Bluebird sighting!

Eastern Bluebird - photo courtesy of en.wikipedia.com



Anders Peltomaa reports today:

Hi all,
It was a glorious morning in Central Park. FOS species included Black-and-white Warblers (3 in total), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and the highlight bird, a male Eastern Bluebird found by my friend Brian Padden (I reported it, but Brian was the one who found it.)

Please forgive us city birders for getting excited over a bluebird, but we do not see Eastern Bluebirds in Central Park every year. I have not looked back at my records but of the top of my head this is the 5/6 bird that I have seen in the 8 years that I have been birding over here.

Anders Peltomaa

Mannahatta

Tom Fiore adds:

On Sat, Apr 12, 2014 at 11:00 AM, Thomas Fiore wrote:

Saturday, 12 April, 2014 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

In addition the the male Eastern Bluebird that Anders P. has reported in the Ramble's "Tupelo meadow" area this a.m., there were most, perhaps all the species as reported yesterday for the Ramble area, including a male Black-and-white Warbler in the areas east & s.e. of the Evodia Field very early this a.m., and Blue-headed Vireo near Bow Bridge, on the Ramble side, plus Louisiana Waterthrush silently stalking the lower Gill, towards the lake & many other expected migrants. At least 3 Pine Warblers, including 2 bright males, several Palm Warblers, & at least 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler were in the vicinity of the King Jagiello statue east of Turtle Pond early, & while being watched all of these & some other songbirds seemed to be moving towards either the s. path of Turtle Pond or possibly towards the eastern Ramble, this around 8 a.m.  2 Baltimore Orioles that overwintered remain in (or near) the Ramble, this a.m. 

At the north end, a Wilson's Snipe has been at the Loch's "bamboo thicket" area, moving a little & allowing at least occasional views with patience, thanks to John Wittenberg & Karen Fung, watching with K. Wada, & Malcolm Morris as well as myself. M. Morris also had a modestly early male Common Yellowthroat appear at the south slope of the Great Hill, not too far above the prominent balanced boulder that sits a bit above the path on the n. side of The Pool. When going to look for that, M.M., Sandy Paci, and I saw a beautifully-plumaged Savannah Sparrow, as well as 3 Field Sparrows in that meadow just above the balanced boulder, & there were some other nice birds in that area as well, such as male E. Towhee and Chipping Sparrow, etc.  At the Blockhouse in the north woods, K. Wada, M.M. & I watched 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers play in a couple of Hackberry trees, very slightly east of the Blockhouse on the main path. Also present were both species of Kinglet, as are being seen elsewhere around the park.

At the reservoir, what is now at least the 4th Red-necked Grebe of this year was photographed, in near-full breeding plumage, this grebe seen at sunrise near the n. side. I did not see the most recent ("3rd") drab-plumaged R.-n. Grebe this morning so it may have moved out.

good spring! birding,

Tom Fiore,

Manhattan