Field Trip Reports

Central Park with Alice Deutsch, Richard Lieberman, Kevin Sisco, and Janet Wooten, 10/12/2021

October 12, 2021

Registrar: Amanda Bielskas
Weather: Cloudy, 66F, ENE winds,5mph
Participants: 40
Bird Species: 61

On a cool and cloudy fall morning, our groups totaling 40 birders were able to see 61 species, including many Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a late Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and several warbler species.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Swainson’s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

Starr Saphir Memorial Fall Migration Walk, Central Park, with Lenore Swenson, 10/10/2021

October 10, 2021

Registrar: Lenore Swenson
Participants: 17
Weather: Cloudy, temperatures 63-65F, winds north 3-10mph
Bird Species: 52

The group gathered at the West 103rd Street entrance to Central Park’s North End. Public transportation on this Sunday of a holiday weekend was slower than usual. While we waited for all to arrive, we shared our memories of Starr, but failed to start out promptly, as she was wont to do.

Our excursion around the Pool yielded several species of warbler, including Northern Waterthrush, and several species of waterfowl, including a handsome male Wood Duck. Then it was up to the Great Hill, as squirrels and chipmunks scampered across our path. A grove of trees atop the Hill had its usual abundance of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers as well as three other woodpecker species. We also found six sparrow species there, not as many as hoped. But the prize was a very plain and very active first-winter Cape May Warbler high in the trees.

We then wandered along the Loch to the Wildflower Meadow, and across the road to the compost area. There we found Swamp, Savannah, and White-crowned Sparrows, Winter Wren, and a Merlin flying through. But best of all were good looks at an Indigo Bunting perched in a small tree. After almost five hours we ended at the Conservatory Garden on the east side of the Park at 12:15 pm.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren (h)
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Common Grackle
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting

Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Chipmunk
Northern Raccoon

Staten Island with Seth Wollney, 10/09/2021

October 9, 2021

Leader: Seth Wollney
Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper
Participants: 17
Weather: 55F, NW winds 10 MPH
Bird Species: 59

Our group had a lovely day birding the east side of Staten Island for fall migrants with our very knowledgeable and welcoming leader, Seth Wollney. We visited the best possible hotspots to see a variety of birds during this season. Our first stop was Mount Loretto where we saw 41 species of birds, including an unexpected highlight of the day, a Bobolink. From Mount Loretto we made our way down south to Conference House Park. It was relatively quiet there but we did manage to see seven species of warblers. A very disturbing sighting at this location was hundreds of Spotted Lantern Flies, both on the ground and on tree trunks. Many in our group tried to kill as many as possible, but there were just too many, and too many out of our reach for us to feel we had made a dent to the infestation there. Our last stop was at Miller Field, where the large puddles are a major attraction for shorebirds. On this day we had just four species with no rarities but we also got to see a Royal Tern when we spent some time scanning over the ocean; it was a nice way to end our day.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Chimney Swift
Killdeer
Dunlin
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Royal Tern
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Butterflies and Other Insects
Chinese Praying Mantis
Spotted Lanternfly

Central Park with Alice Deutsch, Richard Lieberman, and Kevin Sisco, 10/5/2021

October 5, 2021

Registrar: Barrie Raik
Weather: Overcast, slight drizzle at times, low ‘70s
Participants: 38
Bird Species: 56

Despite the threatened rain, our groups of intrepid birders were able to see 56 species, including 11 warbler species and a red-breasted nuthatch.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Sandy Hook with Rick Wright, 10/2/2021

October 2, 2021

Registrar: Alice Deutsch
Participants: 19
Weather: sunny, 60’s F
Bird Species: 56

We had a sunny day for our birding trip to Sandy Hook, NJ, led by Rick Wright. We started in Parking Lot M and stayed in that area for several hours. The habitat there is characterized by scattered low trees in sandy soil, including pines, along with some shrubs and grasses. We enjoyed great looks at sparrows and other migrants. Some of the highlights included Savannah Sparrows and a cooperative Dickcissel. Eastern Phoebes seemed to be everywhere.

Rick is the author of the Peterson Reference Guide to Sparrows of North America. He taught us how to identify sparrows, especially Savannah Sparrows, and various birds in flight, including a Red-headed Woodpecker. For lunch we moved to an area closer to the ocean, where the shoreline habitats included dunes with grasses and low shrubs. Among the gulls we observed was a Bonaparte’s, and we also saw a Northern Harrier flying above the shrubs. Rick did a great job of getting us on the bird and describing the identifying field marks.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Bonaparte’s Gull
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Forster’s Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Cooper’s Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Bobolink
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Dickcissel

Central Park Hawk Watch with Gabriel Willow, 9/30/2021

September 30, 2021

Registrar: Miriam Rakowski
Participants: 20
Weather: Partially cloudy, 64 degrees, NNW winds 7-8 mph
Bird Species: 36

The steps of Belvedere Castle in Central Park served as the amphitheater for our first ever Linnaean Hawk Watch in Central Park. We had modest expectations.

As it turned out, however, we felt “blown away” by the excitement of the event. During the 135 minutes of our watch, we saw over 1,000 Broad-winged Hawks and 11 Bald Eagles fly over. They soared, sailed, and seemed to effortlessly glide past us, caught in the thermals and wind currents.

We hear about these great migrations, we read about them, and some of us had seen them before. However, this watch brought us closer than ever before to the spectacle of migration: hundreds of raptors floating by, in front of our very eyes.

Even without the raptors, it would have been a good day for birding from our perch by the Castle.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Osprey (3)
Northern Harrier (3)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (8)
Cooper’s Hawk (3)
Sharp-shinned/Cooper’s (1)
Bald Eagle (11)
Broad-winged Hawk (1,167)
Red-tailed Hawk (6)
Hawk sp. (2)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
Common Grackle
American Redstart
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Butterflies
Monarch

Odonates
Saddlebag sp.
Dragonfly sp.

Central Park Hawk Watch © 2021 Jean Shum

Central Park with Alice Deutsch, Kevin Sisco, Janet Wooten, and Richard Lieberman, 9/28/2021

September 28, 2021

Registrar: Steve Holleran
Participants: 43
Weather: Partly sunny and cool, showers developing
Bird Species: 60

Increasing rainfall shortened our walk, but not before we had logged 60 bird species, among them many migrants, including 12 warbler species. Some stars of the show were the trio of juvenile Night-Herons at the Upper Lobe, including the less-often-seen Yellow-crowned. Others included Hummingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, an Indigo Bunting, and a Black-billed Cuckoo.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (juvenile)
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Juvenile) © 2021 Mindy Kaufman

Central Park Beginners Walk with Linda Labella and Vicki Seabrook, 9/27/2021

September 27, 2021

Registrar: Vicki Seabrook
Participants: 7
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny
Bird Species: 31

The group met at the entrance to Central Park’s North Woods at 103rd Street and Central Park West. After going over some basic information about using binoculars, finding birds, and looking for field marks, we walked down to the north end of the Pool area, where we found a lot of bird activity. We stayed in that one spot for over an hour, looking for birds and calling out field marks. Eventually, we moved to the southern end of the Pool, where we ended the walk with good looks at three Gadwalls.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Osprey
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Swainson’s Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak