.org/checklist/S196772010


Species List

Canada Goose 
Gadwall 
Mallard 
Green-winged Teal 
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove 
American Herring Gull 
Double-crested Cormorant 
Green Heron 
Great Blue Heron 
Osprey 
Red-tailed Hawk 
Belted Kingfisher 
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Northern Flicker 
Eastern Wood-Pewee 
Eastern Phoebe 
Blue-headed Vireo 
Red-eyed Vireo 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
White-breasted Nuthatch 
Winter Wren 
European Starling
Gray Catbird 
Brown Thrasher 
Northern Mockingbird 
Veery 
Swainson’s Thrush 
Wood Thrush 
American Robin 
Cedar Waxwing 
House Sparrow 
House Finch 
American Goldfinch 
Chipping Sparrow 
White-throated Sparrow 
Song Sparrow 
Common Grackle 
Ovenbird 
Northern Waterthrush 
Black-and-white Warbler 
Nashville Warbler 
Common Yellowthroat 
American Redstart 
Cape May Warbler 
Northern Parula 
Magnolia Warbler 
Chestnut-sided Warbler 
Blackpoll Warbler 
Black-throated Blue Warbler 
Palm Warbler 
Pine Warbler 
Yellow-rumped Warbler 
Scarlet Tanager 
Northern Cardinal 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rockefeller State Park Preserve with Anne Swaim, 9/24/2024

Registrar:  Suzanne Zywicki
Participants: 5
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 59 degrees
Bird Species: 42

The group met our leader, Anne Swaim, at 7am to get a start on exploring Rockefeller State Park Preserve before the peaceful morning quiet was disturbed. We were immediately greeted by a number of warblers, including a Chestnut-sided, not far from the parking area. As we walked the trails on the way to Swan Lake, we continued to be treated to warbler sightings, including the first of over fifty Northern Parulas we saw. The total for the day was six different warbler species.

As we moved on to the more forested paths, we got great looks at the hoped-for Pileated Woodpecker—one of the five species of woodpecker we saw over the course of the day. Later in the morning, we had nice views of five Eastern Bluebirds perched on fence posts in a meadow and a variety of sparrows in the surrounding area. Our group greatly appreciated Anne’s leadership and extensive knowledge of both the birds and the park.

Species List

Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Black Vulture
Osprey
Coopers Hawk
Accipiter sp.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Gray Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee (heard)
Common Grackle
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Beginners Bird Walk in Central Park’s North End with Linda LaBella, 9/22/2024

Registrar: Linda LaBella
Participants: 14
Weather: Sunny, breezy, 64 degrees
Bird Species: 35

The Beginners Bird Walk began with a demonstration on how to use binoculars, how to find birds in the trees with the binoculars, and how to use guide books and bird apps to confirm their identification. We then proceeded to the Pool, where we spent most of the time spotting migrating songbirds—especially warblers—as well as observing the resident populations and listening to their songs and calls. Other birders in the Park joined us from time to time to show us birds they had found and to share their birding knowledge. It was a successful and fun introduction to birding. 

Species List

Canada Goose  
Gadwall  
Mallard  
American Black Duck  
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  
Mourning Dove  
Red-tailed Hawk  
Red-bellied Woodpecker  
Downy Woodpecker  
Northern Flicker  
Red-eyed Vireo  
Blue Jay  
American Crow  
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  
House Wren  
Carolina Wren  
European Starling  
Gray Catbird  
Swainson’s Thrush  
American Robin  
House Sparrow  
American Goldfinch  
White-throated Sparrow  
Common Grackle  
Ovenbird  
Northern Waterthrush  
Black-and-white Warbler  
Common Yellowthroat  
American Redstart  
Northern Parula  
Magnolia Warbler  
Blackburnian Warbler  
Blackpoll Warbler  
Black-throated Blue Warbler  
Northern Cardinal

Central Park with Kevin Sisco and Ken Chaya, 9/17/2024

Our walk started out slowly, with little bird activity in Strawberry Fields. However, things quickly picked up when we spotted a beautiful Prairie Warbler and Northern Parula giving us great looks in Shakespeare Garden. Our good luck continued when a perched Common Nighthawk was reported near the Polish King statue. We quickly made our way over there and were thrilled to get a good view of this rarity.

Shortly thereafter, we noticed a Hairy Woodpecker on a bare branch of a tall tree a little further west, on the south side of Turtle Pond, and were shocked to find a second Common Nighthawk perched in clear view on the same branch.

Next, our group entered Maintenance Field, where we were delighted to find a White-eyed Vireo and three Brown Thrashers. In the same area, a Philadelphia Vireo also delighted many birders later in the morning. Thank you to Kevin and Ken for leading a great walk, and to all of the enthusiastic participants!

Species List

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Solitary Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great Blue Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Canada Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Green-Wood Cemetery with Rob Jett, 9/14/2024

Registrar: Gillian Henry
Participants: 15 participants
Weather: 68 ℉, clear and sunny with mild northern winds.
Bird Species: 47 species

On a beautiful September morning, we met our guide, Rob Jett, at 8 am and embarked on a pleasant walk through historic Green-Wood Cemetery in search of fall migrants. Although the day was relatively quiet, we still spotted ten early fall warbler species. Highlights included excellent views of a Broad-winged Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk in flight, as well as the unmistakable sight and sound of the famous Monk Parakeets tending to their large, colonial stick nest above the main entrance to the cemetery. In total, we observed 47 species, making for a delightful day of fall birding!

Species Lists

Canada Goose  36
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  28
Mourning Dove  17
Chimney Swift  5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  3
Green Heron  1
Broad-winged Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  8
American Kestrel  1
Merlin  1
Monk Parakeet  20
Willow Flycatcher  1
Empidonax sp.  1
Eastern Phoebe  2
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Red-eyed Vireo  10
Blue Jay  18
American Crow  5
Northern House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  2
European Starling  25
Gray Catbird  3
Northern Mockingbird  12
Veery  2
Gray-cheeked Thrush  1
Swainson’s Thrush  1
American Robin  18
House Sparrow  15
House Finch  3
American Goldfinch  1
Chipping Sparrow  6
Song Sparrow  2
Baltimore Oriole  1
Common Grackle  2
Ovenbird  1
Black-and-white Warbler  2
Common Yellowthroat  6
American Redstart  4
Northern Parula  1
Magnolia Warbler  2
Yellow Warbler  2
Blackpoll Warbler  1
Black-throated Blue Warbler  1
Palm Warbler  1
Northern Cardinal  7

Central Park with Ken Chaya, Richard Davis, Alice Deutsch, and Carine Mitchell, 9/10/2024

Registrar: Richard Davis
Participants: 45
Weather: 62–75 F and sunny, northwest wind 5–7 mph
Bird Species: 45

It was a perfect fall day to slow down and look for migrating birds, including the warblers that hid themselves high in the canopy behind clumps of leaves, making us work hard to identify them. The jewelweed was thriving, attracting Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks that gave us generous views as they buzzed and tumbled through the yellow-orange flowers. An Eastern Wood-Pewee perched almost within arms’ length, and was not shy about hawking insects among the onlookers.

One group of participants lingered for more than an hour and finally got excellent eye-level looks at a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, a lifer for a few new birders, only to find another at Evodia later. A second group was even luckier, spotting up to four Yellow-billed Cuckoos and a Red-Headed Woodpecker.

Species Lists

Birds
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Herring Gull
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Butterflies
Cabbage White

Mushroom Exploration Walk in Van Cortlandt Park with Paul Sadowski, 9/8/2024

We met at Van Cortlandt Park for our mushroom exploration walk. Our leader, Paul Sadowski, is an instructor in mycology and a longtime member of the New York Mycological Society. After he gave us a quick overview on how to use a hand lens—even lending lenses to those that needed them—we jumped right in to begin our exploration of the Park.

Paul guided us through a few different habitats where we searched for fungi, including mushrooms. We stopped at a couple of really productive tree stumps that hosted several fungi species, and located other species along the way. Paul generously shared his knowledge of mushrooms and other fungi, and all who attended learned something new, with many discovering species we hadn’t seen before.

Species List

Mushrooms and Fungi
Crust Fungi
Cyphelloid fungi
Ganoderma sessile
King Alfred’s Cakes
Luminescent Panellus
Oak Bracket and Artist’s Bracket
Shelf Fungi
Slime Mold, Myxomycetes
Turkey Tail
Violet-toothed Polypore

Birds
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal

Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel