Last Sunday in the NY Times

If you do Acrostic puzzles and you can still get your hands on last Sunday's [4/26], give it a try. It was one of my all-time favorites and you'll see why if you solve it.
PS I'll be back from Prague and back in the park [and on this page] next Wednesday, May 6.

PPS The puzzle to the left is not it. It's just an example of an Acrostic.

A May Day warbler feast

Worm-eating Warbler -- 4/30/09
Photo by David Speiser http://www.lilibirds.com


Northern Parula Warbler -- 4/30/09
Photo by David Speiser


Magnolia Warbler -- 4/29/09
Photo by Murray Head



Common Yellowthroat -- 4/29/09
Photo by Murray Head


Ovenbird [singing] -- 4/28/09
Photo by David Speiser



Prothonotary Warbler -- 4/27/09
Photo by Lloyd Spitalnik http://lloydspitalnikphotos.com

All photos taken in Central Park this week!

Crossbills! and a migration report

Crossbills in April in Central Park???

Photographer Murray Head sends in irrefutable confirmation:



And Joe DiCostanzo's [report of this morning's birds as sent to e-birds:

Not as many Yellow-rumps as yesterday (but still a lot).

Canada Goose

Mallard

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Egret

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Herring Gull

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Chimney Swift

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Blue-headed Vireo

Warbling Vireo (singing by Hernshead)

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Hermit Thrush

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Gray Catbird

European Starling

Blue-winged Warbler (singing by Evodia Field)

Nashville Warbler (s. of Tupelo Meadow)

Northern Parula (scattered birds)

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler (everywhere)

Black-throated Green Warbler (south of Azalea Pond)

Palm Warbler (Hernshead)

Black-and-white Warbler

Ovenbird

Common Yellowthroat

Eastern Towhee

Swamp Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Indigo Bunting

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

Baltimore Oriole

American Goldfinch (Tupelo Meadow)

House Sparrow

PS from Marie: Also a report of a Yellow-throated vireo at Laupot Bridge and a Yellow-throated Warbler at Bow Bridge this morning.

Help save the Boreal Forest

What is the Boreal Forest and why am I writing about it on a site dedicated to the wildlife of Central Park?

A Palm Warbler photographed in Central Park by Lloyd Spitalnik.


A Palm Warbler captured on camera in the Boreal Forest by Jeff Nadler

The well-being of our park's songbirds depends on the well-being of the Boreal Forest.

Stretching across Canada from Alaska to Newfoundland, the Boreal Forest of North America is a critically important breeding ground for billions of North America's birds. The Boreal is vital to the abundance of bird life in the US and Canada and contributes in a significant way to birdlife from Mexico to South America. Nearly 50% of the 700 species that regularly occur in the US and Canada rely on the Boreal for their survival. Over 300 species regularly breed in the Boreal.

During spring migration [that is, right now!] up to 3 billion of birds fly through the U.S. to their breeding grounds in the Boreal Forest. Up to 5 billion birds (adults and offspring) fly south from the Boreal each fall. 60% of these migrants spend the winter in the U.S. — making it the largest wintering grounds for boreal birds such as Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-crowned Sparrows, Rusty Blackbirds and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

Some startling statistics: 80% of the waterfowl species of North America, 63% of the finch species,and 53% of warbler species breed in the Boreal.

The Boreal Songbird Initiative, along with other environmental groups like Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada, the David Suzuki Foundation, among others created a petition called “Save our Boreal Birds” a little over a year ago. This petition will be sent to the Prime Minister of Canada and many provincial leaders, and asks that vital bird habitat be kept intact despite the fact that over 30% of the Boreal Forest has already been designated for development.

They are launching the petition on May 12^th, and are currently at about 60,000 signatures. They are trying to get up to 70,000 before the launch.

You can help by clicking on the link below and signing their petition:

http://saveourborealbirds.org/sign.html

Today's star

A posting on e-birds early this morning sent me rushing to the Point in Central Park. There I and just about every birder I know [and quite a few I don't know,] had gathered to worship today's star. Among them was photographer David Speiser [http://www.lilibirds.com]. His great pictures are above.