October 18 - Inwood Hill Park: Nelson's Sparrow still here

I didn't look for the Nelson's Sparrow in the rain on Friday. I did not see it in a couple of brief trys yesterday. And I did not hear of anyone seeing it yesterday so I thought it had left. However, first thing this morning I received a message from Nathan O'Reilly that it was still in the Spartina grass at Muscota Marsh. I went downstairs and joined Nathan, Danny Karlson, Diane Schenker, and Nadir Sourigi, on the deck. It took a few minutes but I did get a view of it (and again later when I was leaving the park). I did not spend any time today taking its picture. I then birded in the park for much of the morning, primarily with Danny and Diane. It was not super birdy, but there were birds around. The soccer field had a number of Palm Warblers, including the one below which seemed to be just begging for its portrait to be taken.

Other birds around the soccer field or flying over included migrating Common Grackles, House and Purple finches, and Pine Siskins. On tghe way up the north path to the ridge we passed this Great Blue Heron roosting in a tree below us.

Up on the ridge there were a number of Blue-headed Vireos.

When Diane and I came back down from the ridge and crossed the soccer field the tide was in and the path north of the fenced in area was under water. There were birds feeding in the vegetation on the north side of the flooded path. At one point I saw a House Sparrow, a House Finch, an American Goldfinch, and a Pine Siskin all in one binocular field. Unfortunately, the onl species I got a good photo of was this female House Finch.