October 30 - Inwood - Ravens and Blue Grosbeak

A beautiful, crisp, fall morning in Inwood. I went into the park around 7:30 am. After checking the Muscota Marsh area (the usual Swamp and Song sparrows in the marshy areas), I went out towards the dock. When almost to the dock I heard a Common Raven croaking across the canal but I couldn't spot exactly where it was coming from. Then I spotted a raven flying north across the canal, but I knew this was not been the bird I had heard. The flying bird landed in a cleft on the cliff near the big Columbia "C" on the north side of the canal. Already in the cleft was another raven, presumably the bird I had heard calling. Over the next few minutes the two birds moved around the cleft and picked up and passed around some sticks in the cleft before flying off. Ravens have become increasingly regular in the neighborhood lately. If this is a pair, perhaps of young birds, thinking of nesting in the area, perhaps even on the cliff overlooking the canal, they would be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood.

I continued my walk, back past Muscota Marsh and to the soccer fields. The trees on the south side of the Henry Hudson Bridge are now showing some nice fall color.

Ridge south of Henry Hudson Bridge                                                                      © Joseph DiCostanzo

As in recent days, there were many sparrows around the edge of the soccer field. Today the flocks were mostly on the southwest side of the field and as in recent days were dominated by Dark-eyed Juncos - probably hundreds of them. After checking through the sparrows for a while I headed up the Clove to the ridge. I was hoping for a hawk flight and the meadow overlook of the Hudson River is often a good spot to catch birds following the river south. However, I think it was still too early in the day - no thermals yet for the hawks to ride. On the path north of the overlook I found that the Osage Orange tree had dropped most of its large, yellow/green, knobby, baseball-sized fruit. These are a not uncommon sight littering the ground in the fall.

Osage Orange fruit on ground.                                                                             © Joseph DiCostanzo

Close-up of Osage Orange fruit.                                                                                   © Joseph DiCostanzo

As I was walking south along the ridge to get to the valley path to go home, my cellphone range with a call from Nadir Sourigi. He had a Blue Grosbeak along the Greenway trail south of Tubby Hook at the west end of Dyckman Street. Since I still needed this species for my New York State 2014 year list I quickly headed south. Nadir said he would wait for me to arrive so I did not have to hunt for the bird. When I got there I found Nadir and James Knox still watching the bird which was feeding in the weeds on the west side of the trail with an Indigo Bunting.

Poor picture of the Blue Grosbeak.                                                                                © Joesph DiCostanzo

The grosbeak was number 294 for my year list. Only six to go to my goal of 300! As the three of us headed north back up the Greenway, the day's hawk flight was starting. Overhead we saw a immature Bald Eagle, a Red-shouldered Hawk and two Peregrine Falcons - the last perhaps local birds. My morning list follows.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven (2, see above)
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Palm Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow (1, fenced brushy area north side of soccer field)
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird (a group flying south over the Greenway)
Common Grackle
Purple Finch (6, seen flying south at the Overlook)
House Sparrow

October 25/26 - Inwood Hill Park - sparrows and eagles

It was a lovely weekend with some nice birding in Inwood Hill Park. Reports on the Internet indicated a massive fallout of birds at coastal sites on Saturday, mainly sparrows. Inwood also saw  a good influx of sparrows. Saturday morning the fenced in shrubbery area at the north end of the soccer fields and the adjacent grass held a wonderful variety of sparrows. I encountered eight species here in about an hour of watching: Chipping, Field, Savannah, Song, Swamp, White-throated, White-crowned sparrows, and Dark-eyed Junco. There were probably 5 - 6 immature White-crowns. A Cooper's Hawk also put in a brief appearance overhead.

There were many fewer sparrows in the same area on Sunday morning, but on the southeastern corner of the soccer field (away from all the people) there were 50 - 60 Dark-eyed Juncos. Also on Sunday morning, Bald Eagles were migrating down the Hudson. I saw five individuals (four adults and one immature), most from the Meadow Overlook, but some from the soccer fields. Also seen from the overlook was a Common Raven going over. A Merlin and a Red-tailed Hawk (perhaps a local bird) also went by. In the woods there were lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers as well as a female Black-throated Blue Warbler, a Palm Warbler, and a Blue-headed Vireo.

Hybrid sparrow - more photos.

On my Friday October 10 Central park bird walk I spotted a White-throated Sparrow x Dark-eyed Junco hybrid. The other day I received an email from Laura Goggin with the news that she had seen what had to be the same individual in the same area of the park on October 14. She got some very nice photos of the bird which she has put on her Flickr stream: here, here, and here.

October 24 - Central Park - finally dry

After a two day northeaster, finally a dry morning in Central Park for the last Friday AMNH bird walk of the season. We were rewarded with the best list of the week, helped by the weather and a large group of participants as a number of people from my other walks came on Friday, avoiding the previous two days of rain. The highlight of the morning was White-crowned Sparrow with two immatures on the grass across from the southeast corner of Turtle Pond.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

October 23 - Central Park - rain again

Another rainy morning for the last of the Fall season's Thursday morning AMNH Central Park bird walks. Five participants braved the elements for an hour and a half. We spent most of the time sheltering in the pavilions at Hernshead and the Belvedere. Unfortunately, it was not as birdy as yesterday's morning in the rain. The list follows.

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
House Sparrow

October 22 - Central Park - rain

A wet morning the fall season's last Wednesday morning AMNH Central Park bird walk. Two brave (foolhardy?) participants showed up for the rainy morning. We spent an hour and a half in the pavilion at Hernshead staying dry. Nevertheless, it was surprisingly birdy and we were rewarded with a total of 21 species! The list below.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
Palm Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
House Sparrow

October 21 - Inwood Hill Park - Sparrow Days

The fall Sparrow Days are here. Large numbers of sparrows are in and have been in for days now. The majority are White-throated Sparrows, but there is a good variety of others around also. On Sunday morning, October 19, I had eight species of sparrows just around the fenced weedy area on the north side of the soccer fields at the north end of the park: Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow; Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco. Nadir Sourigi had a ninth species there, a White-crowned Sparrow. Later in the day Ann and I were at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn and saw several White-crowns there, as well as a Vesper and a Clay-colored, bringing my sparrow species count for the day to eleven. This afternoon, watching the Muscota Marsh area from my apartment window I saw Field Sparrow (1); Savannah Sparrow (1), Song Sparrow (many), and Swamp Sparrow (at least 5, including an adult). The Field Sparrow was new to my apartment bird list and brings my total to 114 species.

October 21 - Central Park

The combination of sunrise well after 7 am and heavy clouds to the east made for a dim start to the Tuesday AMNH Central Park bird walk. Despite that we had a nice morning birding. As the sun got higher and the clouds cleared from the west (at least in the early morning) it turned into a lovely morning. The dominant bird was White-throated Sparrow with large numbers all through the Ramble.

Canada Goose
Wood Duck (3 males, Turtle Pond)
Gadwall (1, Turtle Pond)
Mallard
Great Blue Heron (1, flyover)
Red-tailed Hawk (1, perched in swampy pin oak area)
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren (3)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (scattered individuals)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Common Yellowthroat (1)
Palm Warbler (1)
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow (1, Maintenance Meadow)
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

October 18 - Van Cortlandt and Inwood Hill parks - 292 and 113

No, the numbers in the title of this post are not species totals for this morning. Last month my friend Sean Sime suggested that since I was having a good birding year, I really should try for 300 species in New York in 2014. I had not set out to do a big year this year, but since 300 is in sight, I thought I might as well make a little extra effort and try for it. Last week Nadir Sourigi told me he had had American Pipits on the parade grounds at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, about a mile north of Inwood, so I decided to try for that species this morning. I ended up sleeping a bit late (leading walks in Central Park four morning in a row can cause that), so I didn't get up to Van Cortlandt until a few minutes after 9 AM. The was already a fair number of people about so I thought I had missed my chance, but as I crossed the south end of the parade grounds an American Pipit flew over calling. I did not see it take off, so I don't know if it had been disturbed from the gound or was merely looking for a peaceful place to land. It continued off to the west. The pipit was 292 for the year, eight to go!

I didn't stay in Van Cortlandt long since I needed to get home to go to the farmer's market with Ann. Back in the apartment, I was sitting at the computer to enter the pipit in my year list when I heard a Common Raven calling outside the window. This is a species I have been seeing with increasing regularity in Inwood over the last year or so and one I have been expecting to add to my apartment list for some time. It is number 113 for my apartment bird list!

The forecast is for NW winds tonight. I am hoping for a flight and some additions to my lists tomorrow!

October 17 - Central Park - Orange-crowned Warbler

A lovely, crisp morning for the Friday morning AMNH Central Park bird walk group. There were not large numbers of birds around, but nevertheless we did well. Easily the star of the morning was an Orange-crowned Warbler seen well by everyone, first on the east side of the Evodia Field, north of the feeders and then working its way westward towards the source of the Gill above the Azalea Pond. It spent a fair amount of time evidently picking insects out of some curled dead leaves still clinging to some bushes. I alerted Junko Suzuki, who we ran into near the feeders and she quickly got the word out on the text alert system. The other good bird of the morning was Purple Finch with four seen in the tree over the steps by the Belvedere Castle. The complete list follows.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse (numbers in all this week)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (east of the Maintenance Building, near the east park drive; present all week)
Orange-crowned Warbler (1, Evodia Field and vicinity; see above)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Purple Finch (4, Belvedere)
House Finch
House Sparrow

October 16 - Central Park

A slightly damp morning for two brave AMNH bird walk participants in the Ramble in Central Park. For the most part, the rains held off with only a couple of periods of light rain. Luckily, the longest and heaviest spell came when we were by the Belvedere Castle so we had a place to stand out of the rain and still bird. Despite the weather we managed to find 30 species.

Canada Goose
Wood Duck (4, Upper Lobe, 1 adult male)
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2)
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse (feeders; fewer around than yesterday)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (1)
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher (2, swampy pin oak area)
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (20+, by park drive east of Maintenance Building)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (2, male and female)
Eastern Towhee (calling and seen all through the Ramble)
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (1, Maintenance Meadow)
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
House Finch (feeders)
House Sparrow

October 15 - Central Park

Partly cloudy and relatively mild for my Wednesday AMNH bird walk group in Central Park. We are now well past the peak of fall migration, but it was relatively quiet even for this time in migration. We found only two warblers, one individual each of two species.

Canada Goose
Gadwall (3, Turtle Pond)
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (including one adult male)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse (individuals seemed to be quite common)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (2)
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat (1)
Magnolia Warbler (1)
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
House Finch
House Sparrow

October 14 - Central Park

It was overcast and dim when I started out with the Tuesday AMNH Central Park bird walk group at 7 am. The ground was wet from overnight rain. The clouds overhead were starting to break up, so I thought we had probably seen the last of the rain for the day and by the time the walk ended at 9 am it was a lovely day, with a mostly blur sky. It was a relatively quiet morning, with a few highlights: Wood Ducks, a couple of Brown Creepers and a Purple Finch. Unfortunately, what would have been the best bird of the day eluded us. After we had passed Willow Rock by the Point, we heard about a Yellow-breasted Chat at Strawberry Fields. We hurried over, but the bird had disappeared by then and though some of us stayed until about 9:30, it did not show itself again. The full list follows.

Canada Goose
Wood Duck (2 on te Upper Lobe; 4 flying over Turtle Pond)
Gadwall (3, Turtle Pond)
Red-tailed Hawk (1, Maintenance Meadow)
Merlin (1, seen from the Belvedere)
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (near the feeders)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (2, in the same tree north of Willow Rock)
Carolina Wren
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (about a dozen near the park drive northeast of the Maintenance Meadow)
Black-throated Green Warbler (1, Strawberry Fields)
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Purple Finch (1, female, feeders)
House Finch (2, feeders, male and female)
House Sparrow

October 12 - Inwood Hill Park and after noon on the coast

It was a sunny, crisp morning and the radar indicated a flight so I went into Inwood Hill Park around sun-up. There were not as many birds as I expected, but it was a pleasant couple of hours nevertheless. The highlight was two Bald Eagles, an adult and an immature, going back and forth over the Hudson as seen from the meadow overlook.

Bald Eagle over the Hudson                                                                    © Joseph DiCostanzo

Bald Eagle over the Hudson                                                                            © Joseph DiCostanzo

There were also flocks of Blue Jays moving south over the Hudson and a few Ospreys. Yellow-rumped Warblers are now appearing in numbers in the park. The full list from about two hours in the park follows.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Osprey (3)
Bald Eagle (2)
Peregrine Falcon (1, seen from overlook)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Northern Parula (2, west side of soccer fields)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (Muscota Marsh)
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
House Finch
House Sparrow

Around mid-day Ann and I headed out to Jones Beach. It was around high tide when we got to the Coast Guard station at the West End. We were rewarded with a couple of hundred American Oystercatchers on the island and best of all a single Marbled Godwit sleeping on the island in the oystercatcher flock. The only other shorebirds were a few Dunlins and a lone Ruddy Turnstone - the turnstone on the bulkhead by the Coast Guard station. The morning flight we had heard about was pretty much over, but there were still numbers of Tree Swallows going by. Among the passerines seen were two Pine Warblers and a male Black-throated Warbler. The normal October sparrow movement produced Eastern Towhee, Chipping , Savannah, Song, Swamp and White-throated sparrows and Dark-eyed Junco.

October 10 - Central Park - Junco x White-throated Sparrow hybrid

Another good morning birding in Central Park, this time with the Friday AMNH bird walk group. The most unusual bird we found was a hybrid - an apparent cross between a junco and a White-throated Sparrow on the path by the northeast corner of the "Swampy Pin Oak" area, east of the Rustic Shelter. My own camera was put away in my backpack and I could not get it out quick enough to get a picture but two of the walk participants, Helaine Eisenberg, and Barry Pinchefsky were able to get some pictures of the bird and very kindly sent me copies and permission to post them here.

Junco x White-throated Sparrow hybrid                                                                         © Helaine Eisenberg

Junco x White-throated Sparrow hybrid                                                                      © Barry Pinchefsky 

I have never seen this form before, but it has been reported in the past. I found a picture of one found in North Carolina in 2011 on the Internet at Junco x White-throated Sparrow.

The full list for the walk is below. Not included in the following list are two species Lincoln's Sparrow and Pine Siskin that I saw as I came through Strawberry Fields before I met the AMNH group.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Northern Shoveler (4, the Lake)
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
Purple Finch
House Sparrow  

October 9 - Central Park - nice morning with birds!

A crisp, lovely morning in Central Park for my Thursday AMNH bird walk group. Best of all, the previous night's westerly winds actually produced a good number of migrants. The Maintenance Meadow, with its east facing orientation getting the early sun produced a nice variety of birds. Often we didn't know where to look next. Moving on to the Tupelo Meadow we continued to have good luck. I stayed in for a little extra time after the official end of the walk at 9 am and went to Strawberry Fields with some of the group where we added a few extra species. All told we had 47 species, including a dozen warblers - not matter for nearly the middle of October. The full list follows.

Canada Goose
Gadwall (1, Turtle Pond)
Mallard
Northern Shoveler (12 on the Lake; 5 on Turtle Pond - these were not around yesterday)
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift (still a few around overhead)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe (scattered individuals)
Blue-headed Vireo (1, Strawberry Fields)
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Ovenbird (1)
Black-and-white Warbler (2)
Tennessee Warbler (1, Maintenance Meadow)
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula (2-3, Maintenance and Tupelo meadows)
Magnolia Warbler (Maintenance Meadow and Strawberry Fields)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1, Maintenance Meadow)
Blackpoll Warbler (2, Maintenance Meadow)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (2, Maintenance Meadow)
Palm Warbler (scattered individuals)
Pine Warbler (2, Strawberry Fields)
Black-throated Green Warbler (2, Maintenance Meadow and Strawberry Fields)
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (2, Maintenance Meadow)
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch (2, Maintenance Meadow)
House Sparrow

October 8 - Lunar eclipse, then quiet Central Park

I got up sometime after 5 am and checked the view from the living room window in my apartment to see if the storms during the night had passed. It had stopped raining and there were broken clouds. Through the moving clouds I could see the partially eclipsed moon. As I got ready to go down to Central Park for my Wednesday morning AMNH bird walk I periodically checked the progress of the eclipse - also waking Ann for a view. By the time of my last view the moon was nearly fully in earth's shadow, and it was sinking behind the ridge in Inwood Hill Park.

A little before 7 am I met my walk group at Central Park. The birding was very, very slow! Perhaps the birds had all stayed up to watch the eclipse and were now napping to catch up on their sleep. We did see a number of raccoons - one by the Oak Bridge at the Upper Lobe, three north of the Bow Bridge and one elsewhere in the Ramble. The most interesting sighting was a young Red-tailed Hawk at the Azalea Pond which at one point was wading around in the shallows. We worked very hard to break 30 species. The full list follows.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk (3, two over Maintenance Meadow and one at Azalea Pond)
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift (a few high over the Lake)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee (1, Oak Bridge)
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Ovenbird (2 - 3)
Common Yellowthroat (Oak Bridge)
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager (1, Maintenance Meadow)
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
House Sparrow

October 7 - Central Park

A beautiful morning for the Tuesday 7 am AMNH bird walk in Central Park. However, there were not a lot of birds around. The list follows.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1, by Willow Rock)
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole (1, Belvedere)
House Sparrow

October 5 - Inwood Hill Park - Great morning; followed by disappointment in Brooklyn

Birded Inwood Hill Park on this cool, crisp, fall morning. I went out to Muscota Marsh around 7:20 am to see if yesterday's White-rumped Sandpiper was still around. There was no sign of it - couldn't even find any of the Semipalmated Sandpipers that have been present for weeks. Around 7:40 Nadir Souirgi arrived, followed by Ed Eden's scheduled arrival at 7:45. We fairly quickly headed into the park. We wanted to get away from the entrance before masses of bicyclists started arriving on a charity bike run. Things were quiet crossing the soccer fields until we arrived at the west side of it where we found one tree that we dubbed the "magic tree". There were numbers of migrants, particularly warblers, feeding in the tree and its immediate vicinity. We spent probably the next hour standing on the soccer field birding this tree and its environs. We were joined by James Knox and Ann Shaw, though Nadir had to leave after 9:00 for other commitments. We found eleven warblers in the park this morning and ten of them were in this spot. Among the other species here were Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed Vireo, both kinglets, Chipping Sparrows, and Indigo Buntings. At one point we heard the call of a Common Raven behind us and turned around to see one flying over Indian Road; when James joined us a few minutes later he said he had seen the bird over Isham Street. Later in the morning we had a raven go over us when we were at the meadow overlook on the ridge and shortly after three more ravens together soaring overhead. This is the most ravens I have yet seen in the park. The ridge was not as busy as we hoped it might be given this beginning, but we continued to pick up species. The overlook was good for hawks. Danny Karlson joined us while we were at the overlook. While we were on the ridge, my friend Sean Sime called to let me know the Northern Wheatear that had been presnet at Plumb Beach in Brooklyn had been seen there again. Ed, Danny and I left the park around noon to make the run to Brooklyn for the wheatear. (James and Ann had left us earlier. Danny met a friend and went to Brooklyn by public transportation while Ed and I drove out.) Unfortunately, we had no luck with the wheatear, though it was a lovely afternoon at Plumb Beach. Our morning list in Inwood totaled 58 species - a very respectable total for an October day in the park. Ann and I added one species, Semipalmated Sandpiper, at the end of the day. The complete list follows.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant (2)
Great Blue Heron (1, immature flying east along canal in morning)
Great Egret (1, usual bird around the lagoon by the soccer field)
Osprey (at least 12, mostly seen flying south along the Hudson from the overlook)
Red-tailed Hawk (2)
American Kestrel (1, overlook)
Merlin (4, overlook)
Peregrine Falcon (1, overlook, and 1 seen by Ann and me at Muscota in the evening)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (2, seen at Muscota in the late afternoon on my return from Brooklyn)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift (the others saw them over the ridge in the morning and Ann and I saw numbers                      gathering over the soccer fields around sunset)
Belted Kingfisher (1)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2, on the ridge)
Downy Woodpecker (2)
Hairy Woodpecker (1)
Northern Flicker (small numbers. Surprisingly, we did not encounter any Red-bellied Woodpeckers -                    just random chance since this last species is a common resident in the park.)
Eastern Phoebe (5)
Blue-headed Vireo (1)
Red-eyed Vireo (2, on the ridge)
Blue Jay
Common Raven (5, see account above)
Black-capped Chickadee (1)
Tufted Titmouse (1)
White-breasted Nuthatch (2, heard and seen by the edge of the soccer field)
Carolina Wren (2, heard)
House Wren (1, I saw one on the edge of the fenced area on the north side of the soccer field)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush (2)
American Robin
Gray Catbird (5, numbers were way down from recent days)
Northern Mockingbird (1, the usual bird by Muscota Marsh)
European Starling
Black-and-white Warbler (1)
Nashville Warbler (2)
Common Yellowthroat (3)
American Redstart (1)
Northern Parula (3)
Magnolia Warbler (2)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1, on the ridge - the only one of the warblers seen that was not on the edge of                    the soccer field in the morning)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (2)
Palm Warbler (4, mostly "Yellow Palm Warblers", but at least one "Western Palm Warbler")
Yellow-rumped Warbler (10)
Black-throated Green Warbler (1)
Eastern Towhee (1, heard on the ridge)
Chipping Sparrow (5)
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (4, Muscota)
White-throated Sparrow (2)
Scarlet Tanager (1, on the ridge by the Indian Cave overlook)
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting (3, two at the "Magic Tree" (see account above) and one at the meadow overlook)
House Sparrow

October 4 - Inwood Hill Park - White-rumped Sandpiper

Ann and I decided to take an afternoon walk around the park after the rains stopped and the sun finally came out. We didn't go up on to the ridge and didn't do any serious birding. We did see an Eastern Phoebe around the soccer fields and a couple of Swamp Sparrows. On the way back to the exit at 218th St. and Indian Road I spotted a small group of shorebirds on the rocks west of the Columbia Boathouse. I figured they were the Semipalmated Sandpipers that have been here regularly for the last month or so, but from a long distance i could see one looked a bit larger. I thought it was probably the Pectoral Sandpiper of the last two weeks, but since I hadn't seen that bird in a few days I decided to get a closer look to confirm. Ann and I went down into the new Muscota Marsh area and from the upper end of the boat launch i got see that the larger bird on the end was a Semipalmated Plover. Then I noticed something odd. The sleeping bird next to the plover was about the same size and clearly larger than all the others. The bird was asleep, facing away and somewhat obscured by the Semiplamated Sandpipers in front of it, so I started moving around to get a different angle on it. While I did, it woke up and showed its much longer bill. As I got a better look at it I realized it was a White-rumped Sandpiper! I had been considering this species as a possibility this fall when there were good numbers of Semi. Sands. at Muscota, but with the numbers declining sharply I no longer seriously considered it a possibility. Some pictures below.

Semipalmated Plover (back middle), White-rumped Sandpiper (middle) and Semi. Sands. © Joseph DiCostanzo

White-rumped (center) - note darker breast - and Semi. Sandpipers .                         © Joseph DiCostanzo

White-rumped (right) - note longer bill - and Semi. Sandpipers .                                    © Joseph DiCostanzo

White-rumped (in back) - note long wings projecting beyond tail - and Semi. Sandpipers .   © Joseph DiCostanzo

After getting pictures of the bird I headed up to my apartment to post the sighting on-line (5:01 pm). I also made some phone calls and sent some text messages to alert others. I also wanted to see the bird from my apartment window to add it to my personal apartment list. It became species 112 for my apartment list! It may also be a first record for New York County. Certainly, Cornell's eBirds site does not yet list the species for the county.

Within 15 minutes of my putting the post out on ebirdsnyc, Nate O'Reilly was on scene looking at the birds. A few minutes after I got back down to the shore from by apartment Nadir Souirgi arrived by bike to see the bird. For a while after that we explained what we were looking at to various passers-by and gave people looks at the birds through our binoculars and Nadir's scope. A few more local birders who had seen my post also arrived to see the bird. I went back to my apartment a few minutes after six and posted the sighting again, this time to the inwoodbirders list. Ann and I went back out again after 6:15, but at that point we only found six remaining Semi. Sands. and no sign of the Semi. Plover or the White-rump. I hope the birds are back in the morning for anyone else who may try for them. I will be out again Sunday morning.

October 3 - Central Park

Beautiful morning for the Friday AMNH Central Park bird walk in the Ramble. - very different from the last couple of mornings of gray, dismal skies. Most activity was north of the "Humming Tombstone" and the Maintenance Meadow. The list follows.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (several in various locations)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe (2)
Blue-headed Vireo (1)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren (1, north side of Swampy Pin Oak area)
Winter Wren (1, south of Loupot Bridge)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (1, immature, Upper Lobe)
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow (1, immature, southeast of Humming Tombstone)
Scarlet Tanager (3-4, Humming Tombstone, Maintenance Meadow)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Common Grackle
House Sparrow

October 2 - Central Park

Another gray, dim morning for my Thursday AMNH Central Park Ramble bird walk. At least it wasn't raining.. There were a few birds around, but no big numbers.

Canada Goose
Wood Duck (3 males on the Lake near the Oak Bridge at the Upper Lobe)
Gadwall (2, Turtle Pond)
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk (1, soaring north of the Belvedere)
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (1, near Loupot Bridge)
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush (south of Belvedere)
Wood Thrush (sw of Azalea Pond)
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Parula (1, south side Turtle Pond)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (1, south side Turtle Pond)
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1, heard by Willow Rock)
Common Grackle
House Sparrow

October 1 - Central Park

A very gray morning in the Ramble for my Central Park AMNH birdwalk group. The good thing was that the weather never got worse then a light mist; the bad was that there weren't many birds around. There was no really active area for birds, though the area around Willow Rock (south of Jean's Drain - named today for a walk participant) was the most active spot. The list follows.

Canada Goose
Gadwall (2, Turtle Pond)
Mallard
Black-crowned Night-Heron (1, seen by one person flying past the Point)
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1, Willow Rock)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1, immature by Willow Rock)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee (2, Maintenance Meadow)
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush (1, south of the Belvedere - the first I have seen this fall)
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher (2, the Gill)
European Starling
Ovenbird (3)
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Palm Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (2, Belvedere and Willow Rock)
Common Grackle
House Sparrow

September 30 - Madison Square Park - Connecticut Warbler

In the afternoon an email from eBirdsNYC came through about a Connecticut Warbler being seen at Madison Square Park at 23rd Street. A few minutes before 5:00 PM, I left the Museum and took the subway down to 23rd Street and Sixth Ave and walked over to the park. I quickly spotted the three large abstract sculptures the bird was reported to be near, and more importantly, a small group of birders watching the grassy area by the sculptures. Joining them, I was informed the Connecticut had been feeding on the grass there for the better part of an hour, but ten minutes earlier had flown up into a Gingko and disappeared. I settled in to watch and wait. A feeding Common Yellowthroat and a Palm Warbler each gave brief moments of hope when spotted working their way through the grass. A Black-and-white Warbler worked the trunk of a near-by tree and a Gray Squirrel that was obviously used to being fed by people was an annoyance while waiting for the Connecticut to reappear. I finally decided to scout around the area in case the bird had moved away from the sculpture area. After having no luck anywhere else I rejoined the others where I had started. After a minute or so I spotted the head of a warbler feeding in the grass near one of the sculptures. The grass was about as tall as the bird so it was not possible to be sure which warbler was in view. Finally, the bird came into a more open patch and revealed itself as the Connecticut Warbler! We all watched it for several minutes before it disappeared behind the sculpture. Dale Dancis and some other birders arrived a few minutes later. Despite another hour or so of intense watching the warbler never reappeared. In another scout around the park I found an Ovenbird and ten White-throated Sparrows feeding in the grass and heard a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Not bad for this little bit of green in lower Manhattan.