Birding Across NYC!
New York, New York
Saturday 29 September 2018
72 °F
Today I spent almost the entire day birding around NYC and I had a blast!
The morning was spent in Central Park, where I started off with this beautiful and obliging NORTHERN PARULA:
Very soon after arriving, my highlight of the morning was FINDING a rare CONNECTICUT WARBLER — a bird that only comes through New York in the fall, and in very small numbers! This find created a sensation among the birders in “The Ramble” of Central Park. I had particular fun meeting two other young birders, Ryan and Cole, who were also delighting at the migrants passing through.
One section of a trail through the Ramble had this OVENBIRD:
As well as a cool BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER:
Then, a large, long-tailed form flew through the canopy and I found my first YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO of the year — whew! I thought I was going to miss this one as they will soon be gone for the tropics.
A very obliging CAROLINA WREN:
SWAINSON’S THRUSH:
EASTERN PHOEBE:
BROWN THRASHER:
BLACKPOLL WARBLER:
PALM WARBLER:
Overall, it was a stupendous morning of birding in the park. Then, I took a few subway trains and a bus to visit Marine Park in Brooklyn in search of a would-be lifer Clapper Rail.
Almost immediately upon arrival, a VERY uncommon species flew over — this GREAT CORMORANT, a bird I have only ever seen in the Old World before.
GREAT EGRET:
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT:
SAVANNAH SPARROW:
AMERICAN KESTREL:
Unfortunately, despite trying very hard, the rails were nowhere to be found.
Next was Far Rockaway Beach where I wanted to check for any migrating marine birds. Nothing of note bird-wise was seen, but my best sighting was a pod of Dolphins! Birding has many advantages, including becoming an overall more observant person which can yield great results such as finding these Dolphins.
And my final birding stop of a long day of birding was at Broad Channel off of the A train where I looked for, and after only a few minutes of searching, found this BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE, another species I’ve never seen in the US before.
What a view from the train! This is overlooking Jamaica Bay by JFK Airport.
My final avian sighting of the day was a quick view of a flock of MUTE SWANS in the bay from the train, props to you if you can spot them through the shrubbery!
My commute for the day: 4 buses, 7 trains, and multiple miles of walking — what a journey!
A full, long, but successful day of birding! Bird-of-the-day to the Connecticut Warbler which was truly a magical experience, and runners-up to the Great Cormorant and Boat-tailed Grackle.
Good birding!
Henry
World Life List: 954 Species
And I had an Idaho lifer today in Declo, a town we passed through on our way to City of Rocks a few years back. A palm warbler was visiting a friend’s house and I stopped on my way home from my residency at the City! Wowza!
Bird On nirder!?
Poo
by Poo