October 6, 2012 - Day 279

Had a Pine Siskin at the hopper feeder in the yard today.

DATA:  11:05 am; 68F; mostly cloudy; calm

90)  Pine Siskin

September 23, 2012 - Day 266

Today I went to the Migration Festival at Light House Point State Park in New Haven.  Just like Central Park, none of the birds I saw today will count towards my Big Year.  But the more times I get to see birds, the better I will become in identifying them more in the future.

There was also a Raptor Demonstration as well as Monarch Butterfly Banding.

Birds seen:  Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Cooper Hawk, and Peregrine Falcon

DATA:  10:00 - 11:00 am; 72F; clear/mostly clear; slight

September 17, 2012 - Day 260

After going to Central Park to bird, I decided to check at Nonnewaug High School after school to see if there were any birds passing through on their migration.

So I walked along the river near the lower field and over to the garden area across the foot bridge.

I did not see anything new EXCEPT for a female Blackburnian Warbler - bird #89 for my Big Year!


Other birds I saw were:  Blue jay, Phoebe, Crow, Catbird. Chickadee (2), Goldfinch, Titmouse (2), White-Breasted Nuthatch, Turkey Vulture (5), and the Blackburnian.

DATA:  3:00 - 4:45 pm; 70F; sunny/mostly clear; calm/slight


89)  Blackburnian Warbler

September 15, 2012 - Day 258

Starr and I (Thanks Belinda for pic)

Manhattan skyline

After watching the PBS show on the "Central Park Effect" which also talked about birder Starr Saphir, it was only natural to go on one of Starr's outing in Central Park.  Since what I saw that day was not in Woodbury, I know these birds will not count towards my Big Year, but what an experience it was.

butterfly

Mockingbird

The day started when Starr arrived as did other people who also saw the show.  There were people from various parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania - all waiting to learn more about birding from Starr.  It wasn't long before we started to see birds.

turtle

I never expected to see such a wide variety of birds in Central Park.  When I think New York City, I think house sparrows and pigeons - boy, was I wrong!  So here goes the list of what I saw.  Note:  others in the group say a few birds I could/did not see, so I am not going to list nor count them towards my life list.

Black and White Warbler

turtles

female Mallard

Black and White Warbler

Species seen/heard:  House Sparrow, Starling, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Crow, Flicker, Carolina Wren, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Chestnut-Sided Warbler, Red-Eyed Vireo, Robin, Blue Jay, Catbird, Mallard, Least Flycatcher, Common Grackle, Cedar Waxwing, Herring Gull, Northern Parula, male Redstart, Osprey, Brown Thrasher, Northern Pewee, Black-Headed Green Warbler, female Scarlet Tanager, Red-Tailed Hawk, Black and White Warbler, Mockingbird, Magnolia Warbler, American Goldfinch, White-Breasted Nuthatch, female Downy Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Gadwall ducks (2 females, 1 male), and Canada Geese.

Some of the birds I saw will be added to my life list as well as my yearly list - I know, I have too many lists!

House Sparrow

Pigeon

DATA:  7:30 - 11:00 am; 65F-72F; Clear; Calm to Slight Breeze