Prairie Warblers today

Prairie Warbler -- Photo by LLOYD SPITALNIK - 2008


Mike Webster sent in the following report to eBirdsNYC this morning:

In about 100 minutes of birding this morning [9/22/12] in the Wildflower Garden and Loch produced highlights of 2 Prairie Warblers (one in ravine, one in wildflower garden), a Wilson's Warbler (wildflower garden), a Blue-headed Vireo, both nuthatches and a late Warbling Vireo, amongst others.

Mike Webster
Harlem

Full List:

Herring Gull 2
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 6
Chimney Swift 3
Northern Flicker 5
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 1 Bathing in the loch. No yellow, and "wide" eyed look
on the face
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Blue Jay 7
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Veery 1
Swainson's Thrush 1
American Robin 30
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 50
Cedar Waxwing 15
Ovenbird 1
Black-and-white Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 4
American Redstart 5
Northern Parula 4
Magnolia Warbler 2
Prairie Warbler 2 One bright male and one more drab fall bird
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 1 In Wildflower Garden
Chipping Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 4
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Common Grackle 6
House Finch 6
American Goldfinch 7
House Sparrow 25

The beginning of Fall

On Monday, Sept 17, 2012,  at about 9:30 am., Alice Deutsch spotted an  Olive-sided Flycatcher in the Maintenance Meadow. Although Fall officially begins tomorrow, at 9:49 a.m. to be exact, to me the arrival of the Olive-sided Flycatcher in Central Park always spells the end of summer.

photo  of Olive-sided Flycatcher by DAVID SPEISER  Washington County, Maine 8/03/09

Unusual Sparrow today! [and a helpful PS]

Clay-colored Sparrow at Grassy Knoll, Central Park, NYC, 10:45 AM, seen & reported by Malcolm Morris and  Brenda Inskeep.

Clay-colored Sparrow --
 photo by DAVID SPEISER
North Dakota-- 6/1/2009

Helpful PS from Ken Gale:


Debbie Allen saw the Clay-Colored Sparrow at about noon and 1 PM. Both 
of us saw it around 2:30. It even perches in the open on a fence 
sometimes. It's in winter plumage with a very pronounced gray neck. 
The head has what I like to call the "typical mid-western sparrow look."

I think I should describe where the Grassy Knoll is. Sylvia said it's 
actually to the west of where we were seeing the sparrow.

If you walk along the East Side Drive in Central Park, somewhat past 
102nd St on the left (west) will be a grassy knoll with several 
fenced-in patches of brushy flowers (butterfly bush, etc.) The 
Clay-Colored Sparrow likes various patches. Asking a Park employee 
where the grassy knoll is liable to get you an answer of, "There's no 
such place."

Happy bird-day,
Ken

Ken Gale
Host/producer
Eco-Logic, WBAI 99.5FM, NYC

Golden-winged warbler

Peter Scully wrote yesterday:

Photo by LLOYD SPITALNIK --- June 1, 2008 -- http://www.lloydspitalnikphotos.com

A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was at the north end of the meadow north of the Imagine memorial in Strawberry Fields this morning. Seemed to be doing a circuit around the area. A TENNESSEE WARBLER was also there.

Hummingbirds vs Bumblebees

Photographer MURRAY HEAD sent me the photos below this morning, accompanied by his informative note:


Hi Marie,

I thought Jewelweed could have been named for Hummers that flit about in the  bushes...sipping the nectar. Looking-up the origin I found:

"Jewelweed refers to the silvery appearance the leaves take on under water, and the jewel-like appearance of water droplets on the leaf surface."

Then I found:

"The name Jewelweed herb is mainly derived from the colorful flowers that hang from the plant. There are many medicinal uses of the Jewelweed and it is found to be most effective in the treatment of insect bites and sever itching due to various skin allergies."

So there are varying opinions because... nobody really knows. Well I say... "Jewelweed is so named because the Hummingbirds make it so."

                                          

I also found on the Smithsonian site:

"A study found that even though bumblebees also visit jewelweed, hummingbirds do a far better job at pollinating it. This is because when a hummingbird visits the flower, it causes the flower to wobble and this wobbling rubs lots of pollen on the bird’s face. When the bee visits jewelweed, its movements are more delicate. The flower stays still and the bee leaves with less pollen to take to the next flower."

Score one more for the Hummingbirds.

                                             

                                                                       

                  Photos taken on The Lake on 9/17/12 by MURRAY HEAD

                        

                                                                               7

Go for them!

Photo of Rufous Hummingbird by Beth Bergman - 2011

Two great birds to check out today...as soon as you can:

I \received this message an hour or so ago:
Starr Saphir just called at 8:50 AM to report a Rufous Hummingbird at Bank Rock bridge by the Upper Lobe in the Central Park Ramble.


Anders Peltomaa writes:
Hi all,
On a whim I stopped and looked up in the same tree that the Whip-poor-will was roosting in the other day. And it is still there! The location is above the source of the Gill, in the bend of the paved path. Standing on the paved path at the bend, near the fence, look up in the maple to the SE.

Yesterday's whip

Photo of Eastern Whip-poor-will by MURRAY HEAD - Saturday, 9/15/12

[perched about 80 yards east of the Maintenance field].

Sketch of the same bird, made at the same time, by ALAN MESSER