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

September 8 - Day 251

Decided to see what was in the wetland area on Trolley Bed Road.  Last year  I saw a green heron there but so far not this year and fall was approaching.  And then again, I have learned to know anything can happen.  So off I went.

When I got there, I quickly saw the 'resident' great blue heron and then started to look around the edges for anything else that might be hunting in the pond.  After looking for a few minutes, I finally saw a Green Heron walking near the edge before it flew off to a more secluded spot in the pond.

So besides the two herons I saw:  30+ starlings, male and female ruby-throated hummingbirds, 6 goldfinches, 3 blue jays, 3 crows, 3 mallards, male red-winged blackbird, a flicker, a female downy woodpecker, and a turkey vulture.

DATA:  3:30-3:55 pm; 79F; overcast with some sun; breezy

Later on that day while at home working on school work, I looked out the window at the feeder and saw a Purple Finch eating at the feeder.

DATA: 5:48pm;  75F; clear; slight wind

87)  Green Heron
88)  Purple Finch

September 2, 2012 - Day 245

Great Blue Heron

Phoebe

Went to 3 Rivers Park that day to see what might be there since I had not been there in a while.  I did noticed that this year there were no corn stalks like there were last year about this time when I went there.

I did not see anything new to add to my Big Year but did see the following:

crow (2), cardinal (heard), titmouse, mallards (2 f), mourning dove, Canada goose (7), goldfinch (3), chickadee (2), kingfisher (heard), great blue heron, song sparrow, catbird (4), phoebe, house wren.

DATA:  9:55-11:40 am; 72F; cloudy/mostly cloudy; slight/breezy

butterfly

I then walked across the street to the field and saw bluejay (2), mourning dove, and catbird (2)

DATA:  11:45-11:54 am


Then I decided to see what was at  the old trolley trail behind what used to be the golf driving range and Corey's. 

Broad-winged Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

I heard a chickadee and goldfinch and saw a titmouse, 3 catbirds, and 3 cardinals (m, f, and 1 immature) and also saw a Broad-winged Hawk - a bird for my Big Year!

DATA:  12:04-12:50pm; 78F; mostly cloudy; calm

86)  Broad-winged Hawk

August 21 to August 27 - Day 233 to Day 239

Common Mergs and Great Egret

Can't believe that I have not posted anythgin since the last week in August - but then again, school started at the end of that week for me.

So for the week I went over to Nonnewaug High School at different times and walked my usual route along the river.  Since I did not see any new birds during this time I won't go into my usual detailed description of time and weather conditions.

A hard to see Cedar Waxwing

What I did see though was:  American goldfinch (m/f), catbird, common mergansers (10), great egret, eastern kingbird, song sparrow, phoebe, belted kingfisher, crow, cardinal, great blue heron, redstart (m/f), turkey vulture, chipping sparrow, hummingbird (f), titmouse, chestnut-sided warbler (f), chickadee, red-tailed hawk, mockingbird, bluejay, mallard (f), bluebird (4), red-bellied woodpecker, and cedar waxwings (4).