Saturday's birds

Eastern Whip-poor-will, 4/30/2007 -- photo by Lloyd Spitalnik www.Lloydspitalnikphotos.com

Saturday, 9/15/12:

Posted today on eBirdsNYC by Jacob Drucker, an inspiring list:

Below is my list for the morning.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 10
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) (Anas rubripes x platyrhynchos) 4
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) 1 **Rare. Continuing bird seen skulking along N side of the island in turtle pond at about 13:35.
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) 1 Over turtle pond.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 3
Herring Gull (American) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) 6
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) X
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 30
Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) 1

*Rare. Bend in path behind Tupelo Meadow, almost Maintenance Meadow. Found at about 8:30 by Andrew Ruebenfeld, sitting perpendicular to a branch, where it sat throughout the morning. Photographed by myself and many. Small--almost robin-sized nightjar, with much white on the underside of the tail and very pale undertail coverts ruling out Chuck-wills-widow. Pointed retrices suggesting first year bird.

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 24
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 4
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]) 8
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) 4
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) 1 Source of gill.
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) 2
Empidonax sp. (Empidonax sp.) 1
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 1 Bow Bridge.
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 5
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 20
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 1

*Early? Seen well foraging around opening in woods on north side of Azalea Pond.

House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 2
Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus) 1 W side of Evodia Field.
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 5
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 120
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 20
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 3
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 8
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) 2
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 7
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 6
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 15
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 2 Locust near Whip-poor-will spot.
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 2
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) 1
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) 1
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.) 1

Connecticut Warbler

[Very probable ] Flyby, between Evodia Field and the gill. Large warbler with all dark olive upperparts, long wings and long body. Made single zeep call. CONW by process of elimination. Not relocated.

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 6
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 3
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 12
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 5
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 14
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 6
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) X

Good birding,
Jacob Drucker
Manhattan

Jacob adds:

A few highlights that my party (Anders Peltomaa, Doug Kurz and myself) missed but were seen by others were MOURNING WARBLER on the point, and YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO around the Ramble.

Hurry! It may still be there!!

Sent in at 8:40 a.m. this morning by iPhone by ARDITH BONDI:

American Bittern at Turtle Pond: Hidden in reeds. Seen, when out, from grass on north side.

American Bittern - Hampton Bays 1/6/2011
photo by Lloyd Spitalnik -
http://lloydspitalnikphotos.com

A feathered thing without hope

Ardith Bondi, flutist, bird watcher and photographer, sent in the picture below and the exciting story it documents. It happened yesterday, 9/10/12.

I had barely put my camera together around 2 PM and was standing in the rocky area northwest of Azalea Pond hoping for something to photograph. I have to admit, though, that I wasn't expecting to be almost knocked down by a subject that flew at me like a missile. It was carrying something, just turned enough to avoid colliding with me, and landed hard in the leaves about 15 feet from me. I aimed and fired in the hope that at least one shot would confirm what had just missed me.

It appears that a juvenile Sharpie got hungry and came down for lunch. Not sure what its lunch is, although it clearly has feathers.

Sunday in the park with Anders and Ardith

photo of Yellow-bellied Flycatcher by LLOYD SPITALNIK- Central Park, 5/21/07 http://www.lloydspitalnikphotos.com

Two reports from Sunday's ace birdwatchers: [via ebirdsNYC]

1. from Anders Peltomaa:

Hi all, In the late afternoon at about 6 pm I heard a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher doing its "tyrree" calls from the top of a tree west of the Humming Tombstone. I didn't manage to get the bird in view with my binos, but if you are going birding tomorrow it could be worth checking that area.

2. [a complete list] from Ardith Bondi ,accompanied by Alice Deutsch, Sally Weiner, and Susan Schulz:

Double-crested Cormorant;
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Maintenance and again much later in the Ramble
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher (Point)
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Maintenance and one calling in the Ramble
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Northern Parula
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler - 2 males- [one in the rocky area slightly northwest of Azalea Pond, and one in the low scrub east of Evodia. I last observed the first bird around 3:45 PM.]
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Maintenance and The Oven
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
House Sparrow