Saturday, May 24, 2014

News Flash!

Veronica Goodrich [who played an important role in my book Central Park in the Dark],  sent a concerned e-mail yesterday:

There is an established [Red-tailed Hawk] nest in Sheeps Meadow that has two happy healthy chicks and parents settled in a very low crotch of a tree....is there something that can be done to give this established nest a fair chance from the crowds this weekend?

Answer: Birdwatchers and Hawkwatchers: Keep an eye out this weekend. Report any problems to Richard Feinman at the Urban PArk Rangers - 212-360-1408





Red-tailed Hawk nest in Sheep Meadow - photo by Stella Hamilton
[nest is well disguised in the crotch of the tree]

PS How to find the nest: Stella gives some useful directions:

It is near the volley ball court.  Actually there are two volley ball courts at  
Sheep Meadow: a concrete court and a sand volley ball court.  The nest is near the concrete court which is painted green and has no net across it so some don't even realize it is a volley ball court-- which adds to the general confusion.  If there are no obvious hawkwatchers gawking up a tree,  Stella advises sitting in one of the benches at this court, then scanning  the trees,  and you will spot the nest.

Thanks to Donegal Brown of  Palemaleirregulars.com for passing along this info. 


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

"Birdy Day" Today

American Redstart [female]- photo by DAVIUD SPEISER www.Lilibirds.com.

Joe DiCostanzo's AMNH walk this morning was unusually "birdy" for a post-peak day, Here's his report:


Despite the late date it was a very birdy morning in the Ramble for my American Museum of Natural History bird walk group. We had about 45 species from 7:00 – 9:30 am with 17 warblers. There was a strange mix of early and late migrant species. Highlights below.

Eastern Wood-Pewee – the Point
Warbling Vireo – usual locations
Red-eyed Vireo
House Wren – one singing near the Maintenance Meadow
Veery – lots of thrushes of these two species around
Swainson's Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart – lots of both sexes
Cape May Warbler – bright female on the Point
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler – two near the Belvedere, one at the base of the Point and we heard about three in Strawberry Fields
Blackburnian Warbler – male by the Belvedere
Yellow Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler – males and females
Palm Warbler – getting very late for this species; one on the Point
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 2
Black-throated Green Warbler – male on the Point
Canada Warbler – Hernshead, Belvedere, Turtle Pond, the Point
Wilson's Warbler – Oak Bridge by the Upper Lobe
White-throated Sparrow – 2, one singing
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – male on the Point

Joseph DiCostanzo
Great Gull Island Project - AMNH
CPW at 79th Street
New York, NY 10024

Monday, May 19, 2014

EARLY this morning

 Magnolia Warbler -- photo by MURRAY HEAD - Central Park 5/10/14

Chris Cooper reports:
Earliness (thanks to swift MTA connections) paid off today. A 5:35 AM start yielded a diversity of singing males (17 warbler species incl. 4 BLACKBURNIAN Ws and a BAY-BREASTED W). Activity was best in the sun esp. around the periphery of the Ramble; by 9 AM, things had quieted down considerably, esp. in the Ramble interior.

Notable species (5:35 - 9:45 AM EDT):

BAY-BREASTED W (just S of Polish Statue)
BLACKBURNIAN W (4--Falconer's Hill, Hernshead, Balcony Bridge, Upper Lobe)
Chestnut-sided W
Black-throted Green W
Black-throted Blue W
Blackpoll W
Yellow W
Magnolia W
Yellow-rumped W
American Redstart
N Parula
Black-and-white W
Wilson's W
Canada W
Common Yellowthroat
N Waterthrush
Ovenbird
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (Falconer's Hill)
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH (2--Strawberry Fields [possibly Bicknell's?], the Point)
Scarlet Tanager
Indigo Bunting (1 female; after days of their omnipresence, I didn't even hear a single male)
Baltimore Oriole (heard only)
E Wood-Pewee
E Kingbird
House Wren
N Rough-winged Swallow
Spotted Sandpiper

--Chris Cooper