November 2018

Today before school I visited a walkway along the Marine Parkway in Brooklyn in hopes of finding my life-bird Purple Sandpiper, and then Central Park to see what I could find including hopefully at least one of the two Barred Owls that have been calling the Ramble home for the last few weeks. Tuesdays are nice for me because my first class isn’t until noon, allowing me to go birding when the weather cooperates.

Along the walkway in Brooklyn, I found this RED-BREASTED MERGANSER:

And an AMERICAN BLACK DUCK:

It was a beautiful, albeit crisp morning to be out and about.

I scanned the rocky shoreline every hundred feet of walking or so because Purple Sandpipers are known to love surf-hammered rocks. Then, after about twenty minutes of walking, I saw a dark shape hunkered down on one of rocks and BOOM! I had my life bird PURPLE SANDPIPER! Awesome! What a phenomenal view of my life bird!

Then, I visited Central Park where I saw this cool Black Squirrel:

Then, I got a twitter notification giving me the location of a Northern Saw-whet Owl a mere three hundred yards away from where I was standing, a species I have heard but never ever seen before!

I rushed over to the spot and couldn’t find it but soon was joined by a few other birders who graciously got me on the amazing, tiny gem of a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL sitting in a Turkey Oak tree. Too cool!!!!!!

Then, I visited the Belvedere Castle area to try to find my hoped-for BARRED OWL, and lo and behold, there it was sitting in a pine tree just like I expected! A two-owl day in Manhattan!!!

What a day! Bird-of-the-day goes to the Purple Sandpiper & Northern Saw-whet Owl with runner-up to the Barred Owl — some great avian delights to choose from!

Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 957 Species (1 life bird today: Purple Sandpiper)

Yesterday, after I saw a report of Long-tailed Ducks and a Red-necked Grebe at the Saganauskee Slough in the Palos area, I couldn’t resist the urge to go find these aquatic species. Thanks to my mom for driving me both ways!!!

I was particularly keen on finding the grebe since it would be a prospective life bird.

Sure enough, as soon I arrived, there were other birders who quickly got me on seven LONG-TAILED DUCKS:

Then, I spent the rest of the time scanning for the grebe. It was a beautiful afternoon:

COMMON MERGANSER:

Ok, here is an identification puzzle — what is the small, merganser-like bird on the left? Note its small size, though, when compared with an actual merganser (right): Update: I believe it’s a HOODED MERGANSER!

COMMON GOLDENEYE:

And a very nice find, a far-off WHITE-WINGED SCOTER:

Bird-of-the-day to the Long-tailed Ducks and runner-up to the White-winged Scoter. A wonderful day of duck watching, thanks again to Mom!

Stay tuned — Tuesday morning I will probably be birding again in New York, most likely in search of Purple Sandpipers which have been found recently along the Brooklyn shoreline.

Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 956 Species

Today, now that I am back for Thanksgiving, my Uncle Mory and I went to Montrose Point. No, we did not see any turkeys — but we did find a PIPING PLOVER! This is particularly noteworthy because it is the latest record EVER for this species in Illinois — and I have the photographic proof!

It was such an obliging bird that at one point it got just five feet away from my Uncle Mory. I just hope it leaves soon so that this beautiful individual of a sensitive species survives!

Out by the Fishhook pier there were some BUFFLEHEAD:

Then, in the hedge I found this RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET:

And a late HERMIT THRUSH:

And RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS such as these populated the harbor today, as well as a few COMMONS.

Bird-of-the-day to the Piping Plover, which was an AMAZING find!

Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 596 Species

Today before my last day of school leading up to Thanksgiving Break, I went birding at Marine Park in Brooklyn in hopes of finding my life bird Eurasian Wigeon, a casual vagrant which has recently been seen there. Tonight, I’m flying back home to Chicago for Thanksgiving!

SWAMP SPARROW:

This MARSH WREN was a fantastic surprise, a wonderful species that is quite unexpected this
late in the fall!

HOODED MERGANSERS:

COMMON GOLDENEYE:

Another surprise was this COMMON RAVEN, although this species is slowly gaining a foothold here in New York City:

MUTE SWANS with BRANT:

GREAT BLUE HERON:

RUDDY DUCK:

BUFFLEHEAD, my favorite species of duck!

AMERICAN WIGEON, the close cousin of my hoped-for Eurasian Wigeon:

AMERICAN BLACK DUCK:

Alas, I never found the Eurasian, but it was not for a lack of trying — I scanned every inch of water there was to be had at Marine Park and thoroughly picked through the thousands of Brant and other waterfowl that populated the preserve today. That’s just how it goes sometimes!

Bird-of-the-day to the Marsh Wren with runners-up to the Common Raven and the Bufflehead. A solid morning of birding here in NYC!

Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 956 Species

Yesterday, I visited Jacob Riis Park in the Far Rockaways in search of marine birds and the Hudson River Walkway in the Bayonne Golf Club in New Jersey along the Hudson River in search of wetland birds including the Clapper Rail.

As stated in the title, it was very very cold and windy which made for tricky viewing and photography conditions but isn’t necessarily a bad combination for watching seabirds.

There was a fairly average amount of birds feeding and flying offshore at Jacob Riis, including many BLACK and a smattering of SURF SCOTERS. Here is a Black Scoter:

ROYAL TERN, nice for this late in the year:

Always a treat to see these NORTHERN GANNETS feeding offshore, as they are one of the most reliable “pelagic” species that can be seen from shore, albeit with a powerful zoom or scope.

Then, a large, dark gull-like bird flew overhead. Juvenile Great or Lesser Black-backed? Or Herring Gull? Or (very unlikely) possibly Great Skua??? Let me know if anyone has ideas!

Then, in the afternoon, I visited the Bayonne Golf Club’s Hudson River Board Walk. Upon arrival, I found these LESSER YELLOWLEGS — surprising they are still here in numbers because it is becoming quite late in the season.

GREAT BLUE HERON perched atop a shopping cart:

BRANT, there are so many of these cute geese!

RUDDY DUCKS:

AMERICAN BLACK DUCK:

GADWALL:

Bird-of-the-day to the Northern Gannets at Jacob Riis with runner-up to the unidentified bird — watch for an update to this post once the species is identified. Stay tuned — November is “vagrant month!”

Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 956 Species