I saw more warblers than I photographed. It was a fair day for migrating birds in Central Park. The last 3 photos of the Catbird tells a story, “My Ant!” Maybe it didn’t taste good.
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), Central Park 5/9/2021
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), Central Park 5/9/2021
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), Central Park 5/9/2021
Rustic Bridge by the Lake, Central Park 5/9/2021
Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Central Park 5/9/2021
Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Central Park 5/9/2021
Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Central Park 5/9/2021
April 29th was a good day for seeing migrating birds in Central Park. We went to the Great Hill, the Ravine and the Harlem Meer in the north end of the park. I enjoyed close up views of a busy Common Yellow-throat and the male Red-winged Blackbirds fighting over territory while the female was quietly making her nest. We ran into the famous Chris Cooper – we were both looking for the Hooded-warbler. I would have attended his talk at NYC Audubon but it was too expensive.
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla), Central Park 4/26/2021
American Robin (Turdus migratorius), Central Park 4/26/2021
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina), Central Park 4/29/2021
Central Park 4/29/2021
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis), Central Park 4/29/2021
Common Yellowthroat Warbler (Geothlypis trichas), Central Park 4/29/2021
Common Yellowthroat Warbler (Geothlypis trichas), Central Park 4/29/2021
Common Yellowthroat Warbler (Geothlypis trichas), Central Park 4/29/2021
Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina), Central Park 4/29/2021
Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina), Central Park 4/29/2021
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), Central Park 4/29/2021
Common Yellowthroat Warbler (Geothlypis trichas), Central Park 4/29/2021
Common Yellowthroat Warbler (Geothlypis trichas), Central Park 4/29/2021
Common Yellowthroat Warbler (Geothlypis trichas), Central Park 4/29/2021
Common Yellowthroat Warbler (Geothlypis trichas), Central Park 4/29/2021
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), Central Park 4/29/2021
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), Central Park 4/29/2021
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), Central Park 4/29/2021
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), Central Park 4/29/2021
We went on a Linnaean Society of NY birding walk yesterday and took a few photos along the way. The Chickadee was so close that one could have touched it. These birds are not behaving naturally. This means some people are not respecting the park rules to not hand feed wild animals.
The USDA says, “Feeding wildlife can lead to a number of serious problems: Human food is not healthy for wild animals, and they do not need food from humans to survive. Wild animals have specialized diets, and they can become malnourished or die if fed the wrong foods.”
Also it can impact some birds migration. “Some scientists believe accipiters like Cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks forego migration in some areas due to the abundance of prey at bird feeders, a behavior called short-stopping.”
The worst thing to do is feed bread to ducks, geese, swans, and other waterfowl bread. Any bread not consumed by ducks pollutes waterways, threatening the other creatures in the ecosystem like fish, turtles, and other wildlife. There are healthy alternatives but I would recommend against it in a public park.
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), Central Park 4/6/2021
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), Central Park 4/6/2021
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), Central Park 4/6/2021
Central Park 4/6/2021
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), Central Park 4/6/2021
Cherry (Prunus), Central Park 4/6/2021
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa), Central Park 4/6/2021
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Central Park 4/6/2021
