All the Common October Birds and a Little Extra

Last Sunday I went to the park and saw little of interest other than an Ovenbird near the Point, and my first 2 Turkey Vultures of the year circling with 4 Sharp-Shinned Hawks over the Pinetum, as well as a few late Chimney Swifts. Other than that, I saw most of the regular mid-October migrants (kinglets, Winter Wrens, juncos, etc.). I still did see 45 species that day.

Ovenbird
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Eastern Phoebe
Winter Wren
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird (1)
Cedar Waxwing
American Crow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Dark-Eyed Junco
CHIMNEY SWIFT (3)
American Kestrel
Red-Tailed Hawk
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Turkey Vulture (Year bird #154)
American Coot
Ruddy Duck
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall

Sora!

Just after 12 pm last Saturday, I was around home when I heard a report of a Sora at the Loch in the north part of Central Park. This large rail is very rare and sometimes secretive bird, with only about 10 records in Manhattan in the last 20 years, being seen on average once every few years.  That evening, I went to the Loch to search for the Sora. I heard it was between the two bridges. As I was searching, I found a patch where the stream was only a few inches deep with filled with reeds and low tree branches along the shore. I spotted a small warbler in the reeds which turned out to be a Common Yellowthroat. I put down my binoculars and immediately saw the Sora! I got great views of it in the open for a few minutes before it finally disappeared into the reeds. What an awesome rarity!

Sparrow Hideout

On Thursday, I entered the park yesterday evening from 90th street. I walked along a wood chip path just west of the Reservoir, and I started seeing birds. I saw a Black-Throated Blue Warbler, Palm Warblers, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Song Sparrows, White-Throated Sparrows, Dark-Eyed Juncos, and Chipping Sparrows. The field the sparrows were in was sloped, so I was able to get on the top and look down on them. Searching through the sparrows, I was able to pick out a Field Sparrow. Not long after that, I spotted a gray and tan sparrow hanging out with a few Song Sparrows. A Lincoln's Sparrow! I only saw it briefly before it flushed. I then spotted a White-Crowned Sparrow in the flock. It seemed so amazing that a spot rarely visited by birders could hold so many birds!

Black-Throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
LINCOLN'S SPARROW
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (another one later at the Pinetum)
Field Sparrow
Dark-Eyed Junco
White-Throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Hermit Thrush
Northern Shoveler (4 at the Reservoir)
Wood Duck (2 males at Turtle Pond)

Great Late Migration

I went out into Central Park Saturday morning hoping that the good winds and thunderstorms from the night before might spur a late fall push of migrants. When I got to the park, there were decent amounts of birds, but it seemed that almost every time I turned up a warbler, it turned out to be a different species. When I went to Tupelo Meaodw and checked out a few Palm Warblers, a very yellow warbler came into view. When I saw the white tail feathers on the bird, I realized that this was a late female HOODED WARBLER! I kept finding more warbler species in the Ramble, getting the list up to 9 species, the most in many days. After picking it clean, I went up to the path leading to the Pinetum and ran into a small group of birders. I talked with them for a minute, and just as I left, one of them yelled "Raven!". I rushed over to them to see that there was indeed a Common Raven soaring high overhead. It was quickly joined by two others, and then an amazing thing happened. A Red-Tailed Hawk appeared and was trying to drive off the ravens! After a few dives at the ravens, they left. What an interesting experience to see how the local birds are reacting to this newly colonized species. I also added 2 Black-Throated Blue Warblers to make 10 warbler species. I headed up to the Pinetum and added Yellow-Rumped Warblers. Now I had 11 species. A report comes in of Yellow and Wilson's Warblers at the east side of Turtle Pond near the Polish Statue. Could I make 13? I went to the spot and ran into another birder who was there for the same reason. After a minute, we found the Yellow Warbler high in a tree. Then, we spotted an odd, streaky, yellowish warbler. It couldn't be a Magnolia or a Prairie. That's when it dawned on me. It was a Cape May Warbler! The bird gave decent looks and the other birder got photographs that clearly identified the bird. What a great migration day!

Species List:

CAPE MAY WARBLER
HOODED WARBLER
Yellow Warbler (late)
American Redstart
Black-and-White Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-Throated Blue Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Ovenbird
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Blue-Headed Vireo
Eastern Phoebe
Scarlet Tanager (Polish Statue)
Cedar Waxwing
Belted Kingfisher (Turtle Pond)
COMMON RAVEN (3)
Brown Thrasher
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Winter Wren
Chipping Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Chimney Swift
Red-Tailed Hawk
Northern Shoveler

Kingfisher and Vesper

On Monday, I heard there was a Belted Kingfisher at Turtle Pond, which would be a new year bird for me. When I got over there, I saw a large blue bird flying dowm to the water. I put my binoculars on it, and it was definitely the kingfisher. The next day, I heard of a Vesper Sparrow seen by the woodchip path west of the Great Lawn. I went there, and found the sparrow after 15 minutes, before having to go because I had a tight schedule. On Thursday, I got better looks at the sparrow with several people. I also have seen White-Throated. Song, Field, Swamp, more White-Crowned Sparrows, and Dark-Eyed Juncos in the spot. So far I'm at 152 species for the year and 6 out of the last 7 birds have been lifers for the county. Can I make it to 160? I guess I'll find out in a little less than 3 months.

Targets for the Rest of the Year

Here is a list of target species for the rest that I made for myself in late September. The ones shaded in green are the ones I have seen since.


Probable
White-Crowned Sparrow (in sparrow flocks in October)

Possible
Greater or Lesser Scaup (Wandering Waterfowl)
American Wigeon (Wandering Waterfowl)
Common Merganser (Wandering Waterfowl)
Blue-Winged or Green-Winged Teal (Wandering Waterfowl)
Northern Pintail (Wandering Waterfowl)
Any type of owl (a few species may show up each winter)
Broad-Winged Hawk (Hawk migration isn't over yet!)
Red-Shouldered Hawk (migration or winter)
Turkey Vulture (migration)
Merlin (migration or wintering)
Solitary Sandpiper (migration)
Belted Kingfisher (always a chance)
Phillidelphia Vireo (migration)
Least Flycatcher (migration)
Prairie Warbler (hopefully I will see a straggler)
Yellow Breasted Chat (migration)

Longshots
Canvasback (Wandering Waterfowl)
Redhead (Wandering Waterfowl)
Northern Harrier (migration)
Eastern Bluebird (migration)
Clay-Colored Sparrow (many are starting to be reported in Long Island)
Nelson's Sparrow (If I can get to Randall's Island)
Saltmarsh Sparrow (If I can get to Randall's Island)

Additionally, a few rarities are usually bound to appear in the last 3 months of the year. Most of these birds are from the west, so hopefully something will be as (preferably more) confiding than the Couch's Kingbird of

Migratory Waterfowl Corral

On Sunday, I went with my friend, Ryan to Randall's Island to try to see if there were any Nelson's or Saltmarsh Sparrows or American Pipits. We failed in that, but found many regular fall migrants, including my first flocks of Yellow-Rumped Warblers of the season, as well as several Savannah Sparrows seen there. A surprise was a Great Blue Heron in a marsh, since most herons have gone south already. After that, we went to the Harlem Meer in Central Park to search for 2 rare ducks for the park that were seen that day and the day before, an American Wigeon and Green-Winged Teal. They were said to be in a flock at the southwest corner of the Meer. When we got there, we found a flock of Mallards and Gadwalls along the shore of an island there, and Ryan quickly spotted the wigeon in front of the other ducks. After looking at the wigeon, I looked throughout the ducks for the teal, and I found the bird on the shore. 2 lifers in the same flock! We then worked our we south, finding kinglets, phoebes, and warblers along the way, as well as my FOS Blue-Headed Vireo. We then went to a spot he said was good for many sparrows including White-Crowned Sparrows. In fact, a Vesper Sparrow was seen there the day before. When we got there, we immediately located 3 White-Crowned Sparrows, as well as an Indigo Bunting, Swamp Sparrow, and a Dark-Eyed Junco. 3 new year birds, including 2 lifers made this day awesome!

American Redstart
Blackpoll Warbler
Northern Parula
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-and-White Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Pinetum, FOS for park)
Golden-Crowned Kinglet (Pinetum, Great Lawn, FOS)
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (Great Lawn)
Blue-Headed Vireo (Great Lawn)
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Indigo Bunting (female, FOS)
Song Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (FOS)
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (2 juveniles, 1 adult)
Dark-Eyed Junco (FOS)
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
American Coot (Turtle Pond)
Ruddy Duck (Reservoir)
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
GREEN-WINGED TEAL
AMERICAN WIGEON

Dickcissel in Central Park

On Tuesday afternoon, I went to Central Park in search on a Dickcissel which was seen at Maintenance Field, a sparrow-like bird from the Great Plains that comes to the east in small numbers every fall. Despite a lengthy search I was unable to find it. Later that evening, I decided to try one more time for the bird. When I arrived, I found a group of people looking at the bird, and it was a thrill to glimpse this rarity amongst the House Sparrows it was with. Year bird #147 is added to the list!