I spent the day birding at Forest Park and Hempstead Lake State Park and they didn't disappoint. Due to a commitment I couldn't make it to Forest Park until about 11 am but a walk to the waterhole, which is considerably larger than I have ever seen it, was immediately productive. In short order I saw a Northern waterthrush, several Black-and white warbler (both sexes), Common yellowthroat, Blue-winged warbler, several Palm warblers, a Magnolia warbler, Black-throated Green and Blue warblers, many Yellow-rumped warblers, a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, a Scarlet Tanager, a White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo, two Swamp Sparrows, and several Baltimore Orioles. A short walk south toward the tracks produced a few Blue-gray gnatcatchers, a Gray-cheeked thrush, a Veery, four Ovenbirds, and a prolonged killer view of a Nashville warbler, in addition to several more Parulas and Black-and-whites. As like yesterday most of the birds were low, feeding in the understory and subcanopy. It was interesting to watch them as most seemed to be feeding on tiny midge or gnat-like insects and not small caterpillars. On my way out saw three more Ovenbirds near the perimeter road.
Hempstead Lake SP was quieter with the highlight being a very accommodating Cerulean warbler in the wooded section adjacent to the "dog-run" field which I assume is the same bird seen yesterday. Also saw several Parulas, Black-and-whites, male and female redstarts, and a Black-throated Green warbler. John Turner -- 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/ --
