Male Mandarin Duck
Turtle Pond was host to a male Mandarin Duck today. The species is not native to North America, so it was most likely an escapee from a zoo or collection.
Weekend Birds
I didn’t bird much this weekend but I did spend a few hours in Central Park on both Saturday and Sunday.
Pale Male, who usually is easy to find on fall afternoons west of the Met or around the Great Lawn has been hard to find this year. I wonder if the continued construction on the museum has him hunting in other places this year.
On Sunday, there were three Wood Ducks and and immature Double-Crested Cormorant on Turtle Pond. The Wood Ducks tried to take a nap, but got frightened by some cheers for NYC Marathon runners and left the pond.
Sparrow Rock on Sunday
Some fun birds while hanging around to see if the Eastern Bluebirds would reappear (which they didn’t). A Blue-headed Vireo, two Palm Warblers, a House Wren and a Brown Creeper.
Late Fall Has Arrived
Many birding guides for New York divide the fall migration into two parts, early and late fall. Late fall seems to be upon us, as the counties to the north and west of us had frosts and snow this weekend.
Warblers and early migrants are giving way to various sparrows, thrushes, woodpeckers, wrens and kinglets. Its a fun time to be in the park, enjoying the birds and watching the trees change color.
Fall is also a time to watch Pale Male and Lola on the Beresford Apartments. They’re regulars in the middle to late afternoons.
Harlem Rainbow
It’s starting to feel like fall and we’re definetly in the later part of the fall migration. I didn’t take many pictures this weekend, but rather enjoyed the new arrivals that were in the park.
I did take a few snapshots. Pale Male and Lola, an immature Great Blue Heron, a pair of Pied-billed Grebes, a 1st Winter female Magnolia Warber (note the unique white-banded tail pattern and pale gray neckband) and a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Pale Male and Lola
My Saturday afternoon with Pale Male and Lola started with Pale Male on the Beresford. I had him in view while I went around the Great Lawn for about an hour. When I finally got close enough to photograph him, he flew off within minutes.
Very quickly I heard Blue Jays making a racket in the Locust Grove, and quickly found Pale Male, who already had prey. He flew off to a tree on the Great Lawn, and eat the prey, a Northern Flicker, a bird in the woodpecker family. (Graphic pictures and video of the bird being eaten follow,viewers beware.)
Pale Male then flew back to the Beresford Apartments where Lola was already on. They then took turns taking short flights off of the southeast tower. They played with some sticks on the ledge of the window oval.
(Pale Male and Lola have always kept some sticks on the Beresford. It doesn’t mean much. Red-tailed Hawks have a habit of keeping an alternate nest site, just in case something happens to their main nest. I won’t read too much into today’s behavior.)
