Magnolia Warbler - Luke Tiller
A bit of fun last night, but this report from the BBC makes for some depressing news regarding long distance migratory bitrds. This year people were noticing how early spring seemed to have sprung here in Connecticut. I guess it seems to be a part of a worrying global trend according to this article on the BBC website (more here).
You too may have heard the reports of Ospreys migrating through NYC at night. We decided to step out onto the hallowed turf of Quaker Ridge and try our best to spot a few! Full report from Luke Tiller and Catherine Hamilton.
Palm Warbler - Luke Tiller
Seems like I am not the only person getting some enjoyment birding NYC outside of the confines of Central Park. Check out 10000 birds (here) for adventures in Bryant Park – a whole host of incredible and fun shots. Hopefully I’ll be back at the little park this weekend for more fun and more pictures. I wonder what would happen if I set up hawkwatching there?
Northern Parula
As well as the hawkwatch I’m helping out with a few other events at Audubon Greenwich. You can find out about them using their calendar (online here). The next event is the walk for fall warbler identification, part of a series of workshops I am doing on fall bird identification. October see me taking a closer look at sparrows and hawks. Hope to see some of you for them.
Northern Wheatear - Mike Warner
Just thought I’d post a record shot of the Northern Wheatear from Allen’s this morning. Great find by Mike Warner, Penny Solum and Tina Green at my old patch. Thanks to Mike for the photo. Glad someone had the sense to get a shot of it – I forgot my camera when I went down. I broke my not twitching non-lifers rule for the day but it is Allen’s Meadows after all! It was even a rather horrifically ‘tick and run’ kind of twitch as well, as Brian O’Toole and I were in and out in less than 20 minutes before winging our way back to work. The Lark Sparrow making it a Two fer Thursday. Another incredible set of birds for Allen’s! Nice find by Matt Hoyt with the Lark creating the old picnic table effect!
A Rhianna cover of all things and not one of her finer moments either!
As part of a talk on nocturnal migration at Audubon Greenwich which I did with Benjamin Van Doren, I recorded a few handheld digiscoped moonwatching videos. A couple of the better ones (relatively speaking) are now up on youtube. Not great but kind of fun. I think there are 5 or 6 birds in the first video – try and spot them all. Most of the cool links stuff that we mentioned in the talk are now on Ben’s Blog (click here). Some of his sound recordings of nocturnal migrants from Audubon Greenwich will be up in a day or two.
Classic tune from the bird music playlist!
Peregrine Falcon - Luke Tiller
Not much sign of migration at the little park this morning just a couple of Blackpolls and 2 Yellow Warblers along with the Common Yellowthroats. Still can’t complain as the Blackpoll is new for the park and a chance scan of the skies picked up a couple of Peregrine Falcons which I assume must be the local birds. Anyway I managed at least one shot I was vaguely happy with. OK time to get back to work on presentations for this week.
A highly underrated band my brother turned me on to, and a nice fit with my bird music playlist.
Under Clear Skies 