• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

From my Manhattan Window (1 Viewer)

Two days before autumn

Hello all,

Personal commitments kept me home. I have written that the weather has been humid. Well, one of the doors in my flat has swollen so much it is hard to shut. However, I suspect that everything will dry soon enough.

Today, I thought I saw a thrush in Strawberry Fields. After I had my glass on it, I identified it as a winter wren. In the same field of view was a magnolia warbler, which was delightful. Later in the day, I did see a wood thrush, Once again, I saw a belted kingfisher at Turtle Pond. That means I have been seeing them for four weeks, which is rather unusual. As I started seeing females and now see a male, there must have been some turnover.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood
 

Attachments

  • Winter wren II.jpg
    Winter wren II.jpg
    11.8 KB · Views: 24
  • warbler, magnolia.jpg
    warbler, magnolia.jpg
    14.1 KB · Views: 27
  • Hermit thrush.jpg
    Hermit thrush.jpg
    19.9 KB · Views: 29
Good to hear you are still seeing the Kingfishers Arthur and I had a Magnolia Warbler pop in a couple of weeks ago and was delighted.
 
Hello,

I have been ensnared in domestic responsibilities. About a week ago, I was at the Gill, as it emptied Azalea Pond when I saw a thrush. Then I noticed stripes on the chest rather than spots which meant it was a waterthrush, which disappeared so quickly, I could not identify it. I did manage to see a house wren and my only brown creeper of the season.

Today, I saw a northern waterthrush at Triplets Bridge. I also saw another white breasted nuthatch, as well as a ruby crowned kinglet and a blackpoll warbler at Strawberry Fields.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 

Attachments

  • house wren.jpg
    house wren.jpg
    20.3 KB · Views: 20
  • Brown creeper.jpg
    Brown creeper.jpg
    17.5 KB · Views: 17
  • northern waterthrush.jpg
    northern waterthrush.jpg
    17.3 KB · Views: 30
  • kinglets.jpg
    kinglets.jpg
    61.9 KB · Views: 32
  • Blackpoll.jpg
    Blackpoll.jpg
    44 KB · Views: 29
Hello all,

I am still seeing black and white warblers. Yesterday, I saw a northern parula, at the shore of the Lake's Upper Lobe. At the Maintenance Meadow, a brown thrasher, and another BFer pointed out a few northern shovel[l]ers on Turtle Pond. I think that the shovellers may be considered early so it would be now surprise that I did see any in male plumage. I did see a bird with two wing bars. It might have been a white eyed vireo but it was a fleeting glimpse.

Autumn has arrived, according to the calendar but he weather is not particularly autumnal. Few leaves have changed colour but the sugar maples have some bright leaves near the crowns.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur
 

Attachments

  • Northern Parula.jpg
    Northern Parula.jpg
    12.4 KB · Views: 26
  • brown thrasher.jpg
    brown thrasher.jpg
    41 KB · Views: 24
  • shovellers.jpg
    shovellers.jpg
    239.1 KB · Views: 30
Autumnal birds

Hello,

I had four good autumnal birds, yesterday and today. My first white throated sparrow turned up, yesterday. Today, i saw my first Eastern Towhee, male yellow bellied sapsucker and tufted titmice of the season. However, my first birds of the day were a female scarlet tanager, followed by a merlin, aloft.

Earlier this week, I saw a great blue heron flying over Central Park.

All images by Louis Agassiz-Fuertes. The yellow bellied sapsucker was from Woodpeckers, by Fannie Hardy Eckstrom, 1901, the others from Birds of New York

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe"
 

Attachments

  • White throated sparrow.jpg
    White throated sparrow.jpg
    17.7 KB · Views: 27
  • towhee, etc.jpg
    towhee, etc.jpg
    35.2 KB · Views: 29
  • Yellow bellied sapsucker II.jpg
    Yellow bellied sapsucker II.jpg
    74.6 KB · Views: 33
  • tufted titmouse.jpg
    tufted titmouse.jpg
    11.6 KB · Views: 30
  • merlin.jpg
    merlin.jpg
    34.4 KB · Views: 20
Hello KC and others,

The week got better. Today, I stepped onto Strawberry Fields and saw quite a few species: many hermit thrushes, tufted titmice, an Eastern towhee, white breasted nuthatches, a blue headed vireo, black throated blue warbler, field sparrow, a chipping sparrow and a palm warbler. Later, I saw a yellow rumped or myrtle warbler, four raptors: Red tailed hawk, American Kestrel, a bald eagle, high aloft, and a Cooper hawk, as well as grackles and blue jays.
The best bird of the day was a Wilson's snipe, a life bird, sitting on the grass near a baseball field's backstop. I was directed to the snipe by word of mouth. I arrived at the spot at the same time as Dr. Robert de Candido, aka Birding Bob, arrived with a group, one of whom located the bird. Someone else posted it on the web and the crowd started arriving. It was curious that the snipe was on open ground, when it was around 45m from Turtle Pond.

I decided to use my old 8x30 Zeiss Dialyt BGTP, which was up to the day's tasks.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:
 

Attachments

  • Field sparrow.jpg
    Field sparrow.jpg
    30.9 KB · Views: 28
  • chipping sparrow.jpg
    chipping sparrow.jpg
    35.8 KB · Views: 24
  • palm warbler.jpg
    palm warbler.jpg
    14.7 KB · Views: 18
  • cooper hawk.jpg
    cooper hawk.jpg
    18.8 KB · Views: 20
  • Wilson's Snipe.jpg
    Wilson's Snipe.jpg
    71.2 KB · Views: 33
Last edited:
Ooooh!!! Very well done on getting your new Lifer Arthur.

And it's great to know that there were so many people around who were keen to see it too.
 
Autumnal birds

Hello all,

Today was a there woodpecker day: more yellow bellied sapsuckers, red bellied woodpeckers, and a northern flicker. Additionally today, I saw red breasted nuthatch, a golden crowned kinglet and a Swainson's thrush., as well as hermit thrushes. Yesterday, I saw my first black capped chickadee of the season.

On Monday, I saw chimney swifts, high overhead.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 

Attachments

  • Red bellied woodpecker.jpg
    Red bellied woodpecker.jpg
    176.4 KB · Views: 21
  • Northern Flicker (Eckstrom).jpg
    Northern Flicker (Eckstrom).jpg
    37.9 KB · Views: 24
  • nuthatches II.jpg
    nuthatches II.jpg
    56.7 KB · Views: 26
  • Swainsons thrush.jpg
    Swainsons thrush.jpg
    17.6 KB · Views: 24
  • black capped chickadee.jpg
    black capped chickadee.jpg
    24.7 KB · Views: 17
Another good day for you Arthur ;)

Hello KC,

Yes, it was a welcome good day, as I had a dry spell.

On Thursday, I was out and I saw golden crowned kinglets, a song sparrow, , a northern mockingbird, which was pointed out by Birding Bob leading some second graders. Then I walked to the Reservoir, where I saw ruddy ducks, in non-breeding plumage, and two female American black ducks. I was still seeing palm warblers.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
 

Attachments

  • golden crowned Kinglet.jpg
    golden crowned Kinglet.jpg
    38.5 KB · Views: 22
  • Song sparrow.jpg
    Song sparrow.jpg
    20.9 KB · Views: 17
  • mockingbird.jpg
    mockingbird.jpg
    38.9 KB · Views: 24
  • Ruddy duck.jpg
    Ruddy duck.jpg
    9.1 KB · Views: 21
  • American black duck.jpg
    American black duck.jpg
    11.4 KB · Views: 24
Yeah, I hate when I have a slow day with my bird companions but another day usually makes up for it Arthur ;)
 
Very encouraging to read this, there seem to be a good lot of species around at the moment.
We're going over to NYC next Tuesday to stay with daughter and family in Manhattan and I intend to join the bird walk next Friday.
I did it last December and it was a bit sparse for species. They have a place on the edge of the Catskills but I do find that a bit sparse for species although I did get a very nice photo of a hummingbird earlier this year.
What are the colours like in Central Park right now?
 
Hello Footman,

I cannot predict the autumnal colours. We had a wet summer and a warm early autumn so it is not an early season for autumnal foliage. To the north and to the west the foliage may have already begun.

I attach two photos, taken today: a sugar maple tree and a leaf on the ground.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :h:
 

Attachments

  • Sugar Maple, October 21.jpg
    Sugar Maple, October 21.jpg
    423.9 KB · Views: 30
  • leaf.jpg
    leaf.jpg
    282.5 KB · Views: 23
LOL! The one on the right matches my fallen leaves so far.

We finally got a cold front come in last night so let's see if that changes things.
 
Hello Footman,

I cannot predict the autumnal colours. We had a wet summer and a warm early autumn so it is not an early season for autumnal foliage. To the north and to the west the foliage may have already begun.

I attach two photos, taken today: a sugar maple tree and a leaf on the ground.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :h:

Thanks for that Arthur.
 
More birds of the season

Hello all,

First of all those male northern shovellers are showing their almost full winter plumage. As I usually noted their presence in early November, I suspect that I had overlooked them before they reached full colourful plumage.

I am still seeing palm and myrtle warblers, along with white throated sparrows, hermit thrushes, eastern towhees, red bellied woodpeckers, surprisingly only a few downy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, song sparrows, red tailed hawks, aloft and numerous tufted titmice and white throated sparrows. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing a white breasted nuthatch go down a tree and a brown creeper go up a tree.


Today, I finally saw a junco and a purple finch, as well as flock of cedar waxwings in a hackberry tree. Cedar waxwings are rather gregarious but this flock crowded the upper branches of the tree.

I attach a photograph of the Lake, showing some more autumnal colours. If you look for similar photographs from previous years, like post #502, you might see more construction of luxury flats.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :brains:
 

Attachments

  • Woodpecker, downy (Eckstrom).jpg
    Woodpecker, downy (Eckstrom).jpg
    31.8 KB · Views: 23
  • juncoes.jpg
    juncoes.jpg
    21.7 KB · Views: 21
  • Purple finch, male.jpg
    Purple finch, male.jpg
    14.6 KB · Views: 24
  • Waxwings, cedar.jpg
    Waxwings, cedar.jpg
    54.5 KB · Views: 23
  • Oak bridge.jpg
    Oak bridge.jpg
    253.7 KB · Views: 28
Last edited:
I am still seeing palm and myrtle warblers, along with white throated sparrows, hermit thrushes, eastern towhees, red bellied woodpeckers, surprisingly only a few downy woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, song sparrows, red tailed hawks, aloft and numerous tufted titmice and white throated sparrows. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing a white breasted nuthatch go down a tree and a brown creeper go up a tree.

I'm seeing pretty much the same groups of birds as you Arthur except for the White-breasted Nuthatch.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top