May 20 - Inwood Hill Park

A beautiful day, though slightly cool. The birding was also a bit cool; not a lot of birds around. Looking ahead, it looks like the next decent prospect, based on weather forecasts, for a decent flight of migrants locally, might be Friday morning. This morning I headed out around 6:45 am. I ran into Hilary Russ at Muscota Marsh where we were surprised and pleased to hear a Marsh Wren singing. A Swamp Sparrow was also in this tiny patch of marsh. A Spotted Sandpiper was on the rocks on the water's edge. We then headed over to the soccer fields where we met Danny Karlson before heading into the woods. As we headed up the road towards the Henry Hudson Bridge a Northern Waterthrush was singing below us. The woods on the ridge were fairly quiet. We only found about half a dozen warblers.

I didn't add any species to my April/May bird list in the morning. However, in the evening Nadir Souirgi sent out a message that he was seeing migrating geese form his rooftop. Nadir lives a few blocks east of me so I immediately headed for the window. It wasn't long before I spotted a flock of Brant high in the air headed north up the Hudson River. Over the next half hour or so I saw two more flocks of Brant. This was my 46th species from my apartment window since April 1st and the 117th for Inwood Hill Park for the same period.

The total list for today was 46 species. Before I get to that list I have a couple of plant pictures from today. Hilary spotted some deep purple iris in Muscota Marsh.

Up on the ridge Lily-of-the-Valley was in bloom.

Brant 130 - seen from apartment window around sunset (3 flocks)
Canada Goose 6

Mallard 8
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 8
Mourning Dove 3
Chimney Swift 3
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 6
Herring Gull 2
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Double-crested Cormorant 4
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1

Red-tailed Hawk 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1

Northern Flicker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Warbling Vireo 6
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 1
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 1
Marsh Wren 1
Carolina Wren 2
European Starling 12
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 1
Wood Thrush 4
American Robin 6
Cedar Waxwing 8
House Sparrow 10
American Goldfinch 2
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 1
Baltimore Oriole 6
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Common Grackle 2
Ovenbird 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow Warbler 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 3