Watch Hill, Fire Island with Paul Sweet, 9/24/2022

Registrar: Nick Dawson
Participants: 10
Weather: 65 F, sunny, breezy
Bird species: 66

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

Fall Migration at Randall’s Island with Andrew Farnsworth, 9/21/2022

Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper
Participants: 8
Weather: 64 – 73°F, light NW wind
Bird Species: 43

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

Central Park with Kevin Sisco and Will Papp, 9/20/2022

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

Central Park–East Side with Janet Wooten, 9/20/2022

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

Butterflies
Monarch
Cabbage White

Hawk Watch in Central Park with Anne and Phil Ribolow, 9/20/2022

Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper
Participants: 30
Weather: Clear sky, 76 – 78°F, Moderate NW 13 mph winds
Bird Species: 24

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

Prospect Park with Tom Stephenson, 9/18/2022

Registrar: Crystal Thiele
Participants: 17
Weather: Clear, warm
Bird Species: 55

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

Central Park with Kevin Sisco and Will Papp, 9/15/2022

Registrar: Barrie Raik
Weather: Sunny, cool, 63F to start
Participants: about 30
Bird species: 64

After two cancellations due to weather (September 7 and 13), two eager groups of birders were happy to start the 2022 fall birding season in Central Park on a bright, sunny morning.

Both groups spent a long, productive time in Strawberry Fields, where we saw warblers, raptors, flycatchers, and a thrush. We then headed north to find the Connecticut Warbler that had been reported near the Diana Ross playground, and continued by checking out Sparrow Rock, the Pinetum, the Reservoir, and the Ramble, ending the day with over 60 species.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Empidonax sp.
Great Crested Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Central Park–East Side with Janet Wooten, 9/15/2022

Registrar: Janet Wooten
Participants: 9
Weather: Sunny, 66–74F, NE winds, 8 mph 
Bird Species: 49 

The very first Central Park field trip originating on the East Side was a success! Nine birding enthusiasts met at the Boathouse Cafe at 7:30 am and proceeded into the Ramble to look for warblers and other fall migrants. We walked to the Point, where an uncharacteristically quiet Belted Kingfisher flew over the Lake and American Redstarts foraged on the ground. At the Oven, we had eye-level views of a stunning Tennessee Warbler in the sun. As we headed to Tupelo Meadow, a GroupMe bird alert notified us that a rare Connecticut Warbler was being seen below Summit Rock. We abandoned our planned route and raced to the site. What a thrill to chase a Connecticut Warbler, to find it, and to watch its behavior as it foraged actively through low vegetation, offering good views!

We eventually continued the walk, adding to our list of 14 warblers a lovely young Hooded Warbler, several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and an early Brown Creeper. A pair of Great-crested Flycatchers graced the Tupelo tree and two Ospreys and a Sharp-shinned Hawk migrated south, while Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were content to feast on berries in trees and shrubs. It was a beautiful day for birds and birders alike. 

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Double-crested Cormorant
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler (Yellow)
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Butterflies
Red Admiral
Cabbage White
Monarch