May 19 - Alder Flycatcher - new species for my apartment list

A gray, rainy, foggy, misty day, but it produced the first new bird for my apartment bird list in 3.5 years - an Alder Flycatcher. The bird was down in the low vegetation in Muscota Marsh and I first saw and heard it from the deck overlooking the marsh. Since it was actively flying around the marsh I quickly went up to the apartment to see if I could get it from the apartment window. I did not hear it calling from upstairs, but Ann and I watched it flying around the low vegetation. It is species number 115 from the apartment.

May 18 - Inwood Hill Park

What a difference in a few days. This was my quietest morning in Inwood of all my trips over the last week and a half or so. Only 38 species with eight warblers. There really weren't any highlights among the birds so I will just give the list.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

May 17 - Central Park

Three intrepid participants were not deterred by the rainy forecast and joined me for my Thursday AMNH bird walk in Central Park. I wish I could say that the weather forecast proved to be totally wrong and that we enjoyed a lovely spring morning in the park. Though the weather did not turn out to be as bad as the forecast, we did start out in light rain, but it soon let off and most of the walk was done in overcast, threatening skies with occasional spitting rain. We found 37 species, including ten warblers. However, the highlight of the morning was the continuing presence of yesterday's Bicknell's Thrush, once again seen and heard in the vicinity of the feeders in the Ramble. The full list is below.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
Veery (2)
Gray-cheeked Thrush (1)
Bicknell's Thrush (1)
Swainson's Thrush (2)
Wood Thrush (1)
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Ovenbird (4)
Northern Waterthrush (2)
Black-and-white Warbler (2)
Common Yellowthroat (5)
American Redstart (2)
Northern Parula (3)
Magnolia Warbler (4)
Yellow Warbler (4)
Blackpoll Warbler (1)
Wilson's Warbler (2, a relatively cooperative male was on the Point)
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow (2, lingerers)
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow

At lunchtime I went back into the park at West 93rd Street and headed over to the Reservoir to look for a Cliff Swallow that was being reported there. Not only did I find the Cliff Swallow (new for my New York County list), but I also spotted a lone Bank Swallow (also new for my county list) with the group of swallows over the north end of the Reservoir. The bridle path south was alive with warblers and other birds. Indeed, on this lunchtime walk I found 47 species including fourteen warblers. Of the 47 species, 21 were species i had not found on my morning walk. They are listed here: Turkey Vulture (1, flyover), Red-tailed Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper (1, edge of the reservoir), Ring-billed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Chimney Swift, Eastern Wood-Pewee (1), Least Flycatcher (1), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (1), Tree Swallow (6), Bank Swallow (1), Barn Swallow (8), Cliff Swallow (1), Cedar Waxwing (5), Tennessee Warbler (1), Bay-breasted Warbler (9), Blackburnian Warbler (1), Chestnut-sided Warbler (1), Black-throated Blue Warbler (3), Yellow-rumped Warbler (2), and Brown-headed Cowbird.

May 15 - Inwood Hill Park

Yes, the Tuesday, May 15 date is correct for this post, even though I am not posting it until Saturday, May 19. I haven't had a chance before this so I am doing some catching up. It was a birdy morning in Inwood. In a few hours I recorded 52 species with eighteen warblers. The north end of the path overlooking the Hudson north from the overlook meadow (which isn't much of a meadow anymore), was the best spot. Amazingly, the commonest warbler seemed to be Bay-breasted Warbler - there were at least eight and probably more. A couple of lovely Blackburnian Warblers added to the show. The full list of 52 species is below.

Canada Goose
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher (1, calling)
Great Crested Flycatcher (at least 3 heard calling)

Great Crested Flycatcher - 05/15/2018 - Inwood Hill Park

Eastern Kingbird (3)
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (1, over the bay north of the soccer fields)
Barn Swallow (1, over the bay north of the soccer fields)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren (2, probably a pair)
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Ovenbird (1, singing)
Worm-eating Warbler (1, singing)
Black-and-white Warbler (5)
Tennessee Warbler (2, singing)
Nashville Warbler (1)
Common Yellowthroat (1)
American Redstart (1)
Cape May Warbler (1, female)
Northern Parula (2)
Magnolia Warbler (2)
Bay-breasted Warbler (8, males and females)

Bay-breasted Warbler (male) - 05/15/2018 - Inwood Hill Park

Blackburnian Warbler (2)

Blackburnian Warbler - 05/15/2018 - Inwood Hill Park

Yellow Warbler (1)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1)
Blackpoll Warbler (8)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (2)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (5)
Black-throated Green Warbler (1)
Song Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager (1)
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Baltimore Oriole (5)
House Sparrow

May 16 - Central Park

A gray, overcast morning with occasional raindrops, turning into a regular light rain toward the end of my 9:00 to 11:00 AMNH bird walk in Central Park. Despite the weather we found forty species with a dozen warblers. The highlight of the morning, however, was not a warbler, but a Bicknell's Thrush. The bird was in the Evodia Field near the bird feeders. We had seen the bird on the ground and I had identified it as a Gray-cheeked type; though we did note the bird displayed warmer tonesd on the back and especially the tail. Dave Barrett then appeared and told us they had had both Gray-cheeked and Bicknell's thrushes there and that the Bicknell's had responded to playback. He played a Bicknell's recording and the bird responded with a Bicknell's song. We watched it feeding on the ground and moving back and forth across the east path of the Evodia Field. At one point we spotted a second thrush which was a clear Gray-cheeked Thrush. It was noticeably grayer than the Bicknell's, especially around the face and lacked the warm tones of the Bicknell's. The Bicknell's Thrush was a life bird for many in the group. In total we noted forty species on the walk (list below). Many in the group joined me for an earlier scouting trip through the Ramble at 7:00 am. That walk also tallied forty species, though the list was not identical. The earlier list included ten species not seen on the regular walk. Those ten species are listed separately below the main list.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Bicknell's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow

[From the earlier walk: Double-crested Cormorant, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Least Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Cape May Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Canada Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow.]

May 13 -Inwood Hill Park

Just a short post since I am several days behind. I went into Inwood in the morning before the afternoon rains. Found 51 species including eleven warblers. The one unusual bird was the continuing Red-throated Loon (winter plumage) in the bay north of the soccer fields. I may add to this post later when I have time. In the afternoon Ann and I headed up to Wurtsboro for the first day of the annual Great Gull Island Birdathon tomorrow.

May 11 - Inwood Hill Park

I started what turned out to be Kirtland's Warbler Friday birding in Inwood Hill Park. Having just done a long post on that exciting bird, I am just going to be very brief about the morning in the park. I ran into Diane Schenker as I headed into the park in the morning. Later we encountered Danny Karlson and the three of us birded together for a while, briefly joined by another birder, Ben,  whose full name I don't know. I found 51 species in the park, the best being a Yellow-billed Cuckoo that Diane and I heard as we headed back down the Clove Road. The full list is below.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Great Egret
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

May 11 - WOW! Kirtland's Warbler!!!!

Quite a day! I certainly would never have predicted the day's ending in the morning. I birded Inwood Hill Park for a few hours in the morning, but I will return to that later. First I am going to skip ahead to the incredible end of the day. After birding Inwood I went down to the office. I heard reports from Central Park that there were lots of warblers being seen, but did not get a chance to go into the park at lunchtime. At the end of the day I took the subway home. I happened to look out my apartment window and spotted the winter plumaged Red-throated Loon in the small bay off Muscota Marsh. This bird has been present for over a month now, though I don't see it every day. A few minutes after 6:00 pm while I started my dinner my cell phone rang and the caller ID said it was Dale Dancis. I thought she was calling about an unusual plumaged House Finch she had encountered in Central Park earlier in the day that we had spoken about earlier. Instead, I was stunned when she said that a Kirtland's Warbler had been found in Central Park and was still being seen! The bird was on the park drive between West 90th and 91st Streets. If I got there as quick as I could, I should still be able to see the bird before it got dark. Finding it would be no problem. All I had to do was look for the mob of birders and photographers already there. I called a car service and asked Ann to tell them where I wanted to go while I threw my binoculars in my backpack - I didn't even take my camera. Ann later told me I also just left my food on its plate and she cleaned up. Ann had been fighting a migraine all day and did not feel up to the chase. While on the Henry Hudson southbound I got another message from Dale asking where was I? After getting off the highway, I called Dale from the taxi and told her I was only blocks away. The driver was surprised that I wanted to be left off on the park side of the street. I hurried into the park at the West 90th Street entrance and immediately saw the mob of birders, photographers, and curious members of the public wondering what all the excitement was about. Getting up to the crowd people pointed to where the bird had been last seen. Suddenly there was a surge of people towards the reservoir as the bird moved lightly east and downhill. I joined the move and quickly caught sight of the bird. The only reason it wasn't a life bird was that last August, when Ann and her friend Georgia and I went west to see the total solar eclipse we had gone via Michigan just so I could try to see Kirtland's Warbler in the only known nesting range for the endangered species. After two days of looking I had gotten a quick look at a juvenile. (Ann and Georgia had made the trip two years earlier at a more appropriate time in June.) Now I had nice long looks at this individual. I stayed until it got too dark to see the bird. Enjoying the bird and chatting with the many birding friends and acquaintances who kept arriving in search of this spectacular visitor. The birders were also kept busy explaining to mystified members of the public what was going on with this mob of people staring up into a tree with binoculars and cameras. One of the birders I encountered at the bird was Diane Schenker, who I had birded Inwood Hill Park with in the morning. Since we lived only a few blocks from each other in Inwood, we split a taxi home to Inwood. Below are some poor pictures I got of the bird the next day when I went back down to the park on a wet Saturday with Ann who had recovered from her migraine.

Finally, here is a shot of some of the Kirtland's watchers on Friday evening taken with my cell phone.

It was due to what had seemed bad luck that Ann and I were in town to see the Kirtland's Warbler. This weekend is the scheduled date for my annual Great Gull Island Birdathon. For about twenty years now we have done the Birdathon each May with our photographer friend Sean Sime. Normally, we go up to Wurtsboro in Sullivan County on Friday afternoon and spend the night there before Sean and I go out for owls and other nightbirds. This year, however, Sean had a photo shoot Friday evening si he could not do the Birdathon with us. Since Ann and I were going to be doing the Birdathon alone, we had a little more flexibility in our schedule and give a rainy forecast for the weekend we decided not to go up to Wurtsboro until Sunday. So, without the bad luck of Sean not being able to do the Birdathon with us, we would have been out of town and been unable to see the Kirtland's. I spoke to Sean on Friday evening after his shoot while he was driving home. On Saturday morning he was able to drive in from Brooklyn with his daughter and they got to see the Kirtland's. So what first seemed like bad luck turned out to be great for all of us!

May 10 - Central Park

A mostly beautiful morning (clouds kept moving in and out) with a good variety of birds.My Thursday AMNH bird walk group certainly had better luck than my Wednesday group did yesterday. Between 7:00 and 9:00 am we found 45 species, including a dozen warblers. A few people stayed in with me for about another half hour for a trip up to Summit Rock. We picked up another five species, including two more warblers. The best spot we found was by the "Polish" statue east of Turtle Pond. There we had a very cooperative Bay-breasted Warbler and a male Blackburnian Warbler. On the way west at the end of the walk we found a calling Eastern Wood-Pewee and then a Olive-sided Flycatcher north of the "Humming Tombstone". The list of 45 species is below with the additional five species below that.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Herring Gull (flyover)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift (several overhead)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher (1)

Olive-sided Flycatcher - 05/10/2018 - Central Park

Eastern Wood-Pewee (1)
Great Crested Flycatcher (2)
Blue-headed Vireo (1)
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo (1)
Blue Jay
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (4, the Lake)
Barn Swallow (1, the Lake)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1, Polish Statue)
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (3)
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush (1, west edge of the Lake
Black-and-white Warbler (5)
Common Yellowthroat (2)
Northern Parula (4)
Bay-breasted Warbler (1, Polish Statue)
Blackburnian Warbler (2, Polish Statue)
Yellow Warbler (1)
Blackpoll Warbler (1, heard Maintenance Meadow)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (2)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler (1, Polish Statue)
White-throated Sparrow (1)
Scarlet Tanager (2, males, Maintenance Meadow)
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (2; one male; one female)
Indigo Bunting (1, Polish Statue)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow

Additional species found after the regular walk (all at or on the way up to Summit Rock):  Veery, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, American Redstart, Cape May Warbler.

Cape May Warbler - 05/10/2018 - Central Park

May 9 - Central Park

A beautiful, blue sky morning for my Wednesday AMNH bird walk group. Unfortunately, many of the birds reported in the park over the last few days (while I was upstate) seemed to have departed on their northbound migrations. We did find a total of 33 species on the 9:00 - 11:00 am walk. One of the highlights was a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (very unusual in Central Park) that seemed to be enjoying the morning sun in the willow at the base of the Point.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 05/09/2018 - Central Park

The full list of species is below. A list of an additional eight species seen from 7:00 - 9:00 while scouting is at the bottom.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (see above)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift (overhead)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (male, Azalea Pond)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Kingbird (1, the Point)
Warbling Vireo (a couple heard sining)
Blue Jay
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler (all over)
Common Yellowthroat
Magnolia Warbler (1)
Yellow Warbler (heard on the Point)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting (3, feeding high in the trees by Azalea Pond; another singing near the feeders)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
House Sparrow

Additional species found before the walk: Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Ring-billed Gull, Blue-headed Vireo, House Wren, Northern Waterthrush, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue Warbler.

May 6/7/8 - Montezuma NWR

On Sunday May 6 Ann and I headed up to Montezuma NWR near Seneca Falls, NY to look for a Western Meadowlark that has been near the refuge for the last three weeks. This would be a New York State bird for me and nowadays adding a new species to my state list is increasingly difficult. I generally figure I am doing well if I can get one new one a year. This one turned out to be one of the easiest (except for the 4.5 hour drive) I have picked up in recent years. As we pulled up to one of the regularly reported locations for the bird on Armitage Road, north of the refuge, I told Ann to pull over so I could look at a bird perched up on a telephone wire. One look and I said to Ann, "I think that is it." The bird promptly sang, clinching the identification! I wasn't able to get a picture before the bird dropped down into the grass. The next day I did get the poor picture below.

Western Meadowlark - 05/07/2018 - Montezuma

I had one interesting observation while watching the bird on May 7. When the bird flew down from the wire into the grass, it landed a few feet from another meadowlark. After less than a minute it took off and flew up the slope to land again in the grass. The second meadowlark flew after it and landed near it. There did not seem to be any antagonistic behavior between the two. And when the second bird flew after the Western Meadowlark, it seemed to have the same, small amount of white in the tail as the Western. I did not see the second bird well enough to identify it as another Western or as an Eastern Meadowlark. The Western has been singing and displaying in this vicinity for about three weeks now. It seems unlikely it could have found another Western as a mate. The two species rarely hybridize, but both those rare occurrences have happened in New York in the past, so who knows?

Ann and I spent Monday, May 7 birding around the Montezuma refuge and vicinity. One of the highlights was a Prothonotary Warbler seen singing and carrying nesting material into a nest box.

Prothonotary Warbler - 05/08/2018 - Montezuma NWR

Prothonotary Warbler exiting nest box - 05/07/2018

We also did a quick run up to the Lake Ontario shore at Sodus Point to look around. On the breakwater we counted 57 Caspian Terns. There were also a number of Long-tailed Ducks out on the lake, many in breeding plumage.

On May 8 we did one last quick drive of the wildlife drive at Montezuma before heading back to NYC. One of the highlights was a Ross's Goose (missed the day before) and ten Redheads, also not seen the day before. A breeding plumaged male Ruff seen by other birders on May 6 was not found. Other birds seen over the three days included Trumpeter Swan, Snow Geese,, and other waterfowl, Sandhill Crane, Common Gallinules and Bald Eagles, and a few species of shorebirds. It was a successful and fun few days.

Common Gallinule - 05/08/2018 - Montezuma NWR

pair of Redhead - 05/08/2018 - Montezuma NWR

May 5 - Inwood Hill Park evening (Marsh Wren)

After watching the Kentucky Derby this evening, Ann and I decided to take a quick walk into the park. I pointed out to her the spot along the edge of the bay, north of the soccer fields, where the Marsh Wren had been this morning. We were astonished when a couple of minutes later we heard the bird singing! We were able to get a quick look at it before it disappeared into dense fallen marsh grass. While we looked around for it, a Swamp Sparrow popped out and an adult male Orchard Oriole flew into the low bushes. Over the bay a bat, probably an Eastern Red Bat, flew by. This was between 7:30 and 8:00 pm.

May 5 - Inwood Hill Park

Another birdy morning in Inwood. I headed into the park around 7:45. On the deck overlooking Muscota Marsh I encountered Hilary Russ and we went into the park together. Hilary said she was supposed to meet Danny Karlson but was running late, so we would probably run into Danny somewhere in the park. We eventually met up with him up on the ridge. As yesterday there were Wood Thrushes and Ovenbirds scattered through the Clove as we climbed the trail. From the Clove path Hilary heard Northern Parulas up on the ridge, but I couldn't pick them out. As we got to the top of the path I could hear them - time to get the wax cleared out of my ears! At the top of the trail we spotted a male Indigo Bunting, some Scarlet Tanagers and a male Orchard Oriole. A few minutes later we saw another adult male Orchard and a first year male Orchard. Also at the top of the trail was a lone Least Flycatcher, not far from where I heard one calling yesterday. There were lots of Black-and-white Warblers around and I finally caught up with my first Yellow Warbler of the year. We continued birding the ridge after meeting Danny. At the old eagle hacking spot overlooking the valley, Hilary spotted a lovely male Blackburnian Warbler and there was a male Chestnut-sided. Later coming back down the Clove road there was a Worm-eating Warbler feeding in the leaf litter. Along the flat section of the Clove we watched a serious fight between several Wood Thrushes, either over a territorial boundary or a possible mate. As we came out onto the soccer fields Hilary heard a Prairie Warbler sing. While trying to spot the bird we saw a Nashville Warbler and then the Prairie. Along the north side of the soccer fields, at the edge of the bay we encountered our best bird of the morning, a singing Marsh Wren. My full list of 56 species is below. Hilary added one more with a Chimney Swift she had seen in the morning before we met.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture (2, over the Palisades)
Red-tailed Hawk (3)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher (1)
Blue-headed Vireo (1)
Warbling Vireo (2, singing)
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow (1)
Tufted Titmouse (1)
Carolina Wren (3, heard singing)
House Wren (2)
Marsh Wren (1, along shore edge north of soccer fields)

a bad, but recognizable picture of the singing Marsh Wren

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
Veery (6)
Swainson's Thrush (1)
Wood Thrush (5)
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Ovenbird (8)
Worm-eating Warbler (1)
Black-and-white Warbler (10)
Nashville Warbler (1)
Common Yellowthroat (2)
Northern Parula (8)
Magnolia Warbler (1)
Blackburnian Warbler (1)
Yellow Warbler (2)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (3)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (6)
Prairie Warbler (1)
Eastern Towhee (4)
Savannah Sparrow (1)
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager (6)
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting (1)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Orchard Oriole (4)
Baltimore Oriole (10)
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

May 4 - Inwood Hill Park

My birdiest morning this spring in Inwood. Once again as I headed into the park this morning a little before eight, I ran into Danny Karlson who was also going in to look for birds. One of my first birds was an Indigo Bunting that briefly perched high in a tree by Indian Road and 218th Street - my first Indigo of the year. The lack of sparrows on the soccer fields surprised Danny and me, but once we started up the Clove we started picking up warblers - Ovenbirds and Black-and-whites were among the first. Soon a nice male Chestnut-sided Warbler was my first of the species for the year. The birdiest area was the center of the ridge north of the Overlook Meadow. A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (spotted by Danny), a singing Black-throated Green Warbler, and a female Scarlet Tanager were all firsts for me as were an Eastern Kingbird, a calling Least Flycatcher and a calling Great Crested Flycatcher - the flycatchers are starting. We were delighted with a Worm-eating Warbler probing through the fallen leaves on the ground. After passing under the Henry Hudson Bridge a male Orchard Oriole and a singing Nashville Warbler were also new. My last new bird of the morning was a lone Least Sandpiper feeding on the fast disappearing mud as the tide covered the flats north of the soccer fields. In the end I tallied 55 species (list below). We also encountered a Striped Skunk on the ridge practically in the same place we saw one earlier in the week.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
American Kestrel
Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper - 05/04/2018 - Inwood

Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1, male)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher (1, calling)
Great Crested Flycatcher (1 or 2, calling)
Eastern Kingbird (1)
Blue-headed Vireo (3)
Warbling Vireo (2, near water on the way in from Indian Road)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Wren
House Wren (2, singing)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery (1)
Swainson's Thrush (1)
Wood Thrush (at least 3 singing)
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Ovenbird (6)
Worm-eating Warbler (1)
Black-and-white Warbler (10)
Nashville Warbler (1)
Common Yellowthroat (2)
American Redstart (1)
Northern Parula (1)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (2)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (6)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (8)
Black-throated Green Warbler (1, singing)
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (1)
White-throated Sparrow (2)
Scarlet Tanager (1, female)
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3)
Indigo Bunting (1, male)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole (1, male)
Baltimore Oriole (7)
American Goldfinch (1)
House Sparrow

May 3 - Central Park

Another warm morning in Central Park for my AMNH Thursday morning bird walk group. It seemed as if things were a little quieter than yesterday morning, but in the end the overall numbers of birds and diversity was similar to what my Wednesday morning group found, though, inevitably, there were some differences. The total species list for the regular time period of the walk, 7:00 - 9:00 am, was 44 species with 12 warblers, compared to 45 species with 12 warblers yesterday. We did miss a Yellow-throated Warbler that was seen by a number of birders on the south side of Turtle Pond. Birding was at time frustrating because of all the noise from the construction at the Belvedere Castle and the distraction caused by a "birder" who has a habit of loudly playing recordings all around the park. That aside, it was such a nice morning, I did stay in for about an hour and a half after the walk officially ended and a few people stayed in with me. That extra time added three more species including one more warbler. The full species list is below with the three additions listed separately at the end.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret (1, the Lake)
Spotted Sandpiper (2, the Lake)
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue-headed Vireo (2)
Warbling Vireo (4)
Red-eyed Vireo (1)
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse (1)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2, fewer than yesterday)
Veery (1)
Hermit Thrush (2)
Wood Thrush (1, first of the year for us)
American Robin
Gray Catbird (1)
European Starling
Ovenbird (5)
Northern Waterthrush (1, heard singing by Upper Lobe)
Black-and-white Warbler (5)
Common Yellowthroat (3)
American Redstart (1)
Cape May Warbler (1, Oak Bridge by Upper Lobe)
Northern Parula (2)
Magnolia Warbler (1)
Blackburnian Warbler (2)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (4)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (14)
Canada Warbler (1, Turtle Pond)
Swamp Sparrow (1)
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (5, all feeding in one tree)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole (4)
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Three extra species after 9:00
Chimney Swift (3, over Maintenance Meadow)
Barn Swallow (2, Turtle Pond)
Blue-winged Warbler (1, Turtle Pond)

May 2 - Central Park

We seem to have skipped spring and gone straight to summer, at least as far as the temperatures are concerned. In NYC today it broke 90° F. Local birders have been watching the weather maps and waiting for today for nearly a week. Last night's radar showed a fairly major migration taking place all along the East Coast. This morning there was certainly a bigger variety of birds around the Ramble in Central Park than we have had on any of my previous AMNH bird walks this spring, however, the huge influx of migrants many of us hoped for did not happen. This is not to say the morning was a disappointment. It wasn't. It just didn't live up to the hype of the last week. Nevertheless, my Wednesday group that started at 9:00 am did tally 45 species, with 12 warblers. We did continue a bit after our scheduled finish time of 11:00. I had gone in to the park earlier at 7:00 with a handful of my regular participants to scout ahead of the walk. During that earlier period we found 36 species with 11 warblers. As the regular walk ended and we were on the Oak Bridge at the Upper Lobe we had 10 warblers. I suggested we check the stream above Triplets Bridge to try for a Northern Waterthrush as our eleventh warbler. From the bridge on the park drive we immediately spotted a Northern Waterthrush. While I added that bird to our total and closed out my eBirds checklist on my iPad another waterthrush appeared and chased the first one. When I looked down at it I realized it was a Louisiana Waterthrush. It is one of a very few times that I have seen the two species together and they provided a nice opportunity for people to compare the differences between the two. The Louisiana's whiter, broader eyestripe was very apparent, as was its generally lighter tone. It is also fractionally larger than the Northern, but that is not something you would readily notice when seeing the birds separately.

Before presenting the full list of 45 species below, here is a picture of a White Trillium, one of several we saw on the way out of the Ramble. Below the trip list are six additional species seen on the earlier foray into the Ramble, bringing my mornings total to 51 species.

White Trillium 05/02/2018

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret (1, the Lake)
Green Heron (1, flying high over Azalea Pond, calling)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue-headed Vireo (3)
Warbling Vireo (1, Maintenance Meadow)
Red-eyed Vireo (1)
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse (2, heard calling)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (at least 10, scattered around)
Veery (1, Maintenance Meadow)
Hermit Thrush (2)
American Robin
Gray Catbird (3)
European Starling
Ovenbird (2)
Louisiana Waterthrush (1, see above)
Northern Waterthrush (1, see above. Also one seen and heard singing at the Upper Lobe early)
Blue-winged Warbler (1, early and regular walk)
Black-and-white Warbler (at least 6)
Common Yellowthroat (1, shore of the Lake)
Hooded Warbler (1, male; unfortunately only seen by a few people west of Maintenance Meadow)
American Redstart (1, male; early and regular walk)
Magnolia Warbler (1, male, Maintenance Meadow; same place early and regular walk)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (about 6 scattered around)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (scattered individuals)
Prairie Warbler (1, male; early and regular walk)
Eastern Towhee (1, heard)
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (1, with the waterthrushes; the rufous crown practically glowed)
White-throated Sparrow (20+)
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1, male; above the Upper Lobe)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole (1, maybe 2)
American Goldfinch (2)
House Sparrow

The six additional species seen on the 7:00 am scout were:
Spotted Sandpiper (1, flying across the Lake)
Herring Gull (1, overhead)
Chimney Swift (1, high over the Maintenance Meadow)
White-breasted Nuthatch (1, the feeders)
Swainsons's Thrush (1)
Northern Parula (2)

May 1 - Inwood Hill Park

Beautiful morning with bright blue skies. Inwood Hill Park, however, remains relatively quiet, birdwise. When I headed into the park after 8:00 am, I ran into Danny Karlson also headed into the park. On the soccer fields there were about a dozen Chipping Sparrows and three Savannah Sparrows. The park itself and the ridge were relatively quiet, though we did manage to find five warblers. Individual Black-and-white Warblers were scattered throughout the park and we found two Ovenbirds in the Clove. On the way back out a calling Baltimore Oriole was the first of the year for me. My total list of 38 species is below.

[ADDITION: I didn't get a chance when I first posted yesterday to add the following picture of a skunk seen up on the ridge. I don't know if this is the same animal I came across a few weeks ago. It was in a very different part of the park.]

Skunk - 05/01/2018 - Inwood Hill Park

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant (6, on the Columbia boat dock)
Great Egret (1)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue-headed Vireo (1)
Blue Jay
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2)
Carolina Wren
Veery (1)
Hermit Thrush (4)
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Ovenbird (2)
Black-and-white Warbler (6)
Palm Warbler (2)
Pine Warbler (1, heard)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (1, heard)
Eastern Towhee (2)
Chipping Sparrow (12, soccer fields)
Savannah Sparrow (3, soccer fields)
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird (1, soccer fields)
Baltimore Oriole (1, heard lower end of the Clove)
House Finch
House Sparrow