Central Park, Part 2

Yesterday, a Swainson's Warbler was reported in Strawberry Fields in Central Park - assuming it would stick around another day I headed over with fellow birder Mike Zito to try to find this uncommon lifer.  I got down on the ground looking for it in the barberry shrubs where it had been but it just wasn't there today.
We walked around the Ramble and got some decent consolation prizes.  Today was a 14 warbler kind of day - saw the female Cape May again, Blue Winged, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Palm, Yellow, Northern Parula,  Blackburnian, Nashville, Yellow Rumped, Black and White, Chestnut Sided....new FOS for me was a Black Throated Blue and a Prairie Warbler.  I got another opportunity to see a Yellow Throated Vireo, as well as Warbling, Blue Headed and a singing White Eyed Vireo.  Also saw my FOS Eastern Kingbird.  One of the nicest surprises was a almost completely blue plumaged Indigo Bunting.

Chestnut Sided Warbler

Northern Parula

Northern Waterthrush

Indigo Bunting

Nashville Warbler

Central Park, Hempstead Lake State Park, Jones Beach: Orchard Oriole, Worm Eating Warbler, Yellow Throated Vireo

After a slow start at Strawberry Fields, things picked up in the ramble.  I personally had 13 warblers, other birders saw additional types. In the ramble I saw: Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Palm, Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, Blue Winged, Northern Parula,  Blackburnian, Nashville, Yellow Rumped, good looks at a female Cape May, Black and White, and Chestnut Sided.  Also saw Warbling and Blue Headed Vireos, Veery, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles (male and immature male).

I saw a report of a Worm Eating Warbler at Hempstead Lake SP so headed back to Long Island ASAP.  With the help of some other birders I got good looks at it as well as a Blackburnian Warbler, Waterthrush sp,, Northern Parula and Yellow Throated Vireo.

Also did the obligatory check by Jones Beach - only highlight was about a dozen Piping Plovers.

3 lifers!

Veery

Cardinal

White Throated Sparrow

Worm Eating Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Northern Parula

Blackburnian Warbler

Yellow Throated Vireo

Orchard Oriole

Jones Beach West End, Forest Park, Queens

It was disappointing at both locations, but at Jones Beach I saw my FOS Catbird, Willets and Yellow Warbler.  There were new nesting boxes by the Coast Guard area with Tree Swallows already in them.  Forest Park didn't live up to my expectations but I saw a Pine Warbler, Hermit Thrushes and a Red Tailed Hawk crash onto a bird's nest looking for hatchlings? but didn't seem to have caught any.

Towhee

Robin

Red Tailed Hawk

Lido Preserve, Long Beach

FOS Little Blue Heron and Least Sandpiper.

Little Blue Heron

single FOS Least Sandpiper- also lots of Forsters Terns and a lot of noisy
Boat Tailed Grackles - See more at: http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=1107633&MLID=NY01&MLNM=New%20York#sthash.g5U7yHPQ.dpuf

single FOS Least Sandpiper- also lots of Forsters Terns and a lot of noisy
Boat Tailed Grackles - See more at: http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=1107633&MLID=NY01&MLNM=New%20York#sthash.g5U7yHPQ.dpuf

single FOS Least Sandpiper- also lots of Forsters Terns and a lot of noisy
Boat Tailed Grackles - See more at: http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=1107633&MLID=NY01&MLNM=New%20York#sthash.g5U7yHPQ.dpuf

Valley Stream State Park

There was another report of a Hooded Warbler so Mike Zito and I met up to find it - I didn't get photos but did get good looks at it as well as a Blue Headed Vireo and FOS Baltimore Oriole.  Also found a partial leucistic Robin - odd that the white seemed confined to the head.

Robin

Jones Beach West End, Gilgo Beach Marina

Slow day...highlights were Palm Warblers and a Pine Warbler from Jones Beach and about 30+ Forster's Terns at Gilgo Beach Marina.

Pine Warbler

Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area

Slow day - Tree Swallows, Yellowlegs, Osprey, Forster's Terns and Glossy Ibis.

Glossy Ibis

Savannah Sparrow

Jones Beach, Captree State Park, Robert Moses State Park, Bayshore Marina

Slow day - pair of Green Winged Teal at the Jones Beach Coast Guard sandbar, Palm Warbler.  Bayshore Marina still has Laughing Gulls (not seen west of there).

Towhee

Palm Warbler

Laughing Gulls

Arshamomaque Preserve, Greenport, Boland Pond, Broome County: Yellow Headed Blackbird

I tried looking for reported Virginia Rails but only heard a few calls - personally, I don't consider that enough to say I found a "lifer".  As I was out east I saw another report of the Yellow Headed Blackbird at Boland Pond.  Realizing that the bird is most likely seen early and late in he day, I decided to try again...long story short, I saw my first Yellow Headed Blackbird.

Yellow Headed Blackbird

Yellow Headed Blackbird

Boland Pond, Broome County, Bashakill

I saw a report of a Yellow Headed Blackbird at Boland Pond so headed over there to hopefully see a great lifer - by the time I got there, the bird wasn't around - I stayed around for some time with no luck.  Later on after I left, I saw a report that the bird was seen late afternoon...to be continued.

I tried my luck at Bashakill - highlights were lots of Palm Warblers, pair of Rusty Blackbirds, Blue Grey Gnatcatchers, Yellow Rumped Warblers, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, especially a great looking male, a Turkey Vulture, pair of Wood Ducks, pair of Blue Winged Teal and nesting Bald Eagles.

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Palm Warbler

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle with chick

Adirondacks, Lake Champlain: Sandhill Crane, Ruffed Grouse

I made the trip for some boreal birding - I missed one of my target birds - the Grey Jay but had some good "consolation prizes".  I went along Sabattis Road but never made it to Sabattis Bog - the road was closed off for some reason.  It was surprising to see snow on the ground - on the way I didn't see much except Chickadees - just when I thought I struck out I started seeing some good birds on the way back:  Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, 2 Pileated Woodpeckers and 2 Ruffed Grouses (lifer)!  I stopped by a marsh next to Tupper Lake and found one of my target birds - a lifer Sandhill Crane as well as a Raven and Pine Siskins at a feeder.  With a few hours left I decided to try my luck at Lake Champlain for a few reported Caspian Terns - I was treated to a view of at least 13 of them.  I had seen Caspian Terns on 2 prior occasions but never got a good view till now.

Ruffed Grouse

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

Common Raven

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane

Pine Siskins

Caspian Terns

Gardiner's County Park, Gilgo Beach, Captree Island

The weather wasn't cooperative today but I made the best of it - highlights were my FOS Forster's Tern at Gilgo Beach Marina and I finally got to see male Blue Winged Teals!

Forster's Tern

Blue Winged Teal

Oak Beach, Fuchs Pond, Sunken Meadow, Avalon Preserve, Quogue Wildlife Refuge: Hooded Warbler

First thing I did was go back towards Oak Beach to get some decent shots of the continuing Upland Sandpiper.  I tried finding reported Pectoral Sandpipers at Captree Island, but could not locate any.  I'm fairly sure I did see a male Blue Winged Teal but I can't 100% confirm.  I went back to Avalon Preserve in the hopes of finding the leucistic Robin again or a Bobwhite - no luck except for 2 Turkey Vultures overhead.  I saw a report of a Hooded Warbler at Quogue Wildlife Refuge - I figured I was into Suffolk County already so was worth a try.  With the help of another birder I found the Hooded Warbler - extremely early in the season.  Also saw Pine Warblers up close at the feeders.

Pine Warbler

Hooded Warbler

Upland Sandpiper

Oak Beach: Upland Sandpiper

I saw a report of an Upland Sandpiper on the median by Oak Beach - I just happened to be able to get there before sunset and got good views of him near the highway - took pics with my crappy bushnell bins and iphone.