Registrar: Russ Comeau
Participants: 14
Weather: Air Temp: 48-50°F. Overcast. Sprinkles. Moderately strong breeze from NW to W.
Bird Species: 47
Chilly LSNY members followed legendary leader, Rob Jett, on a five-mile walk, canvassing hotspots along the central arteries of Green-Wood Cemetery and circumscribing three of its precious water features.
We made an early 7:30 am start to hear part of the “Dawn Chorus” of songbirds, including scores of Northern Cardinals, American Robins, Eastern Phoebes, Ruby- and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Northern Mockingbirds, House Finches, Chipping Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Grackles, accompanied by many Northern Flickers, Yellow-bellied, Red-bellied, and Downy Woodpeckers on the drums.
Typical of this calendar date were good numbers of fresh Nearctic warblers moving up from southern North America, notably Palm Warblers, Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, as well as Blue-gray Gnatcatchers which added their voices to the chorus.
Really no other warblers, vireos, or Neotropical species (that migrate from Central and South America) were seen by us, as they’re really not yet to arrive here in any numbers at this early date.
We don’t know who was surprised more, us or the Green Heron (a known breeder in Green-Wood) that flushed with a sharp squawk as we climbed single file up a steep, winding, narrow foot trail.
Six raptor species plied the skies: a Turkey Vulture, Cooper’s Hawk, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, and at least two Ospreys being chased out of Dell Water airspace by a Red-tailed Hawk (one of several sighted).
Toward the end of the trip, a non-breeding plumage male Blue Grosbeak was spotted on the ground and flitted onto low branches, gracing all with thrilling views.
Species List
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
European Starling
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
