Ward Pound Ridge with Rick Cech, 6/8/2024

Registrar: Matthew Fischer
Participants: 14
Weather: Fair; low 60s; max wind gust of 18 mph
Bird Species: 39

Upon arriving, the Linnaean participants were greeted by our excellent leader, Rick Cech. Rick immediately guided us to an adjacent patch dominated by short bluestem grasses that host Dusted Skippers. We were fascinated by these small but interesting butterflies. Also present were Northern and Southern Cloudywings. We continued to explore a variety of local habitats where a diverse number of butterfly species find their homes, including a cooperative little Red-banded Hairstreak.

These little creatures all captured our attention, from the tiny Least Skippers to the European Skippers, Packs Skippers, Hobomok Skippers, and the Long Dashes. Rick also found an attractive larger skipper, the Hoary Edge, though the date was early for this species at WPR.  Little Wood Satyrs were abundant and very active, but rarely landed for a photograph.

From Rick, we also learned the sequence of skipper species emergence as the season progresses and as various plant species mature. He emphasized the salient features of each skipper species.

We were captivated by excellent views of larger butterflies. The Appalachian Brown is a special butterfly of sedge meadows, a target species at Ward Pound Ridge. Other colorful butterflies included three Question Marks, two Red-spotted Purples, some little Eastern-tailed Blues, and Summer Azures, Pearl Crescents, and the special butterfly we were anxiously awaiting to see: the Harris’ Checkerspot.

Rick guided us right to where it would be, and it put on quite a show. Many pictures of it are posted below, after the species list. In all, 28  butterfly species were counted in that location and three Great Spangled Fritillaries were found in another area. They were just beginning to emerge in synchronicity with the blooming milkweed plants.

Th ecology of Ward Pound Ridge is unique, attracting not only butterflies but certain odonates as well. Steve Walter spotted a dragonfly that is rare for this area, the Maine Snaketail, “an uncommon species found in central and western Massachusetts” and infrequently in southeastern Canada. He also saw a Lancet Clubtail.

We caught sight of several damselflies. Fragile Forktails were numerous. A treat was the Aurora
Damselfly, which often holds its wings partially spread. A very attractive dragonfly, the Harlequin Darner, landed on the gravel path, and an extremely cooperative and striking Black-shouldered Spinyleg perched, allowing us to photograph it. Common Whitetails were another abundant species.

After lunch Rick took us up a hill to one more area, where he identified a Spicebush Swallowtail. He explained that this area would bloom in a couple of weeks, with many butterfly species enjoying the bounty.

Many reptiles and amphibians inhabit this area. Rick found an American Toad clinging to the
bark of a tree and looking very much like the bark. It was a great opportunity for observing and photographing. A Black Rat Snake appeared to be napping in a tree; it’s often seen here. We were serenaded by the croaking of a Bull Frog, and photographed a Green Frog.

We also enjoyed hearing and seeing many bird species. Some highlights included Great-crested Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Bluebird, Cedar Waxwing, Field Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Ovenbird, Blue-winged Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Prairie Warbler, and Indigo Bunting.

It was soon time to leave, but we will never forget our wonderful outdoor classroom at Ward Pound Ridge.


Species List

Birds
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great-crested Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Carolina wren
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Brown-headed Cowbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird-5
Blue-winged Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Indigo Bunting
Northern Cardinal

Amphibians and Reptiles
Green Frog
Bull Frog
American Toad
Black Rat Snake

Butterflies
Black Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Clouded Sulphur
Red-banded Hairstreak
Eastern-tailed Blue
Summer Azure
Great Spangled Fritillary
Harris` Checkerspot
Pearl Crescent
Question Mark
Red Admiral
Red-spotted Purple
Appalachian Brown
Little Wood Satyr
Common Ringlet
Monarch Butterfly
Silver-spotted Skipper
Hoary Edge
Southern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywing
Wild Indigo Duskywing
Least Skipper
European Skipper
Peck`s Skipper
Long Dash
Hobomok Skipper
Dusted Skipper

Odonates
Ebony Jewelwing
Fragile Forktail
Aurora Danselfly
Variable Dancer
Powdered Dancer
Green Darner
Harlequin Darner
Lancet Clubtail
Southern Pygmy Clubtail
Black-shouldered Spinyleg
Maine Rusty Snaketail
Prince BaskettailCommon Baskettail
Blue Dasher
Eastern Pondhawk
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Spangled Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Halloween Pennant

Central Park Botany Walk with Regina Alvarez, 6/1/2024

Registrar: Amanda Bielskas
Participants: 19
Weather: 78–82 F; Mostly sunny, N winds 5 mph.
Bird Species: 18

Eighteen Linnaean Society members and botany enthusiasts gathered on a warm sunny morning to wander in the available tree shade and light breeze around The Pool and The Ravine of northern Central Park. Regina Alvarez, the walk leader, with her familiarity and experience with Central Park and teaching, shared much information about the plant life of the park and the way it has been managed over the years.
She started by lending magnifying loupes to participants, explaining that a jeweler’s loupe at 10x would be best for field study. She demonstrated how to use them by bringing the loupe quite close to the face and resting it against the cheek to hold it near the eye. The object to study must be very near the bottom of the glass.

Regina pointed out which plants are native, non-native, and invasive. She shared her extensive knowledge about the plants and other species in the park. She pointed out and talked about over 50 plant species. We talked a bit about plant/bird interactions as well and discussed foraging and the possible risks to an inexperienced forager. Generally, foraging is not advisable in an ecosystem like Central Park, which would suffer greatly if thousands of visitors took up the practice. We encountered poison ivy (native) in the Loch. Regina explained that the Park has a policy of managing rather than eradicating this plant, which produces berries popular with 60 species of birds, as well as the urushiol oil that stimulates an allergic reaction in approximately half the people who come in contact with it. 

It was a very successful walk on a beautiful day in Central Park. Overall, we saw over 50 botanical species, eighteen birds, and several types of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose 
Mallard 
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 
Mourning Dove 
Chimney Swift 
Great Egret 
Northern Flicker 
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
House Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

Plants

Trees—Native
American Sweetgum Tree
American Sycamore
Bald Cypress
Black Cherry
Hackberry
Oak Tree
Pin Oak
Pumpkin Ash
Red Maple
Sassafras
Serviceberry or Shad Bush
Sweetbay Magnolia
Tulip Tree
Tupelo Tree (Black Gum)
Trees—Hybrid
London Plane
Trees—Non-Native
Ginkgo
Shrubs, Vines and Flowers—Native
American Plantain
Blackberry
Black Raspberry
Bluebell
Blue Flag Iris
Bottle Brush Buckeye
Common Blue Violet
Duckweed
Elderberry
Flame Axalea
Fragrant Sumac
Goldenrod
Hackberry
Knotweed
Lizard’s Tail
Poison Ivy
Pokeweed
Purple Flowering Raspberry
Spicebush
Viola Blando
Virginia Creeper
Virginia Knotweed
Virginia Sweet Spire
Wolffia (Watermeal)
Woodland Sunflower
Native rose (Swamp Rose and Virginia Rose)
Arrowwood viburnum
White Wood Aster
Shrubs, Vines and Flowers—Non-native
Bittersweet Nightshade
Burdock
Deadly Nightshade
Mugwort
Seibold Viberdum
Strawberry (mock)
Ferns – Native
Christmas fern
Goldie’s Wood Fern
Grass—Native
Bottlebrush Grass
Grass—Non-native
Phragmites

Mammals
Brown Rat
Eastern Chipmunk
Eastern Gray Squirrel

Herps
Bullfrog
Red-eared Slider
Snapping Turtle

Insects
Lady Beetle
Great Blue Skimmer

Central Park with Alice Deutsch, Alan Drogin, Carine Mitchell, and Keven Sisco, 5/28/2024

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 29
Weather: Partly sunny, 65-79 F
Bird Species: 44

This was our last spring migration walk of 2024. Although we saw quite a few warblers and other migrants, it was clear that migration was winding down. Many birds are nesting, and some fledgling American Robins and European Starlings are already being seen.

Species List

Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Swainson’s Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
White-throated Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Canada Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Meadowlands Pontoon Boat Trip with Christopher Takacs, 5/28/24

Registrars: Suzanne Zywicki and Christina Black
Participants: 12
Weather: Mostly sunny in the 70s and 80s, with wind gusts up to 20 mph
Bird Species: 40

With sunny, windy weather following a stormy Memorial Day Monday, the group met on Tuesday afternoon in Richard W. DeKorte Park in the N.J. Meadowlands. As we learned from both Christopher Takacs (our trip leader and Bergen County Audubon Board member and field trip coordinator) and Don Torino (Bergen County Audubon President and former recipient of Linnaean’s conservation award), the park was once slated to be a landfill. We walked the Marshland Discovery Trail, and some highlights included a chorus of many Marsh Wrens, some sweet Least Terns, several Ospreys swooping around, and Great Egrets hunting.

Next, the group caravanned to River Barge Park, the launch site for a 5:30-7:30 p.m. NJSEA (NJ Sports & Expo Authority) pontoon ride. We boated under the train bridges and through the marshes of the Hackensack River, also part of the Meadowlands. Highlights included a young Bald Eagle, two Yellow-crowned Night Herons, a Peregrine Falcon pair guarding their nest, and Spotted Sandpipers on the shore. The slightly choppy water and deep green marshes stood out against such backdrops as the American Dream Mall Ferris Wheel, passing NJ Transit trains, and, further away, the Manhattan skyline.

Species Lists
Richard W. DeKorte Park, Bergen, New Jersey, US
28 species

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler   
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Mourning Dove
Herring Gull
Least Tern
Great Egret
Osprey
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Marsh Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal


River Barge Park, Bergen, New Jersey, US
23 species

Canada Goose
Gadwall
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Mourning Dove
Clapper Rail
Spotted Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Tree Swallow
Marsh Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Red-winged Blackbird

Shawangunk Grasslands with Tod Winston, 5/25/2024

Leader: Tod Winston
Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper
Participants: 15
Weather: 58 – 74°F, Light NE – N  breeze
Bird Species: 72
Report by: Tod Winston


All in all, this was a very productive, birdy day as we explored grasslands, woodland edges, and wetlands. At Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, nesting Purple Martins and Tree Swallows couldn’t be missed even from the parking lot, and several of our target grassland birds jumped out at us from the get–go: Bobolink males sang their electronic jingle in display flights over the fields, while Grasshopper Sparrows gave us two versions of their song and one of them—very cooperative—perched right in front of us, giving good looks from the viewing platform. The sweet, lilting song of Eastern Meadowlarks could also be heard, and, eventually, several birds sat for us in plain view. Our trek along the refuge trail also netted us nesting Eastern Bluebird, Yellow Warbler, Willow Flycatcher, and a particularly nice view of a Brown Thrasher, singing his double phrases from atop a tree. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (heard in the background) and nesting American Kestrel (seen) also made their presence known, and at one point a raucous mob of angry martins pursued an adult accipiter across the fields, as shown in the excellent photos that Dom has shared. (For more on that accipiter, see the “Troublesome Molting Raptors” section below.)

Thankfully, birds continued to sing all morning long, which helped us locate a different assortment of species as we explored the woods and pond along the refuge entranceway. We got better views of several Willow Flycatchers; a nervous mother bluebird patiently awaited our departure; and American Redstart and Blue-winged Warbler also made vocal appearances, though the latter bird was not very cooperative. A White-breasted Nuthatch, strangely rare this year in NYC, also made a cameo, as did a Wood Thrush—which sang from high atop a dead tree branch, sporting a surprisingly bright shade of orange-brown in the sun. Along the trail we also encountered several “banjo-playing” Green Frogs and a healthy-looking groundhog, a.k.a. woodchuck.

Several more raptors floated by before we departed: a few Red-tailed Hawks, both vulture species, what appeared to be a nearly adult-plumaged Bald Eagle (sporting some brownish edging to its tail feathers), and a molting, immature hawk, also captured digitally by Dom. (Once again, I refer you to the “Troublesome Molting Raptors” section, below!)

Following a much needed rest and lunch in the gazebo, a quick drive through Blue Chip farm didn’t give us much new, though most of us could detect the slow, repeating tone of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, echoing from far off in the woods. 

Our “bonus” stop at the Liberty Loop/Walkill River NWR supplied a number of different species. An adult Common Gallinule proved a skulky quarry, but eventually all of us got some sort of view—providing a life bird sighting for several in the group. And a female Wood Duck briefly appeared, followed by several ducklings. The primary target for many, however, the Sandhill Crane, proved more elusive. While a few of us heard their trumpeting rattle from far off, we did not manage to set our eyes on the birds this year. We did, however, get nice views of several new-this-year species for the day, including a soaring Osprey, a lovely singing male Orchard Oriole, and an Indigo Bunting. 

Troublesome Molting Raptors
Many thanks to Dom for the great shots he shared of two birds of prey that gave us quick looks at the Shawangunks. As it turns out, together they provide a good lesson in the pitfalls of identifying raptors in molt! I’ve shared some thoughts on the two birds below, with some input from several others on the trip, along with feedback from Facebook’s very helpful “Raptor ID” section. 

1) On the grassland trail, an accipiter shot by with Purple Martins in hot pursuit. The bird’s quick flapping and somewhat short tail with a square-ish end led me to call it a large female Sharp-shinned Hawk. However, Dom’s photos reveal a very dark, distinct cap coupled with a light orange nape, as well as a fairly large head and bill and correspondingly small eye—all of which lead me to change the ID to Cooper’s Hawk. Some discussion with raptor nerds (in the best sense), made it seem likely that this bird, which appears to be molting some primaries, has also molted (lost) its inner, longer tail feathers, resulting in a shorter, squarer-looking tail, similar to that of a Sharp-shinned Hawk. (#accipitersareconfusing). 

2) Near the pond, a raptor molting some of its primary feathers soared high over us, and though it was hard to see its markings against the light, we could make out symmetrical translucent patches in its primaries. “Red-shouldered Hawk” jumped to the mind of several of us, but the light patches didn’t exactly match the crescent shape one expects for this species. Dom’s photos reveal more details, including thin but distinct tail banding and fairly dense striping on the bird’s underparts. This bird has generated some contradictory discussion in the raptor ID group, with dueling opinions of immature Red-shouldered (RSHA) and Broad-winged Hawk (BWHA). These two species are very similar, particularly during molt, when the immature BWHA (like other buteos, such as Red-tails) can have translucent outer primaries that mimic the light “wing crescents” of the RSHA.

Species List

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Common Gallinule
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Green Heron
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Video
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Common Raven
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Grasshopper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Blue-winged Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting

Central Park with Alice Deutsch, Alan Drogin, Carine Mitchell, and Kevin Sisco, 5/21/2024

Bird List
 
Canada Goose 
Mallard 
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 
Mourning Dove 
Chimney Swift 
Ring-billed Gull 
Herring Gull 
Great Black-backed Gull 
Double-crested Cormorant 
Black-crowned Night Heron 
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Northern Flicker 
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher 
Eastern Kingbird 
Warbling Vireo 
Red-eyed Vireo 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Tufted Titmouse 
House Wren 
European Starling 
Gray Catbird 
Veery
Northern Mockingbird
Swainson’s Thrush 
Wood Thrush 
American Robin 
Cedar Waxwing 
House Sparrow 
House Finch 
White-throated Sparrow 
Baltimore Oriole 
Red-winged Blackbird 
Common Grackle 
Ovenbird 
Northern Waterthrush 
Black-and-white Warbler 
Common Yellowthroat 
American Redstart 
Northern Parula 
Magnolia Warbler 
Bay-breasted Warbler 
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler 
Chestnut-sided Warbler 
Blackpoll Warbler 
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler 
Canada Warbler 
Wilson’s Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal 

Birds & Brews (Central Park) Walk with Alan Drogin and Amanda Bielskas, 5/15/2024

Registrar: Amanda Bielskas
Weather: Drizzling this evening, 50-60 degrees F
Participants: 9
Bird species: 29

This was the third LSNY Birds & Brews Walk. We started up at 103^rd Street and looked around the Pool, we had several warbler species including Northern Waterthrush and Common Yellowthroat. Further along the Pool we also had several Northern Rough-winged Swallows.  We headed into the Loch to try to avoid some of the rain where we found Ovenbirds, a Black-throated Blue Warbler, and many Gray Catbirds. After the Loch we headed up to the Great Hill where we had 2 species of woodpeckers. We checked out the Children’s Glade and found an Eastern Wood-Pewee before we headed off a bit damp, but no worse for the wear to a local bar, Nobody Told Me for some casual conversations and libations. We totaled 29 species for the evening, which was not bad considering the weather!

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Great Egret
Northern Flicker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Blue Jay
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Veery
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Northern Cardinal