Registrar: Suzanne Zywicki
Participants: 15
Weather: 53-59 F, partly cloudy, breezy
Bird Species: 47
Fifteen birders met in the North Woods of Central Park for Linnaean’s semi-annual walk in memory of Starr Saphir (1939 – 2013), an iconic figure in the NYC birding community. Our leader, Alice Deutsch, started the day by sharing several of the practices espoused by Starr (“no pointing at the birds”). Several participants who had also known her chimed in with their own recollections. We then set off on a route that approximated a path often taken by Starr.
We started at the Pool, where we were quickly treated to good views of a Solitary Sandpiper, a Rusty Blackbird, and a pair of Green-winged Teal. We worked our way up to the Great Hill and further into the North Woods, where highlights included Baltimore Orioles, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and various species of warbler, including Prairie and Worm-eating. We ended back at the Pool, where we added Gadwalls and American Black Ducks to our list, winding up with 47 species seen or heard. Both those who knew Starr and those who never had the pleasure of birding with her enjoyed the day and the company of their fellow birders.
Species Lists
BIrds
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Green-winged Teal
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Solitary Sandpiper
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker — Heard only
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Hermit Thrush
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler — Heard only
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
