Date: Friday, 24 June 2011 (1:30p-5:00p) Location: Randall's/Ward's Island Reported by: Ben Cacace
This is the first time I've birded Randall's/Ward Island. I started at the Freshwater Wetlands then I moved to the Saltmarsh. Both locations are near the center of the island where Ward's & Randall's Islands were separated before the construction of the Triborough Bridge. Then I took a southern path along the Harlem River which is planted like a Botanical Garden. This is called The Water's Edge Garden. The last spot I birded was at the north end of the island called the Bronx Shore Fields named for the baseball diamonds. I missed the Wetlands along the Bronx Kill this time around. A map of the island with links can be found at < http://goo.gl/maps/QJio >. An adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was feeding in the saltmarsh at Little Hell Gate Inlet. Two male GADWALL were also in the inlet. One of the males was near a female with a sizable # of ducklings. On the Bronx Shore Fields were a pair of calling KILLDEER. Last 3 birds seen: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Song Sparrow & Killdeer. ** Total species - 28 ** Weather for 24-Jun for Central Park, NY (12:51p-4:51p) < http://tinyurl.com/6csrb49 >: - Conditions: Overcast - Temperature: 68.0 to 70.0 F - Wind direction: Variable - ENE - Wind speed: 4 - 8 mph (no gusts reported) Abundance categories from 'The New York City Audubon Society Guide to Finding Birds in the Metropolitan Area' published 2001. Abundance season is 'Summer', June - mid July, and applies to all of New York City. 'Uncommon' seen in small numbers; 1-3 per day in habitat [2 spp]: - Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 1 adult fishing at the saltmarsh - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 heard at S end of the island 'Fairly Common' usually seen; 3-12 per day in habitat [7 spp]: - Gadwall - 2 males, 1 near female Mallard attending several ducklings - Killdeer - Pair on Bronx Shore Fields at N end of the island - Northern Flicker - 1+ seen several times - Eastern Kingbird - 1 along Harlem River along the Water's Edge Garden - Northern Mockingbird - 2+ - Cedar Waxwing - 3+ at Freshwater Wetlands - Baltimore Oriole - 2 incl. fledgling & adult male near Ward's Is. Footbridge 'Common' seen easily; more than 12 per day in habitat [19 spp]: - Canada Goose - 40+ incl. 2 sets of goslings - Mallard - 15+ incl. 2 sets of ducklings - Double-crested Cormorant - 20+ incl. many flyovers - Snowy Egret - 1 flyover heading east - Black-crowned Night-Heron - 3 adults incl. 1 at the saltmarsh - Laughing Gull - 1 adult heading N then E over the Harlem River - Ring-billed Gull - 5+ - Herring Gull - 5+ - Great Black-backed Gull - 2+ - Rock Pigeon - 12+ - Mourning Dove - 12+ - American Crow - 4+ - Barn Swallow - 12+ - American Robin - 6+ - European Starling - 400+ - Song Sparrow - 2+ heard around the Bronx Shore Fields - Red-winged Blackbird - 10+ incl. 2 fledglings on the Bronx Shore Fields - Common Grackle - 4+ - House Sparrow - 12+ Taxonomic order: - Canada Goose - 40+ incl. 2 sets of goslings - Gadwall - 2 males, 1 near female Mallard attending several ducklings - Mallard - 15+ incl. 2 sets of ducklings - Double-crested Cormorant - 20+ incl. many flyovers - Snowy Egret - 1 flyover heading east - Black-crowned Night-Heron - 3 adults incl. 1 at the saltmarsh - Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 1 adult fishing at the saltmarsh - Killdeer - Pair on Bronx Shore Fields at N end of the island - Laughing Gull - 1 adult heading N then E over the Harlem River - Ring-billed Gull - 5+ - Herring Gull - 5+ - Great Black-backed Gull - 2+ - Rock Pigeon - 12+ - Mourning Dove - 12+ - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 heard at S end of the island - Northern Flicker - 1+ seen several times - Eastern Kingbird - 1 along Harlem River in the Water's Edge Garden - American Crow - 4+ - Barn Swallow - 12+ - American Robin - 6+ - Northern Mockingbird - 2+ - European Starling - 400+ - Cedar Waxwing - 3+ at Freshwater Wetlands - Song Sparrow - 2+ heard around the Bronx Shore Fields - Red-winged Blackbird - 10+ incl. 2 fledglings on the Bronx Shore Fields - Common Grackle - 4+ - Baltimore Oriole - 2 incl. fledgling & adult male near Ward's Is. Footbridge - House Sparrow - 12+ -- 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/[email protected]/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/ --
