Massapequa Preserve

I stopped by the preserve for about an hour yesterday looking for warblers -I could not find the Black Throated that I saw the last few days or a Cerulean seen by another birder, but found a Magnolia, Chestnut Sided, Green Winged, Back and White, and a Yellow.  Comorant was "posing" on the pond by Pittsburgh Avenue.

Magnolia Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut Sided Warbler

Double Crested Comorant

Bryant Park, NYC

I stopped by Bryant Park with NYC birder Mike during our “lunch break” for a quick look by the shed.  It has been slower than last year but hopefully picking up now…saw  Hermit Thrush, Ovenbirds, White Throated Sparrow, and a Common Yellowthroat.  A Wood Thrush also made a quick appearance.  Besides the Hermit  Thrush, most birds seemed skittish.  Wish I could have stayed longer – have a feeling there was more to find.

Hermit Thrush

Ovenbird

Wood Thrush

Massapequa Preserve, Massapequa

I stopped by Massapequa Preserve on the way home from work yesterday - by the pond around Pittsburgh Ave.  There were a handful of Yellow Warblers singing and a Black Throated Blue Warbler catching flies - the Black Throated gave excellent views, but sadly I didn't have my good camera with me.

At my house, I heard a Mockingbird singing - I could make out the copied vocals of a Cardinal, Red Winged Blackbird, Robin, Blue Jay and the squawks of a Monk Parakeet.

Jones Beach West End, Shu Swamp, Bailey's Arborteum, Muttontown Preserve, Massapequa Preserve

I was out at Jones Beach West End, Shu Swamp, Bailey's Arborteum, Muttontown Preserve, Massapequa Preserve and again at Jones Beach all day today. Total count was 77 species.

Jones Beach was somewhat disappointing - not many warblers or flashy migrants - lots of Towhees, Robins and Brown Thrashers.  I stopped at Green island where there were a lot of Boat Tailed Grackles and a pair of Green Winged Teal.  By the Coast Guard Station I saw Chipping Sparrows, Common Terns, lots of Piping Plover, Common Loon in good plumage, Black Bellied Plovers, and my FOS Short Billed Dowitchers.  There was a lingering female Scaup and Red Breasted Merganser - still lots of Brant.

I had the best luck at Muttontown Preserve and spent most of my time by the kettle ponds.  The birds made me work to get photos, but a little patience paid off.  Warblers included Blue Winged, lots of Black and Whites, Ovenbird, Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Waterthrush, Redstarts, Yellow Rumped, and Northern Parula.  Also saw a Solitary Sandpiper, Green Heron, and Veery.

There were a lot of Chipping Sparrows at Bailey's Arborteum and saw my FOS Ruby Throated Hummingbird and Ruby Crowned Kinglet at Massapequa Preserve.

Blue Winged Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Ovenbird

Black and White Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Redstart

Northern Parula

House Wren

Chipping Sparrow

House Finch

Scaup

Brant

Solitary Sandpiper

Common Loon

Short Billed Dowitcher

Black Bellied Plover, Dunlin

Common Tern

Black Crowned Heron

Willet

Screech Owl - grey one is back

Screech Owl back home

Screech Owl - red morph

Bryant Park, NYC

I usually walk through Bryant Park every day with my friend Mike and at the very least check out what may be around the shed.  Today there was noticeably more variety - continuing White Throated Sparrows and the Hermit Thrush were joined by Catbirds and an Ovenbird.  Not our favorite bird, but an almost all black Pigeon was hard to ignore.

Massapequa Preserve, Massapequa and Jones Bech West End

Yesterday, I went for a walk with my daughter around the pond by Pittsburgh Ave - spring has finally arrived here also -saw a pair of Baltimore Orioles, pair of Eastern Kingbirds, good amount of Goldfinches and Catbirds. Most numerous migrant seemed to be Warbling Vireos. There were several Ospreys fishing - at one point a Crow and an Eastern Kingbird were taking turns chasing one away. A Mute Swan was aggressive to a pair of Canada Geese - a moment later a Red-winged Blackbird divebombed the Mute Swan.

While my daughter was at Soccer at Field of Dreams Park in Massapequa I found a yellow and black warbler I have yet to ID - was seen through a fence so couldn't view well - also found a Savannah Sparrow by the field.  After soccer, we went back to the Preserve for a few minutes and saw a Northern Parula, Black and White Warbler, a pair Common Yellowthroats and another Baltimore Oriole.

At home, a raptor swooped down on the neighbors feeders - I believe it was a Merlin.

Later on I drove through the West End with my family before sunset just for the sake of taking a leisurely drive - I just happened to bring my camera and binoculars in the car...saw a Ring Necked Pheasant cross from the median to the dunes on the west end (my daughter yelled out Roadrunnner!) a Baltimore Oriole, and 2 terns flying over a bridge - I was driving, couldn't safely get an ID.

Warbling Vireo

Eastern Kingbird

Catbird

Red Winged Blackbird

Savannah Sparrow

Baltimore Oriole

Northern Parula

Merlin

Ring Necked Pheasant

Osprey with fish

Normally I don't post multiple times during one day, but every time I was
out it was an unplanned last minute thing...I drove through the West End
with my family before sunset just for the sake of taking a leisurely drive
- I just happened to bring my camera and binoculars in the car...saw a Ring
Necked Pheasant cross from the median to the dunes on the west end (my
daughter yelled out Roadrunnner!) a Baltimore Oriole, and 2 terns flying
over a bridge - I was driving, couldn't safely get an ID.
- See more at: http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=691857&MLID=NY01&MLNM=New%20York#sthash.VntQ6Wbj.dpuf

Massapequa Preserve

I stopped by the preserve before work today  - went by the south edge of the lake by Brady Park.  There were a few Double Crested Comorants, a Mute Swan, and a Great Egret on the lake.  Saw Goldfinches and what I believe were Cedar Waxwings in the nearby trees (I didn't have my binoculars)  I also observed a high-flying seabird? flying North - it reminded me of a loon, but the way it was flapping it's wings struck me as odd (white underside to the wings and pointed tips)   - guess I'll never know.