Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx Co., N.Y. City - Friday, 21 March, 2014 Signs of spring at V.C. Park in mid-day included 6 Killdeer out on the Parade Ground ballfields, at least 5 Eastern Bluebirds (4 of them brilliant males) managing to hawk small insects at the s. slope of Vault Hill, a few Rusty Blackbirds in evidence around the s. end of the marsh, south of the VCP golf course (which was filled with golfers), and a plucky E. Phoebe staying low by the water's edge at the n. end of the lake... which had almost no waterfowl - I saw a scant few dozen Canada Geese come in, and then head off somewhere else soon after.
No signs yet of early spring flora (such as skunk cabbage) but there were a few turtles out (included Painted) & my first leps in the region this year, a Mourning Cloak butterfly & a few very small moths that I doubt l can ID from dim photos... Good "spring-is-sprung" sightings, Tom Fiore 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/ --
