Registrar: Lenore Swenson
Participants: 17
Weather: Cloudy, temperatures 63-65F, winds north 3-10mph
Bird Species: 52
The group gathered at the West 103rd Street entrance to Central Park’s North End. Public transportation on this Sunday of a holiday weekend was slower than usual. While we waited for all to arrive, we shared our memories of Starr, but failed to start out promptly, as she was wont to do.
Our excursion around the Pool yielded several species of warbler, including Northern Waterthrush, and several species of waterfowl, including a handsome male Wood Duck. Then it was up to the Great Hill, as squirrels and chipmunks scampered across our path. A grove of trees atop the Hill had its usual abundance of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers as well as three other woodpecker species. We also found six sparrow species there, not as many as hoped. But the prize was a very plain and very active first-winter Cape May Warbler high in the trees.
We then wandered along the Loch to the Wildflower Meadow, and across the road to the compost area. There we found Swamp, Savannah, and White-crowned Sparrows, Winter Wren, and a Merlin flying through. But best of all were good looks at an Indigo Bunting perched in a small tree. After almost five hours we ended at the Conservatory Garden on the east side of the Park at 12:15 pm.
Species Lists
Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren (h)
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Common Grackle
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Chipmunk
Northern Raccoon
