Yesterday in the park with David and Murray

It was a beautiful, cool spring day and though no new warblers arrived, the photographers surpassed themselves with pictures of the old. Four birds posed for David Speiser [http://www.lilibirds.com] with perfect dignity
Black-and-white Warbler

Palm Warbler

Louisiana Waterthrush

Pine Warbler


While Murray Head captured the Hooded Warbler gobbling his dinner

Seen this morning among others

Blue Jay
photo by Lloyd Spitalnik - 4/17/09
http://www.lloydspitalnikphotos.com


Joe Di Costanzo of the American Museum of Natural History leads a bird walk on Thursdays, from 7 - 9 a.m. during the spring migration season. Here's today's report:


Beautiful, sunny morning in the Ramble in Central Park in NYC, for my Museum bird walk (the clouds moved in later). Migration is picking up, but there still weren't as many birds as hoped for - normal for this time of year.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron (a darkish individual under the new bridge over the Upper Lobe)
Red-tailed Hawk (eating a pigeon in a tree, s. side of Turtle Pond)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
Brown Creeper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (everywhere)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Hernshead, Humming Tombstone, Azalea Pond)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler (scattered individuals)
Pine Warbler (5 by Belvedere)
Palm Warbler (scattered birds, a number in the Tupelo Meadow)
Black-and-white Warbler (Azalea Pond)
Louisiana Waterthrush (muddy area south side of Tupelo Meadow)
Hooded Warbler (female by Belvedere; the male of the last few days was seen by the Humming Tombstone and Azalea Pond by others)
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Pine Siskin (feeders)
American Goldfinch (feeders)
House Sparrow

Things are heating up. Second report for the day: a new warbler!

Worm-eating Warbler -- May 4, 2008
Photo by Lloyd Spitalnik --- http://www.lloydspitalnikphotos.com

Susan Schuz wrote to e-birds this morning [a few hours ago] :

I saw a Worm-eating Warbler in Strawberry Fields about 10 AM today. It was foraging on either side of the wood chip path, staying mostly on the ground.

Meanwhile, David Speiser writes to say that the Hooded Warbler was still to be seen today. And there's a rumor of a Prothonotary Warbler! More anon.

Spectacular warbler arrives and PS

**************Hooded Warbler**********

Time: yesterday
Place: Humming Tombstone

Meanwhile, at Tanner Spring, a Palm Warbler


Photographer of both: David Speiser
http://www.lilibirds.com

PS Here is a link [again] for the Franklin Institute redtail nest webcam. . The chicks hatched 5 days ago. They are still fluffy white butterballs, at a stage we never saw the young at the Fifth Avenue nest -- [they were too small to be seen from our angle at the hawk bench.] Surprise for me: Both parents feed the chicks. The Dad is a little less adept, it appears, but getting better.

http://www2.fi.edu/hawknest.php
Warning: This is seriously addictive

A photo essay by Murray Head

What is going on down there?


We heard about the "Yellow-throated."







The White-throated Sparrow Association released two beauty shots [above] in response

All photos taken in Central Park on April 18, 2008 by Murray Head