Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 14
Weather: Partly cloudy, winds 4-7 mph, 20s-30s F
Bird Species: 32
We extend our thanks to Annie Barry, long-time Governors Island birder and walk leader, for sharing her “patch” with us on our first ever Linnaean Society field trip to this location. Our four-mile trek took us around the entire island and included Colonels Row, Fort Jay, the Hills, Picnic Point, the Hammock Grove, Nolan Park, and the coastline. Along the southeast waterfront, we saw several species of ducks and gulls and had excellent views of a mixed group of Great Cormorants and Double-crested Cormorants. On the west side of the island, we saw a large flock of Brant, a Red-breasted Merganser, and, unexpectedly, a Common Goldeneye drake. A large murder of crows flew overhead as we entered the Hills at the southern end of the island. Yellow-rumped Warblers were actively feeding on berries, and several Hermit Thrushes, Northern Mockingbirds, Song, White-throated, and Swamp Sparrows, and a Carolina Wren were also noted. At the end of the walk Annie told us that springtime brings many warblers and other migrants to the island, some attracted to the meadow that has been established around Fort Jay. We all agreed that this venue deserves frequent visits by New York birders.
Species Lists
Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
American Crow
crow sp.
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
House Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
