Registrar: Lori Lam Participants: 6 Weather: Clear, temp ranging from 54 to 75 degrees, wind S, 18 mph Bird Species: 27
Crystal clear blue skies and warm yet strong winds made for a comfortable field trip but a challenge for birding. Despite this, we walked nearly four miles, logging 27 species but due to the winds there werefew shorebirds or hawks. We were thrilled to see a Common Raven performing an acrobatic aerial display, soaring and tumbling in flight. One group member spotted the first of three Lesser Black-backed Gulls alongside a group of Great Black-backed Gulls, distinguished from them by its smaller size, lighter back, and yellow legs.
Species Lists
Birds Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Semipalmated Plover Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull Royal Tern Northern Gannet Double-crested Cormorant Osprey Cooper’s Hawk Northern Flicker Peregrine Falcon Eastern Phoebe Common Raven Ruby-crowned Kinglet Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Brown-headed Cowbird Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Susan Joseph Trip Report: Arabella Pajoohi, age 10 Participants: 21 Weather: Mostly sunny, 66F, 7mph S winds Bird Species: 36
Members of the New York State Young Birders Club met at the 72nd Street/Central Park West entrance to Central Park on a bright and unusually warm sunny morning that felt more like a summer day than mid-October. We couldn’t have asked for a better birding morning! Our trip leaders were Kevin Sisco and Janet Wooten, and our partner club was The Linnaean Society of New York.
We first ventured to Strawberry Fields, where, to our delight, we were greeted by quite a bit of morning bird activity. In some shrubs and smaller trees we spotted various sparrows, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, and some starlings. We also saw two Eastern Towhees flitting around in some young sumac trees. At the other side of the field, we soon noticed Blue Jays, sparrows, finches, and some activity higher up in the trees. Within a few minutes, more birds made their presence known to us, and with our binoculars and cameras at the ready, we were well into the double digits with multiple species. After spending some time watching cardinals, we crossed the West Drive, navigating among the morning joggers and cyclists, and made our way north to the Lake and Hernshead, a large rock outcropping by the Lake. As we made our way there, we spotted a Gray Catbird hopping around in a bush. At Hernshead, we climbed onto the rocks and spent a few minutes relishing the autumn sunshine before making our way down to the lake shore. We encountered some Canada Geese close to the shore and captured some close-up photos of the geese also enjoying the morning sun. Although Canada Geese may be common, it’s always a delight to see these beautiful larger waterfowl!!!!
We then walked around to the northwest corner of the Lake and stopped on the Oak Bridge to admire the amazing lake view and gaze at the starlings. After crossing the bridge, we entered the Central Park Ramble, a 37-acre heavily wooded area that is a famous spot for birders. We were not disappointed! A Red-tailed Hawk posed for many photos while watching us closely. We soon learned that this Red-tailed Hawk might be related to Pale Male, another Red-Tailed Hawk who has resided in or near Central Park since the 1990s. We also spotted two male Black-throated Blue Warblers who were moving from behind one tree to the next, and from one log to another, in their search for bugs. Unfortunately, we were not able to get good photos due to the warblers’ tendency to hop around and not stay in the same place for very long. We ventured over to Turtle Pond, where in addition to the many turtles swimming close to the pier and sunning themselves on rocks, we also saw some fish swimming close to the pier. At Turtle Pond we were treated to our first sighting of two Swamp Sparrows flitting about in the tussocks and clumps of reeds, along with a Belted Kingfisher.
We made our way around the pond up to the Belvedere Castle lookout, where, from up high, we spotted a large mother turtle and her two young sunning themselves on a rock while Blue Jays flew overhead. After some time soaking up the sun, we walked through the woods to Sparrow Rock and viewed Dark-eyed Juncos, some pigeons, White-throated Sparrows, and Chipping Sparrows. We also took a couple of minutes to break for a snack and water, and then made our way to the Arthur Ross Pinetum. To our delight, we saw yet another Red-tailed Hawk, a Palm Warbler, an Eastern Phoebe, and two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers—a fine way to end our birding adventure.
In sum, we saw 36 different species of birds with a total bird count of just over 175. What a great birding day with great company! What more could a young birder ask for?
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Herring Gull Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) Eastern Phoebe Blue Jay Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Brown Creeper European Starling Gray Catbird Swainson’s Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin House Sparrow House Finch Chipping Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Common Grackle Northern Parula Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler (Yellow) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) Indigo Bunting Insects Monarch Butterfly Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar
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
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
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
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
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
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
