From my Manhattan Window (4 Viewers)

Pinewood · Oct 26, 2014

More autumnal sightings

Hello all,

I am still seeing white sparrows, tufted titmice, hermit thrushes, northern flickers, red bellied woodpeckers, white breasted nuthatches and even brown treecreepers. Today, I saw no gray catbirds.

In the last week, I saw a house wren, a yellow bellied sapsucker, my first juncos, of the season, even a couple on high branches, a palm warbler, house finches and a phoebe.

I even had some close encounters with raptors. Today, at the feeders, a Cooper hawk swooped down, rather suddenly, but did get anything. Last week, I was a red tailed hawk, shaking off water, on a branch above Azalea Pond, after having a good bathing in the Pond.

Alert: the next paragraph is not for the squeamish or sensitive.

On the Lake, west of the Point, a juvenile red-tailed hawk landed with a northern flicker in its talons. The flicker was still alive turning its head this way and that way, before the hawk finished it off and had breakfast.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Oct 31, 2014

Finished for the week

Hello,

Tonight and tomorrow, rain is expected. Sunday morning may have may have a temperature of 3ºC. What is worse for me is that is is Marathon Sunday, which means no convenient access to Central Park for me. I think that I would have to go to West 96th Street to enter the Park.

I have been seeing more black capped chickadees, and plenty of white breasted nuthatches, hermit thrushes and tufted titmice. In the past week, I have seen a couple of brown tree creepers. Last Monday, I saw my first American goldfinch of the season., already in winter plumage.

Wednesday, I walked to the Reservoir, where I saw ruddy ducks, again in winter garb and continued on to the Pool, which brought me nothing new. Others have seen interesting birds in both places.

Yesterday, I travelled east, on the New York Archipelago, meaning western Long Island: Brooklyn and Queens. It was not a birding trip, but I did see a red bellied woodpecker and a worm eating warbler/b]. I seem to be bird watching wherever I go.

Today, I finally found a male purple finch, a life bird. B

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Gretchen · Nov 1, 2014

Congratulations on the male purple finch - they are certainly a challenge for me to identify. I wonder if you have seen the female - I think they are not only easier to identify, but very pretty in their own way.

Sounds like you're having a very productive fall!

Dave Hall · Nov 1, 2014

Hi Arthur

Long time no speak hope you are keeping well

I was talking to a birding friend of mine the other day and he said he was thinking of a trip to Central Park and he wondered if I was interested in going next May so if it all works out me and my brother should be back in the park for the first time in five years :eek!: where does the time go ? This time with two other birders and I was wondering if anything had changed in that time
Is the Ramble still the best place to start ? and what would be the best time to see the warblers going through our past trips we have been between the 1st and 10th of May would you say that this is still about the right time ? plus Any other information you think would help

Thanks :t:

Dave

Pinewood · Nov 2, 2014

Hello Grethen,

Someone pointed it out to me. In the past, I have twice seen what I thought were common redpolls, but others insisted that I had seen purple finches [in February!] but I still think Friday's was my first purple finch.

Hello Dave,

I think that later in May would be better, but the Ramble is very good,as is the meadow north of the Lennon Memorial in Strawberry Fields.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Dave Hall · Nov 4, 2014

Hi Arthur

Thanks for the help

Dave

MPeoples · Nov 5, 2014

Hi Arthur,

If you are free Sunday Nov. 16 we are having a free event on Warblers at our Store in NYC here is the link.
http://www.adorama.com/pages/SEMINA...ifying-Warblers-Tom-Stephenson-111614?admin=t

Mike

MPeoples · Nov 5, 2014

Arthur.

I live in the Pocono Mountains of PA, and work here in NYC. I find more birds here in Central Park to view than I do back home. The images you use are very beautiful.

Mike

Pinewood · Nov 5, 2014

MPeoples said:
Arthur.

I live in the Pocono Mountains of PA, and work here in NYC. I find more birds here in Central Park to view than I do back home. The images you use are very beautiful.

Mike

Hello Dave,

You are quite welcome.

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the "heads up," on your firm's event.

The images are all by Louis Agassiz Fuerte. Most are drawn from Eaton's Birds of New York. Albany, New York State Museuem, 1912-1914.
Fuertes was a Cornell ornithologist whose artwork was highly regarded, in his time.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Nov 7, 2014

Well into autumn

Hello all,

On Marathon Sunday, I abandoned by usual walk and headed "upstate" to the Reservoir and to the Pool. I saw more ruddy ducks on the reservoir, and another field sparrow, on my way there.

Monday, I got to the reservoir to my first glimpse of season of northern shovelers, buffleheads and hooded mergansers and a possible wood duck on turtle Pond. Another good bird was a winter wren. Juncoes have been turning up in my garden, as well as in the Park. Plenty of tufted titmice, white breasted nuthatches, mourning doves, black capped chickadees, there, as well. I have been having many encounters with juvenile red tailed hawks, some close encounters.
I have not seen any kinglets, in the last few days but I did see a common yellowthroat. I also spotted another sapsucker, this week.

All bird images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. My photograph, using an iPod Touch.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Nov 14, 2014

A chill in the air

Hello all,

I awoke, today, to a cool 3ºC.

Over the last week, I have continue to see hermit thrushes, white throated sparrows, northern cardinals, blue jays, downy woodpeckers, house finches, American goldfinches, purple finches, mostly female, mourning doves, white breasted nuthatches, black capped chickadees, one kinglet and more tufted titmice, than ever. Last Sunday, I visited the Reservoir, where ruddy ducks and shovellers were swimming along with my first American coot of the season, and the Pool, which had buffleheads and mallards. Something was upsetting the mallards, which were flapping their wings against the water, getting their chests out the water, and zipping around, Even the buffleheads seemed to get involved in this display. Once, this week, I saw a single male shoveller on the Lake.
I am meeting immature red-tailed hawks, quite frequently. I even saw one on the Great Lawn.
Sunday Étudiant point out a pair of rusty blackbirds, already in winter plumage. I also chanced on a flock of cedar waxwings, rather high up but showing the yellow band, at the end of the tail. I had a close encounter with an immature great blue heron, which may have been injured.

Paintings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes; photo with an iPod Touch.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

KC Foggin · Nov 14, 2014

Sounds as though you've had a good birding week Arthur

Could you possibly whisper into one of the Hermit Thrush's ear that it is late hitting my patch?

Pinewood · Nov 14, 2014

KCFoggin said:
Sounds as though you've had a good birding week Arthur

Could you possibly whisper into one of the Hermit Thrush's ear that it is late hitting my patch?

Hello KC,

I am sorry the hermit thrushes never let me get close enough to whisper anything.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Nov 26, 2014

Hello all,

Not much new to report. All the usual late autumn birds are still here, including hermit thrushes, juncoes,mourning doves, and downy woodpeckers. I did see some hooded mergansers on Turtle pond and a nice pair of fox sparrows near the feeders, while more shovellers are turning up on the Lake. Additionally, I may have seen a red breasted nuthatch and I had a glimpse of a sparrow, which may have been a tree sparrow.

Yesterday, I was out with a friend with less experience than I have. Together, we spotted a kinglet, red bellied woodpecker and he he got excited over tufted titmice, white breasted nuthatches and black capped chickadees[/i]. None of which he had ever identified, before.

We had rain this morning, with wet snow predicted by the afternoon, so I did not go bird watching.

Bird images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes; Turtle Pond photographed with my iPod Touch.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Dec 5, 2014

Waterfowl and more

Hello all,

I would like to write about waterfowl. This year, the hooded mergansers turned up on the Reservoir, along with with ruddy ducks, buffleheads and the early northern shovellers, and buffleheads. The buffleheads also visit the Pool. As hooded merganser and buffleheads are diving ducks, they prefer deep water, as at the Pool, the Reservoir and Turtle pond. Last week, I also saw a female wood duck, at the Pool. Since Friday, the hooded mergansers have been at Turtle Pond, and on Monday, a lone female wood duck and three hooded mergansers were on the Lake. The shovellers are now on the Lake, but not in great number. On Wednesday, an American black duck was on the Lake.

Last Sunday, a male red winged blackbird stopped in a tree, west of the Great Lawn. These have not been so common, since the small patches of wetlands around the Lake were cleared. However, this morning, I saw about seven first year red winged blackbirds, which were molting, at the feeders. They were a pleasant surprise.

Even yesterday, I was still spotting hermit thrushes, and early this week, I saw a lone kinglet. A first for the year, for me, was a white crowned sparrow this week. A winter wren was a welcome sighting, as well. Yesterday, near the “Oven,” Étudiant point out three woodpeckers, in the space of a few minutes: red bellied, downy and a yellow bellied sapsucker. He is much better than I am, at noticing birds more than 20 metres, away.

All images by Louis Agazziz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Dec 15, 2014

On Turtle Pond

Hello all,

Turtle Pond has seen some nice birds. This past week from Sunday to Wednesday, there was a male hooded merganser, From Wednesday to Friday, there was at leas one bufflehead. The bufflehead is a very small diving duck, which was once known as a "butterball," among the shooting set. It needs a lot of fat to work those cold waters. As on the Lake, there have been northern shovel[l]lers on Turtle Pond. Yesterday, as well as two weeks, ago, there was a great blue heron on the the Pond's shore. Thursday an Friday I saw a northern flicker, near the Pond and on Sunday, a yellow bellied sapsucker made an appearance. Every day I see red bellied and downy woodpeckers. Of course, for the last couple of weeks, ago, there have been no turtles on Turtle Pond: they are hibernating in the mud.

On Friday morning, I met Étudiant, just east of Bow Bridge, on the "Riviera." [I have yet to learn all the bird watchers' landmarks, but the Riviera is the north shore of the Lake, east of Bow Bridge] He kindly pointed out some female wood ducks, across the water, at the shore of the Point. I strolled a few yards east and found the females, as described, but I lingered over the view, and was rewarded with the sight of two male wood ducks, as well. Both male and females were there, yesterday. The male wood duck with its tufted head and bizarre plumage may be my favourite bird. Friday, I also heard, then saw a flock of crows go by.

From my flat's window, I have spotted white throated sparrows, juncoes, northern cardinals and even one tufted titmouse.

I started writing this post, before dawn. Now that I have visited Central Park, I can add a few things. Turtle Pond was frozen over but the Lake had mallards, shovel[l]ers, a single bufflehead, a pair of hooded mergansers, and several male and female wood ducks. I was a happy bird watcher. On the rest of my walk, I spotted juncoes, a yellow bellied sapsucker, a red bellied woodpecker several flickers, as well American goldfinches, nuthatches, tufted titmice and black capped chickadees.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Dec 23, 2014

Hello all,

Those wood ducks were still on the Lake, as of yesterday. By Sunday, the buffleheads and the mergansers had departed Turtle Pond. However, I did see a lone bufflehead, on the Reservoir, on Sunday. A few more ring billed gulls are finding the Lake a warmer alternative to the bay, but northern shovel[l]ers have yet to arrive in great numbers.

This winter, there is a paucity of mourning doves and a plethora of tufted titmice. I never seem to be without either sight or sound of blue jays, in the Park. The only new bird, of note, was a carolina wren, which Étudiant pointed out. We cross paths, perhaps twice each week, when we exchange information.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Dec 25, 2014

Merry Christmas

Hello,

I managed a little bird watching, this morning, but I had a rendezvous in my kitchen. Today, I saw red bellied, downy and maybe hairy woodpeckers, a yellow bellied sapsucker, and a hermit thrush. The wood ducks continue to be seen on the Lake. Yesterday, a male hooded merganser was on Turtle Pond.

Bird images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes; photograph of the Lake, taken with my iPod Touch.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, happy bird watching,
Arthur

wolfbirder · Dec 26, 2014

Enjoy reading your updates Arthur! Lovely pictures attached too.

A bit belated, but Merry Xmas!

Merlin · Dec 26, 2014

Merry Christmas Arthur

best regards

Merlin

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