Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City
Friday, 21 September, 2012
A very active morning for at least one portion of the park, and I stayed put in
one spot for about 2/3 (or two hours of time spent early on within the park's
north end), at the wildflower meadow area, just south of the Loch. Actual
count of species in just that one place (without moving) in the 7:30 - 9:30 am
time were 62 species, highlighted by a ten-second view (in a tree below the
meadow) of a male Blue Grosbeak in slightly worn plumage. At around the same
time, also present in the meadow were a few (2 or 3) Indigo Buntings, all in
rather drab plumage. The Blue Grosbeak appeared around 8:15 a.m. and was not
seen later. A couple of other birders stopped by a little after, who had been
seeking a reported Dickcissel without any success, although a Clay-colored
Sparrow, probably one that has been lingering, was found and remained around
the "grassy knoll" that is some yards south of the south side of the wildflower
meadow (on the side of the cross-road that is close to the N. Meadow
ballfield's NE fence). Some other notables from the morning in the north end
include a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, an Olive-sided Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo,
and up to 17 warbler species in 2 hours of standing & sitting at the wildflower
meadow, plus other birds; a Marsh Wren at the meadow an uncommon, oddball sight
at that location. There were also some areas not far away, still in the n. end
of the park, which were fairly quiet at later hours. The Prothonotary Warbler
seen on Thursday on the Great Hill (by others, and found by Nadir Souirgi) was,
as far as I know, not relocated today.
Overall it seemed that there was a modest - fairly good movement of migrants
into the park from Thurs. to Friday, and clearly an increase of some species,
such as sparrows (many more White-throated Sparrows about in the n. end) and
overall. Cedar Waxwings were moving through in the low 100's, and at least a
few Purple Finch were around, some lighting in trees around the WF Meadow, and
later in the Loch. Activity later in the morning, as well as early afternoon
was less intense / concentrated as is typical, but birds were active all
through the area & the quieter post-noon hours; all areas not far from water
held at least some migrants.
List from n. end - morning:
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Spotted Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern [Yellow-shafted] Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher (n.woods)
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Empidodonax [genus] Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird (one)
Blue-headed Vireo (multiple)
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo (one)
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren (one)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush (2)
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler (several)
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler (one)
Prairie Warbler (multiple)
Palm Warbler ("western")
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler (WF Meadow, lower edge)
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler (one)
Scarlet Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow (one)
Field Sparrow (2)
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow (several)
Swamp Sparrow (several)
White-throated Sparrow (50+)
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak (adult male)
Indigo Bunting (several)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch (several)
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Good autumn birding,
Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
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