A quiet day in Central Park after a day of cold, heavy rain. Spent an hour and a half or so along the lake and in the Ramble.

White Breasted Nuthatch
Black and White Warbler
Black Thraoted Blue Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-Rump Warblers
Wilson's Warbler
Eastern Towhee
White Throated Sparrows
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Northern Cardinals
American Redstarts (several)
Starlings
House Sparrows
Rock Doves
Mourning Doves
Grackles
American Robins
Mallards (2)
Veery
Wood Thrush
Overbirds (several, seen and heard)
Downy Woodpecker
And a Raccoon in a tree.

A quick visit to the park. Nice Green Heron sharing the Azalea pool with a mallard. Orioles male and female in the little rocky area above the pool. American Redstarts, Magnolia and yellow-rumps, black throated blue warblers, Cardinals, Starlings, House Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Grackles, Common Yellow throats, Northern Flicker, female Rose-Breasted Grosbeak and I think, a female Hooded Warbler.

A lovely Scarlet Tanager today in the Ramble, as well as a Summer Tanager
Canada Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler (my first)
Yellow rump
Magnolia
Redstarts (male and female, several)
Common yellow Throat
Black throated blue Warbler
Baltimore Orioles (2)
Great Crested Fly Catcher
Black and white warblers (a few)
Swainson's thrush
Northern Water thrush
Oven birds (several
Gray Catbirds (several)
Blue Jays
Northern Cardinals
Great White Egret flyover
Mallard pair, male and female
Starlings
House Sparrows
White throated sparrows
Rock Doves
Mourning Doves
Wood Thrush
American Robins (lots)

The May 10th list:
Scarlet Tanager
Indigo Bunting
Rose Breasted Gros beak (several females and one male)
Black-throated green warbler
Black-Throated blue Warbler
Several Common Yellow Throats
White throated Sparrows
Hooded Warbler (a first)
Bay breasted Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Northern Parula (My first)
American Redstarts
Northern Flicker
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrows
Starlings
Rock Doves
Ovenbirds
Catbirds
Northern Waterthrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Blue Jays
Cardinals
Mallards
Cormorants
Green Heron
Great White Egret
Mourning Doves
Grackles
Downy Woodpecker
Black and white warbler
Yellow bellied sapsucker
Red bellied Woodpecker
Veery
Red Winged blackbird
Eastern Kingbird
Barn Swallows (three or four, over reservoir)
Wood thrush
American Robins
Great black backed gull
Herring gulls (three)
Canada Goose
Common Loon
I think that's 43, for anyone who made a pledge for the Birdathon. Oh, no one did? Not too late.
There are one or two things I described into the reocorder, and still have to see if I can ID them otherwise, that's it.

Missed the dickcissel and the Cape May Warbler sighted.
Don't care, I was pleased.
I started in the Conservatory Garden, headed up to the Meer, around Nutter's Battery, into the North Woods, along the lock, the pool, the Reservoir, down into the Ramble. The last stop at the Ramble is where I saw the Bay Breasted, the tanager, the Rose Breasted, the Hooded warbler, Northern Parula, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Kingbird, magnolia Warbler

Double crested cormorant of the lake (above) was just one of the goodies to be seen this AM in Central Park Other fun birds included a green egret at the Meer:

A super couple of hrs in Central Park this AM
2 Red Bellied Woodpeckers (Below)
Indigo Bunting
Black throated Blue Warbler Male
Hermit Thrush
Veery
American Redstarts (2)
Oven birds (several)
Mallards (several)
Cardinals ( a few, male and female)
Common Yellow throats (many, one playing peek-a-boo above)
White throated Sparrows (many)
Several black and white warblers
Black throated green warblers
House Wren
European starlings (many)
American Robins (many)
Red winged black bird
Grackles (a few)
Cat birds (many)
House sparrows many)
Mourning doves (2)
Rock doves (many)

I think that's the lot.

I had a magical day in Northern Central Park. I arrived at the Conservatory Garden @8:30 spent two hours at the Meer, the North Woods, in the Ravine and along the Loch.
Black-Crowned Night Heron (above)
Great Egret
Mallards (several)
3 Canvas Back Ducks
Loads of
American Robins
European Starlings
and Catbirds
Northern Cardinals (several)
Indigo Bunting (my first) NW
Overbirds (my first)
Ruby-crowned Kinglets
Gold Finch
Titmouse
Black and white warbler
White throated sparrows (several)
Hermit Thrushes (several)
Northern Water Thrush
Louisiana Water Thrush
Veery
Swamp Sparrow
Common Yellow Throat
Yellow rumped warbler
Black throated green warbler (my first)
Baltimore Oriole
Song sparrow
Chipping sparrow
Black-throated blue warblers

I did not see the Protonothary warbler in Central Park today, but between yesterday and today was happy to see a Northern Flicker, Belted Kingfisher(Meer), Northern Shovelers, Buffleheads, Hermit Thrushes, lots of white throated sparrows, loads of Robins, starlings, along with Mallards, and a Great White Egret (Meer). Here is one of the shovelers.

On Saturday I caught sight of a Great Egret in flight over Rye, NY.

Upper Montclair, NJ today, and a fine birding day it was. Without much movement at all I spotted three goldfinches high in a tree, a red-bellied woodpecker which stopped by briefly, two tufted titmice, a couple of black-capped chickadees, a female Northern Cardinal, a crow, many house sparrows, a white breasted nuthatch and a white-throated sparrow. On the journey through the Meadowlands via NJ Transit, mute swans were visible, as where egrets and other waterfowl too distant to identify. The sky was blue, the clouds were few and high, the weeping cherry in Aunt Pat's yard was showing off its brilliance, and the birds were too wonderful.

A productive birding day. A new one for my life's list in the North Woods in Central Park, thanks to Malcolm who called me over to see a Screech Owl nestled in a tree. Also saw ruby crowned kinglet, hermit thrush, white throats, the bufflehead again, mallards, and probably some other things I have to recollect when I get a minute.

I went to Central Park today, and did not see the vesper sparrow, the spotted sandpipers, or the ring-necked duck,
but did see a lot of the usual suspects, starlings, robins, house sparrows, more Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers, a Northern Flicker (yellow shafted), titmice, white breasted nuthatch, northern juncos, ruby crowned kinglets, a coot in the reservoir, a night crowned black heron and great blue heron, a cormorant, white throated sparrows, cardinals
and three additions to the life list: a palm warbler, a northern shoveler and a bufflehead which I managed to snap and are pictured here in that order, top to bottom. Still enjoying my camera, but am having a wee issue with the fact that when the long lens is used, the rangefinder is obscured. Not great for trying to capture a small object like a bird in sharp focus, but I'l figure it out.

I caught sight of this immature Yellow Bellied Sapsucker on 31 st, lunching from a tree on which hung a feeder. I have been noticing more feeders lately than I recall seeing before, and more YBS's than I've ever seen in the city. I got a good shot, even without the telephoto lens, and am not unhappy despite cutting off the tail. I'm tempted to head out for a shot of the whole bird, but have work to do and don't want to be compulsive. I think I love my camera, the resolution is great, at 12.1, it should be. I just have to figure out how I cut off so much, when I thought I had it all centered.

Finally got the little guy. This Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has been frequenting East 35th between 2nd and 3rd since at least the Autumn. I never seemed to have my camera, or he was too elusive when I had it, so it took me a while to get him. Nothing remarkable, but on 35th St. you are happy for every bird that is not a pigeon.

Scott's Oriole
Photo link

Scott's Oriole at Union Square


Rather jolly. Saturday morning I asked for a special bird this weekend (Whom did I ask? The creator of all birds and people and everything else.) Within minutes I read on a bird mailing list about a Scott's Oriole at Union Square. This bird is usually confined to the American Southwest, Mexico and parts south, not Manhattan, so this was a rare sighting indeed. I hightailed it down there, and didn't see the Oriole, but did see a nice red-tail, very close up. I tried again for the Oriole after mass this AM and sure enough, I got one for my life list. Feisty little guy, unfazed by all the attention. There was also a yellow-bellied sapsucker, which I didn't see, and a kestrel, or so I'm told.
A nice bird weekend. Just what I asked for. God is good.

Juncos and black-capped chickadees in the space behind the building this morning. I don't think I've seen them here before.

I saw my first woodpecker in my neighborhood this morning. I think it was a downy, because that is what seems most likely, but I thought it was rather dark and didn't show the markings I associate with downy or hairy. Got it: Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. Picture to follow.

It was a very birdless winter for me, and no time to lament the lack of birds. Now it is springtime and birds are returning to my area. I was in Montclair New jersey yesterday and saw a blackcapped chickadee in my aunt's yard, a red bellied woodpecker near the Upper Montclair train station as well as a red tailed hawk and what I eblieve was a broad shouldered hawk. I had a possible sighting of a peregrine falcon, but am not sure of that one. It was by the side of the road in cedar grove and we drove by fast enough to make it impossible to tell. Great day. Then i camehome to Murray Hill and song sparrows were in the area behind the building. I saw two, there may have been more. In addition, the fire escape that was the site of a mourning dove nest last summer is a highly desirable property this year. A pair of pigeons nested briefly. I later spotted their egg on the fire escape below and they were soon gone. Mourning doves and pigeon then took turns inspecting, beginning nests and leaving again. A pigeon appears to be nesting their now. Not exciting, but in Manhattan you take what you can get.

Mockingbird on 35th and the exit for the midtown tunnel. First I've seen around here.