WOW!

Photo of Common Nighthawk in flight --[photographer unidentified, as of yet...]

5-16-13   Chris Cooper writes: 

Besides a nice round-up of some 20 or so warblers, a COMMON NIGHTHAWK flying above the Ramble eventually settled into a tree just S of the Humming Tombstone, whereupon sharp-eyed British birder Patrick's patient description got many of us on the bird. Later, Anthony Collerton reported a nightjar on the N side of the Tupelo Meadow, and an Antrostomus Argument--Whip-Poor-Will? Chuck-Will's-Widow? (I guess we can't call it a Caprimulgus Controversy anymore)--is ensuing over the I.D. as I write this.

Highlights (from 5:45-11:15 AM):

TENNESSEE W (Humming Tombstone, singing; thanks to Anthony Collerton. Another heard by Roger Pasquier at Falconer's Hill)
BAY-BREASTED W (3-Lower Lobe, Evodia Field, Maintenance Meadow)
Cape May W (7 or so, continuing at the Lower Lobe and elsewhere)
Blackburnian W (3 males & 2 females, various locales)
Canada W (1-Lower Lobe)
Wilson's W (several)
Yellow W
Magnolia W
Yellow-rumped W
Chestnut-sided W
Black-throated Blue W
Black-throated Green W
Black-and-White W
Blackpoll W 
Hooded W (singing male at Humming Tombstone, thanks to Anthony C; female reported by Andrew Rubenfeld et al.)
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Waterthrush 
Ovenbird (heard only)
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (The Point; another [same bird?] reported later at the Lower Lobe by Alison Rea)
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Strawberry Fields)
Cedar Waxwing
Scarlet Tanager
Baltimore Oriole
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (heard only)
Eastern Kingbird
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Wood Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Veery
House Wren
RC Kinglet
Indigo Bunting (heard only, the Polish Statue, thanks to Andy Gershon)
Swamp Sparrow
LINCOLN'SPARROW (Lower Lobe)

ALSO REPORTED: Olive-sided Flycatcher (Lower Lobe, by Tim Bush), Gray-cheeked Thrush (by Andrew Rubenfeld)

--Chris Cooper

Nadir sees/hears 17 species of warbler! Anders adds another location

Photo of Blackburnian Warbler taken by DAVID SPEISER in 2007.

NADIR SOUIRGI writes this morning (5/15/13). via ebirdsNYC:
A nice influx of migrants arrived last night into the North Woods of Central Park. In the 45 or so minutes I had to bird before work, 17 species of warbler including Cape May, Blackburnian, and Wilson's were seen/heard. Good numbers of other expected migrants like Scarlett Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Red-eyed Vireo and an apparently late, according to eBird, Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Happy birding,

ANDERS PELTOMAA writes a few minutes earlier:

Hi all,
This morning a minor convention of Cape May Warblers was to be seen at the lower Lobe (Wagner Cove) and at the Point a male Mourning Warbler (found by Al Levantin) put on quite a show.

David Barrett has posted a report on Friday's memorial walk for Starr Saphir:
Lenore’s Memorial Walk for Starr — Results

Lenore Swenson at Summit Rock. Photo credit: Sandra Paci

Postponing the walk turned out to be a very good thing. Today, May 10, was by far the best birding day of the year. It rivaled the best May days of 2012. Winds turned to the southwest overnight for the first time in weeks, and the day began warm and sunny.

A large gathering of birders, at least eighty, honored Starr at Summit Rock. Lenore Swenson and others spoke about what Starr meant to them. Observers were treated to surrounding oak trees filled with migrant birds.

Lenore’s group tallied well over 50 species in the Ramble and adjacent areas. Some birds worth noting:

• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Black-crowned Night-Heron
• Eastern Kingbird
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Warbling Vireo
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Veery
• Swainson’s Thrush
• Wood Thrush
• WORM-EATING WARBLER
• Northern Waterthrush
• Blue-winged Warbler
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
• American Redstart
• Northern Parula
• Magnolia Warbler
• BAY-BREASTED WARBLER
• Yellow Warbler
• Blackpoll Warbler
• Black-throated Blue Warbler
• Palm Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• SUMMER TANAGER
• Scarlet Tanager
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Baltimore Oriole

Beautiful Hunters

Beth Bergman was one of the many determined hunters in the park on Saturday, May 11. With her camera she captured her prey, a beautiful Scarlet Tanager, . The Tanager was successful too--he caught a fat fly for dinner.

Beth has manyother breathtaking photos on her blog, the Bethlenz. Check it out. TheBethlenz.blogspot.com. You'll become a regular follower.