Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with Richard ZainEldeen, 7/29/2017

Registrar: Ellen Hoffman
Weather: The forecast was for rain but it held off after a few sprinkles at 9:00.  It was quite windy and in the 70s. 
Participants: 8
Bird Species: 55

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
American Oystercatcher
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed 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
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
Fish Crow (h)
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
House Wren
Marsh Wren (h)
Carolina Wren (h)
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee (h)
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Northern Waterthrush
Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal (h)

Butterflies 
Cabbage White
Checkered White
Orange Sulphur
Eastern Tailed Blue
Spring/Summer Azure
Red Admiral
Common Buckeye
Monarch
Broad-winged Skipper

Mammals
Tracks of a Northern Raccoon

Staten Island Nesting Birds – Purple Martins Plus with Howard Fischer, 7/8/2017

Registrar: Karen Asakawa
Bird Species: 49

Species Lists

Birds
Wood Duck
Mallard
Surf Scoter •
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
American Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Forster’s Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Little Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting

* This male bird has been off the flats for at least a week, seen by many observers.

Eastern Long Island Spring Specialties with Eric Salzman, 6/4/2017

Registrar: Regina Ryan
Bird Species: 62

The aim is to find Eastern Long Island specialties and the trip usually begins at the Shinnecock Inlet, works its way all the way west on Dune Road and then goes upland in the afternoon. This year followed the traditional pattern although the Dune Road part of the trip ended up at Pike’s Beach and the nearby bay overlook. Cupsogue Beach Park was omitted for many reasons — one of them being that the Shinnecock part of the run took a lot of time and another reason being that someone’s car had to be pulled out of soft sand; luckily a young Coast Garder who was passing by in his truck came to the rescue. The upland part of the trip was a visit to the EPCAL (ex-Grumman) grasslands, still one of the most beautiful areas out here and one of the most outstanding sites for birdwatching but severely threatened by Riverhead Town’s ambitions to develop and expand its commercial operations there.

Species Lists

Birds
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Clapper Rail
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Willet
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Common Tern
Forster’s Tern
Black Skimmer
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Grasshopper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Meadowlark
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Prairie Warbler

Doodletown with Paul Keim, 5/20/2017

Registrar: Anne Lazarus
Bird Species: 50

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker (h)
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse (h)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush (h)
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Ovenbird (h)
Louisiana Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cerulean Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler (h)
Blackpoll Warbler (h)
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager

Butterflies
Spicebush Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Cabbage White

Bashakill Marsh & Environs with John Hass, 5/14/2017

Registrar: Dale Dancis
Participants: 11
Weather: Chilly am, 40 degrees Fahrenheit then upper 50’s pm, sunny and calm.
Bird Species: 60

Our leader, John Haas spotted and showed us many birds that are specialties of Bashakill. We saw Bank Swallows sitting on the wires, Broadwing Hawks flying with a Red-shouldered Hawk, Common Gallinules, Yellow-throated Vireos and so much more. We learned to identify the structures of beavers and muskrats. Miriam Rakowski spotted a Barred Owl, which was deep in a conifer tree. Sandy Paci spotted a Pileated Woodpecker. Our list speaks for itself.

Trip changed from Saturday, May 13, 2017 to Sunday, May 14, 2017 because of rain.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Common Gallinule
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Barred Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cerulean Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Riverside Park Drip Sit with Ken Chaya, Friday, 5/12/2017

Weather: 50’s.
Bird Species: 20

We mourn the passing of Geoffrey Nulle, who initiated the Drip Sit.
We want to thank Ken Chaya for volunteering his time to lead the Riverside Drip Sit from 9 to 11 am. Birds are drawn to the water at the drip.

Species Lists

Birds
Rock Pigeon
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren (h)
Gray Catbird
Veery
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Prospect Park with John Suggs, 4/15/2017

Weather: Partly sunny, cloudy am, mid 50’s to mid-60’s Fahrenheit
Registrar: Dale Dancis
Participants: 8
Bird Species: 51

This trip involved extensive walking and many lovely sightings. We walked from Lincoln Road to Parkside Ave. area and back north. We saw many Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Palm Warblers. Ann Ribolow spotted a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher high in a tree. John, our leader, pointed out a Rough-winged Swallow among the Tree and Barn Swallows. The Prospect Park Osprey, spotted by Dale Dancis, made several appearances. The two Snow Geese have not left Prospect Park Lake. We finally found our way to the Boathouse for lunch, but not for long. We rushed to the Rustic Arbor on the Lull Water to see a cooperative Prairie Warbler. Our next destination was a Louisiana Waterthrush. John made sure we saw it. Then we went to the Pool to see several Wood Ducks. Another goal was the Green Heron, which Ann Ribolow spotted in a distant tree. Jean found our one Hermit Thrush for the day. We saw repeats of the many previously-seen warblers. We continued our journey, and John with his sharp ears and eyes found a difficult to see Eastern Towhee. While we were enjoying more looks at Palm Warblers, Miriam found a Blue-headed Vireo high in a tree. Eventually, we ended the trip. While en route to Grand Army Plaza exit, John spotted a flock of Cedar Waxwings and Chipping Sparrows. Those final sightings concluded our Prospect Park Bird Walk.

Species Lists

Birds
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Coot
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker (h)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (h)
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Louisiana Waterthrush
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Staten Island: High Rock, Midland Beach & Clove Lake with Howard Fischer, 4/2/2017

Weather: 40 degrees am to 60 degrees Fahrenheit pm, winds 5-10 mph, sunny
Registrar: Anne Lazarus
Participants: 8
Bird Species: 48

We started the walk at High Rock and were greeted by several Rusty Blackbirds and Eastern Phoebes. We climbed the hill to Pouch Camp where we saw two Ring-necked Ducks and other water birds. This area attracted Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Downy Woodpeckers plus many other bird species. 

Our next stop was Midland Beach. Our leader, Howard Fischer, spotted at least three hundred Northern Gannets foraging in the ocean. He directed our attention to Horned Grebes, Red-throated Loons, Red-breasted Mergansers and other water birds. A Great Egret flew over the beach, initially spotted earlier by Mary Beth Kooper. 

Our final stop was Clove Lake to look for a Louisiana Waterthrush. Judy Rabi spotted the bird. This bird was very cooperative. We also saw Fox Sparrows and another Great Egret, plus many more species.  We scanned the nest of the Great Blue Heron with our binoculars. 

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Cardinal