Registrar: Alice McInerney
Participants: 13 (including co-leaders)
Weather: Sunny, temperature began in the 30’s F and warmed up to the 50’s F
Bird Species: 55
Many thanks to our co-leaders Richard ZainEldeen and Maya Shikhman for creating an exciting trip through four parks on Staten Island. We began with a long walk at the Conference House Park which has wooded and oceanside trails. We saw some newly arrived migrants, such as Eastern Phoebe, a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher and a couple of American Oystercatchers, as well as overwintering species such as a Bufflehead.
At a brief stop at the Mt. Loretto Unique Area we added a Tree Swallow for the day.
Our visit to Wolfe’s Pond Park yielded, among others: Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone, Greater Scaup, Red Breasted Mergansers as well as Northern Gannett and a Bald Eagle.
At our final stop, Great Kills Park, we walked on a beautiful beach. Among our sightings were: Osprey, American Oystercatchers and about 200 Northern Gannett. A Horned Grebe was a final, exciting find for the day.
Species Lists
Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Wild Turkey
Horned Grebe
American Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal
