Registrar: Anne Lazarus Registered Participants: 16 Weather: Sunny, 50-upper 60’s F Bird Species: 59
We thank our excellent leaders, Rick, Alice and Miriam for finding and identifying many beautiful birds. Doodletown, with its woodlands, streams, grasses and flowers is a major attraction for many bird species. It hosts nesting Hooded Warblers, Cerulean Warblers, Worm-eating Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireos, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Orchard Orioles, Pileated Woodpeckers and many more. Migrating birds are also attracted to this ecological gem, including the Olive-sided Flycatcher. We saw and heard all of them (Pileated heard). We also monitored the sky for raptors and saw several, including Red-shouldered and Broad-winged Hawks, a Bald Eagle and an Osprey. From the tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird to the large Pileated Woodpecker, many species find that Doodletown’s diverse habitat offers a welcoming niche.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Ruby-throated Hummingbird Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Olive-sided Flycatcher Eastern Wood-Pewee Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird White-eyed Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Northern Rough-winged Swallow Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher European Starling Gray Catbird Veery Wood Thrush American Robin House Sparrow American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Ovenbird Worm-eating Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Hooded Warbler American Redstart Cape May Warbler Cerulean Warbler Yellow Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Prairie Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting
Herps Five-lined Skink
Butterflies Spicebush Swallowtail Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Cabbage White Azure (sp) Pearl Crescent American Lady Juvenal’s Duskywing Wild Indigo Duskywing
Eighty-nine bird species, including 21 warbler species, were collectively observed by 72 birders on Linnaean’s Tuesday morning walk. Participants were divided among seven groups (following Linnaean’s COVID guidelines that limit group numbers to 10 people).
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Solitary Sandpiper Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Merlin Peregrine Falcon Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Eastern Wood-Pewee Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Carolina Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Ruby-crowned Kinglet Veery Swainson’s Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Hooded Warbler Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Prairie Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting
Registrar: Anne Lazarus Participants: 13 Weather: sunny, then cloudy, 40-50’s F, calm Bird Species: 75
We thank our excellent leader, John Haas for an outstanding trip with many avian rewards. Because of recent, heavy rainstorms, the water level was high in the marsh, and some bird species were driven to near the periphery, including the Virginia Rails and Common Gallinules. Although migration had been slowed because of the north winds, many species did manage arrive at the marsh, and John knew where to find them. We enjoyed excellent views of a Cerulean Warbler, Least Flycatchers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, two Eastern Bluebirds, several Veeries, one Cliff Swallow and more. We heard the Pileated Woodpecker and one of the nesting Orchard Orioles. A Blackburnian Warbler was observed at the visitor’s center.
After lunch we continued to explore different sites. Some of our afternoon highlights included two Green Herons, one Broad-winged Hawk and five Pine Warblers. The weather was deteriorating, and we reluctantly concluded our day at Bashakill.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Wild Turkey Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Virginia Rail Common Gallinule Great Blue Heron Green Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Cooper’s Hawk Bald Eagle Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Northern Flicker Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Cliff Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Blue-gray Gnatcatcher House Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Eastern Bluebird Veery Wood Thrush American Robin American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Ovenbird Louisiana Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cerulean Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Pine Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Prairie Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Registrar: Barbara Higham Participants: 67 Weather: Overcast, becoming sunny by midday, temp 54-72, wind 4 mph. Bird Species: 99
Sixty-seven birders, divided among seven groups (following Linnaean’s COVID guidelines that limit group numbers to 10 people) participated in the May 4 walk, with 99 species observed collectively, though no group saw all of them. Janet, one of the leaders on the walk, provided these highlights: White-crowned Sparrows duetting in the south section of Strawberry Fields; a male Hooded Warbler heard singing and being seen between the top of Bunting Meadow and the Castle overlook; Spotted Sandpipers at Turtle Pond; a White-eyed Vireo at the Point; and the many other singing warblers we heard and saw throughout the walk.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Gadwall Mallard Bufflehead Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Bonaparte’s Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Egret Green Heron Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher White-eyed Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Blue-gray Gnatcatcher House Wren Winter Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Veery Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin House Sparrow House Finch Purple Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Yellow-breasted Chat Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Ovenbird Worm-eating Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush Northern Waterthrush Blue-winged Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Tennessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler American Redstart Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Prairie Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting
We entered the Park at West 81st Street and followed Starr’s usual route toward the Ramble. Many of the participants had gone on Starr’s Central Park walks in the past, including a couple of people who birded with her as far back as the 1980’s. At Hernshead we had long, close looks at a bright male Yellow-throated Warbler, continually singing his sweetest song. A short way up the road at Balcony Bridge, we looked down at a Great Egret in the water, displaying its beautiful breeding plumes. Farther along, in the Tupelo Meadow area, were both Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, male and female, and two male Evening Grosbeaks. As often happened on spring outings with Starr, the walk continued for six hours, ending at 1:30 pm, with a decent tally of 12 warblers.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Egret Red-tailed Hawk Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel White-eyed Vireo (h) Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow (h) Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Blue-gray Gnatcatcher House Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Veery Hermit Thrush American Robin House Sparrow Evening Grosbeak House Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird (h) Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Registrar: Mindy Kaufman Participants: 52 Weather: Overcast in the morning becoming sunny by mid-day, high 40’s to low 60’s F Bird Species: 75
Over fifty enthusiastic birders turned out to witness spring migration in Central Park. Although the day began with overcast skies and bad light, the air was filled with bird song, and we saw more species than on the previous Central Park Spring Migration walks. The six groups visited Strawberry Fields, Hernshead, Triplet’s Bridge, the Ramble, Belvedere Castle, Shakespeare Garden, Turtle Pond, Tanner Spring, Summit Rock and the Great Hill. All the groups had several “first-of-year” species. Highlights included Cape May, Tennessee and Kentucky warblers, two Evening Grosbeaks and a first-of-season Baltimore Oriole.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Northern Shoveler Mallard Bufflehead Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift American Coot American Woodcock Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl Barred Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Peregrine Falcon Blue-headed Vireo Blue Jay Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Northern Rough-winged Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Blue-gray Gnatcatcher House Wren Winter Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin House Sparrow Evening Grosbeak House Finch Purple Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Ovenbird Louisiana Waterthrush Northern Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Tennessee Warbler Kentucky Warbler Cape May Warbler Northern Parula Yellow Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
On a beautiful sunny morning, over 44 birders showed up to participate in the walk. We divided into five groups, and the list below is a composite of what was seen overall. Aside from the ubiquitous Ruby-crowned Kinglet, the number of individual migrant species was not high, but five species of warblers were seen by most groups. I have highlighted those species seen only by one group.
Another plus for many participants was observing the many flowering trees and plants. On today’s walk, we noted Carolina Silverbells (Halesia carolina), Jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens), Mahonia (Mahonia aquifolium), Quince (Cydonia oblonga), Korean Spice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii), and Asian Bleeding-Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis), to name just a few.
All in all, it was a fine day to be ‘out and about.’
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Northern Shoveler Mallard Bufflehead Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Coot Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Peregrine Falcon Blue-headed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird Hermit Thrush American Robin House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Louisiana Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Anne Lazarus Participants: Nineteen including leaders Weather: 40’s-50’s F, partly sunny, breezy Bird Species: 60
We thank our excellent and energetic leader Ethan Goodman for an outstanding trip, and we thank Miriam Rakowski for generously offering her skills as a co-leader.
April is a month of avian transition. Many wintering species are leaving and traveling to other areas where they will nest. Many southern species are migrating to our local habitats. Some will nest in the vicinity, and some will continue their journey north. We visited three sites where we observed both arriving birds and birds preparing for their departure.
Our first destination was Hempstead Lake State Park. This park, with its wooded areas, grasses, bushes, ponds and lake is an attraction for migrating passerines and other birds. We were greeted by the singing and calling of both arriving and resident birds, hearing Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Flickers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Song Sparrows and other species. We saw one Palm and one Yellow-rumped Warbler, both in striking alternate plumage. A scouting trip the previous Wednesday produced several Pine, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers, but most of them had evidently moved on. We were fortunate to see ten Ring-necked Ducks and five Ruddy Ducks, which will soon depart, but the beautiful pair of Wood Ducks that we saw will nest in the park. Other signs of spring were the Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows.
Our second destination was Point Lookout. Point Lookout is a coastal site, where the beaches, beach grass, ocean and jetties attract wintering and nesting birds. We were lucky to see ducks that will soon travel north and inland to breed and raise families, including Common Eiders, three Harlequin Ducks, Long-tailed Ducks (in breeding plumage), two Surf Scoters and one Black Scoter. We also observed shorebirds and estimated about 450 Dunlins, over 200 Sanderlings with two Black-bellied Plovers among them. The flocks were flushed by a Peregrine Falcon, and took successful aerial maneuvers. Many of these shorebirds were changing into breeding plumage. They will soon fly to the tundra where they will raise their families, and they are being replaced with nesting shorebirds, such as the American Oystercatchers. Suddenly we spotted Forster’s Terns, the first tern species to usually arrive-a certain sign of spring. About 50 Northern Gannets were flying over the ocean.
Our third and final stop was Nickerson Beach. It has carefully-designed, protected nesting sites for the endangered Piping Plovers, whose plumage helps them to blend in with the colors of the sand and pebbles. We were so happy to see three of them. Killdeer are another sign of spring, and we saw two in the grass.
Species Lists
Birds Hempstead Lake State Park Canada Goose Mute Swan Wood Duck Mallard Ring-necked Duck Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Herring Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Red-tailed Hawk Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Blue Jay Fish Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tree Swallow Barn Swallow White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren European Starling American Robin American Goldfinch White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
Point Lookout Brant Canada Goose Common Eider Harlequin Duck Surf Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck American Oystercatcher Black-bellied Plover Killdeer Sanderling Dunlin Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Forster’s Tern Red-throated Loon Common Loon Northern Gannet Double-crested Cormorant Osprey Peregrine Falcon European Starling Northern Mockingbird House Sparrow House Finch Brown-headed Cowbird
