Starr Saphir Fall Migration Walk with Richard Davis, 9/20/2025

Registrar:  Suzanne Zywicki
Participants: 11
Weather: Clear skies, temperature ranging from 58 to the mid-70s
Bird Species: 42

Twice each year, The Linnaean Society holds walks in memory of Starr Saphir, a local birding legend, who led walks in Central Park since the ‘70s.  We started the day by talking about Starr and her approach to birding.  One member of our group had birded with Starr, and two others were familiar with her from watching Jeff Kimball’s documentary Birders: The Central Park Effect, in which Starr appears.  Inspired by Starr, we headed off into Strawberry Fields to begin our walk through The Ramble and nearby areas.  Almost immediately, we began to see a variety of warblers, including Bay-breasted, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, and American Redstart. We also saw Red-eyed Vireos, a Hermit Thrush, and various other birds.  While on the Oak Bridge, one sharp-eyed birder spotted a Chestnut-sided Warbler, and we all got good looks at the bird.  Our visit to The Point helped increase our warbler total for the day– thirteen in all.  Other highlights included finding several hummingbirds in the jewelweed in Tupelo Meadow, seeing a Red-tailed Hawk diving at high speed in search of its prey and another perched low on a tree branch, and observing an American Kestrel in an aerial battle with another bird. 

Species List

Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Northern House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal

Central Park Birds & Brews Nighthawk Edition with Alan Drogin, Gillian Henry, and Amanda Bielskas, 9/17/2025 

Registrar: Amanda Bielskas
Participants: 12 
Weather: mid 70s, cloudy with a chance of rain, but it held off
Bird species: 17
 
We had a great evening walk in Central Park before it got too dark for birding and then made our way to a bar on Amsterdam Ave. for some libations. We started at 81st street and headed into The Ramble where we saw several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in a hedge row full of jewelweed, which was also hosting a couple of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. We gathered a couple of warbler sightings on our wanderings in The Ramble and gathered several additional species along the path on the south shore of Turtle Pond. As we approached closer to the Castle, the front half of the group got a quick glimpse of a Common Nighthawk as it flew into and out of the brush, but it was only briefly seen. We headed up to the Castle overlook to hopefully spot some additional nighthawks, but the sunset came pretty quickly without any additional sightings. On our way out of the park, we stopped on some rocks to check out the Chimney Swift roost in the 80s, but we only saw a few lingering birds heading into the chimney as dark was falling. Though we had heard them in good numbers chattering over the course of the whole walk. At the end of the walk, we headed out for drinks on the Upper West Side, and good conversation was had by those who participated.  We look forward to the next fall Birds & Brews in Brooklyn in October on a weekend when we won’t be as pressed for time by a setting sun!


Species List

Mallard 
Common Nighthawk 
Chimney Swift 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 
Belted Kingfisher 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Blue Jay 
Northern House Wren 
Gray Catbird 
American Robin 
Black-and-white Warbler 
Tennessee Warbler 
American Redstart 
Cape May Warbler 
Northern Parula 
Northern Cardinal 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

Central Park Fall Migration with Ken Chaya, Richard Lewis, Kevin Sisco and Elijah Shiffer,  9/16/2025

Registrar: Barrie Raik
Participants: 34
Weather: Clear with some clouds, 65-78
Bird Species: 65

On a morning that started cloudy but soon was warm and sunny, 34 birders divided into 3 groups and found many species. As is often the case, some leaders and birders continued into the afternoon and traveled to the park’s north end. The highlights included 19 warbler species, multiple cooperative Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and a Yellow-throated Vireo.

Species List

Canada Goose  
Mallard  
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 
Mourning Dove  
Chimney Swift  
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  
Bald Eagle
Ring-billed Gull  
American Herring Gull  
Great Black-backed Gull  
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron  
Red-tailed Hawk  
Belted Kingfisher  
Red-bellied Woodpecker  
Downy Woodpecker  
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker  
American Kestrel  
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher    
Great Crested Flycatcher 
Eastern Phoebe 
Red-eyed Vireo 
Yellow-throated Vireo 
Blue Jay  
American Crow  
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  
Red-breasted Nuthatch 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 
Northern House Wren  
Carolina Wren  
European Starling  
Gray Catbird  
Brown Thrasher 
Veery 
Swainson’s Thrush  
Wood Thrush  
American Robin  
Cedar Waxwing  
House Sparrow  
House Finch  
American Goldfinch  
White-throated Sparrow  
Song Sparrow  
Common Grackle  
Ovenbird  
Worm-eating Warbler

Northern Waterthrush  
Black-and-white Warbler  
Tennessee Warbler  
Nashville Warbler  
Common Yellowthroat  
Hooded Warbler  
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler  
Northern Parula  
Magnolia Warbler 
Bay-breasted Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler  
Blackpoll Warbler  
Black-throated Blue Warbler  
Canada Warbler  
Wilson’s Warbler  
Scarlet Tanager  
Northern Cardinal 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

Prospect Park Fall Migration Walk with Tom Stephenson, 9/14/2025 

Registrar: Amanda Bielskas
Participants: 13 
Weather: mid 60s to mid 70s, partly sunny to sunny with a breeze.
Bird species: 43
 
We started at Grand Army Plaza and went to the Vale of Cashmere. We continued along some of the lawns and tried for the bathrooms, but they were not open as they should have been.  We skirted Sparrow Bowl and went a bit up the switchbacks. Then we headed towards the Lake. We stopped at the Well House bathrooms and skirted the south end of the Lake and headed east. We birded all along the Lake shore, which was quite birdy at the southern end. We finished up birding at the Green Roof of the skating rink, which was a bit noisy from an event, and we headed out of the Park at the Lincoln Road entrance. We had a relatively low volume of birds, but a good number of species over the course of the morning and into the early afternoon. We also got great lessons from the leader, Tom, on the distinguishing characteristics of some of the tricky thrushes and fall warbler plumages. We had quite a few of each of Red-Eyed Vireos, Black-and-white Warblers, American Redstarts, and Yellow Warblers. For the day, we counted 15 warbler species overall, which was pretty good for an early fall migration day.

  
Species List

Canada Goose 
Mute Swan 
Wood Duck 
Mallard 
American Black Duck 
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 
Mourning Dove 
Chimney Swift 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 
Double-crested Cormorant 
Great Blue Heron 
Osprey 
Red-tailed Hawk 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Great Crested Flycatcher 
Warbling Vireo 
Red-eyed Vireo 
Blue Jay 
Red-breasted Nuthatch 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 
Carolina Wren 
Gray Catbird 
Veery 
Gray-cheeked Thrush 
American Robin 
House Sparrow 
Ovenbird 
Northern Waterthrush 
Blue-winged Warbler 
Black-and-white Warbler 
Common Yellowthroat 
American Redstart 
Cape May Warbler 
Northern Parula 
Magnolia Warbler 
Yellow Warbler 
Blackpoll Warbler 
Black-throated Blue Warbler 
Black-throated Green Warbler 
Canada Warbler 
Wilson’s Warbler 
Northern Cardinal 

Green-Wood Cemetery with Rob Jett, 9/13/2025

Registrar: Gillian Henry
Participants: 17 participants
Weather: 65 ℉, mostly clear with mild south eastern winds.
Bird Species: 44 species

On a clear, gray, cool September morning, sixteen eager birders met our guide, Rob Jett, and embarked on a pleasant walk through historic Green-Wood Cemetery in search of fall migrants. The day was relatively quiet, but there were many spectacular highlights, including Hooded- and Nashville- warblers, immature Cedar Waxwings, and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird caring for 2 juveniles on the nest!
As usual, we were also treated to the unmistakable sight and sound of the famous Monk Parakeets tending to their large, colonial stick nest above the main entrance. In total, we observed forty-four species, making for a delightful day of early fall birding!

Species List

Canada Goose 
Mallard 
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 
Mourning Dove 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Greater Yellowlegs 
Great Blue Heron 
Osprey 
Red-tailed Hawk 
Belted Kingfisher 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Northern Flicker 
American Kestrel 
Merlin 
Great Crested Flycatcher 
Eastern Warbling Vireo 
Red-eyed Vireo 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Red-breasted Nuthatch 
European Starling 
Gray Catbird 
Northern Mockingbird 
Veery 
Swainson’s Thrush 
American Robin 
Cedar Waxwing 
House Sparrow 
American Goldfinch 
Chipping Sparrow 
Song Sparrow 
Baltimore Oriole 
Nashville Warbler 
Common Yellowthroat 
Hooded Warbler       
American Redstart 
Magnolia Warbler 
Northern Yellow Warbler 
Black-throated Blue Warbler 
Wilson’s Warbler 
Scarlet Tanager 
Northern Cardinal 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

Randall’s Island with Mary Beth Kooper, 9/11/2025

Registrar:  Suzanne Zywicki
Participants: 6
Weather: Sunny, light wind, temperatures ranging from 60-80 degrees
Bird Species: 36

Our small but eager group met at 7 am to begin our exploration of Randall’s Island.  We headed out walking slowly through the Sunken Meadow Fields, keeping an eye out for sparrows.  We soon spotted two interesting birds perched in a tree not too far from the Tennis Center and worked through their field marks to identify them.  They proved to be the first of eight Savannah Sparrows we saw throughout our walk.  We continued walking along the East River, where we saw additional Savannahs, as well as a Killdeer on one of the ballfields and a number of Mockingbirds.  As we walked, a mixture of Fish and American crows were often seen and heard overhead.  In the Bronx Kill area, we first glimpsed a Spotted Sandpiper, another Killdeer, and a Kingfisher, soon followed by an excellent view of a Yellow-crowned Night Heron and two more Kingfishers chasing each other.  We continued along the path bordering the Bronx Kill, where many in our group saw a small flock of Cedar Waxwings fly overhead.  When we reached the Golf Center, we fanned out to try to get a good look at what might be hiding in the grass.  While we didn’t see many warblers or flycatchers, we were treated to at least three American Kestrels perched around the perimeter.  We then headed to the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh area.  Unfortunately, this area did not prove to be very birdy, so we decided to end an otherwise excellent morning of birding.


Species List

Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
25 Larus sp.
Double-crested Cormorant
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
9 crow sp.
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Palm Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Central Park with Kevin Sisco, Ken Chaya, Richard Davis, and Alan Drogin, 9/9/2025

Registrar: Michelle Zorzi
Participants: 45
Weather: 61F-69F and sunny, light breeze
Bird Species: 59


It was a beautiful September morning, and 45 birders gathered at 7:30 a.m. to see what migration would bring. The walk began a bit slowly in Strawberry Fields, with only a few warblers, but everyone was delighted by a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the Cardinal Flowers in Shakespeare Garden. As it turned out, it was an excellent day for hummingbirds! Several more were spotted feeding on jewelweed at Tupelo Meadow, with some chasing and sparring high in the air, providing a lively and memorable show. Warbler activity picked up in the Ramble, where many Black-and-white Warblers and American Redstarts were seen, bringing the total for the morning to 14 species. That evening marked the first in-person monthly Linnaean meeting since before the pandemic, and we were especially delighted that our guest speaker, Dr. Erik Katovich, was able to join us on the morning walk.


Species List

Canada Goose
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Mushroom Exploration Walk in Van Cortlandt Park with Paul Sadowski, 9/6/2025

Registrar: Mary Braza
Participants: 6
Weather: 80 degrees and sunny with storm approaching

Paul Sadowski, a long-standing member of the New York Mycological Society, led us on a walk through Van Cortlandt Park, giving us an introduction to mushrooms and fungi.  He showed us how to use a hand lens to examine the species more closely and explained the complex life cycle of mushrooms.

Species List

Ganoderma sessile
Tyromyces chioneus (Cheese Polypore)
Fulvifomes robiniae (Cracked Cap Polypore)
Auricularia angiospermarum (Wood Ear Fungus)
Trichaptum biforme (Violet-toothed Polypore)
Daedaleoposis confragosa (Thin-Walled Maze Polypore)
Scleroderma citrinum (Common Earthball)