Like a baggage-handlers union striking on a bank-holiday weekend, my camera chose the most inconvenient time to break down, the start of warbler season, hence the lack of postings for the last couple of weeks. Fortunately this is New York, and virtually any service is available for a fee.
Phototech on W36th street sorted me out.
The birding has been great, though veterans do say that we are far from peak migration. Warbler numbers are building up nicely. The commonest are without doubt the
Yellow-rumped, which seem to be everywhere. There are still a few
Palm about, and one
Pine was at Turtle Pond on Tuesday.
Yellow and
Black-and-white have started to arrive, and there are regular reports of
Louisiana Waterthrush at The Point. A rarity was a
Prothonotary which had been found stunned, and released into the park last weekend. I got great views of it on Tuesday, but it had disappeared by the time I retrieved my camera on Friday. Other good warblers at the point included a
Blue-winged on Tuesday and an
Ovenbird on Friday.
Other migrants arriving this week included;
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Blue-headed Vireos, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Tree swallow, Northern Rough-wing Swallow, Barn Swallow and a
Carolina Wren.
Stunning views of an
Ovenbird at The Point...
This
Louisiana Waterthrush showed very well all week. Key features include the unspotted white throat, white underparts and 'bubblegum' pink legs. The jizz is also distinctive, it moves with a proper sashaying motion, rather than the head-bobbing of a Northern Waterthrush
A kill!
Magnificent
Yellow Warblers at The Point and Turtle Pond
Yellow-rumped Warblers everywhere
Palm Warblers still present, though in reduced numbers
This
Black-crowned Night Heron has taken to roosting at the end of The Point
Juvenile
Cooper's Hawk in The Oven
Singing
Carolina Wren
Tree Swallow have arrived this week
Magnificent male
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, seen every day this week
This
Purple Finch is a winter straggler, presumably he'll be off very soon.
Eastern Towhee are becoming quite common
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