Owls

Barred Owl

I spent an hour this afternoon at the Reservoir of Central Park, watching a Peregrine Falcon on the divider between the east and west side. It was just hanging out, but keep all of the gulls, including a Laughing Gull from resting on the divider.

On my walk home, I stopped in the Ramble to look for Fox Sparrows, which have just returned to the park this week. I found on on a path at the Evodia Field.

As I continued home, I ran across a group of birders watching a Barred Owl. The group was able to watch it make a few flights before loosing track of it. It made one attempt to catch a squirrel.

As the cold weather finally hits us, it’s nice to know we’ll have some fun birds in the park in the late fall and early winter.

Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Other Birds

American Woodcock and Osprey

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.

Bats

Eastern Red Bat

I’m seeing Eastern Red Bats frequently about an hour before dusk around Turtle Pond in Central Park. I suspect with shorter days, and winter approaching they’re eating all they can and risking being out earlier.

Other Birds

Vesper Sparrow

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.