The Pine WAS the first warbler

Pine Warbler
Photo by Lloyd Spitalnik

My friends and all readers of Red-Tails in Love know I admire Tom Fiore and consider him one of Central Park's finest birders. Tom has just sent in a correction to my posting of March 18. There I wrote that while the Pine Warbler is usually the park's first warbler arrival, this year the honor was taken by the Louisiana Waterthrush found by Cal Vornberger on March 17. In the same posting I encouraged readers to check out the New York City Bird Report Http://www.NYCBirdReport.com in order to keep up with the latest Central Park bird sightings. Well, I should have done the same before posting the waterthrush. Here's Tom's note:

Hi Marie,
. . . just pointing out that the first known (migrant) warbler of the year in Central Park WAS a Pine Warbler, which I saw Tuesday March 14 on the west side of the Great Lawn (after hearing of the meadowlark seen by at least 4 others earlier that day). There were a couple of subsequent sightings . . .
The first warbler sightings of the year (but not of spring migration) actually were of a Yellow-rumped Warbler, which was seen in the Ramble occasionally this winter, & may have been the same individual seen into December '05 around the "triplets" stream & Upper Lobe. The latter was the only warbler tallied on the Xmas Bird Count.

That waterthrush continues at the Loch, & is even now very early!

All above are recorded on the NYC Bird Report website, the files of which may be searched for this & other data.

To spring,
Tom