Cedar Waxwings
Some Cedar Waxwings from Sunday, about an hour before I saw the Saw-Whet. I was 15 feet from the owl, but it was too well hidden to find on my own!
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Seeing a Northern Saw-whet Owl in Central Park is a real treat. Only a few are seen during migration and they only seem to be one day guests of the park, so actually seeing one takes patience.
Today, the Central Park birding community helped me out. Rebekah Creshkof found the owl, told a friend who got me to the general area of the bird, and then another pair of birders helped me find the right tree.
Eastern Screech-Owl
What may be the last Eastern Screech-Owl in Central Park, continues to captivate me. She was lower in the cavity today, something that makes sense given the colder weather.
Flocks
On a cold, gray afternoon flocks of birds can be a welcome find. My first flock was a group of American Goldfinches with a few Pine Siskins eating Sweet Gum seeds.
The second flock was a group of Cedar Waxwings. They got spooked by a pair of Cooper’s Hawks.
Eastern Screech-Owl on Sunday
The Eastern Screech-Owl continues in her favorite cavity. While I was watching her, a few birders stood very close to her. (A good sign that she’s annoyed is that she puts her ears up.)
When visiting her in the afternoon, please give her some space. Most of us have expensive binoculars. Let’s use them! How would you like it if someone came into your bedroom and started staring at you!
In addition to this owl, the park had a Northern Saw-whet owl last week, and has a Great-Horned Owl now.
Young Red-tailed Hawk
This youngster was in the Loch on Sunday. This is a tough period for many young hawks. They’re on their own for the first time, and those that haven’t mastered hunting are in a real battle for their lives. After nest and fledging accidents, this is a peak time for rehabbers, who get lots of undernourished youngsters in the Fall.
