May 28 - Central Park

This morning was the last of the Wednesday morning spring bird walks in Central Park that I lead for the American Museum of Natural History. It was a gray, cool morning with a low overcast - the tops of some of the buildings were lost in the clouds. However, we had a pretty birdy morning with 41 species identified, including eleven warblers. I don't usually use the phrase "species identified", however there were a number of Empidonax flycatchers seen, all but one of which were not calling. Since none of them were clearly a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, which is the only one you can reasonably safely identify visually at this time of year, I just listed them as "Empies". I will be posting a complete cumulative list of the Wednesday bird walks as a separate page on this blog. When it is up later today you can reach it by clicking on it on the lists of pages to the right, just above the links list. Following is this morning's list.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 1, on the Lake
Red-tailed Hawk - 2, over the New-York Historical Society on CPW as we were leaving
Spotted Sandpiper - 1, seen by Chuck McAlexander at the Point
Herring Gull - a couple overhead
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1, from oak Bridge by the Upper Lobe as we were leaving
Acadian Flycatcher - 1, calling by the stream above the Azalea Pond; usually hard to get a look at
              unidentified Empidonax flycatchers - scattered around the Ramble
Great Crested Flycatcher - 2
Eastern Kingbird - 1, seen by Chuck from Oak Bridge
Warbling Vireo - usual locations
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
House Wren - 2. heard singing
Veery - 1
Gray-cheeked Thrush - 1, on path northwest of Evodia Field
Swainson's Thrush - 2
Wood Thrush - singing all around the ramble
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing - the Point
Northern Waterthrush - 1, singing in the Upper Lobe
Common Yellowthroat - at least 2, Hernshead and the Point
American Redstart - various places
Northern Parula - 1, the Point
Magnolia Warbler - 2
Blackburnian Warbler - 1, heard once singing by Oak Bridge
Yellow Warbler - 1, the Point
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1, the Point
Blackpoll Warbler - various places
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1, the Point; getting late for this species
Canada Warbler - 1, Oak Bridge
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
House Finch - the Point
House Sparrow