I haven’t been able to spend much time birding this December. During the week, it’s too dark to bird after work, and the weekend before last, I was away on business.
This last weekend, I only had a few hours on Saturday to go birding. Sunday, I participated in the Christmas Bird count in Central Park, but didn’t have time to photograph much.
So, here are the few photos I got last weekend.
The smallest owl that visits Central Park is the Northern Saw-whet Owl. It’s about eight inches tall. A Saw-whet has been in the park for about a week. Today, it was in a perfect spot to watch until dusk. A small group of us were hoping for a fly out, but the owl jumped to the center of the bush it has been perching in rather than flying out. I was disappointed but also glad to see that the owl could out smart us.
Three Barred Owls were spotted in the park today, most likely the trio that arrived after Huricane Sandy. It’s so great that they’ve stayed in the park.
On a gray late Fall day, a visit to Central Park yielded a few Cooper’s Hawks, two Barred Owls and a few Red-tailed Hawks. Let’s hope the Barred Owls stay for the Christmas Bird count, Sunday, December 16th.
This fall, Central Park has had at least four owl species – Great Horned Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Long-eared Owl, and Barred Owl. That’s a great variety for so early in the fall/winter season.
Let’s hope the visits continue!
Although it looks like two of the Barred Owls may have relocated, one owl was still around on Saturday. What a wonderful species!
