From my Manhattan Window (5 Viewers)

Pinewood · Nov 12, 2013

Uptown, if not Upstate

Hello all,

I awoke to snow falling but it was too warm, about 3ºC, for any to accumulate. f
It has been more of the same for the last few days. I saw perhaps one American robin in three days. Along my usual root, the best birds have been a phoebe, and a red bellied woodpecker. Wood ducks have become plentiful on the Lake, as I saw ten males, today.

In spite of the snow flurries, I walked to reservoir, which had a decent flock of shovellers and a pair of birds, which I had not seen for years: American coots.

Frost is expected, tonight, so except for the hermit thrushes, which were still to be seen, today, it is a change of season.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

Pinewood · Nov 14, 2013

A cold morning, -13ºC

Hello all,

Yesterday, it was -1.5ºC, or three degrees of frost, as they used to say. I did see a couple of American robins, towhees are still around. I also managed to spot some song sparrows, as well as juncoes. The Lake had mallards, wood ducks and shovellers. Turtle Pond had one female bufflehead, which are sometimes called "butterballs." I also attach a photo of the Lake.
Bird images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :egghead:

Pinewood · Nov 15, 2013

A surprised visitor from the Great Smoke

Hello all,

As I was standing on Oak Bridge, this morning, a visitor to New York from Lodon, expressed surprise to me at our colourful birds, especially the blue ones and the red ones. I quickly determined that he was speaking of blue jays and male northern cardinals, which are certainly brightly coloured. While speaking a little bird visited a nearby branch and then hung from the branch. It turned out to be a brown creeper, which I had been anticipating, for weeks. I also saw a hairy woodpecker, today and a northern flicker, yesterday. Of course there are plenty of white throated sparrows, about, as well as many hermit thrushes and song sparrows. On the Lake were mallards, northern shovellers and several wood ducks.
Yesterday, just north of Turtle Pond, I saw a fox sparrow. Today, on Turtle Pond, I spied a diving "duck." From a distance, I noticed that the edge of the bill was white. When I got a closer look, I thought grebe. Checking with Peterson's, I am reasonably sure that it was a horned grebe in winter garb, which would be a life bird.
All illustrations by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, from The Birds of New York by Eaton.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe;

Pinewood · Nov 17, 2013

A seven duck day

Hello all,

It was a seasonably cool, but misty morning. Aside from juncoes, I saw rather few passerine birds, but I dis see a lot of juncoes.
On the Lake, there was one shoveler (1), wood ducks(2) and mallards(3). My next stop was the Maintenance meadow. There, and on the way, I saw more juncoes than even house sparrows, otherwise nothing. However, I was informed of a ring duck, on Turtle Pond. From the Belvedere, I thought I saw the male ring necked duck(4). I walked to the dock, where I confirmed the ring necked duck, saw more wood ducks, mallards and even saw a well camouflaged Cooper's Hawk.
I decided to walk to the Pool, near West 100th Street, the first time I have been north of West 96th Street, since March, when I returned my cable box to Time-Warner, on Broadway. At the Pool, there were male and female buffleheads(5), a drake northern pintail(6), probably the same one, which I saw weeks, ago, and a female gadwall(7), as well as mallards and even more wood ducks.
As it had started to rain, I took the Metro part way home, cutting short what would have been a longer walk, including the west side of the Reservoir.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Nov 25, 2013

A wintry day

Hello all,

This morning the temperature was -5ºC, nine degrees of frost, as it once was, cold enough to use the central heating. I had hopes of seeing nothing much. In the past few days, I have seen nothing new: some song sparrows, at the beginning of the week, that ring necked duck was around for one more day on Turtle Pond, a wood duck on Friday, juncoes and white throated sparrows, in good numbers, as well as another northern flicker.

Along Bank Rock Pool, AKA the Northern Lobe of the Lake, I spotted goldfinches and surprisingly another phoebe. Then the cold got to me and I headed home.
I include a photo, from last Sunday, of a red maple, taken on my iPod.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :t:

Pinewood · Nov 28, 2013

4 ducks and a wader on the Pool

Hello all,

The last few days have not been terribly rewarding. Grackles, mourning doves and white throated sparrows have been plentiful and I had another sighting of the goldfinhes and of the house finches. I have also sighted a female red winged blackbird, the one in the lower right corner in the first illustration and yellow bellied sapsucker, downy woodpeckers, and American crows, Eastern towhee, a fox sparrow and a chipping sparrow.

Today is Thanksgiving, which meant I could not enter Central Park from the west from 59th Street all the way to 86th Street, Central Park West was closed for the Parade. Once, I got to 86th Street, I decided not to visit my haunts, as that entailed more doubling back. Instead, I visited the Reservoir, where I saw shovellers, as well as mallards. Then I walked to the Pool, near West 100th Street. The walk was rewarded with a pair of wood ducks, many buffleheads and that northern pintail duck, along with the ever plentiful mallards.

As is my habit when visiting any body of water, I make sure to scan all the shoreline. Today, I was rewarded with seeing a great blue heron, on the Pool.
All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching and happy Thanksgiving to my neighbours,
Arthur :hi

Pinewood · Dec 2, 2013

Hello all,

The consensus of Central Park bird watchers is that there are a lot of mourning doves turning up. Friday, I did see a hermit thrush and a Carolina wren. Today, there were a fair number of shovellers on the Lake, but my best birds were a black capped chickadee and a Baltimore oriole. Additionally, there was a fox sparrow.
All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Dec 5, 2013

My first and perhaps last of the season

Hello all,

Rather slow going, this week. On the Lake, there many shovellers. I have spotted white throat, fox, chipping and swamp sparrows, as well as downy, hairy and red bellied woodpeckers. The goldfinches are around, as are mourning doves. Yesterday, I saw twenty, at one time.
I saw my first white breasted nuthatch of the season. This bird is always a pleasure to observe. That was within a few minutes of seeing a ruby crowned kinglet, which was a surprise.
All images are by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
I also saw a harris hawk, but I cannot claim the bird as a sighting, as it was being handled by falconers, at the Belvedere. I did get an opportunity to see it fly to the dock, at Turtle pond, twice, once at the Belvedere and then at the dock.

Happy bird watching.
Arthur

Pinewood · Dec 8, 2013

A raw day

Hello all,

It is a cold day, starting at -2ºC, and not above freezing, even in the afternoon. There is snow in the wind, making for a raw day.
The usual birds for sure, but a brown creeper, downy woodpeckers, plenty of shovellers, as well as one ruddy duck on the Lake. Whenever I see a lot of ducks, I always look for something out the ordinary. I spotted an eastern towhee in a tree, for a change, before it went to the leaf litter. At the feeders, a Baltimore oriole turned up. The image does not do justice to the orange on the chest. As a friend said, "That is unexpected, as the baseball season is not until spring." My friend was jesting in an American way. If you need an explanation, I'll post one.
All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Dec 13, 2013

Hello all,

Tuesday, there was snow, so I did not venture out. In the past few days, I have seen juncoes, a black capped chickadee, downy woodpeckers, song sparrows, many white throated sparrows, many mourning doves, was surround by a flock of grackles,and I had several sightings of red-tailed hawks, both aloft and in trees. On the Lake i saw shovel[l]lers and on the Lake, a hooded merganser. The hooded mergansers have been in the Park for weeks, but rarely leave the Reservoir. The best bird may have been a red breasted nuthatch.
All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :egghead:

Pinewood · Dec 16, 2013

After the snow

Hello all,

Saturday, we had about ten cm. of snow. Yesterday, most of the paths in Central Park were too treacherous for me. Today, most of the Lake was covered in ice, but there were a few mallards, a ring billed gull and three male wood ducks on or near the open water. The ring billed gulls turn up, mostly in the winter, but can be seen, any time of the year. The wood ducks may be settled at the Pond, near the Plaza Hotel, or at the Pool, so seeing them on the Lake was a pleasure. In any case, this has been an unusual year in that the wood ducks are staying in the Park. Near the Lake, I spotted a downy woodpecker and red bellied woodpecker on the same tree, together, making a lot of noise.
Northern cardinals, white-throated sparrows, grackles and mourning doves were also to be seen. Because of ice on some paths, I took a little different route, than usual but I got to the feeders, where there were house finches, juncoes]/b] and goldfinches to add to the day's list.
As I anticipated Turtle Pond was frozen over. When that happens, there are no waterfowl, but odd birds do turn up, nearby.
Finally, as I exited from the Park, I spotted an Eastern towhee near Swedish Cottage, on the West Drive, alongside the 79th Street Transverse. N.B. the transverses run across the park, in cuts below the Park's general level Although there are footpaths, along the transverses, all that auto traffic makes them poor places to walk.
All images are Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Tomorrow, more snow in the forecast, so I may be hors de combat, for a while.

Happy birdwatching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Dec 20, 2013

To a real bird gallery

Hello all,

As I suggested, Tuesday was wiped out by snow, and Wednesday I refused to take to the icy paths of Central Park. Nevertheless, Wednesday was not a complete mess, as I went to the American Museum of Natural History. My first stop was a little display are for the birds of the New York region. The specimens were displayed as objects for scientists: no stuffed and no glass eyes. I found them rather sad looking, but instructives as comparisons were easily made.

My next stop was the Hall of North American Birds. The dioramas are rather old, with paintings by Chapman, but the information has been updated. For instance, the sign for the peregrine falcon tells of their decline and recent resurgence. I looked for familiar birds near the less familiar, as well as the transmontane birds of the American west.

My next stop was a special exhibition on frogs. There were several display cases with as many as a dozen small frogs. Sometimes the frogs were hard to distinguish because of their terrific camouflage. There were plenty of videos about frogs and their various styles of living and of reproduction. Lastly, I saw the IMAX film called “Penguins,” which was about the natural history of the king penguins of South Georgia Island

Yesterday, was one of the poorest days of bird watching in my life. I saw next to nothing, except a red bellied woodpecker. I was told of a vagrant, a varied thrush, which was in another part of Manhattan, far from its Pacific Northwest habitat. I also was told that I had missed a long eared owl.

Today, it was only a little better. There were plenty of juncoes, mourning doves, house finches and even a swamp sparrow.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Dec 25, 2013

Hello all,

Sunday was another of those very slow days with nothing much to report. Monday, I saw an American coot on Central Park Lake, which had joined the shovel[l]ers and mallards. On my way out, I saw a red-tailed hawk, in a tree above a playground. It was finishing breakfast, a bird, before it flew off. I also saw a raccoon, sleeping in a tree, near the Belvedere.
Monday was raining.
Yesterday, was another slow day. I got to see a downy woodpecker, juncoes, mourning doves, and white throated sparrows. As passed over Triplets Bridge, I saw a large bird landing in a tree, which turned out to be an immature cooper's hawk.
All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night"-Clement Moore.

Arthur

Pinewood · Dec 31, 2013

A good raptor

Hello all,

Christmas Day, the temperature was -7ºC and hardly productive. Boxing Day, St. Stephen's Day to some of you, I was out shopping. I still did not have any good sightings until Sunday, when I saw a fox sparrow, a hairy woodpecker and a red bellied woodpecker. Of course, mourning doves, blue jays, white throated sparrows, northern cardinals and northern shovellers on the Lake were easily seen, but I have not seen a junco, in a while.
Today was just about the same as my best birds were a pair of downy woodpeckers, but on the north shore of Turtle Pond, I saw a large bird in a tree. It turned out to be my first certain sharp shinned hawk, as confirmed by another bird watcher.
All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Jan 6, 2014

Ice

Hello all,

On several occasions, icy paths have kept me from the Park. Even a dusting of overnight snow makes things difficult. Friday, we had 12 cm. of snow, which could not be cleared over the weekend. To be sure, it is the ice which keeps me away. Juncoes, mourning doves, blue jays,hairy and downy woodpeckers, white throated sparrows and grackles turn up and the house finches and gold finches still visit the feeders.
The most extraordinary sightings have been of a pair of Baltimore Orioles, at the feeders. I did see another fox sparrow, since my last report, as well as the red tailed hawk in flight over the frozen Lake. The Lake has cycled through ice, some open water and back to completely frozen. When it is iced over, only ring billed gulls appear on the Lake. Yesterday, when the paths were treacherous, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on the final day of the exhibition of photographs by Julia Cameron. I got another fleeting glance at a brown creeper.
Todday, the temperature might reach 13ºC, with showers, tomorrow, when I have an appointment at the Frick Collection, down to -14ºC.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

DMKSlater · Jan 6, 2014

Happy New Year Arthur, and a happy, healthy, birdy 2014.

Dave

Pinewood · Jan 6, 2014

DMKSlater said:
Happy New Year Arthur, and a happy, healthy, birdy 2014.

Dave

Hello Dave,

I hope that you had a grand Hogmanay and that everyone may have a happy new year of good health, of uncommon birds and of peace.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

chris butterworth · Jan 6, 2014

Baltimore Orioles in a New York winter? That must be a bit more than exceptional. A (belated) Happy New Year, Arthur and stay safe and, after seeing the weather conditions in a lot of North America, warm.

Chris

Pinewood · Jan 6, 2014

chris butterworth said:
Baltimore Orioles in a New York winter? That must be a bit more than exceptional. A (belated) Happy New Year, Arthur and stay safe and, after seeing the weather conditions in a lot of North America, warm.

Chris

Chris,

Thank you, for the New Year greetings. In recent years, the latest Baltimore Oriole sighting may have been November 27th. Of course, these birds were at a feeder, which is a bit of cheating.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Jan 12, 2014

Raptor up a tree

Hello all,

When the temperature was -15ºC, in the morning, on Tuesday, I avoided bird watching, I did go to the Frick Collection, where I did see a painting of a goldfinch, but that trip triggered a bad reaction. I could not sleep that night, haunted by a dream of Baltimore orioles flying around my flat. Wednesday was cold, as well. Thursday, I did go to the Park, where I did see an actual Baltimore Oriole, at the feeder, as well as a brown creeper. Grackles, blue jays, and white throated sparrows abound, but other bird watchers marvelled at the absence of titmice and of chickadees. As I left the park, I saw another sharp shinned hawk, near Triplets Bridge, which was working on a breakfast of pigeon. Friday, I was at the feeders, seeing nothing until a downy woodpecker showed up. Then I notices a mass high in a tree, a mature Cooper hawk, which explained the lack of other birds. This hawk displayed a beautiful chest of red.
I was glad that I had both a 6.5x32 and 10x32 on both occasions. Although I cannot use a 10X, for long, it is good for a detailed look, at a bird, far up a tree.
Yesterday, the temperature reached 14.4ºC, with enough rain to wash any lingering ice from the paths.
All images by Loiis Agassiz Fuertes.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

From my Manhattan Window (5 Viewers)

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