Registrar: Lori Lam Participants: 6 Weather: Start of walk 65 degrees, NW winds at 10-12. Partly-mostly cloudy; temperature at end of walk 74 degrees, mostly sunny Bird Species: 43
With northwest winds blowing and Hurricane Dorian thankfully hundreds of miles offshore to our north we began our walk. Gordon shared his knowledge of the 200+ year history of this important military base, now a part of Gateway National Recreation area, where much of the historical buildings remain, while still acting as an extraordinary refuge for migratory and nesting birds. Heading down to the beach, we spotted a group of 7 royal terns, a Ruddy Turnstone, and Sanderlings. At Battery Harris, several of us heard and some saw, what was to be the bird of the day, an Alder Flycatcher. Another item of note was the number of migrating Ospreys we continued to spot. Our count was 38, along with 2 Merlins and 2 Kestrels. We also saw an impressive number of butterflies and Odonates listed below.
Species Lists
Birds Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird American Oystercatcher Killdeer Ruddy Turnstone Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Common Tern Forster’s Tern Royal Tern Black Skimmer Double-crested Cormorant Osprey Northern Flicker Merlin Eastern Wood-Pewee Alder Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird White-eyed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Black-capped Chickadee Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird American Robin House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee Common Grackle Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Cardinal
Butterflies Black Swallowtail Cabbage White Orange Sulphur Clouded Sulphur Cloudless Sulphur Summer Azure Pearl Crescent Common Buckeye Monarch Silver-spotted Skipper
Odonates Green Darner Blue Dasher Black Saddlebag Wandering Glider
Registrar: Anne Lazarus Participants: 6 Weather: upper 80’s F, Sunny, Calm Total Species: 47
Because of the high-water levels, we were unable to bird the East Pond. We did walk the West Pond, took a quick look at Big John’s Pond, and viewed a small portion of the East Pond from the trail leading east of Big John’s Pond. Our highlight on the West Pond was a Barn Owl perched on top of the Barn Owl nesting box. On the East Pond we viewed a single Stilt Sandpiper foraging with Short-billed Dowitchers across the stretch of water.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mute Swan Wood Duck Mallard American Black Duck Rock Pigeon Chimney Swift Semipalmated Plover Stilt Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Common Tern Forster’s Tern Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Glossy Ibis Osprey Red-tailed Hawk Barn Owl Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Tree Swallow Barn Swallow European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Northern Cardinal
Butterflies Black Swallowtail Cabbage White Orange Sulphur Summer Azure Painted Lady Common Buckeye Monarch Silver-spotted Skipper Zabulon Skipper Broadwinged Skipper
Odonates Teneral Damselflies Green Darner Blue Dasher Black Saddlebag Glider species
Linnaean members entered the fascinating world of plants. We learned about their strategies for survival. Fungus, insect predators, symbiotic relationships, weather, proximity to water and other factors are involved in their adaptations. We entered the park at 103rd St. and Central Park West, then spent approximately two-and-a-half hours exploring the “Pool” and its adjacent rich habitat.
We examined Sunflower species. Each flower consists of tube-shaped flowers in the center disc, which produce the seeds, and ray flowers, which attract the pollinators. We observed a fungus on a Hawthorn Tree. The fungus is called Cedar Apple Rust and is one of many organisms that require two hosts to live. This fungus grows initially on juniper trees and in the spring releases spores, which then take up residence on leaves and twigs on Hawthorn Trees and other trees in the rose family. They do not destroy the trees, but are rather unsightly. We were intrigued by the Black Cherry Tree. This tree has two nectar glands at the base of each leaf. The nectar attracts ants, which protect the tree from harmful insects. It also produces nectar in its flowers for pollination. The Bald Cypress grows knobs known as knees when near water for oxygenation, but it does not grow these knobs when it grows on a dry area. Trees that shed part of their bark, like the London Plane Tree, shed parasites and lichen which grow on the bark. We examined galls on the leaves of several plants, including the Hackberry tree leaves. Many other plant species develop galls. Each is formed by a unique species of insect, and the gall that develops is distinct in shape. The insect lays its eggs under the tissue of the leaf, and the leaf compartmentalizes the larvae by constructing a gall to sequester it. The larvae consume the tissue of the gall and eventually emerge from the gall. Hackberry Trees have many galls on their leaves. Sweet Gum Trees grow easily. Sweet Bay Magnolia is a native Magnolia along with River Birch.
Leaf Miners are the larvae of a variety of insects, such as certain flies, moths and other species. The female lays her eggs under the epidermis. The larvae develop and form track marks as they feed and tunnel beneath the epidermis. Eventually they emerge. We saw leaf miner tracks on the leaves of the White Snake Root
Fern species have distinctive sporangia patterns on the underside of their pinnae. Sporangia contain the spores, which are the reproductive structures for ferns. Some ferns have their sporangia on separate stalks, such as Sensitive fern, Cinnamon fern and Ostrich fern. These are called fertile fronds, and if they survive during the winter months, they provide beautiful winter interest in a garden. The first fern we examined for spore patterns was the Ebony Spleenwort, a lovely fern that was growing along the side of a stone wall. We also looked at Christmas fern along the Grotto.
Many of the flowers were not in bloom yet. White Wood Aster, Blue Aster, White Snake Root Turtlehead will blossom later. The Pool itself was covered with two tiny flowering plants that protect the Pool from algae blooms. These two plants are Duck Weed and Water Meal. Water Meal is the tiniest flowering plant. Another interesting plant is Common Burdock. It is a biennial and flowers and produces seeds its second year. Some plants survive by growing back to a smaller size when challenged. The American Plantain survives mowing by becoming a smaller version of itself. A single flower is by itself, such as a rose, but an inflorescence pertains to a series of flowers on a stem such as the American Plantain. I have listed some of the trees, flowers and ferns.
An insect that captured our attention and cameras was the Ailanthus Webworm Moth sitting on a Sunflower. It does not look like a moth, but it is. We could not note every plant at the Pool, because that activity would take many hours, There is so much to see and learn.
Species Lists
Trees Black Cherry Sweet Bay Magnolia London Plane Bald Cypress Tulip Tree River Birch Black Locust White Mulberry Ginkgo Tree Bottlebrush Buckeye Hawthorn Berry Hackberry Tree Fragrant Sumac Sweet Gum Tree American Sycamore
Flowers Swamp Rose Pokeweed Turtlehead Squash (planted) Sunflower Blue Aster White Wood Aster White Snakeroot Indian Strawberry Wild Carrot Asiatic Day Flower Common Smartweed Virginia Rose Swamp Rose Five-leaf Aralia Common Burdock Common Nightshade American Plantain Virginia Creeper Porcelaineberry Wineberry Corralberry Duckweed Watermeal White Clover
Birds Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Blue Jay European Starling American Robin House Sparrow Northern Waterthrush Northern Cardinal
Mammal Eastern Gray Squirrel
Herp American Bullfrog (h)
Butterflies Cabbage White Red Admiral Monarch
Odonates Eastern Forktail Green Darner Black Saddlebag Eastern Amberwing Blue Dasher
Registrar: Ellen Hoffman Participants: 5 Weather: sunny, high 80’s to 90 F, mph 5-10 Bird Species: 50
Undeterred by low tides and unrelenting heat, a determined group of Linnaean members embarked upon a tour of the West Pond in search of birds. We also observed butterflies, odonates and other arthropods. Our main highlight was the nesting Barn Owls. We were greeted early by a vocal family of Willow Flycatchers. Due to the unrelenting heat we birded up to bench 12. We did sight a Little Blue Heron and a Peregrine Falcon as we walked back to the visitor’s center.
Species List
Birds Canada Goose Mute Swan Mallard American Black Duck Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift American Oystercatcher Least Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Laughing Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Common Tern Forster’s Tern Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Glossy Ibis Osprey Barn Owl Peregrine Falcon Willow Flycatcher Fish Crow Tree Swallow Barn Swallow House Wren Carolina Wren (h) European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee (h) Red-winged Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Common Yellowthroat Yellow Warbler Northern Cardinal Total bird species: 50
Butterflies Black Swallowtail Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Cabbage White Orange Sulphur Summer Azure Question Mark Common Buckeye American Snout Monarch Butterfly
Odonates Familiar Bluet, most likely Black Saddlebags
Other Insects Cicadas Cicada Killers Bee species Wasp Species
Eleven participants ventured out to Great Kills, Staten Island to see the Bank Swallow colony at low tide and were not disappointed. We had great looks at the swallows as they swooshed in and out of their colonies in the sandbanks. Next, at Lemon Creek, we saw adult Purple Martins and young at very close range perched at their houses and gourds. We continued to Mt. Loretto where we sighted an uncommon dragonfly, Needham›s Skimmer, and many birds such as Indigo Bunting, Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagle, Rough-winged Swallow and more. Our last stop was at a new location for many participants, Oakwood Beach Tidal Marsh, where we heard the Clapper Rail and saw three Little Blue Herons. Interestingly, we learned that Oakwood Beach Tidal Marsh has one of the densest populations of Boat-tailed Grackles nesting in New York City. We had a total of 58 bird species, 12 butterfly species and 14 odonate species.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Clapper Rail (h) American Oystercatcher Killdeer Least Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Common Tern Double-crested Cormorant Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Glossy Ibis Osprey Bald Eagle Belted Kingfisher Northern Flicker Warbling Vireo American Crow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Purple Martin Tree Swallow Bank Swallow Barn Swallow House Wren Carolina Wren (h) European Starling Gray Catbird (h) Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Field Sparrow (h) Song Sparrow (h) Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Boat-tailed Grackle Common Yellowthroat Yellow Warbler Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting
Butterflies Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Black Swallowtail Spicebush Swallowtail Cabbage White Clouded Sulphur Orange Sulphur Summer Azure Common Buckeye American Snout Red-spotted Purple Monarch Broad-winged Skipper Moths Bumblebee Clearwing Moth Sphinx Moth Species Caterpillar
Odonates Bluet species Green Darner Black Saddlebags Carolina Saddlebags Spot-winged Glider Wandering Glider Eastern Amberwing Painted Skimmer Needham’s Skimmer Twelve-spotted Skimmer Common Whitetail Slaty Skimmer Blue Dasher Eastern Pondhawk
Registrar: Regina Ryan Participants: 5 Weather: Partly sunny, 60’s F, winds, south 2-11 mph Bird Species: 73
The observers also enjoyed sightings of eleven butterfly species and three species of odonates. The group visited many sites, which included the following: Calverton: Veteran’s Park, VOR Area, EPCAL, Preston’s Pond and then Westhampton: Gabreski Airport, Westhampton Dunes Overlook.
Species Lists
Birds Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo (h) Chimney Swift American Oystercatcher Black-bellied Plover Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Sanderling Dunlin Least Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Willet Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Common Tern Forster’s Tern Double-crested Cormorant Great Egret Turkey Vulture Osprey Red-tailed Hawk Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Eastern Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Warbling Vireo (h) Red-eyed Vireo (h) Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Black-capped Chickadee Horned Lark Tree Swallow Bank Swallow Barn Swallow Blue-gray Gnatcatcher House Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird Eastern Bluebird American Robin Cedar Waxwing American Goldfinch Grasshopper Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee Eastern Meadowlark Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Ovenbird (h) Blue-winged Warbler Common Yellowthroat Yellow Warbler (h) Pine Warbler Prairie Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting
Butterflies Clouded Sulphur American Eastern Tailed Blue Pearl Crescent Mourning Cloak Painted Lady Little Wood Satyr Southern Cloudywing Northern Cloudywing Common Sootywing Zabulon Skipper
Odonates Common Green Darner Common Baskettail Carolina Saddlebags
Registrars: Dale Dancis and Anne Lazarus Participants: 11 Bird Species: 54
This morning I lead the above walk for the Linnaean Society Group. We have done this spring walk for many years now. This year it had to be canceled from its original date due to heavy rains and high winds. This morning was beautiful! Eleven participants and I toured the Bashakill hoping for some late spring migrants. It started out rather quiet, but as the sun rose higher, the birds became more active and began to show nicely. Highlights of the walk included: Canada Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and most of the common breeding species. Once we reached the Nature Trail it picked up considerably. We immediately added Cerulean Warbler. As we worked our way around, hoping for some thrush (only had Wood Thrush and Veery) I got a call from Shai Mitra that he could see us from where he was standing at the back of the “Sand Pit” and he and Pat Lindsey were watching a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher! We went right over and began looking for the bird that disappeared momentarily. Gordon Lam relocated it and we had great views of the bird. Only a few minutes later, Shai texted there was a Mourning Warbler right near the parking lot. The whole scene repeated itself and we got to see this beautiful bird! Thanks Shai and Pat for keeping us in the loop! From there, we went to the Horseshoe Parking Area. There we had several Cerulean Warblers, more Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireos and Common Gallinules. All in all a pretty successful morning! I’d like to thank the Linnaean members for coming up and helping make it another nice walk at the Bashakill! — By John Haas.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo (h) Black-billed Cuckoo (h) Ruby-throated Hummingbird Common Gallinule (h) Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Northern Harrier Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher (h) Willow Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Yellow-throated Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Tree Swallow Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Gray Catbird Veery Wood Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Ovenbird Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cerulean Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Canada Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
