Registrar: Debbie Mullins Participants: 8 Weather: Mostly cloudy, 47–61 degrees F, westerly winds at 15–20 miles per hour Bird Species: 38
We enjoyed a beautiful fall day at Floyd Bennett Field under the excellent leadership of Rob Jett. Fewer species were seen than is usual for this location and date, probably due to the brisk winds that dogged us all morning. We birded the overgrown fields near Aviator Sports in search of sparrows and other grassland species before heading to the North Forty, followed by the boat launch area and the community gardens. We ended the day on the shore of Jamaica Bay near Archery Road. We could not help but notice the enormous tents the city was erecting on several runways to house refugees.
The highlights of the trip were an American Pipit, an Eastern Meadowlark, and two Northern Harriers. Seventy Brant were seen on Jamaica Bay, a “first of season” bird for many participants.
Species List
Birds Brant Wood Duck Mallard Green-winged Teal Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Mourning Dove Black-bellied Plover Dunlin Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Double-crested Cormorant Osprey Northern Harrier Downy Woodpecker American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Eastern Phoebe American Crow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Brown Creeper Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird American Robin American Pipit Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Theresa Brown Participants: 8 Weather: Cool, windy, and sunny with some clouds. Bird Species: 48
Leader Seth Wollney led the participants through the Mount Loretto Unique Area in Staten Island and shared the history of its development. Flying overhead was a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Cooper’s Hawk, and a Red-tailed Hawk. We also saw a juvenile Bald Eagle, and Seth pointed out the nest. Equally thrilling was the sighting of a Northern Harrier. Overall, it was a good day to see raptors.
Next, we explored the newly opened section of Fresh Kills Park, likely the first birding group to do so. We discovered that it is excellent for viewing sparrows and were able to ID a Chipping Sparrow, a Field Sparrow, a White-throated Sparrow, a Savannah Sparrow, a Song Sparrow, and a Swamp Sparrow. The most exciting sparrow we found was a Grasshopper Sparrow. Despite high winds, we had many good looks because the sparrows frequently perched at the top of the nearby fence.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard American Black Duck Northern Pintail Rock Pigeon Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Snowy Egret Turkey Vulture Osprey Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Eastern Phoebe Blue Jay Tree Swallow Ruby-crowned Kinglet European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing American Goldfinch Grasshopper Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Rusty Blackbird Common Grackle Common Yellowthroat Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Butterflies Cabbage White Butterfly Monarch Butterfly Odonates European Hornets Differential Grasshopper
It was a beautiful fall day for our weekly Tuesday walk in Central Park. Strawberry Fields started out a little slow, with a Cape May Warbler grabbing much of our attention until a small flock of Pine Siskins surprisingly flew in and perched. They didn’t stay long, but birders were delighted to see and hear these birds, which are rarely seen (especially perched) in Manhattan. At least three lingering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds gave us outstanding views in Shakespeare Garden, perhaps recently released from the Wild Bird Fund. We continued on to the Pinetum, a favorite birding spot in the fall, where we saw many sparrows, kinglets and sapsuckers.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Black-crowned Night Heron Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Brown Creeper Winter Wren Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird Swainson’s Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow Pine Siskin Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco
Registrar: Annie Wilker Participants: 13 Weather: 46-59°F, alternating between cloudy and clear, northwest wind 10 mph Bird Species: 49
We saw some great migratory birds and hotspots on Randall’s Island. The group drove to several locations across the island, and we were lucky enough to have a lot of nice sun in the afternoon. Highlights included a Yellow-crowned Night Heron and a Black-crowned Night Heron in the salt marsh, giving us a great opportunity to compare the two. We were also happy to pause and admire a Vesper Sparrow among a group of Savannah Sparrows in the northeast ball fields. Thanks so much to Alan and our excellent group of birders for a wonderful day.
Species Lists Brant Canada Goose Northern Shoveler Pied-billed Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Ring-billed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Yellow-crowned Night Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Great Egret Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Blue Jay Common Raven Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Hermit Thrush American Robin House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Richard Davis Participants: 34 Weather: 54 F–61 F, beginning partly sunny with occasional clouds. North wind 5 mph. Bird Species: 64
Thirty-four participants explored Central Park with good humor and congeniality. Strawberry Field was fairly active to start the morning, and the Ruby-crowned Kinglets were out in force. There was some drama when an American Kestrel dove on a Northern Flicker.Additionally, a Scarlet Tanager and Yellow-Billed Cuckoo brightened the day for all who saw them.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Northern Shoveler Mallard Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Chimney Swift American Coot Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Black-crowned Night-Heron Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Brown Creeper European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird Swainson’s Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow Eastern Towhee Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird 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 Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
A group of five birders set out to explore the north end of Central Park following a route similar to one the late Starr Saphir often used on her iconic walks. While we did not have a designated leader, we benefited from the talents of each birder, relying heavily on the knowledge of the two participants who knew and birded with Starr. Over the course of five hours we were treated to good views of Gadwalls, a pair of Green-winged Teals, several Scarlet Tanagers, seven species of warbler, and numerous other birds. We also spent time puzzling over the correct identification of a young hawk perched at the Loch—Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned—and concluded it was a Cooper’s, only to have our eBird liaison determine that Sharp-Shinned was a better fit given the photo we submitted.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Northern Shoveler Gadwall Mallard Green-winged Teal Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Egret Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Hermit Thrush American Robin House Sparrow House Finch Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee Common Grackle Northern Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Magnolia Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Pine Warbler Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Registrar: Lisa Kroop Participants: 9 Weather: 50°F, sunny, blue skies, breezy – west wind 11 mph Bird Species: 37
Because of a high probability for rain forecast for Saturday, we postponed our walk to Sunday and were rewarded with a beautiful and birdy day.
We began by walking the path along the salt marsh. The tide was low and the mud flats were exposed, but no birds were to be seen there. Instead, standing out in the distance was a Great Egret shining white in the bright light and an Osprey perched overhead on a large limb over the water, steadily tearing apart a fish. Mallards swam below unperturbed. All of a sudden, seemingly coming out of nowhere, a Peregrine Falcon appeared, swooping, flapping in front of us over the ducks and down to the water, only to fly up and away with nothing to show for it but a lot of agitated birds. One of them was a Belted Kingfisher that flew across the marsh making its characteristic rattling call.
We then turned towards the woods, and within a few steps were focused on tantalizing movements in the leaves that ultimately gave glimpses of a Northern Parula and a Magnolia Warbler, and, down low, a Swainson’s Thrush. As we walked through the Clove, on a path bordered by tall cliffs on one side and very tall, mature trees all around, we could hear woodpeckers drilling, and Carolina Wrens calling loudly. There was a lot of small-bird activity high up in the tree canopy; it was hard to determine the species, but down low along the undergrowth and among the tree trunks we found a busy, second Magnolia Warbler, and further up the trail, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
We made our way to the Overlook, and spent some time looking out at the vista of the Hudson River and the Palisades beyond, searching for raptors. Two Osprey flew by, going south over the river, followed somewhat later by an adult Bald Eagle and a Common Raven. Then we headed down towards Spuyten Duyvil, where we observed and counted a scattered group of Great Blue Herons in the trees and along the shore across from us – there were eight of them. And finally we walked past the same Osprey that we had watched at the start of our walk, this time approaching it from the opposite direction; it had finished its meal and was perched upright, facing us and looking quite content.
Many thanks to Loyan for a wonderful walk, and for being such an informative guide.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Blue Jay Common Raven Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren Northern Mockingbird Swainson’s Thrush American Robin House Sparrow Song Sparrow Nashville Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Northern Cardinal Mammals Eastern Chipmunk Eastern Gray Squirrel
Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper Participants: 10 Weather: 66 – 76°F, Light N – E winds, Dense fog to start Bird Species: 39
We were slightly disheartened when we started out our watch to dense fog. We couldn’t see that far out over the river, let alone New Jersey and the Palisades. We stuck it out and the fog eventually lifted and we started to see some migration happening. There was a near constant stream of Eastern Phoebes going north past our observation spot at the north end of the Dyckman fields and we had a nice assortment of raptors by the end of our stay. All the while, Andrew discussed the unique aspects of this particular spot in New York County as a great place to observe bird migration for raptors, waterfowl, and passerines.
Bird species:
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
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
Merlin
Eastern Phoebe
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
