Registrar: Barbara Saunders
Participants: 10
Weather: Sunny, breezy, 50 degrees F
Bird Species: 67
On this sunny September morning, Rob Jett led us on an early fall walk through Green-Wood Cemetery in search of fall migrants. Throughout the morning, we wended our way around weathered monuments, tall statues, and up grassy ridges where we spotted an amazing 20 warbler species! Most of the warblers were hawking insects both on the ground and in trees, including fall-out numbers of Chestnut-sided Warblers, an elusive Connecticut Warbler at the Dell Water, and multiple Nashville Warblers here and there. Along the way, we also had three vireo species – Yellow-throated, Blue-headed and Red-eyed. As for sparrows, we counted three Lincoln Sparrows, as well as Chipping, Field, Savannah Sparrows, and more. We even spied a few Scarlet Tanagers busily feeding in the trees. Early on, Rob glimpsed a Dickcissel before the walk started, which unfortunately wasn’t re-sighted (but not from lack of trying). Even though the winds weren’t favorable for migrating raptors, we managed to spot Red-tailed Hawks, an American Kestrel, a Cooper’s Hawk and a couple of Chimney Swifts (okay, those last ones weren’t raptors!). And, of course, Monk Parakeets were seen and heard near their huge stick nest above the main entrance to Green-Wood. In all, we had 68 species of birds and 4 butterfly species. Happily exhausted at the end, we all agreed it was a great early fall day of birding!
Species Lists
Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck (Rob saw prior to walk as a pair flew toward Valley Water)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Herring Gull
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Monk Parakeet
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Empidonax sp.
Eastern Phoebe
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson’s Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch (Rob saw prior to walk near 20th Street entrance)
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow (Rob saw at Hill of Graves prior to walk)
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole (Rob saw prior to walk chattering near Pine Hill)
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel (Rob saw prior to walk in grass on Hill of Graves)
Butterflies
Cabbage White
Common Buckeye
Monarch
Sachem
