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. 

"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

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