Randalls Island American Woodcock
I was keeping an eye out for American Woodcock in Central Park, but was shocked to find one on Randalls Island out in the open next to the Golf Driving Range. It was a fun discovery.
Windy and Cold Central Park
On Sunday, I spent most of the day in the park trying to see a Common Redpoll without success. However, I did have a good time seeing a group of Red-winged Hawks for the first time this year, a very beautiful European Goldfinch (possibly an escapee rather than a wild bird), Owls and the Common Merganser on the Harlem Meer. While I wasn’t trying for a long species list, I did end up with a respectable 37.
| 180 | Canada Goose | |
| 3 | Wood Duck | |
| 57 | Mallard | |
| 6 | Bufflehead | |
| 8 | Hooded Merganser | |
| 1 | Common Merganser | |
| 2 | Ruddy Duck | |
| 1 | Pied-billed Grebe | |
| 2 | Double-crested Cormorant | |
| 1 | Cooper’s Hawk | |
| 4 | Red-tailed Hawk | |
| 2 | American Coot | |
| 18 | Ring-billed Gull | |
| 1 | Great Black-backed Gull | |
| 4 | Mourning Dove | |
| 2 | Northern Saw-whet Owl | |
| 2 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | |
| 1 | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | |
| 6 | Downy Woodpecker | |
| 1 | Hairy Woodpecker | |
| 4 | Blue Jay | |
| 8 | Black-capped Chickadee | |
| 33 | Tufted Titmouse | |
| 6 | White-breasted Nuthatch | |
| 1 | Brown Creeper | |
| 74 | American Robin | |
| 2 | European Starling | |
| 1 | Song Sparrow | |
| 23 | White-throated Sparrow | |
| 2 | Dark-eyed Junco | |
| 4 | Northern Cardinal | |
| 7 | Red-winged Blackbird | |
| 20 | Common Grackle | |
| 9 | House Finch | |
| 11 | American Goldfinch | |
| 1 | European Goldfinch | |
| 15 | House Sparrow |
Gull and Owl
I’ve been packing a simple camera and a spotting scope rather than my regular setup these last two weeks. I bothered an old knee injury in the snow and need to lighten the weight of my pack. So, I’ve been continuing my goal to stay in the top 10 of the Top 100 New York County 2013 list on eBird.org, rather than just follow hawks this year.
Over the last week, this has meant adding a first winter Iceland Gull to my list for the year. In addition, to the gull this week’s fun birds included a Northern Saw-whet Owl.
Saturday at Fifth Avenue
For 2013, I’ve wanted to spend time doing general bird watching rather than just hawk watching and have been birding Central Park, Inwood Hill, Fort Tryon, Battery Park and Randalls Island the last few weeks. My total for New York County is now 65 species, so I’m off to a good start for the year.
Despite my refocusing, I have spent some time at hawk nests. On Saturday, it was Pale Male and his new mate’s nest.
I saw them copulate, visit the nest together and saw Pale Male bring her a gift of a pigeon. The cold weather caused me to miss some of the action with my camera, but I was too busy trying to keep warm.
Barred Owl vs. Immature Red-tailed Hawk
You always hear that owls and hawks don’t interact much, but a young Red-tailed Hawk didn’t get the message. It’s been harassing the Barred Owl that’s in Central Park for the past few weeks.
Tonight the Barred Owl must have had enough. The Red-tailed Hawk tried to roost in a tree the Barred Owl used to use during the day, so the Barred Owl flew out early and chased the Red-tail away.
Randalls Island Peregrine Falcons
A nice trip to Randalls Island on Sunday yeilded the two resident Peregrine Falcons atop the center building of The Manhattan Psychiatric Center. One was on a corner and the other on a set of communications towers. The bird on the tower was banded but it was too far away to capture any numbers.
The count for the day was fairly good. 35 species with a Common Goldeneye and a Belted Kingfisher as highlights. The day had three raptor species, American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon and Red-tailed Hawk.
| 620 | Brant |
| 406 | Canada Goose |
| 30 | Gadwall |
| 3 | American Black Duck |
| 28 | Mallard |
| 12 | Bufflehead |
| 1 | Common Goldeneye |
| 14 | Red-breasted Merganser |
| 24 | Ruddy Duck |
| 1 | Red-throated Loon |
| 1 | Double-crested Cormorant |
| 2 | Great Cormorant |
| 1 | Great Blue Heron |
| 2 | Red-tailed Hawk |
| 1 | American Coot |
| 20 | Ring-billed Gull |
| 1 | Herring Gull |
| 4 | Great Black-backed Gull |
| 45 | Rock Pigeon |
| 3 | Mourning Dove |
| 2 | Belted Kingfisher |
| 3 | American Kestrel |
| 2 | Peregrine Falcon |
| 4 | American Crow |
| 4 | Black-capped Chickadee |
| 1 | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| 14 | American Robin |
| 2 | Northern Mockingbird |
| 57 | European Starling |
| 1 | American Tree Sparrow |
| 1 | Song Sparrow |
| 2 | White-throated Sparrow |
| 1 | Dark-eyed Junco |
| 6 | Northern Cardinal |
| 15 | House Sparrow |
