From my Manhattan Window (9 Viewers)

Pinewood · Feb 10, 2019

Freez and defrost

Hello all,

Wednesday night we had a great deal of rain. Yesterday morning it -5ºC. This weather is more typical of the end of the month.

Last week's best birds were my first field sparrow of the season and a sparrowhawk, or American kestrel. I saw the field sparrow again, tody, in the company of a bird watcher from California, She was so happy to have a life bird.

I spotted the kestrel high in a tree across the Great Lawn. With only an 8x I had difficulty perceiving the markings. A photographer came along with a long lens on his camera. He thought it might be a merlin. A passerby came along and asked what we had seen. As we discussed it, the passerby said, "It is really something the way you two argue." The photographer decided that it was a kestrel.

Today, I managed to see both red breasted and white breasted nuhatches. I had not seen red breasted nuthatch in quite a while. I have been seeing that great blue heron thrice in the last week. On two occasions it was sitting on dry land, probably because of the cold.

Pinewood · Feb 18, 2019

An early sign of spring

Hello all,

My best woodpecker days are still just downy, red bellied and northern flicker but I often see only the former two. Yesterday, and three times last week I saw ruddy ducks on the Lake, which they generally do not favour, but only a few. On Sunday, I saw three female hooded mergansers on the Reservoir, close to the South Gate, but today I saw a male hooded merganser on Turtle Pond.

I continue to see hermit thrushes, but with greater frequency. Yesterday, I saw and recognized a female eastern towhee, although I was initially confused by it. Today, I saw both white breasted and a red breasted nuthatch. However, today's best bird was a male red-winged blackbird.

Happy bird watching.
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Feb 24, 2019

Rainy but a bit warm

Hello,

An often see bird in the Park is the common grackle. At this time of the year, flocks are on tree branches looking like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. Of late we have one with a white head. In the past two weeks, I have seen it three times but not close enough to photograph.

This weeek,I had only one three woodpecker day: the usual red bellied, downy and northern flicker.Early in the week, I did see another field sparrow, but a chipping sparrow turned up the next day. I have been seeing an immature male red-winged blackbird, which is illustrated in my previous post. I visited the Reservoir , today, just after a rainfall. It was rather foggy, but I did see the pie-billed grebe, again, still in non-breeding plumage and perhaps five pairs of buffleheads.

Of course, I see many red-tailed hawks, but one, immature one, was close enough for a photograph with my iPod Touch.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

KC Foggin · Feb 24, 2019

Sounds like a good week and a neat image of the Red-tailed Arthur!

Pinewood · Feb 25, 2019

KC Foggin said:
Sounds like a good week and a neat image of the Red-tailed Arthur!

Hello KC,

Thank you,
Arthur

Pinewood · Mar 3, 2019

Hello all,

With the exception of American coots, which I had not seen for awhile, I cannot write of anything new, this week.

One recent morning, I was asked by a novice what birds could be seen in Central Park during the winter. Here are the other birds I have seen this week:
red-tailed hawks
white throated sparrows
northern cardinals
blue jays
mallards
northern shovel[l]ers
ruddy ducks
pie-billed grebe
common grackles
tufted titmice, in abundance
black capped chickadees
red breasted nuthatches
white breasted nuthatches
downy woodpeckers
red bellied woodpeckers
chipping sparrow
great blue heron
mourning doves

I have seen neither a bufflehead or nor a hooded mergansers, this week and of course, there is no counting house sparrows, Canada geese and house sparrows.

If you look at the distant center of the attached photograph, you notice a building under construction, with blue windows on the right side and with the top in the low clouds. The penthouse flat in that building was sold for $238 million, without internal construction. The owner wants that built to his own specifications.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Mar 13, 2019

Hello,

On each of my excursions to Central Park, I check the Lake for waterfowl. In the colder weather I can count on northern shovellers and mallards on the Lake. Of late I have seen ruddy ducks on several occasions. Today, I was happy to see a male wood duck. I have been told that they have been at the Pond in company with that mandarin duck.

In the last four days, I have seen at least two immature sharp shinned hawks in the Park. One had a ragged tail end, so I could distinguish between them.

Today, I saw a male junco for the first time in many weeks. I have been informed that juncos are more common in the northern part of the Park, more than a km from my usual haunts.

So far, my only signs of spring have been a song sparrow and an increase in the number of American robins which I see.

Yesterday, I met a tourist from Cornwall who was curious about a dark bird with a purple sheen. I told him that it was a common grackle. Then I recalled that grackle is a somewhat derogatory word for tourists in Cornwall. He confirmed that but insisted it was used mainly for visitors from Devon.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Chas 100 · Mar 16, 2019

Actually, that's not quite correct. The "insult' is actually "grockle" not grackle and as someone living in Devon for 35 years and having lots of Cornish friends, I don't think it does refer to residents of Devon but just outsiders in general who are on holiday (vacation). The word emmet is also used which is a reference to ants.

Pinewood · Mar 21, 2019

not one crocus

Hello,

Chas, I thank you for your correction.

We are definitely in spring but I have seen few signs of it among the birds and not one crocus. I do not think that our winter was harsh but rather that it was prolong.

A week ago, I did see a brown thrasher, the American goldfinches are changing their plumage but not in synchrony and not totally. Yesterday, I did see a male brown headed cowbird . High over the Park a Cooper hawk appeard, this week.

Last Thursday, I was at the Reservoir, where I renewed my acquaintance with our buffleheads.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Mar 29, 2019

Daffodils

Hello all,

There were a few crocus flowers but now there are many daffodils and the Korean azaleas are in bloom.

After many weeks of absence, I saw a hermit thrush, which probably arrived from the south. I also had two sightings of a phoebe and on Wednesday, I saw my first double crested cormorant of the season, as well as a swamp sparrow. Today, I saw my first great egret of the season, as well as having a three woodpecker morning: downy, northern flicker and red-bellied.

Wednesday, was probably the best for number of species:
white throated sparrows
blue jays
northern cardinals
red tailed hawk, aloft
swamp sparrow
field sparrow?
tufted titmouse
white breasted nuthatches
grackles
male and female downy woopeckers
mallard
northern shovellers
ruddy ducks, with rather ruddy sides
mourning doves
black capped chickadees
juncoes
American goldfinches
immature sharp shinned hawk
double crested cormorant
buffleheads
and of course, Canada geese, house sparrows and American robins.

I photographed the egret, last year. The other images are by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur

Pinewood · Apr 5, 2019

Spring awakening

Hello,

I mentioned that the American goldfinches were assuming their spring plumage but there are other signs of the change of seasons. The throats of the white throated sparrows are becoming bright white. Ruddy ducks have truly ruddy sides and bills of light blue. On Monday, I saw a pair of red-tailed hawks circling the San Remo block of flats. One, the maie, had a branch in his beak as part of the courtship routine. The next day he was carrying a branch to a nesting site. Unfortunately, he chose the same ledge which had a nest two years, ago. The ledge tilts downwards and the eggs rolled off, then.

On Monday, I had a sighting of a brown creeper, my first in many months. This one was probably part of the migration. Today, I saw my first warble of the season, a pine warbler. Today, I had a nice sighting of a couple of yellow bellied sapsuckers, along with a redbellied woodpecker, downy woodpeckers and a northern flicker, giving me a four woodpecker day.

With the buffleheads and American coots on the Reservoir, I finally reached 24 for a daily count.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Apr 9, 2019

sparrows

Hello all,

Yesterday, I had a four sparrow three minutes: white throated sparrow, chipping sparrow, white crowned sparrow and a savanah sparrow. The latter is a bird which I do not see every year.

Today, I saw a blue gray gnatcatcher and a palm warbler.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

KC Foggin · Apr 10, 2019

Guess you're gonna have to name April 7th as "Sparrow Day"

Sounds like you've had a couple of good days Arthur.

Pinewood · Apr 19, 2019

Live and learn

Hello,

The warbler season is picking up speed. Last week, I saw the first of many palm warblers, as well as myrtle warblers, aka yellow rumped warblers. [I would not care to be known by the colour of my rump, so I opt for myrtle warbler] Yesterday, I spotted a black and white warbler,. This year, I confused it with a brown creeper before I concentrated on it.

I was looking at a male red-winged blackbird, with a brilliant red epaulette. Closer examination showed that the red feathers were standing up, something I had never previously noted.

Last week, I saw the courtship of red winged blackbird, then bringing branches to buiild a nest at the San Remo block of flats on Central Park West. Pale Male had a ritzier address on Fifth Avenue.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Apr 24, 2019

Hello all,

The seasons change. I have not seen a white breasted nuthatches and black capped chickadees, for a few days. There were no northern shovellers on the Lake but they are still on the Reservoir, as are buffleheads, who should leave within a week. On the Reservoir, I did see several ruddy ducks with very ruddy sides and pale blue beaks, so they are ready for courtship. A pair of gadwalls was also on the Reservoir

I did see a blue headed vireo, and heard a northern parula, I searched in vain for a blue winged warbler near the Shakespeare Garden. A bird with dark wings, yellow head and throat whizzed by me on the Point, shortly after a prothonotary warbler was seen a 250m, away. Two days, ago, I did see a red breasted nuthatch but today I definitely saw my first gray catbird of the season,

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · May 1, 2019

Hello,

I have hit a poor spell with the warblers but I am still seeing new birds. Although they have been in Central Park for weeks, I finally saw a black crowned night heron. I think that they favour low hanging branches until the water warms a bit. I did see a blue winged warbler near the Triplets Bridge and I heard a warbling vireo.
Today, I saw a belted kingfisher, over the Lake, and a male rose breasted grosbeak, at the Park's feeders.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · May 5, 2019

Hello all,

In the last few days, I definitely saw a Baltimore oriole, a northern water thrush, an American redstart, a black throated blue warbler and a scarlet tananger. Of those, I rate the male American redstart as especially appealing when it spreads its wings and its tail.
There were birds which others pointed out but I could not write that I had a good view of any of them.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · May 7, 2019

In the swing of the season

Hello all,

The warbler season is picking up, which means that I have been straining my neck and my skills at identifying birds. With some help, I have seen the following black throated green, magnolia, chestnut sided and Cape May warblers. I was also fortunated to see a Swainson' thrush, today. Since I also saw a hermit thrush and probably a wood thrush, I may have had a three thrsh day.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

KC Foggin · May 7, 2019

Sounds as though you had a good few days. Hope it continues for you.

birdmeister · May 8, 2019

Delightful as always, Arthur! I just picked up most of these birds over the weekend, and it never gets old each year.

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