I was wide awake by
5am, so I headed off to Syosett station and got the train/subway to 72nd
street and headed into Central Park with coffee and bagel in hand. The first
thing that struck me was the amount of birders there. I’d expected to see only
a few people out birding, after all it was a work day, so I wasn’t really
prepared for the large groups of birders that thronged through the park. I
started off around Strawberry Fields before heading off towards The Lake and
then over to the Ramble.
There was lots of stuff to look at,
especially for a visiting Brit like me. Magnolia, Black and White, Blackpoll,
Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, American Redstart, Common
Yellowthroat, Blue-headed Vireo, Eastern Towhee (which I thought would be
common, but was the only one I saw) Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Baltimore
Oriole were seen around Strawberry Fields. After failing to see the Cape May
Warbler which was reported in this area I headed off to the lake and walked
along the shoreline from the small gazebo. Prairie Warbler was the best bird in
this area, but I also saw my first of many Black-throated Blue Warblers and
also Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Then if was off to the Bow Bridge and into The
Ramble where I spent the next 5 hours. The Ramble was great! Lots of songbirds
in some great habitat. The Oven, The Point and The Boathouse were the best
area. Chestnut-sided and Wilson’s Warbler, Northern Waterthrush were the
remaining warblers to be added onto my list. The Chestnut-sided was feeding on
what looked like termite larva in a chopped tree stump at the head of the Oven.
The other good bird was a Lincoln’s Sparrow feeding just north of a small
bridge half-way between the Bow Bridge and the Upper Lobe. A rather skulky
Swainson’s Thrush was also seen nearby. The Azalea Ponds were nice. My first of
two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (the other singing at Bow Bridge) was seen here
along with plenty of warblers. The Point was one of the most productive areas,
being very good for woodpeckers (Northern Flicker, Downy and Red-bellied
Woodpecker) and warblers (Wilson’s, N. Parula, Black-throated Blue,
Yellow-rumped, Magnolia, Black-and-White and Blackpoll). At the base of the
point near the Boathouse, a Spotted Sandpiper fed with a Northern Waterthrush
on the muddy patches around the sheltered shoreline. A number of White-eyed
Vireos were singing throughout the Ramble and a Warbling Vireo was a nice
addition to the list before I left.
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