I finally had a chance to look for the Immature White-crowned Sparrow that had been reported by Leo Bix on the 15th of January. The sparrows it had been hanging out with on the dirt path north of Sheep Meadow had moved about a block north to the hill just south of the Falconer’s Statue. It was in a mixed group of House Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows. There was also a single Fox Sparrow and a single Dark-eyed Junco.
The Common Loon returned to Central Park’s Reservoir on Tuesday and was there on Wednesday morning. There were reports of a Red-throated Loon on the Reservoir Tuesday, but the bird I photographed in the late afternoon was a Common Loon, so either we had two different Loons, or there was confusion about the ID.
Tuesday Afternoon
Wednesday Morning
I was away for about a week in Florida at a family reunion, so I missed the Barred Owl and two Great Horned Owls that had been in the Ramble of Central Park. On the off chance they might have still been around, I went to look for them without success.
However, I did get to see an American Woodcock and thanks to the kindness of Charlotte Khoo, who came and found me to tell me about it an Osprey perched in a tree by Balancing Rock, just up the path from the Loeb Boathouse.
On the lawn south of Sparrow Rock, near the Crab Apple trees, late in the day there was a Vesper Sparrow on Friday. A rare sparrow for Central Park, all of us were cautious to I.D. it on the spot. I wasn’t sure until I looked at my photographs at home and then got another birder to confirm the species for me.
As expected, the number continue to decline at the 230 Central Park West roost. Tonight, I only saw about 100 swifts, but I may have started counting late. Either way, we’re at the tail end of the migration through New York.
On Monday and Tuesday nights I watched Chimney Swifts enter the 230 Central Park West chimney. On Monday, it was from a roof on Columbus Avenue and on Tuesday, it was from Central Park. It was reported that this location had over 3,000 swifts roost here last week!
I counted 307 going to roost on Monday and 204 on Tuesday. Historically, this is when you would expect the swifts to be leaving the area and going further south, so this makes sense.
By accident on Tuesday morning, I found a spot (40.7831450, -73.9676067) where you could watch the chimney. Much to my surprise about 30 swifts left the roost around 10 am, confirming it was the correct one. I suspect with the cold weather, they were in no rush to leave their roost!
