Central Park - 8th Jan

A chilly day in Central Park. Temperatures were well below freezing, with quite a wind over the reservoir making for an extremely uncomfortable start to the day. There were plenty of birds about though, particularly in The Ramble, with lots of woodpeckers (Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker and Red-bellied Woodpecker), and White-breasted Nuthatches everywhere. 3 Ring-necked Duck still on the reservoir, along with small numbers of Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead and Gadwall, as well as American Coot and one Pied-billed Grebe.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Northern Flicker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

 White-breasted Nuthatch

Red-tailed Hawk

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Shoveler

Winter Geese - 5th Jan

My school starts back on Tuesday this week, so I decided to use my unexpected extra day's holiday looking for some wintering geese that have been hanging around the complex of cemeteries on Long Island. The first flock I encountered held the Barnacle Goose that had been present for a couple of weeks. Further scrutiny produced at least one candidate for Cackling Goose, though none were convincing, all the smaller birds being more like 'Lesser' Canada Goose. This is not an easy group of species and I have a way to go before I can separate all the various races.

Barnacle Goose. A long range shot, unfortunately it moved further away and soon took off, along with half the Canadas. The bird on the left looks like a candidate for either a Lesser Canada Goose, or even a Cackling Goose, though the bill is still a little too large, and the upperparts no different from other birds nearby. I need more practice!

This was pointed out to me as a Cackling Goose. Despite the small build, short neck and and darker breast however it lacks the squarish 'boxy' head and tiny bill. It should also have a 'frosty' sheen to the upperparts. This therefore is one of several races of 'Lesser' Canada Goose.

Double Kingbird Day - 4th Jan

My first day back in the USA from a very nice Christmas in Ireland. The holidays had been somewhat fraught due to the news of a Couch's Kingbird in Manhattan which emerged on 25th December. I spent a few days hoping that it would still be there when I got back, and my prayers were answered! We originally located it at the corner of W 11th and W 4th, where it has been most reliably found over the last couple of weeks. It then moved off, and we eventually caught up with it again at its original site on Washington St.

Having achieved the main target for the day it was suggested that getting the other mega kingbird in New York at the moment would be fun, so we headed to Floyd Bennett Field. The Cassin's Kingbird was showing very well, a great start to the NY year list! Doug then showed us a Northern Saw-whet Owl roost that had been found a few weeks ago, and we finished the day looking at gulls at Coney Island Creek, including a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull. Marvelous!

Couch's Kingbird. A NY state first record. It has been hanging around a patch of the West Village in Manhattan for several weeks, instead of Mexico where it really should be.

The notched tail identifies this as either Couch's or Tropical. Both have the yellow extending up to the throat ...

...and green upperparts. The best method of separating the two is by call, fortunately this fellow was very vocal every time he flew.

The tail is another key feature. Cassin's has a white tip, Western is black with white edges.

Cassin's Kingbird. Note the grey upperparts unlike the Couch's. Still in the same spot where it was found in November. Let's hope this chap survives the cold weather that's on the way.

Northern Saw-whet Owl. Also very site-faithful. I'll be visiting this one again.

Juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull. Small numbers are scattered around various sites, particularly on Long Island. This is the first I've managed to catch up with.

Jones Beach - 13th Dec

My last full days' birding before the Christmas holiday, so I headed to Jones Beach of course!

I started at the coast guard station, which turned out to be an excellent choice. I'd hardly got myself set up when a large bird flew past off-shore, American Bittern! It landed in a small reedbed just along from me. Naturally when I approached its spot it was totally invisible until it exploded out of the reeds right in front of me. The nearest I've been to this bird was dipping on one in Morecombe (I think) in 1991.

I continued on to the west end car park, and walked down the beach to the point. The dunes had the usual flocks of Horned Lark and Snow Bunting, with 2 Lapland Buntings.

At the jetty a large flock of Common Eider was just off shore. While watching them another birder pointed out a pair of Harlequin Duck. This was my main target species achieved, and I settled in to enjoy them. Astonishingly beautiful, when I showed the pictures to my youngest son he thought they weren't real. Also at the point were several small groups of Long-tailed Duck, 1 White-winged Scoter, 2 Black Scoter, many Red-breasted Merganser, Red-breasted Loon and Common Loon. A small flock of waders on the rocks consisted of 20 or so Sanderling, about 40 Dunlin and a single Purple Sandpiper.

On the way back there wasn't much, apart from a single Peregrine.

American Bittern. Flew past me as I was standing at the coast guard station drinking my early-morning coffee. It landed in a tiny reedbed for a few minutes, then took off when I inadvertently got too close. Apparently quite rare these days.

Male Harlequin Duck. Astonishingly beautiful birds. These two were at the stone jetty at the west end of Jones Beach.

Female Harlequin Duck.

Long-tailed Duck. Quite a few small groups flying up and down the shore line today.

Purple Sandpiper. Only one, on the stone jetty, associating with a mixed flock of Sanderling and Dunlin.

Westchester Rarities - 6th Dec

Quite a damp and not-very-pleasant weekend, so my birding today was confined to twitching a couple of rarities reported from some nearby sites. First stop was Five Islands Park for a Black-headed Gull that was found last weekend. That was quite easily found, so I moved on to Mamaroneck to get a Eurasian Wigeon that was found earlier in the week. Also a very easy find, and I was back home in front of the telly in under 2 hours!

One of several Eurasian Wigeons in the New York area at the moment. This was at a site in Mamaroneck called Hummocks Conservation Area.

Associating closely with the American Wigeons nearby.

Black-headed Gull conferring with a much larger Ring-billed Gull. I must admit to mixed feelings about this bird. Context is everything of course, but twitching a BHG?

Cassin's Kingbird at Floyd Bennett Field - 30 Nov

Temperatures were considerably higher today than recently, and I'm sure that is what caused the Cassin's Kingbird to show himself so well today at Floyd Bennet Field. It was first found a couple of weeks ago, and is the second state record of this southwestern species. It was very active, doing plenty of flycatching, and covering quite a wide area of the picnic ground and community gardens.

After this successful start to the day I headed off to Jamaica Bay which is a good wintering area for waterfowl. A large flock of Canada Goose were at the south end, along with reasonable numbers of other waterfowl, including about 300 Ruddy Duck, 33 Greater Scaup, 6 Snow Goose, 25 Hooded Merganser, 3 Red-breasted Merganser plus small number of Mallard, Black Duck, Gadwall and Bufflehead. Just visible at the north end of the pond was a lovely male Eurasian Wigeon, not exactly a major rarity here (there are at least 2 others in New York at the moment), but scarce enough, and my first self-found US rarity.

A surprise find was an American Woodcock, flushed from the trail as I approached one of the hides. Absolutely smashing, but way too fast for a picture.

I'd started the dat at Point Lookout trying to connect with the Harlequin Ducks there, but no luck, The Common Eider flock had increased to 20 birds, including one adult and a first-year male.

Cassin's Kingbird. I dipped on Friday, spending about 3 hours standing around in the freezing cold, but I got onto it straightaway today.

It was very active, regularly fly-catching. I think it must have found catching insects over the last couple of very cold days quite difficult, and it was probably starving today!

The most likely confusion species in New York is Western Kingbird (also accidental, though much more regular). The principal features identifying this as Cassin's are; the darker grey head, contrasting white malar and chin (not visible here)...

...pale-edged wing coverts, and pale tip to the tail.

All features more or less visible here.

American Wigeon.

Redhead. Quite the prettiest duck I think I've ever seen!

A nice flock of Common Eider at Point Lookout today, including this male and female....

....and this first winter male.

Double-crested Cormorant.

Long Island sites - 28th Nov

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. Two days off attached to a weekend, shops too full for comfort and family cuddled up in front of the telly, which all adds up to a full days birding! I elected to visit a number of Long Island sites, trying to catch up with the vagrant Cassin's Kingbird and then tracking down some winter ducks. I started at Floyd Bennett Field.

This site is an old USAF base, with large areas of short grass, interspersed with more wooded or shrubby patches. Sadly there was no sign of the Kingbird early on, but I got great views of a Fox Sparrow, as well as a group of 4 American Pipits flying over, 3 separate Northern Harriers including one male, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk. At about 9:30 I decided to head over to Jones Beach again, a site I'm starting to like very much indeed.

I started at the West Car Park. The flock of Horned Larks had been augmented by a large flock of at least 100 Snow Buntings. Once again there was at least one Lapland Longspur with them. I walked down the beach to the jetty at the west end (at least two more Northern Harriers, including a cracking male), then followed the inlet around to the Coast Guard Station. The wind was quite high, which made scope-work difficult, but I did manage to find quite a few birds including about 4 Red-throated Loon, 5 Common Loon, 7 White-winged Scoter, 20+ Black Scoter, 1 Common Eider, 2 Purple Sandpipers and several small flocks of Dunlin. Once at the Coast Guard Station I relocated the Marbled Godwit still associating with the American Oystercatchers. Also there were 8 Red-breasted Merganser, several Bufflehead, and best bird of the day for me, 3 Long-tailed Duck in the bay.

Next stop was Point Lookout. I'd been told the 3rd jetty was the spot for the Harlequin Ducks, so that's where I went! No luck, but I know the site now, and will include it on all future outings. It seems more sheltered than the jetty at Jones Beach, and I can see why it attracts birds. There were several species feeding in the calm water between the jetties, including several more Red-throated Loons and Commons Loons, 2 more Common Eider and a winter plumaged Horned Grebe (aka Slavonian Grebe, a bird I haven't seen in 26 years!)

Fox Sparrow. A smashing bird, stood out like a sore thumb!

Marbled Godwit. Still hanging out with the Oystercatchers, and one Dunlin here.

Winter-plumaged Dunlin.

Snow Bunting. Really very pretty.

There was a flock of about 100, flying around the carpark, with, hidden amongst the masses...

...this Lapland Longspur

Common Eider.

White-winged Scoter.

Common Loon.

Great Blue Heron

Lots of Northern Harriers today, including this juvenile...

...which was very obliging.

Also present at Jones Beach was this beautiful male.