Hi All, Central Park was quite interesting birding today. Though overall activity was rather low for most of the day, diversity was decent and there were a few interesting birds around. The outstanding highlight was an EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL found by Andrew Ruebenfeld (apologies to Andrew if I misspelled his last name) this morning on the trail that winds behind the south side of Tupelo Meadow, right as the path curves towards Maintenance Meadow. Many were able to see this fantastic bird. The AMERICAN BITTERN continues to be seen sporadically on Turtle Pond. I saw it today with Doug Kurz at about 1:35 pm working the N side of the island.
A few highlights that my party (Anders Peltomaa, Doug Kurz and myself) missed but were seen by others were MOURNING WARBLER on the point, and YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO around the ramble. Below is my list for the morning. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 4 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 10 American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) (Anas rubripes x platyrhynchos) 4 Many on turtle pond as well as some on the lake. American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) 1 **Rare. Continuing bird seen skulking along N side of the island in turtle pond at about 13:35. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1 Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) 1 Over turtle pond. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2 Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 3 Herring Gull (American) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) 6 Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) X Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 30 Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) 1 **Rare. Bend in path behind Tupelo Meadow, almost maintenance meadow. Found at about 8:30 by Andrew Ruebenfeld, sitting perpendicular to a branch, where it sat throughout the morning. Photographed by myself and many. Small--almost robin-sized nightjar, with much white on the underside of the tail and very pale undertail coverts ruling out Chuck-wills-widow. Pointed retrixes suggesting first year bird. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 8 Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 4 Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 3 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]) 8 Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) 4 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) 1 Source of gill. Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) 2 Empidonax sp. (Empidonax sp.) 1 Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 1 Bow Bridge. Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 5 Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 20 American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 1 White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1 Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 1 *Early? Seen well foraging around opening in woods on north side of Azalea Pond. House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 2 Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 2 Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus) 1 W side of Evodia Field. Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 5 American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 120 Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 20 Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 3 European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) X Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 8 Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) 2 Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 1 Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 7 Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 6 American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 15 Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 2 Locust near Whip-poor-will spot. Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 1 Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 3 Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 2 Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) 2 Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) 1 Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) 1 warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.) 1 Very probable Connecticut Warbler. Flyby, between Evodia Field and the gill. Large warbler with all dark olive upperparts, long wings and long body. Made single zeep call. CONW by process of elimination. Not relocated. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 6 Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 3 Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 12 Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 5 Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 14 Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1 Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 1 House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 6 House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) X Good birding, Jacob Drucker Manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
