Birding Around the World

TUESDAY, MAY 9:

Still catching up on posts! Today, I headed to the Central Park Ramble for the first time this year — freshman-year Henry would call me crazy for waiting till this long, but honestly these days I prefer the North Woods/ravine area of Central Park (same # of birds, fewer [though increasing] birders).

My two targets today were Summer Tanager, Brewster’s Warbler (a backcross hybrid Golden-winged X Blue-winged), and just a generally-reported influx of passerine migrants into the park overnight.

Well, I was not disappointed as the birds were absolutely out in force. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET:

CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER:

NORTHERN PARULA:

NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH:

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER:

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT:

HERMIT THRUSH:

OVENBIRD:

Then, I heard the “bee-bzz-bzz” of a Vermivora-genus warbler in Tupelo Meadow, and as the Brewster’s was the only Vermivora reported yet today, I was pretty sure I had the target bird. Soon, I tracked him down and located this beautiful (yet tough-to-photograph) Brewster’s Warblers in the trees, AND was able to get dozens of other eager birders on this uncommon hybrid! Super cool!

Then, a wonderful Manhattan birder named Mary Beth alerted me to the fact that the Summer Tanager was refound by Warbler Rock so I scooted over and instantaneously located this beautiful, full adult male SUMMER TANAGER singing his heart out! Another day of two-for-two target birds!

WOOD THRUSH:

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER:

Well, the SCARLET TANAGER was not about to let a “drab” Summer outshine its crimson brilliance, so my FOY male fluttered down to eye level and perched on a branch just ten feet away, for just enough time for two perfect shots. What an absolute stunner!

And a HERMIT THRUSH to round out the morning!

Solid. Did I mention I am obsessed with the month of May?! Bird-of-the-day to the Summer Tanager with runner-up to the Brewster’s Warbler and I just have to give an honorable mention to the showstopper male Scarlet, as well.

Happy birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1150 Species

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3:

LOTS OF CATCH UP TO DO!!! Hah!

To put it plainly, this migration has been slow and late…I would be disappointed right now if it weren’t for the fact that I haven’t been able to truly get out much and try (compared to other springs) due to the crazy school and performance schedule.

But today was a “dark day” of rest between the dress rehearsal and opening performance of the opera I’m in so I took advantage of the free morning to bird Central Park. Though it was still fairly slow today, I did manage to sniff out the one mixed migrant flock which today was associating in the trees near the Blockhouse in the North Woods. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS abounded:

As did BLUE-HEADED VIREOS:

Nice to get decent photos of my first OVENBIRD of the year!

Two SNOWY EGRETS flew over, a pretty good bird for Manhattan!

There were BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS a-plenty!

Male NORTHERN PARULA:

Two late DARK-EYED JUNCOS were still hanging out near the Blockhouse:

And just as I was wondering if I would have one of those rare migration days where I get both Hermit and Swainson’s Thrush in the same outing (they typically occupy different migratory timings), I spied them in a row. HERMIT with the reddish tail:

And SWAINSON’S with the buffy spectacles, my first of the year:

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER:

F.O.Y. CHIMNEY SWIFTS!!

BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER:

And always a really exciting F.O.Y. despite the typical treetop views: BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, yay!

Another bright Parula:

And another B.H. Vireo:

NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at “The Pool”

Along with this male GADWALL:

And my F.O.Y. SPOTTED SANDPIPER:

I texted the Manhattan Rare Bird Alert groupchat when I found this singing YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, a Manhattan rarity, in the Loch! It only afforded extremely distant, horrible canopy views but was singing its descending “sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet” song. I managed to get three other birders on it before it disappeared.

And on the way back to school I had my F.O.Y. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK in Morningside Park:

Bird-of-the-day to the Yellow-throated Warbler with runner-up to a GREAT HORNED OWL I flushed in the North Woods but didn’t manage to photograph as it disappeared very quickly into the forest.

Happy Central Park birding!
Henry
World Life List: 1150 Species

FRIDAY, APRIL 28:

This morning, I visited one of my favorite spring haunts in Brooklyn: Plumb Beach! My targets included Seaside Sparrow, Clapper Rail, Black Skimmer, assorted shorebirds, and any other marine-type species that might be hanging around. I wanted to make sure to hit this location at least one last time before graduating in just under three weeks from now! Afterward, I would make a quick stop at Prospect Park to pick up a continuing rarity there, an Anhinga that has taken up residence at Prospect Lake and is part of an overall invasion of Anhingas into the northeast over the last week or so.

So, after a ride on the D, B trains, and my scooter, I arrived at Plumb Beach, dumped my scooter in the bushes, and started birding!

The usual first thing on my Plumb Beach agenda is a beach-walk which today only yielded common species like LAUGHING GULLS in their breeding plumage (so much more attractive than their nonbreeding IMO):

BRANT:

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS:

This juvenile had a good-sized crab for breakfast (this is not a small bird by any means!):

FORSTER’S TERNS, my first-of-the-year:

Here’s one in front of Breezy Point, another one of my favorite birding destinations:

HERRING GULL:

GREAT EGRET:

WILLET:

Female BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE:

At one point, I spotted a suspicious-looking sparrow running through the grasses but it turned out to a SONG SPARROW rather than my hoped-for Seaside (that would likely never pose long enough for even a photo of this quality, hah!):

More Terns with Laughing Gulls:

SNOWY EGRET:

Though I ended up dipping on my main saltmarsh targets, Seaside Sparrow & Clapper Rail, I did get another saltmarsh specialty in the form of these GLOSSY IBIS:

GREATER YELLOWLEGS:

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER:

AMERICAN BLACK DUCK:

It was chilly and windy — I really should have considered this prior to making the effort to going all the way to Plumb which is quite a trek from the Upper West Side. But I guess that’s just birding!

After a thorough sweep of the entirety of the saltmarsh, it was time to call it quits so I took the B train back to Prospect Park in hopes of the rare Anhinga at the lake. Right off the bat, I had this WOOD DUCK:

And soon enough, I spotted a birder who was looking at the target ANHINGA! Though it was a bit obscured by leaves, it sure enough was roosting on Three Sisters Island right where it was supposed to be! Awesome! You can make out its distinctive bare, snake-like neck even through the leaves.

This bird, as I mentioned, is part of a general invasion of Anhingas into the northeast this week which has included birds in New Jersey and an amazing flock of twenty-two that appeared in Rome, NY further upstate the other day! So it was nice to catch part of this phenomenon (especially after missing out on the Arctic Tern craze that was last spring).

GREAT BLUE HERON:

Bird-of-the-day to the Anhinga and runner-up to the Glossy Ibis — though I didn’t fare well bird-wise in the chilly, windy weather at Plumb Beach, I made up for it with a successful twitch!

Happy birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1150 Species

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26:

This morning after an early doctor’s appointment (due to a tick, folks please be careful this year it’s a bad year for ticks! I am totally fine, though), I took advantage of my proximity to Central Park to spend a pleasant morning of birding one of my favorite places!

FIELD SPARROWS are a nice, fairly uncommon migrant in the park:

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS are common but no less appreciated:

My first BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER of the year, a beautiful male!

Warbler season is on for sure! Here’s a BLACK-AND-WHITE:

And vireo season! BLUE-HEADED:

NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH:

This male WHITE-THROATED SPARROW posed beautifully for me!

And though it is *just* a zoo escapee, I will never turn down the chance to photograph Flaco the Eurasian Eagle-Owl — a truly impressive beast!

Bird-of-the-day to the Black-throated Blue Warbler. More migration madness to come!

Happy birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1150 Species