Brooklyn Coastal Birding with Peter Dorosh, 3/20/2022

Registrar: Amy Simmons
Participants: 17
Weather: High 55/low 46 degrees, partly cloudy, winds 8-10 mph
Bird Species: 60

Many thanks to Peter Dorosh for leading a wonderful tour of coastal Brooklyn. Our trip was originally scheduled for Saturday the 19^th, but due to a forecast of likely rain, we moved the trip to Sunday. While it didn’t end up raining on Saturday after all, Sunday proved to be an even more beautiful day.  Also, our field trip had the distinction of taking place during both winter AND spring, as the March Equinox took place at 11:30 am on Sunday. (Thank you, Peter, for pointing this out!)

We started the trip at 7:45 a.m. at Calvert Vaux Park, where we enjoyed a variety of passerines and waterfowl, including Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Eastern Meadowlark, Horned Grebe, Common Loon, Red-throated Loon, and Long-tailed Duck. This was our most productive location, with a total of 35 species seen or heard by at least one member of the group.  

Our next stop was Coney Island Pier, where we saw 10 species, including three Northern Gannets and a vocalizing Fish Crow. We were also treated to a pair of Horned Grebes engaged in courtship behavior—the male beginning to show breeding plumage.

From Coney Island, we headed to Plumb Beach, where we added Great Cormorant and (a rather early) Laughing Gull to our species list.

Our penultimate stop was Floyd Bennett Field, where we birded several spots following a break for lunch at the Community Gardens there. Our total for this stop was 33 species, including American Oystercatcher, Killdeer, Great Cormorant, Field Sparrow, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Our final destination, the Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park, yielded a total of 26 species for those who were able to stay until 5 pm. New species for the day seen here included Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Great Egret, and Osprey.

In all, a great day—not just thanks to the birds, but thanks to an excellent leader and the wonderful camaraderie of such a positive, enthusiastic, and good-humored group of birders!

Species Lists

Birds
Snow Goose
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck 
Greater Scaup 
Long-tailed Duck 
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren (h)
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Central Park Winter Walk with Richard ZainEldeen, Alice Deutsch, Will Papp, Kevin Sisco, Ken Chaya and Roy Tsao, 3/13/2022

Registrar: Kathleen Matthews
Participants: 30
Weather: Sunny, 25 degrees, winds 12 mph, “feels like 17”
Bird Species: 37

An ominously cold forecast meant that only 30 of our 58 registrants participated in this walk, but those intrepid birders were rewarded with sunshine, camaraderie, and some lovely, early-spring migrants. Dividing into three groups, we fanned out into Strawberry Fields, then moved to Hernshead, Oak Bridge, and into the Ramble. While in Strawberry Fields, most groups enjoyed the magic of two American Woodcocks in flight. A smaller number of birders, who persevered in the cold beyond the two-hour mark, enjoyed a beautiful Ring-necked Duck along with lingering winter waterfowl at the Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir before calling it quits.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Mourning Dove
American Coot
American Woodcock
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Black Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
European Starling
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal

New Jersey Meadowlands at DeKorte Park with Rick Wright, 2/26/2022

Registrar: Vicki Seabrook
Participants: 16
Weather: Partly cloudy, mid 30s
Total Bird Species: 33

Once more we were fortunate to have Rick Wright, who guides Bird and Art Tours with Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours and is the author of Peterson’s Reference Guide to Sparrows, lead a walk for Linnaean. DeKorte Park has over three miles of easy walking paths with beautiful views of the surrounding marshes and waters.

The walk began at 2:30 pm with good looks at Northern Harriers, and continued with many other species. Rick pointed out several characteristics about the gulls, sparrows, and ducks that enhanced our ID skills. A very pleasant, easy-going, and educational birding experience.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Canvasback
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
American Crow
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal

Staten Island with Richard ZainEldeen, 2/19/2022

Registrar: Ursula Mitra
Participants: 15
Weather: 28 degrees F, sunny to overcast, winds SSW 10-20 mph, light snow from time to time
Bird Species: 56

We thank Richard ZainEldeen for leading this wonderful trip to several locations on Staten Island. This was approximately the 120^th trip he has guided for The Linnaean Society of NY in 40 years, an impressive contribution to the Society.

It was cold and slightly windy as 15 participants gathered at Great Kills Park. We met at the second parking lot, where Buffalo Street turns along the ocean beach. From there, we saw Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers, Common Loon, and Horned Grebes. Since it was high tide, we then focused on the bay side, but returned to the parking lot at low tide later in the day, just to check again for the King Eider that had been reported at that location for some time. Unfortunately, we didn’t see it.

Next we visited Blue Heron Park, a lovely place with a beautiful Nature Center and bathrooms. Behind the Nature Center were feeders that attracted a nice group of birds. Highlights were a Brown Creeper and a Hairy Woodpecker, and two Red-shouldered Hawks flying over. We were also fortunate to glimpse an Eastern Screech Owl (red morph) sleeping in its cavity in the park.

Our next stop, Wolfe’s Pond Park, yielded Killdeer, Dunlin, Sanderlings, Common Goldeneyes, a Ruddy Turnstone—and a Bald Eagle!

We stopped next at Arbutus Lake, hoping to see Ring-necked Ducks—and we succeeded, eliminating the need to go to the Moravian Cemetery (our fallback to find this species). Concluding the trip was an optional visit by five members of the group to the Staten Island Hospital parking lot to see 45 Wild Turkeys (maybe not quite “Wild,” as they seemed fairly tame and paid us no attention, allowing for some very close looks at these magnificent creatures.) Thank you for the tip, Richard!

Overall it was a wonderful outing. A big thank you to everyone for coming and contributing. Good birding!

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Wild Turkey
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Killdeer
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Great Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Eastern Screech-Owl (red morph)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren (h)
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Mammals
White-tailed Deer

Coney Island Pier and Coney Island Creek Park with Rob Jett, 2/12/2022

Registrar: Linda LaBella
Participants: 15
Weather: Sunny, 50 Degrees
Distance walked: 5.6. miles
Bird Species: 35

Our day started at the Coney Island Pier, where we spotted a lone Black Scoter along with many Common Loons. Then, walking west across the beach to the 35th Street jetty, we were entertained by a number of Purple Sandpipers. The haze over the water impeded long-range sightings, but we still had views of huge rafts of Brants; and although Coney Island Creek Park was unusually quiet, we enjoyed a number of other species and some surprisingly stunning domestic-bred fancy pigeons.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Purple Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
House Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Governors Island with Annie Barry, 1/23/2022

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 14
Weather: Partly cloudy, winds 4-7 mph, 20s-30s F
Bird Species: 32

We extend our thanks to Annie Barry, long-time Governors Island birder and walk leader, for sharing her “patch” with us on our first ever Linnaean Society field trip to this location. Our four-mile trek took us around the entire island and included Colonels Row, Fort Jay, the Hills, Picnic Point, the Hammock Grove, Nolan Park, and the coastline. Along the southeast waterfront, we saw several species of ducks and gulls and had excellent views of a mixed group of Great Cormorants and Double-crested Cormorants. On the west side of the island, we saw a large flock of Brant, a Red-breasted Merganser, and, unexpectedly, a Common Goldeneye drake. A large murder of crows flew overhead as we entered the Hills at the southern end of the island. Yellow-rumped Warblers were actively feeding on berries, and several Hermit Thrushes, Northern Mockingbirds, Song, White-throated, and Swamp Sparrows, and a Carolina Wren were also noted. At the end of the walk Annie told us that springtime brings many warblers and other migrants to the island, some attracted to the meadow that has been established around Fort Jay. We all agreed that this venue deserves frequent visits by New York birders.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
American Crow
crow sp.
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
House Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Eastport Ponds and Shinnecock Bay with Eileen Schwinn, 1/13/2022

Registrar: Vicki Seabrook
Participants: 9
Weather: Clear, 32 to 44 degrees, 0 mph wind
Bird Species: 42

Eileen Schwinn, Vice-President of the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society, graciously agreed once again to lead a bird walk for us. Eileen is a gifted birder with a very thorough knowledge of the birding spots in this area. We started the walk at Shinnecock Inlet West and made multiple stops on Dune Road before ending the walk at Suffolk County Farm.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
King Eider
Common Eider
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Mourning Dove
Black-bellied Plover
Sanderling
Greater Yellowlegs
Razorbill
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
House Sparrow
House Finch
Snow Bunting
Dark-eyed Junco
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Mammals
White-tailed Deer
Harbor Seal

Croton Point Park with Ethan Goodman, 1/8/2022

Registrar: Susan Axelrod
Participants: 10
Weather: Sunny, temp in mid-teens, NW winds, 10 mph 
Bird Species: 35

Despite the cold weather and snow, ten brave birders looked for birds at Croton Point Park. Our leader, Ethan Goodman, did a great job of finding and pointing out birds for us. We started at the ballfield parking lot and then walked into the park and up the grassy knoll looking for sparrows, Horned Larks, and whatever else came our way. We saw a number of Song and Savannah Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows and one Lincoln’s Sparrow. A large group of Horned Larks flew by, but never landed to give us good looks. We were, however, treated to a Red-tailed Hawk kiting and a Northern Harrier hunting.  There were a few Bald Eagles flying around as well.

After lunch we looked for owls in the surrounding trees, but despite seeing a number of roost holes, we found no one at home. We were rewarded with seeing other birds, including Dark-eyed Juncos and a Northern Mockingbird. We then birded the shoreline from the nearby train station, where we saw a number of Buffleheads, American Black Ducks, a female Red-breasted Merganser, and a Great Blue Heron flying from one shoreline to the other. All-in-all it was a fun, productive day—and quite a workout walking on the snow.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow 
Fish Crow
Horned Lark
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Cardinal