Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with Richard ZainEldeen, 7/28/2019

Registrar: Ellen Hoffman
Participants: 5
Weather: sunny, high 80’s to 90 F, mph 5-10
Bird Species: 50 

Undeterred by low tides and unrelenting heat, a determined group of Linnaean members embarked upon a tour of the West Pond in search of birds. We also observed butterflies, odonates and other arthropods. Our main highlight was the nesting Barn Owls. We were greeted early by a vocal family of Willow Flycatchers. Due to the unrelenting heat we birded up to bench 12. We did sight a Little Blue Heron and a Peregrine Falcon as we walked back to the visitor’s center.

Species List

Birds
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
American Oystercatcher
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Forster’s Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Barn Owl
Peregrine Falcon
Willow Flycatcher
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
House Wren
Carolina Wren (h)
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee (h)
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Total bird species: 50

Butterflies
Black Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Orange Sulphur
Summer Azure
Question Mark
Common Buckeye
American Snout
Monarch Butterfly

Odonates
Familiar Bluet, most likely 
Black Saddlebags

Other Insects
Cicadas
Cicada Killers  
Bee species
Wasp Species

Staten Island Nesting Birds with José Ramírez-Garofalo, 7/13/2019

Registrar: Karen Asakawa
Participants: 11
Weather: Sunny, wind calm, mid 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Bird Species: 58

Eleven participants ventured out to Great Kills, Staten Island to see the Bank Swallow colony at low tide and were not disappointed. We had great looks at the swallows as they swooshed in and out of their colonies in the sandbanks. Next, at Lemon Creek, we saw adult Purple Martins and young at very close range perched at their houses and gourds. We continued to Mt. Loretto where we sighted an uncommon dragonfly, Needham›s Skimmer, and many birds such as Indigo Bunting, Belted Kingfisher, Bald Eagle, Rough-winged Swallow and more. Our last stop was at a new location for many participants, Oakwood Beach Tidal Marsh, where we heard the Clapper Rail and saw three Little Blue Herons. Interestingly, we learned that Oakwood Beach Tidal Marsh has one of the densest populations of Boat-tailed Grackles nesting in New York City. We had a total of 58 bird species, 12 butterfly species and 14 odonate species.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Clapper Rail (h)
American Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Warbling Vireo
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
House Wren
Carolina Wren (h)
European Starling
Gray Catbird (h)
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Field Sparrow (h)
Song Sparrow (h)
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting

Butterflies
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Black Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Clouded Sulphur
Orange Sulphur
Summer Azure
Common Buckeye
American Snout
Red-spotted Purple
Monarch
Broad-winged Skipper
Moths
Bumblebee Clearwing Moth
Sphinx Moth Species Caterpillar

Odonates
Bluet species
Green Darner
Black Saddlebags
Carolina Saddlebags
Spot-winged Glider
Wandering Glider
Eastern Amberwing
Painted Skimmer
Needham’s Skimmer
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Slaty Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Eastern Pondhawk

Herps
Bullfrog (h)

Mammals
Whitetail Deer
Eastern Gray Squirrel 

Eastern Long Island with Eileen Schwinn, 6/2/2019

Registrar: Regina Ryan
Participants: 5
Weather: Partly sunny, 60’s F, winds, south 2-11 mph
Bird Species: 73

The observers also enjoyed sightings of eleven butterfly species and three species of odonates. The group visited many sites, which included the following: Calverton: Veteran’s Park, VOR Area, EPCAL, Preston’s Pond and then Westhampton: Gabreski Airport, Westhampton Dunes Overlook.

Species Lists

Birds
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (h)
Chimney Swift
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Willet
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Forster’s Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo (h)
Red-eyed Vireo (h)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Grasshopper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird (h)
Blue-winged Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler (h)
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

Butterflies
Clouded Sulphur
American 
Eastern Tailed Blue
Pearl Crescent      
Mourning Cloak
Painted Lady
Little Wood Satyr
Southern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywing
Common Sootywing
Zabulon Skipper

Odonates
Common Green Darner
Common Baskettail
Carolina Saddlebags

Other Insects
Common Shore Tiger Beet

Herps
Green Frog (h)

Mammals
White-tailed Deer
Woodchuck

Central Park with Richard Lieberman, Spring 2019

Leader: Richard Lieberman
Registrar: N/A
Weather: See checklists

Bashakill Marsh & Environs with John Haas, 5/25/2019

Registrars: Dale Dancis and Anne Lazarus
Participants: 11
Bird Species: 54

This morning I lead the above walk for the Linnaean Society Group. We have done this spring walk for many years now. This year it had to be canceled from its original date due to heavy rains and high winds. This morning was beautiful! Eleven participants and I toured the Bashakill hoping for some late spring migrants. It started out rather quiet, but as the sun rose higher, the birds became more active and began to show nicely.  Highlights of the walk included: Canada Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and most of the common breeding species. Once we reached the Nature Trail it picked up considerably. We immediately added Cerulean Warbler. As we worked our way around, hoping for some thrush (only had Wood Thrush and Veery) I got a call from Shai Mitra that he could see us from where he was standing at the back of the “Sand Pit” and he and Pat Lindsey were watching a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher! We went right over and began looking for the bird that disappeared momentarily. Gordon Lam relocated it and we had great views of the bird. Only a few minutes later, Shai texted there was a Mourning Warbler right near the parking lot. The whole scene repeated itself and we got to see this beautiful bird! Thanks Shai and Pat for keeping us in the loop! From there, we went to the Horseshoe Parking Area.  There we had several Cerulean Warblers, more Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireos and Common Gallinules. All in all a pretty successful morning! I’d like to thank the Linnaean members for coming up and helping make it another nice walk at the Bashakill! — By John Haas. 

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (h)
Black-billed Cuckoo (h)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Common Gallinule (h)
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher (h)
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cerulean Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Doodletown with Paul Keim, 5/18/2019

Registrar: Anne Lazarus
Participants: 10
Weather: 60 degrees Fahrenheit to mid-70’s, sunny, calm
Bird Species: 63

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day. We were immediately heard the serenades of the woodland birds. One of our first target species, the Olive-sided Flycatcher, was perched on a high branch, and we saw it from Doodletown Hill.  The Cerulean Warblers were singing everywhere, not to be outdone by the song of the Yellow-throated Vireos, Scarlet Tanagers and Carolina Wrens. We also looked at butterflies, other insects, snakes and plants. We even saw two shorebird species at Iona Marsh, Least Sandpiper and several Spotted Sandpipers. 

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (h)
Black-billed Cuckoo (h)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Least Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker (h)
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Swainson’s Thrush (h)
Wood Thrush (h)
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Worm-eating Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cerulean Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler (h)
Prairie Warbler (h)
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

Mammals
White-tailed Deer
Eastern Chipmunk

Reptiles
Eastern Water Snake
Red-eared Slider

Butterflies
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Spring Azure
Cabbage White
Spring Azure   
Pearl Crescent

Dragonflies and other insects
Green Darner  
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle

7th Annual Starr Saphir Memorial Spring Migration Walk with Lenore Swenson, 5/3/2019

Participants: 26
Weather: Cloudy and overcast for the 5 hours of our walk, but the rain held off. Temperatures were in the low 50’s with a light east northeast breeze.
Bird Species: 66

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo (h)
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler (h)
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting

Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Red Bat

New Jersey Pine Barrens with Rick Cech, 4/27/2019

A weird weather day. The forecast was correct concerning wind – 20-30 mph steady much of the day. But sun levels and temperatures exceeded expectations – got into low 70s. The number of butterfly individuals remains low this year, but species diversity was not bad. Lots of dragonflies were about (far more than last 2 years, perhaps reflecting significant spring season rains?)

From Lucille’s, we tried Warren Grove at 9:45 (temp in low 60s, but windy), and were rewarded with Brown and Hoary Elfins in decent numbers, plus two sightings of fresh Sleepy Duskywings. Individuals from of an aging flight of American Ladys added our only other butterfly species, but no one left disappointed. Saw one small Eastern Fence
Lizard.

The reward was less at Chatsworth. Although Sand Myrtle was blooming for the first time in 3 years (a less brutally cold spring this year), activity was very low. A “leopard” moth – either a False Underwing [Allotria elonympha] or some actual Catocala – showed up, plus one Juvenal’s Duskywing and a couple of Brown Elfins and American Ladys. No Hessel’s.

Drove south to Tuckahoe (after interruption from a local traffic authority). Sunny now (supposed to be cloudy). A number of violet species were blooming (incl. Coast Violet and Lance-leaved Violet, I think, will add details later). Juvenal’s Duskywings and Atlantic Azures (Celastrina idella) were in good numbers, plus an Eastern Tailed Blue and one (just one) Henry’s Elfin (not everyone saw it; still this was a *phew* from the day list standpoint, as the brood was quickly waning – and the hollies here don’t look very healthy). 

On the “south track” at Tuckahoe no additional elfins, but 4-5 female Falcate Orangetips, plus several fill-in species: Cabbage White, Red Admiral, and Pearl Crescent (pretty early). Kathleen retrieved her camera.

The Dennisville RR Tracks site was fun. Lively Atlantic Azure and Juvenal Duskywing activity, plus a strong dragonfly flight (now with some large darners – Seth will fill in details). Also a Little Brown Skink (aka Ground Skink) (Scincella lateralis). For target butterflies, about a dozen Juniper Hairstreaks (many high up in the “brood tree” Red Cedar, which Cooper helped me shake), also one handsome Eastern Pine Elfin, which put on a fine show for the group.

Last stop at Lizard Tail NC reserve, which was very wet this year (good for Northern Cricket Frogs). A Bald Eagle flew overhead as we prepared to walk in. Few butterflies were seen, but they included 3 nice Frosted Elfins. Also a Juniper Hairstreak right next to the cars as we were about to leave. 

So 6 out of 5 wasn’t bad – all five brown elfins, plus one of the two green Callophrys. Every year is a different kind of adventure with this trip.

• Photo Montage on Smugmug
• Rick’s writeup and species list PDF