From my Manhattan Window (2 Viewers)

Pinewood · Jan 1, 2015

Non-Avian Arrival

Hello all,

Please accept my best wishes for a happy New Year of good bird watching, of good health and of peace.

The year ended with the disappearance of the wood ducks on the Lake. I last saw them on Tuesday, in the company of an American coot, which made a one day appearance. On both Tuesday and New Year's eve, I arrived at the Oven, too late, observe a recent arrival, a coyote. I did lend my binocular to some park rangers, who were looking for it in a tangle of logs, branches and other plants. The rangers told me that there was no plan to capture it. As it is nocturnal, I would have to arrive rater early to get a glimpse of it.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Jan 5, 2015

Hello all,

I have nothing really new to report but I do have a couple of anecdotes.

On Friday, I met two Californians, who were actively trying to find two birds, which they never see: bluejays and northern cardinals.

They joined me as I was able to point out some more birds of eastern North America: northern shovel[l]ers, male and female wood ducks, red bellied and downy woodpeckers, tufted titmice, blackcapped chickadees, ring billed gulls, white breasted nuthatches, American goldfinches, house finches, a red-tailed hawk and mourning doves. Turtle Pond was frozen over, so they did not have a chance for more waterfowl.

As you can read above, the wood ducks reappeared but yesterday and today, I saw only a female wood duck. There were some black ducks on the Lake, today.

Today, I met Étudiant, in the maintenance meadow, who had just seen a kinglet and a brown thrasher. The kinglet turned up, right in front of us, but I could not find the thrasher.
He mentioned that there was nothing of interest on Turtle Pond, but a bufflehead and a pair of hooded mergansers must have arrived, after he left, as I saw them.

Yesterday, the Pond was partially frozen, when a pair of mallards arrived. The female landed in open water the male landed on the ice and slid a few feet before coming to a stop. He must have been in good shape because he waddled to open water and jumped in.
Yesterday, a hermit thrush also turned up.

Today’s best bird would have to be an immature Cooper hawk.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Jan 13, 2015

The grackles are back

Hello all,

Last weeks frost, -7º and -12º, on some mornings, and two snowy mornings, have put a dent in my daily schedule. Thursday, the Lake and Turtle Pond had a lot of ice. I saw only Canada geese and ring billed gulls. Today, there were a few mallards in open water, as well. Someone seeing all that ice walked out, on the ice, and fell through, on Saturday. He was luck to be rescued, very quickly, as the rescue team was training, nearby.

Sunday, I went to the Reservoir, which was mostly opened,seeking some waterfowl. I was rewarded with mallards, mergansers, buffleheads,and shovel[l]lers. At the Reservoir, I met Birding Bob who pointed out a peregrine falcon sitting atop the north tower of a block of flats, the El Dorado Apartments. Peregrine falcons like rocky outcrops, near water. The El Dorada, clad in masonry, and in sight of the Reservoir, must have suited it.

In the last few day, the grackles have returned, and after a lack in December, so have the American robins. Near the feeders, I saw a fox sparrow but missed the chipping sparrow. However, Thursday, I saw a brown creeper, the first, in many weeks.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Jan 21, 2015

Red wing blackbird

Hello all,

Sunday was terrible weather. At eight o'clock, AM, there was freezing rain. I left my block of flats to find icy pavements. After I few steps, I returned, home, rather than risk injury. Then it rained profusely, more than 5 cm, for the day.

In the past week, or so, I have caught sight of a hermit thrush, twice, so we must have some wintering. I have also seen juvenile red tails, quite frequently. Today, at the Central Park feeders, two turned up. One buzzed me twice, as close as 1 m. I am told they never bother humans but it is still rather off-putting. Actually, it is kind of thrilling. I thought that I might have had another glimpse of a bald eagle, but it was distant and obscured by trees.

I definitely saw another [/b]red winged blackbird[/b], yesterday. They are no longer common in Central Park because Park "restoration" has removed some of their favoured habitat: wetland. I am fairly certain that I saw a red breasted nuthatch, along with the white breasted ones, in the last week, but there is no question that I saw a chipping sparrow.

Last week also brought a Carolna wren to my walks. Last year, a pair was at the feeders, for weeks, but not this year. At the feeders, I did see an almost stationary yellow bellied sapsucker attached to an oak at about -7ºC.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Two or three cm. of snow are expected, overnight. That is not much at all, but it may be too much for a safe ramble.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Jan 28, 2015

Bitter cold and something it may bring

Hello all,

We have had some severe winter weather, of late. At -8ºC, I saw a yellow bellied sapsucker]/b], almost motionless on an oak, one morning. Actually, the sapsuckers have become more visible, this winter, even though New York is at the northern edge of its winter range. To be sure, downy and red bellied woodpeckers, black capped chickadees, white breasted nuthatches and tufted titmice are far more common. American goldfinches and house finches are still sighted, at the feeders. Mourning doves are rather scarce, this year.

Monday, it started to snow when I set forth, so I attended to a software purchase. Tuesday, we got 22 cm of snow, while expecting 60 cm. I believe that the Beeb and the American news covered that fiasco: New York's Metro was shut and consequently the whole city was a ghost town, in the morning. I went foraging on Monday, only to find crowds in the supermarket. Tuesday afternoon, my local supermarket had bare shelves.

Sunday and today, when the temperature was -9ºC, I saw an uncommon visitor to Manhattan, a common redpoll. Long ago, I posted a thread about previous sightings, at my window. I was initially met with doubts and derision but it seems that they may turn up, annually. As the recent Couch's Kingbird in Manhattan's Greenwich Village proved birds do fly.

The eruption line is Virginia, but the southern limit of their range is posted, as nearby, 80 km, to the north. One hundred years, ago the common redpoll, known simply as a "redpoll," was considered an irregular in New York City. I do not think that this visit is part of an eruption.

Today, the temperature may get above freezing, which means that tomorrow, the footpaths in Central Park may be glazed. Although I have crampons, it is not my favourite condition for a walk.

Images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Merlin · Jan 29, 2015

Hi Arthur

I hope you are well?
It is snowing here now and I am also watching Redpolls in my garden, I am sure that the snow here will be not as much as you have there.

best regards

Merlin

Pinewood · Jan 29, 2015

Hello Merlin,

I am in tolerable good health but I do endure those minor pains and inconveniences of growing older. When I walk in the snow, I use a monopod as a staff, to maintain my balance.

I hope that you are doing well.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Feb 5, 2015

The ususal

Hello all,

Snow, frigid weather, and ice on the footpaths have put a dent in my daily routine. The Lake is frozen over, and the Reservoir is nearly frozen over. However, this is what I saw, last Sunday:

blue jays
northern cardinals
white breasted nut hatches
white throated sparrows
fox sparrows
common redpoll, a daily sighting, of late.
American gold finches
house finch
house finches
black capped chickadees
tufted titmice
immature red tailed hawk
juncoes
downy woodpeckers
red-bellied woodpeckers
yellow bellied sapsucker
grackles
peregrine falcon [still atop the El Dorado]
hooded mergansers
ring billed gulls
greater black backed gulls

Noticeably absent were any mourning doves.

On Tuesday, I saw a red tailed hawk take a mouse near the feeders, then land in a tree to enjoy its breakfast.

Today's best birds were a brown thrasher, near the oven, and a chipping sparrow.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Pinewood · Feb 12, 2015

Redpoll stil around

Hello all,

That common redpoll is still visiting the feeders, which brings to both regular bird watchers and visitors. I had another sighting of the brown thrasher, on Tuesday, in the presence of a photographer. This nature photographer had seen two bald eagles, at the Reservoir, on Sunday. One of them, an immature, was eating a gull.

Today, along with the redpoll, I saw a tree sparrow, which I first saw, Sunday. A visitor, from the Netherlands, thought he had seen two, but the other one was a pale chipping sparrow, which is wintering in the Park. There were, perhaps, six fox sparrows, on the ground, and several house finches, at the feeders. Tomorrow morning, we expect more frigid weather, so the feeders are sustaining some of these birds.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

rdcny · Feb 13, 2015

Bald Eagles in Central Park

Arthur - the two Bald Eagles were seen on Wednesday, 11 February - at the Reservoir...here is the adult that Tom Schuchaskie thought was eating a Ring-billed Gull:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=17964678

Lincoln Karim has a nice photo of a Bald Eagle adult with a fish in its talons flying over the park - that was 2011 or so.

Robert DeCandido PhD
www.BirdingBob.com

Pinewood · Feb 13, 2015

rdcny said:
Arthur - the two Bald Eagles were seen on Wednesday, 11 February - at the Reservoir...here is the adult that Tom Schuchaskie thought was eating a Ring-billed Gull:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=17964678

Lincoln Karim has a nice photo of a Bald Eagle adult with a fish in its talons flying over the park - that was 2011 or so.

Robert DeCandido PhD
www.BirdingBob.com

Hello Bob,

Thanks for the correction.

Plenty of titmice, common redpolls, and tree sparrows, brown thrashers and reports of bald eagles have made this a good week, for early February.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Feb 18, 2015

Almost up to freezing

Hello,

This morning started cold, -7ºC, but by the afternoon, it was almost -1ºc. The Lake is frozen solid but the Reservoir had some open water.

Today's birds included:

northern cardinals
blue jays
tufted timice
white throated sparrows
fox sparrows, which are prized by UK visitors
juncoes
white breasted nuthatches
black capped chickadees
common redpoll
house finches
American goldfinches
pine siskin, only my second sporting of this species
common grackles
downy wood peckers
yellow bellied sapsuckers, in several spots
red tailed hawks, immature and adult, including one feeding on something, at the Reservoir
norther shoveller
American coot
mallards
ring billed gulls
GBB gulls
peregrine falcons

I was assured that the chipping and American tree sparrows were still showing up, at the feeders, even if I did not see any, today.

I have been advised that a red-tailed took a duck, at the Azalea Pond, which is fed from the mains and has a spot clear of ice. That might have been what the red-tailed, at the Reservoir, was eating.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Pinewood · Feb 25, 2015

Redpoll surprised me

Hello,

We have had some more unseasonably cold mornings. On Friday, I was outside at -16ºC, but not for long. There are limits to my dedication. Next week, the weather should be seasonable: overnight frost, daytime up to 6ºC. Today, I saw a man pursuing his dog, on the Lake. He was not wise to have his dog unleashed and he was certainly ill advised to run on the ice.

There are a few spots of open water, on the Lake. They are usually associated with the culverts, but even the ducks do not seem to like them much. On and near those spots, shovellers, and mallards do turn up.

After a few days' absence, thecommon redpoll surprised me, today. The American tree sparrow turned up ,on Sunday, as well as today. I got another glimpse of the pine siskin, but this time I will post an illustration of the siskin, not another bird. I am reasonably sure that I saw a song sparrow, today.

In the past week, I have seen just one mourning dove but juncoes, black capped chickadees, downy woodpeckers, white breasted nuthatches, cardinals, blue jays, some red bellied woodpeckers and yellow bellied sapsuckers, house finches, white throated sparrows and fox sparrows.

I am adding an image of the American goldfinch in winter plumage, which flocks at the feeders.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Ha

Pinewood · Mar 12, 2015

Above freezing, at last

Hello all,

Last week, we had some snow, and then a warming trend. This morning it may have been 6ºC, but we reached a tropic 15ºC, in the afternoon. The Lake is still mostly frozen, with some open patches near culverts, so shovellers were around.
On Sunday, I saw a chipping sparrow and the common redpoll, but not since. Also on Sunday, I saw an American coot and some kind of merganser, but not a hooded, recognized by its silhouette, across the ice.

Also on Sunday, an American woodcock flew nearby. That would be the first migrant of the season. I cannot figure out why the woodcock arrived with all the leaf litter covered with snow. By now, there should be plenty of leaf litter to keep it happy. With the Lake mostly frozen, I do not expect to see any new ducks or shore birds, soon. However, today there were a reasonable number of mourning doves, which had been scarce, but there were no fox sparrows. After a weeks lack of sighting, I did see a red bellied woodpecker.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur

Pinewood · Mar 20, 2015

A four letter word

Hello,

As I write, snow is in the forecast, as much as 12 cm. Where snow has melted, I have been seeing snow drops, an early flower.

On Sunday, I got a good look at an American woodcock. Once they find some leaf litter, that are very hard to find because of their very effective camouflage. They are migrants in these parts, so they are a few days in spring, and then in autumn.

Monday, I walked to the reservoir, which still had a lot of ice, but in the open water, I saw coots, shovellers, and buffleheads, for the first time in many weeks and an American green winged teal, the first time, for me, in Central Park.. Tuesday, I visited the reservoir, again and saw more buffleheads and one female wood duck.

Today, I had another glimpse of that chipping sparrow, along with nuthatches, black capped chickadees, American goldfinches, fox sparrows, song sparrows, house finches, downy and red bellied woodpeckers. I have been seeing many red tailed hawks, one of which buzzed me on Monday.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

Mono · Mar 22, 2015

How is the thaw progressing? Are things becoming more Spring like?

Pinewood · Mar 22, 2015

Mono said:
How is the thaw progressing? Are things becoming more Spring like?

Hello Mono,

Not quite, yet: no leaves on the trees, no crocuses, but there are a lot of song sparrows, about.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Mar 26, 2015

The ice is almost gone

Hello all,

We have had a string of days above freezing; in the last five days, only a couple of nights of frost. The ice is almost gone from the Lake and there are open patches on Turtle Pond, although there are no turtles, yet.

On Sunday, I saw a grebe on the Reservoir, which was probably a a pied billed grebe in winter plumage. It was a small dark diving bird, but it was certainly not a female bufflehead. In winter there are no markings on the bill, so I will maintain that it was a pied billed grebe.

On Monday, I saw clearly examined and identified a hairy woodpecker. These are far less common than downies and even red-bellied woodpeckers which are commonly seen in Central Park, Close up, the longer bill clearly identifies it, as does the size. Up a tree, it is not so easy.

Yesterday, and again today, I saw a black crowned night heron. It was in a tangle of trunks and branches on the west side of the Point. On both occasions, I carefully surveyed that tangle, but today I was rewarded with seeing a pair of wood ducks. A park regular said that the male was a handsome bird, but I think the female has some charm, certainly enough to attract the male. The spot was home to wood ducks, last autumn, for weeks.

In the past week, I have seen a huge number of song sparrows, so the season is coming along. I suspect that when the open water warms, I should see a phoebe, but not yet. The goldfinches are changing colour, but there is still a great deal of variety in their shading. I have also been seeing a fair number of fox sparrows, far from the feeders.

Of course, I am still seeing white breasted nuthatches, juncoes, red winged blackbirds, white throated sparrows, black capped chickadees, red bellied woodpeckers, coots on the Reservoir and white throated sparrows.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes from The Birds of New York 1912-1914.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe;

Pinewood · Apr 1, 2015

signs of spring

Hello,

The Lake and Turtle Pond are free of ice. On Tuesday, there was hardly any ice on the Reservoir. The abundance of song sparrows is certainly rather spring like.
I have not seen the wood ducks, but I saw night herons, Friday and Sunday around the Lake, as well as a green winged teal. Since there was no ice, a pair of buffleheads appeared on the Lake, also on Sunday. Monday, the Lake was host to ruddy ducks, still in winter plumage. Today, I saw my first double crested cormorant, on the Lake. A little while, later, I saw one on Turtle Pond.

One of the surest signs of spring is a phoebe which I saw near Turtle Pond, on Sunday. On Monday, and today, Turtle Pond hosted hooded mergansers. Tuesday, and today, an egret turned up on Turtle Pond. Today, I was able to observe it catching something to eat, perhaps a fish or a crustacean.

On Sunday, and yesterday, I went upstate to the Reservoir, where I saw coots, northern shovellers, American black ducks, and buffleheads. The shovellers still turn upon both the Lake and Turtle Pond. Although, I usually do not report what others see, two reliable persons told me of a loon, on the reservoir, today. Another bird watcher informed me of a pine warbler.

The usual birds are still at the feeders and elsewhere in the Park. I may have seen an immature swamp sparrow and a rusty blackbird.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:

Pinewood · Apr 8, 2015

Cold rain

Hello all,

I am enjoying cold rain, at the moment. Monday and Tuesday, I enjoyed the sight of five or six night herons up trees. I guess that the early morning Laek water is too cold for them to wade. On Monday, I also saw a pie billed grebe on the Lake, an uncommon sight. At the feeders, I can rely on seeing a dozen of the usual species, but yesterday a chipping sparrow, with great colour, turned up as well as a first of the season (FOS), palm warbler, as well as a brown tree creeper.

I had two two other FOS, yesterday: northern flicker and a hermit thrush. Along with a red bellied and downy woodpeckers, and a yellow bellied sapsucker, I had a four woodpecker day. I saw the sapsucker an the hermit thrush, at Oak Bridge, when I was in company with the Linnaean Society. They have free Tuesday morning walks, in the warm seasons. Should I meet them, I usually walk with them for a few minutes. Oddly, I saw another hermit thrush, out my window, only hours later.

All images by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur :scribe:

From my Manhattan Window (2 Viewers)

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