Checking off the targets?
New York, NY
Friday 26 May 2023
LONG overdue in posting as I have done SO MUCH great migration birding but have had absolutely no time to post about all of it.
SATURDAY, MAY 6:
Today, I was once again headed — no surprise — to the North Woods of Central Park in search of several birds that had been sighted earlier in the day (I got out only in the early afternoon due to classes and lessons), including a Worm-eating Warbler, among others.
Upon entering the North Woods, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS quickly proved to be the most common species of the day. This day proved to be one of the greatest spectacles of this species I have ever encountered as one or two seemed to be adorning EVERY SINGLE TREE in the park! It was most amazing.
Then, some birders alerted me to the fact that they had just seen the WORM-EATING just barely up the trail, so I promptly thanked them and headed a mere thirty feet up the paved trail near the Blockhouse and immediately found this understated gem of a warbler foraging just above eye level in the trees:
Yay! Always nice to find a target within ten minutes of birding. Of course, I had to continue as the passerine activity was moderately good and I was rewarded with my first real views of a VEERY this year:
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS are so wonderfully common here:
Then, I heard the “beee—bzzz” of a BLUE-WINGED WARBLER just off the path, and with the help of another friendly birder, we located it in the trees just off of the Loch. And it’s an FOY!
A rather hot BLUE-HEADED VIREO panting:
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER:
Then, I heard the telltale chromatic-scale song of my F.O.Y. PRAIRIE WARBLER and quickly located one rather lethargic individual above the Loch that would occasionally sing and between bouts of song, make half-hearted attempts at taking an afternoon nap. This made it far easier for me to photograph than most Prairies in the past, and I was able to get over a dozen other eager Central Park birders on it, too!
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH with nice bubble-gum pink legs:
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER:
My route home back to school always takes me straight through Morningside Park, where a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (rare for Manhattan Island) has been seen for the last few days. Well, as you can see, after a bit of searching, I was able to track it down flying among the treetops above the 114th St Playground, as was reported! Awesome — and it was an extremely photogenic adult bird.
So, a solid day of birding all around with an absolutely spectacular show of Black-and-White Warblers. Bird-of-the-day to the Worm-eating Warbler with runners-up to the Red-headed Woodpecker and of course, all the Black-and-Whites. Stay tuned for more!!!
Happy birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1150 Species
Amazingly, Henry, after all us Idaho gals spent time in Ohio at the Biggest Week in American Birding, I can say I’ve seen everyone of those birds! And what a trip we had!
Congrats again on your graduation and award! Looking forward to August with you!💜🦉
by Poo