MURRAY HEAD: Beyond Warblers

Central Park - Current Events -

4/27/11

Trees Blooming

Birdwatchers Watching

House Wren Calling

House Wren Displaying

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Posing

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Positioning

Bullfrog Thinking about it

Carp Doing it

Gray Catbird Perching and enjoying spring in Central Park

Spring in Central Park

photos and captions by MURRAY HEAD

What an Easter Sunday!

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Photo by DAVID SPEISER -- www.lilibirds.com

This morning Tom Fiore sent in a complete list of birds seen by many birdwatchers in Central Park yesterday A remarkable tally!

Common Loon (1, breeding plumage, remains on CP reservoir)
Double-crested Cormorant (very common, esp. as fly-overs)
Great Blue Heron (fly-over)
Great Egret (multiple, including lots of fly-overs from CP n. end)
Snowy Egret (north end fly-overs, going east & west as usual...)
Green Heron (several, Central; & Riverside, where less regular)
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Canada Goose (common)
Gadwall (reservoir)
American Black Duck (C.P. reservoir, a.m. only)
Mallard (common in Central & along Hudson R.)
Northern Shoveler (still on reservoir, numbers have diminished)
Bufflehead (few still on reservoir)
Ruddy Duck (few still on reservoir)
Bald Eagle (adult, mid-day fly-over)
Red-tailed Hawk (regular in both parks)
American Kestrel (fairly regular, both parks)
Merlin (Riverside Park)
Peregrine Falcon (over Riverside Church, W. 120 Street)
Greater Yellowlegs (calling fly-by, first light, Central Park)
Spotted Sandpiper (C,P. reservoir, a.m.)
Laughing Gull (C.P. reservoir, mid-day)
Ring-billed Gull (reservoir & Hudson River)
Herring Gull (reservoir & Hudson River)
Great Black-backed Gull (reservoir & Hudson River)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove (common)
Chimney Swift (rather few)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Central & Riverside)
Belted Kingfisher (Central Park, a.m.)
Red-headed Woodpecker (still s. of Sheep Meadow)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (common)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (multiple, both parks)
Downy Woodpecker (common)
Hairy Woodpecker (Central Park)
Northern [Yellow-shafted] Flicker (many)
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Riverside Park, seen singing)
Eastern Phoebe (Central & Riverside - just 1 in ea. park)
Great Crested Flycatcher (several, Central & Riverside)
Eastern Kingbird (Central Park - several, & not lingering)

Warbling Vireo (Riverside Park, seen singing)
Blue-headed Vireo (multiple, both parks)

Yellow-throated Vireo (several reported, Central Park)
Blue Jay (common, migrants plus nesting residents)
American Crow (uncommon)
Fish Crow (seen calling, Riverside Park)

Tree Swallow (C.P. & along Hudson R.)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (C.P.)
Barn Swallow (many)
Cliff Swallow (C.P. Reservoir, mid-day)
Black-capped Chickadee (both parks)
Tufted Titmouse (both parks)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Central Park)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (several)
Carolina Wren (several)
House Wren (both parks)
Winter Wren (2)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (multiple, both parks)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (multiple, both parks)
Veery (several, Central - and 1 in Riverside)
Hermit Thrush (many; more seen in Central)
Wood Thrush (several, seen in both parks)
American Robin (abundant)
Varied Thrush (contined in Central Park)
Gray Catbird (several, and 1 in Riverside)
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher (several, both parks)
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (a few small flocks)

Blue-winged Warbler (6+, Central Park)
Nashville Warbler (several, Central Park)
Northern Parula (multiple, in both parks)
Yellow Warbler (multiple, both parks)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (at least 2, Central Park)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (several, Central Park)
Myrtle [Yellow-rumped] Warbler (nearly abundant)
Black-throated Green Warbler (modest numbers)
Blackburnian Warbler (Riverside Park, trees near W 115 St.)
Pine Warbler (Central & Riverside)
Prairie Warbler (several, Central Park)
Palm Warbler (very numerous, both parks)
Black-and-white Warbler (many, both parks)
American Redstart (Central Park)
Worm-eating Warbler (Central Park)
Ovenbird (at least several, at least 1 also in Riverside)
Northern Waterthrush (multiple - some not near water)
Louisiana Waterthrush (W. 77 stream, Central Park, 6:45 p.m.)
Common Yellowthroat (several)
Hooded Warbler (at least 2, male-plumaged, Central Park)

Scarlet Tanager (1: Central, n. end; & 1: Riverside, 118 St. area)
Eastern Towhee (many, both parks)
Chipping Sparrow (multiple)
Field Sparrow (several)
Savannah Sparrow (several)
"red" Fox Sparrow (1 seen by a few of us, far north woods, C.P.)
Song Sparrow (common)
Swamp Sparrow (many)
White-throated Sparrow (abundant - almost everywhere)
White-crowned Sparrow (1 singing at Great Hill, & 1 in Riverside)
Slate-colored Junco (still fair numbers passing thru)
Northern Cardinal (common)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (multiple, but not that many)
Indigo Bunting (Central Park, near Falconer Hill, early)
Red-winged Blackbird (still some passing, plus nesting residents)
Common Grackle (multiple)
Brown-headed Cowbird (few)
Orchard Oriole (at least 2 in C.P.- s. of Loch, another Summit Rock)
Baltimore Oriole (minimum 8 in Riverside, incl. 5 males in one tree)
Purple Finch (several)
House Finch (resident)
American Goldfinch (fairly common)
House Sparrow

Easter Bunny and Bird Bonanza

artst: Lee Stinchcomb

Lee Stinchcomb, currently resident in Florida, sent all her Central Park friends the magnificent offering above . I'm passing it along.

I'm also quickly posting a list of the amazing bird bounty that arrived today, in case any of you want to rush to the park. It's not to late!!!

from eBirds:

Ray Slyper and Mike Bryant along with an assemblage (we would hesitate to use the word "group") including Richard Zaineldeen, Andrew Rubenfeld, Barbara Saunders, Irene Payne, Liz Karp, Scott Zevon, joined by Jeff Ritter had a good morning with good birds and good company. The Worm Eating Warbler (thanks Liz Karp) had killer views by the Humming Tombstone moving toward the pathway toward the Weather Station/Castle. Hooded Warbler, on the Transverse road fence just down the steps from the Castle, looking left over the small lawn and rustic fence.

RC Kinglet

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Hermit Thrush

Brown Thrasher

N Parula

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped W (lots)

Palm Warbler

Black-and-White Warbler

Hooded Warbler (between the castle and Shakespeare Garden)

Worm Eating Warbler ( between Humming Tombstone and path to Castle)

Prairie Warbler

Black Throated Blue W

Black Throated Green W

Oven Bird

N Waterthrush

E Towhee

Field Sp

Chipping Sp

White-throated Sp

Song Sp

Swamp Sp

DE Junco

Blue Headed Vireo

Orchard Orioles (2)

Great Crested Fly Catcher

Rose Breasted Grosbeak.

Green Heron

N Flicker

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Red breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Rusty Black Bird (oven) Double Crested Cormorant

EASTER Earlybirders

Allan and I were at Belvedere Castle for the sunrise this Easter morning. So was Jean Dane, who took this photo at about 6:15 am.



Meanwhile, a few other birdwatchers were in the park bright and early this morning.
At 5:15am, Tom Fiore wrote:

Hi Marie, Among the various migrants seen this week, a gorgeous Hooded Warbler appeared Thursday and was still around on Friday and Saturday in the woods north of the Loch and west of the Meer. It was ranging around rather widely, but with vegetation still rather sparse, a number of seekers were able to find it with good views for most. It looks like a "male", but might actually be a female in high plumage as with this species there are sometimes females that closely resemble males, with complete hoods, etc. - this bird would let us know if it is male by singing, yet I'm not sure anyone heard it sing. Also, there is still a Common Loon on the reservoir in breeding plumage. And it must be added that the long-lingering Red-headed Woodpecker below Sheep Meadow as well as the rarest bird of the park in the past year - the female Varied Thrush that is usually near the north side of the east 79 Street transverse - were both still around, at least to Saturday. Best, Tom


At 7:52 am Karen Fung confirmed that the Hooded Warbler was still in the park today, and still in the North Woods. She reported to eBirds:

Hooded Warbler, Eastern edge, just north of steps going down to the Meer. Also seen 20 minutes ago: singing blue-winged warbler.