Hi-- As many of you already know, the restored grasslands in Croton Point
Park, Westchester County, are a true refuge for threatened grassland
bird species in a built-up region. Bobolinks, Grasshopper Sparrows, and (a
couple of summers ago) even Dickcissels nest there, while nonbreeding
visitors an
This park has become quite a magnet for unexpected warbler species the last
couple of weeks, especially singing males in lovely plumage. So far I've
seen Magnolia, Northern Parula, Black-and-White, and Ovenbird...and though
they don't all flag as rare, I bird this park a lot, and this seems very
un
So this morning I was birding in Croton Landing Park when I spotted another
group of wasps rising and falling over a patch of grass. This time I
identified the species as the widespread *Scolia dubia, *a handsome
parasitic species...and as I watched a Mockingbird that was foraging nearby
hopped dir
Hope it's okay to post an intriguing behavior involving a far-from-rare
species...apologies if it's too off-topic.
I was in the midst of an early-morning walk when I saw about eight Mourning
Doves foraging together on the dry grass of a mowed lawn. I scanned the
group with my binoculars, idly hopi
The spring mini-invasion of this lovely species continues with an
individual present at least from about 5:20 to 6:00 (still there when we
got chased by the rain), on the road out to Teller's Point just beyond
where all the RVs are parked. It was actively foraging among small
hackberry and other le
This week at the park has shown how even the doldrums of March can be
filled with motion...and preparation. Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and
American Pipits have all stopped by in the past few days, and today I
watched three Red Fox Sparrows (the most I've ever seen at one time)
kicking up leaf lit
First spotted last evening by a photographer before flying off, the bird
returned today. As of ten minutes ago, it was foraging in long grasses
between the eastern slope of the grassland hill and the phragmites marsh,
between the two roads/paths that bisect that area. Best place to park is in
the R
I was thinking about Angus's question as to why Limpkins and
Anhingas haven't been present in the ongoing influx of southern species. I
have no theory about Limpkins (since they *are* known to disperse widely at
times)...but perhaps Anhingas' true lack of waterproofing (and, therefore,
risk of hypo
Quick clarification: I should have written that there's been an influx into
"New York County and elsewhere in the region." (There's been only one in
the actual county thus far.) Thanks--
On Tue, Aug 31, 2021 at 4:50 PM Joseph Wallace wrote:
> This isn't specif
ew months back), but early scouts for
an eventual range expansion as well.
Thanks for listening--
Joseph Wallace
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigura
grassland.
Apologies for the multiple posts. --Joe
On Sat, Jul 31, 2021 at 7:24 PM Joseph Wallace wrote:
> BROWN sign--sorry.
>
> On Sat, Jul 31, 2021 at 7:16 PM Joseph Wallace wrote:
>
>> Southwestern side of restored grasslands, observed at about 6:00 tonight
>> for several
BROWN sign--sorry.
On Sat, Jul 31, 2021 at 7:16 PM Joseph Wallace wrote:
> Southwestern side of restored grasslands, observed at about 6:00 tonight
> for several minutes. Bird was on southwestern side of central path over the
> grassland hill: If you walk up hill from maintenance she
Southwestern side of restored grasslands, observed at about 6:00 tonight
for several minutes. Bird was on southwestern side of central path over the
grassland hill: If you walk up hill from maintenance shed, it was on first
gravel path/road to the left, where there's a green "protected grasslands"
in a room
(no, a park!) swapping ours.
Thanks again for welcoming and reading my little piece, and for being so
open in return.
--Joe
On Tue, Jun 22, 2021 at 5:17 PM Joseph Wallace wrote:
> Hi all-- For a couple of years I've been writing short pieces on birds,
> nature in general, an
Hi all--
One more update: The image has now been swapped out for an incontrovertible
Glossy Ibis. Thanks again for the heads-up about this!
--Joe
On Tue, Jun 22, 2021 at 5:17 PM Joseph Wallace wrote:
> Hi all-- For a couple of years I've been writing short pieces on birds,
> nature
;ll try to
fix instead. Thanks for the heads-up, all!
Joe
On Tue, Jun 22, 2021 at 5:17 PM Joseph Wallace wrote:
> Hi all-- For a couple of years I've been writing short pieces on birds,
> nature in general, and the environment for the wonderful Saw Mill River
> Audubon. I hope you do
Hi all-- For a couple of years I've been writing short pieces on birds,
nature in general, and the environment for the wonderful Saw Mill River
Audubon. I hope you don't mind my sharing this one, because I know many of
you treasure Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. It was my father's favorite spot
on ea
Quick update: It seems like swallow "feather play" has been recorded in
Barn Swallows but documented much more heavily in Tree Swallows. With a
little more research, I found a first-hand report (on The Birding
Project's blog) of very similar behavior to Trees in the closely related
Violet-green out
from local passerines also show up in these
> nests on rare occasion. But far and away, body feathers of barnyard fowl
> are the most common Tree Swallow nest lining material in these counties.
>
> Bob Yunick
> Schenectady
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ro
Thanks, everyone for the ongoing conversation. This is all so fascinating.
Corvids and parrots have been known as game-players (and tricksters) for a
long time, and it doesn't surprise me that gulls, already adept at a
creative kind of tool-using (stationery rocks to drop clams on), might also
turn
taking up too much space.
--Joe
On Sun, Jun 6, 2021 at 11:49 AM Shane Blodgett
wrote:
> For birds that catch prey on the wing I wonder if this behavior is just
> for “fun“ or could also be seen as “practice.”
>
> Regards,
> Shane Blodgett
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On
f them just for fun. They’ll even do it with a
>> buddy.
>>
>> Ardith Bondi
>> NYC
>> www.ardithbondi.com
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jun 5, 2021, at 10:04 PM, Joseph Wallace wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> This is more abou
This is more about bird behavior than rarity, so apologies if it's o/t, but
I watched a swallow engage in extraordinary (to me) behavior at Croton
Point Park in Westchester today. It started when I spotted something white
drifting slowly towards the ground: a large, downy feather. Just as I
focused
A ten-minute stationary count just east of Parking Area 6 resulted in a
tally of at least 250 gannets, all flying (singly and in groups up to about
20) east to west with the brisk wind. During a nearly two-hour walk after
this, gannets streamed by the whole time, though in diminishing numbers.
Othe
A careful walk in the park at around 5:00 this afternoon revealed a single
Tundra Swan in the cove off the brick-strewn beach adjacent to the grassy
area to the south of the main parking lot. A return to the busy area at
around 6:00 got us there just in time to see it take off and fly upriver
and o
At around 5:50, after a spectacular sunset, my wife and I were walking just
south of the tiny marsh (with boardwalk) north of the playing field in
Croton Landing when we glimpsed a round-bodied, long-billed bird flying on
angled wings into the marsh. It certainly looked like an American Woodcock
to
A quick late-afternoon walk across the grassland revealed at least seven
Eastern Meadowlarks; a tight-knit group of five Horned Larks foraging on
the newly turned earth (one step in a major restoration project to
eradicate invasives and re-plant native grasses); and a restless flock of
perhaps 20 A
In the era of 280-character rare bird alerts (and, yes, I do rely on
those), I really value this place's continued survival. Not only for the
heads-up on birds outside NYC (such as the Western Kingbird and Upland
Sandpiper in my new town), but for such things as the radar migration
discussions, Ala
An hour in Bryant Park at midday (we miss you, Alan D!) was quieter than
many other urban parks, but did reveal three Ovenbirds, Swainson's and
Hermit Thrush, abundant Catbirds, Song, White-throated, and Chipping
Sparrow, and (including the plantings around the library) at least nine
Common Yellowt
Some pretty diligent searching between about 11:30 and 2:00 today failed to
turn up either prize species, but it was an interesting harbinger of
fall/winter in this little park and nearby library plantings. Along with
perhaps half a dozen Yellowthroats (only one mature male), three Ovenbirds,
and p
Inspired by Alan D.--and by the cool weather--I ventured into misty/drizzly
Bryant Park. As is so often the case for about nine months a year, the
dominant migrant was Common Yellowthroat, with at least five seen feasting
on the bug-rich plantings. One was a male in full plumage, another a young
ma
Thanks, Angus...I find this discussion very interesting. I agree about the
"trap" qualities of Bryant Park, though I do hope that many of the birds
eventually move on. (A pair of park workers once told me that they call in
animal rehab often for disoriented Woodcocks, so at least those birds
surviv
A check of the park between 11AM and noon revealed the skittish Northern
Waterthrush in the same location as before (southwest corner around the
shack), as well as a scattering of other lingering species amid the nesting
Catbirds: a single Ovenbird, Swainson's Thrush, and Swamp Sparrow, a
handful o
A quick circuit in the hot midday of the crowded park revealed an
unexpected Waterthrush in the southwest corner, where the plantings are
deeper and hiding places easier to find. I'm nearly certain it was a
Northern, but though it was active, moving back and forth and around the
shack there, it sta
An absurdly timed exploration of Madison Sq. Park (about 11:30AM-12:30PM)
revealed that last week's lawn hordes had moved on. Only some careful
searching turned up a lone Swainson's Thrush, 9 Yellowthroats (6 male), and
8 Ovenbirds. Most distinctive was a Wood Thrush singing throughout on the
park'
A 10:15-11:15 exploration of the park revealed one briefly glimpsed
(presumably) Gray-Cheeked Thrush (in the SW corner); at least three
Swainson's Thrushes in the plantings on the park's edges; two or three
Swamp Sparrows; six Yellowthroats (all but one male); about as many
Ovenbirds; a plethora of
Inspired by the spectacle at Madison Square Park (where I can add
Black-and-White and Northern Parula Warblers to Ethan's terrific list from
a great day there), I splashed through the rain at around 3:00 for a lap or
two around Bryant Park.
Feeding on the lawn were *at least* 10 male and 6 female
A quick check of Bryant Park at around 5:30 this evening (maximum
human-biomass time) revealed no spillover from the spectacle to the north,
save three Ovenbirds and a plethora (well, at least six) Northern Catbirds
(paired up--I wonder how many nest here). Also: one still-sticking-around
Hermit Th
At last! A walk down Old Sleepy Hollow Trail revealed a massive invasion of
Rockefeller's typical migratory and nesting species over the past couple of
days. Among the highlights were a slew of warblers, most singing and many
at eye level: Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula,
Forgot: A 4:00 drive through the town encountered an impressive flock of
vultures prior to roosting...one part of which included a minimum of 40
near the library, while there were others in the trees near the high school
and in smaller associated flocks. Most were Turkey Vultures, but there was
a s
Inspired by the raptors at Shawangunk NWR last weekend and last night's
snowfall, we spent a couple of mid-afternoon hours today at Croton P.P. It
was quiet, the grassland featuring a lone Horned Lark flying around calling
and then feeding on the snowy path. In the absence of ice, a single adult
Ba
The male Long-tailed Duck was still present in the river off Croton Point
Park as of 3:00 today, alone beyond the jumble of shoreline ice to the west
of the beach at the base of the nature-center hill. Otherwise, we saw about
half a dozen Bald Eagles, but no sign of the previously reported
Rough-le
came to my mind.
>
> The Mysteries of Micro-Parks
> http://linnaeannewyork.org/birding-resources-rba/bird-micro-parks.html
>
> Anders Peltomaa
> Manhattan
>
> On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 11:14 PM Joseph Wallace wrote:
>
>> A check-in at the park today found a pa
A check-in at the park today found a pair of intrepid Hermit Thrushes and a
lone male Yellowthroat still hanging in amid the White-throats, but no sign
of last week's Woodcock, Orange-Crowned Warbler, or Catbird (which may have
been a holdover from those I was told nested in the park over the summe
On Tuesday, an 11:30-12:00 walk along all four edges of the park and the
plantings around the library uncovered at least one (and probably two)
Common Yellowthroats, five Hermit Thrushes (four amid the library
plantings), a Catbird (in the park's southwest corner) and a Winter Wren
(in the scrubby
Under newly clear skies--and warming temperatures--a dusk dog-walk revealed
a lone Common Nighthawk winging determinedly south over downtown
Pleasantville. Also seen: a couple of small bats (little brown?) and a
young green frog. --Joe Wallace
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.
cebook page.
>
> Bob Lewis
> Sleepy Hollow NY
>
>
> On Saturday, September 2, 2017, 4:29:56 PM EDT, Anne Swaim <
> annesw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Group of Birders at Nannahagen now for about hour total. Just Least and
> two Solitary Sandpiper.
>
chase after it), so we can't confirm it.
On Sat, Sep 2, 2017 at 4:29 PM, Anne Swaim wrote:
> Group of Birders at Nannahagen now for about hour total. Just Least and
> two Solitary Sandpiper.
>
> On Sep 2, 2017, at 2:56 PM, Joseph Wallace wrote:
>
> Addendum: Nannahagen P
dflat
where we saw the bird.
On Sat, Sep 2, 2017 at 12:47 PM, Joseph Wallace wrote:
> Having been told that the water level in the managed pond in Nannahagan
> Park in Pleasantville had mysteriously dropped, we went to take a look at
> about 11AM. On the newly exposed mudflats near the lit
Having been told that the water level in the managed pond in Nannahagan
Park in Pleasantville had mysteriously dropped, we went to take a look at
about 11AM. On the newly exposed mudflats near the little pedestrian bridge
at the south (bottom) end of the pond, we saw (sticking close to a lone
Spott
A morning's walk through Doodletown, Bear Mountain State Park, was
typically productive (and typically wonderful). Cerulean Warblers were
apparent throughout, with the best views coming along the hillside near the
entrance (including an eye-level female and a singing male on a bare
branch) and near
An early morning visit to the Model Airplane Field revealed a burst of
activity to celebrate the (finally) changing weather. The highlight was 14
species of warbler, led by Chestnut-sided and Wilson's. Others species,
mostly in good numbers and voice, included Magnolia, Black-throated Blue,
Black-t
My wife and I recently came upon a recovering wetland along Old Post Road
in Armonk (opposite the Beehive restaurant). There's a stream and marshes
and fields where there once a bowling alley stood (only the foundations and
patches of parking lot remain) but are now NYS property.
We went there ton
A quick hour or so at the model-airplane field this morning brought a
satisfying number and variety of migrants and nesters. A dozen warbler
species included Nashville, Tennessee, Black-throated Blue and Green,
Magnolia, Canada, and Blackpoll. Other highlights included nest-building
Baltimore Oriol
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