Date: Saturday, 10 October 2009 (8:05a-4:15p) Location: Central Park - reservoir to the Ramble to Great Hill Observers: many at the Sedge Wren site Reported by: Ben Cacace
Today was a bit slower than previous weekends. The highlight was the Sedge Wren at the Great Hill. Thanks to all who got the word out! During the morning winds were from the west with a light rain developing. Just before 11am ALL the gulls from the reservoir, as seen from the Turtle Pond lawn, appeared as a boil of birds to the east of the reservoir. This is a good sign that a large raptor is passing over the park. I was with a few others and told them what I thought this meant. After scanning the skies for a few minutes I spotted a lone Osprey heading southwest. The others with me quickly got on the bird. Soon after we spotted 2 other Osprey heading in the same direction on westerly winds in a light rain. Weather for 10-Oct in Central Park (7:51a-3:51p) < http://tinyurl.com/ylgsam6 >: - Conditions: mostly cloudy (with light rain at times) to partly cloudy - Temperature: 61.0 to 66.0 F (16 to 19 C) - Wind direction: WNW / NW / WNW - Wind speed: 5-10 mph (gusts to 25 mph) ** Total species - 48 ** Abundance categories below from 'An Annotated Checklist: The Birds of Central Park'. 'Historical' not seen since 1970 [1 spp] - Sedge Wren - 1 on the Great Hill 'Less Common' migrants [11 spp]: - Wood Duck - 1 male hiding on the S edge of Turtle Pond - Gadwall - 49+ incl. 20 on the reservoir & 29 on Turtle Pond - Pied-billed Grebe - 2 continue on the reservoir - Osprey - 3 heading S on W winds in a light rain - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 20+ - Black-capped Chickadee - 2 at the Oven in the Ramble - Carolina Wren - 1 heard from the Turtle Pond lawn - Wood Thrush - 1 in the Ramble around Azalea Pond - Nashville Warbler - 1 bathing in the Oven in the Ramble - Swamp Sparrow - 2+ - White-crowned Sparrow - 1 juvenile at the Sedge Wren site 'Common' migrants [19 spp]: - Ruddy Duck - 16 incl. 8 male & 8 female on the reservoir - Double-crested Cormorant - 7 incl. 4 on the reservoir & 3 flyovers - Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 in migration from the Great Hill - Cooper's Hawk - 1 in migration from the Great Hill - Chimney Swift - 3 over Turtle Pond in a light rain - Northern Flicker - 4+ - Eastern Phoebe - 10+ - Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2+ - Swainson's Thrush - 5+ - American Robin - 50+ - Gray Catbird - 6+ - Cedar Waxwing - Small overhead flock of ~12 - Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1 male at Azalea Pond - Palm Warbler - 3+ - Common Yellowthroat - 5+ incl. 3 females, 1 imm. male & 1 adult male - Eastern Towhee - 1 male - Song Sparrow - 4+ - White-throated Sparrow - 24+ - Common Grackle - 6+ Year round residents [17 spp]: - Canada Goose - Skein over the Sedge Wren site of ~24+ - Mallard - 24+ - Great Blue Heron - 1 low flyover heading towards the lake - Red-tailed Hawk - 3+ - Peregrine Falcon - 1 flyover in the morning over Turtle Pond - Ring-billed Gull - On the reservoir - Herring Gull - On the reservoir - Great Black-backed Gull - On the reservoir - Rock Pigeon - 12+ - Mourning Dove - 4+ - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 male - Downy Woodpecker - 4+ seen & heard - Blue Jay - 20+ - American Crow - 1 over the reservoir heading N - European Starling - 12+ - Northern Cardinal - 4+ - House Sparrow - 24+ Taxonomic order: - Canada Goose - Skein over the Sedge Wren site of ~24+ - Wood Duck - 1 male hiding on the S edge of Turtle Pond - Gadwall - 49+ incl. 20 on the reservoir & 29 on Turtle Pond - Mallard - 24+ - Ruddy Duck - 16 incl. 8 male & 8 female on the reservoir - Pied-billed Grebe - 2 continue on the reservoir - Double-crested Cormorant - 7 incl. 4 on the reservoir & 3 flyovers - Great Blue Heron - 1 low flyover heading towards the lake - Osprey - 3 heading S on W winds in a light rain - Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 in migration from the Great Hill - Cooper's Hawk - 1 in migration from the Great Hill - Red-tailed Hawk - 3+ - Peregrine Falcon - 1 flyover in the morning over Turtle Pond - Ring-billed Gull - On the reservoir - Herring Gull - On the reservoir - Great Black-backed Gull - On the reservoir - Rock Pigeon - 12+ - Mourning Dove - 4+ - Chimney Swift - 3 over Turtle Pond in a light rain - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 male - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 20+ - Downy Woodpecker - 4+ seen & heard - Northern Flicker - 4+ - Eastern Phoebe - 10+ - Blue Jay - 20+ - American Crow - 1 over the reservoir heading N - Black-capped Chickadee - 2 at the Oven in the Ramble - Carolina Wren - 1 heard from the Turtle Pond lawn - Sedge Wren - 1 on the Great Hill - Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2+ - Swainson's Thrush - 5+ - Wood Thrush - 1 in the Ramble around Azalea Pond - American Robin - 50+ - Gray Catbird - 6+ - European Starling - 12+ - Cedar Waxwing - Small overhead flock of ~12 - Nashville Warbler - 1 bathing in the Oven in the Ramble - Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1 male at Azalea Pond - Palm Warbler - 3+ - Common Yellowthroat - 5+ incl. 3 females, 1 imm. male & 1 adult male - Eastern Towhee - 1 male - Song Sparrow - 4+ - Swamp Sparrow - 2+ - White-throated Sparrow - 24+ - White-crowned Sparrow - 1 juvenile at the Sedge Wren site - Northern Cardinal - 4+ - Common Grackle - 6+ - House Sparrow - 24+ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
