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
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
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.
Registrar: Christina Black Participants: 24 Weather: Sunny, a few clouds, 75–80 degrees Bird Species: 68
On an unseasonably lovely August Saturday, our group gathered early at the JBWR Visitor Center, and after an introduction by Tom, headed to the West Pond. Along the way, we saw a significant number of Tree Swallows swooping above the path, along with a variety of other species in the trees, and then a Ruby-throated Hummingbird buzzing about the bushes. Upon reaching the cutouts, the group spent almost 90 minutes observing the non-stop activity on the West Pond: on the spits of mud, out on the water, in the air ,and on the far shore. With sharp eyes and scopes, a few unexpected species included a Green-winged Teal, one of the Scaups, a Caspian Tern, two Boat-tailed Grackles, and a Northern Harrier.
After a bathroom break, the group gathered for additional helpful instruction from Tom on late summer/fall and juvenile shorebird ID points. We then donned rubber boots and headed over to the East Pond where the water level had been running very high. Close to the first cutouts were numerous sandpipers, plovers, both yellowlegs and two Glossy Ibis, on the flats and in the shallow water, providing excellent comparisons among the species and plumages. The group then continued to walk north, getting better views of the visiting American White Pelican. The route still further north led to an Indiana Jones-type trek through nearly knee-deep water and a narrow, scratchy path surrounded by thick phragmites; while a few rubber boots met their demise, LSNY did not lose any participants! Finally, before leaving the East Pond, the group waited for the reported Sora to appear, and after some time, the Sora emerged and snacked for a while, oblivious to the excited crowd.
Finally, instead of sitting down to a late lunch before heading home, the group responded to a report of two Marbled Godwits back on the West Pond with a speedy return to those cutouts. A JBWR Park Ranger set up a scope and provided good looks at the the birds as they dozed and then stretched and preened. The trip concluded at about 3:00 pm.
Species Lists
West Pond
Canada Goose Mute Swan Gadwall Mallard American Black Duck Green-winged Teal Greater/Lesser Scaup Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Killdeer Semipalmated Plover Short-billed Dowitcher Lesser Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs Stilt Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull American Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Caspian Tern Forster’s Tern Common Tern Double-crested Cormorant Yellow-crowned Night Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Snowy Egret Great Egret Great Blue Heron Osprey Northern Harrier Northern Flicker (heard only) Peregrine Falcon Willow Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue Jay Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Wren (heard only) European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee (heard only) Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Boat-tailed Grackle American Redstart Yellow Warbler Northern Cardinal Marbled Godwit
East Pond
Canada Goose Mute Swan goose sp. Blue-winged Teal Gadwall Mallard American Black Duck Sora Killdeer Semipalmated Plover Short-billed Dowitcher Lesser Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs Stilt Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Forster’s Tern Double-crested Cormorant Glossy Ibis Snowy Egret Great Egret Great Blue Heron American White Pelican Osprey Red-tailed Hawk Belted Kingfisher Tree Swallow Purple Martin Barn Swallow Red-winged Blackbird
Registrar: Richard Davis Participants: 14 Weather: 71–83 F and sunny with gentle breezes, NE Wind 4–5 mph Bird Species: 57
It was rather amazing to experience such mild weather at the start of August, but a heatwave earlier in the week had broken with a powerful inundation a couple of days previous to this trip. Gabriel situated the group with the geography of the refuge, as a unique spot along the New York New Jersey bight where the east-west orientation of Long Island begins to make a turn to the north-south oriented shoreline of New Jersey, and thus becomes an inviting stopover for migratory birds.
A young Peregrine Falcon took to the air just as the group arrived at the West Pond, but didn’t end up flushing many shorebirds. The group quickly discovered rather high water levels, and very few shorebirds compared to the much larger flocks seen just a week previously. It should also be noted that low tide was just before 10 am this morning. Looking out over the bay, we observed small schools of fish being driven along by groups of cormorants, with gulls and terns joining in the feeding frenzy. A pair of Black Skimmers put on a brief show. There were also a few scraggly molting passerines and a cute scene of young Cedar Waxwings being fed.
It was already known that the water levels in the East Pond were high because of the rains, and a valve installed a year ago by the park service to drain the pond was no longer working properly. The paths to access the south end of the East Pond were known to be under water, so we decided to check out the area of the bench, across from the Raunt. This decision was rewarded with views of many more shorebirds feeding across the water and a Gull-billed Tern flying by—a life bird for a few people in the group. After spending some time sifting through the dowitchers and sandpipers, Gabriel picked out a White-rumped Sandpiper and two Stilt Sandpipers—a delightful way to end a beautiful trip.
Species List
Canada Goose Mute Swan Gadwall Mallard American Black Duck Ruddy Duck Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird Clapper Rail (h) American Oystercatcher Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Stilt Sandpiper Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Laughing Gull American Herring Gull Gull-billed Tern Common Tern Forster’s Tern Black Skimmer Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-crowned Night Heron Glossy Ibis Osprey Downy Woodpecker Peregrine Falcon Willow Flycatcher Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Boat-tailed Grackle Yellow Warbler Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Anne Lazarus Participants: 8 Weather: Mid 80s, sunny and calm
We met our expert leader, Seth Wollney, and his expert friend and assistant, Dave Eib, at Mount Loretto, where dragonflies also greeted us in the parking lot. Wandering Gliders and Spot-winged Gliders surrounded us, consuming invisible flying insects. Rarely do we see these two species perched—they are fliers. We walked a few feet and looked over the fence at the Swamp Milkweed, where we were overwhelmed by the diversity of butterflies, dragonflies, and other fascinating insects.
The Swamp Milkweed attracted large numbers of Monarch Butterflies, as well as a number of skippers, including Least, Sachem, Peck`s, and more. The field also hosted a Differential Grasshopper, Milkweed Bugs, a Black Saddlebag, Blue Dasher dragonflies, and many more invertebrates.
We continued along the path to the pond. Along this short walk we had good views of a Common Buckeye and a Pearl Crescent. The Cabbage Whites were almost ubiquitous. Mount Loretto is known for its population of Needham Skimmers, a magnificent red dragonfly. It was one of the first dragonflies we saw at the pond. All cameras were focused on this beautiful dragonfly, a percher. Other dragonflies included: Slaty Skimmers, Eastern Pondhawks, Eastern Amberwings, Blue Dashers, Green Darner and Blue Dashers. The Snapping Turtles often raised their massive heads. We finally departed and walked to the south pond.
As we continued our walk to the second pond, we saw a Snowberry clear-winged moth and a Spicebush Swallowtail. We arrived at the second pond to the croaking of a Bull Frog, and we saw a Green Frog. Shortly after our arrival, Dave spotted a most unusual dragonfly, the Mocha Emerald, an excellent sighting A very worried mama Mallard was perched on a tiny rock in the water with her two duckings. She was watched by Snapping Turtles, but she outsmarted them and swam safely to shore with her ducklings. Seth spotted a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in an adjacent tree and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We then began our walk to the parking lot.
Damselflies are small odonates. They keep their wings folded when perched. Dave directed our eyes to a tiny one called Fragile Forktail and explained how to identify that species. As we were approaching the parking lot, Seth spotted the tiny Eastern-tailed Blue butterfly. Our next and final destination was Blue Heron Park.
Blue Heron Park, with its woodlands, ponds, grasses, and shrubs, hosts a large variety of wildlife. The parking lot has bushes and flowers that welcome butterflies, odonates, bees, and more. Upon arrival, Seth immediately spotted a Gray Hairstreak, a diminutive, beautiful butterfly perched inconspicuously on a bush. The vegetation here also attracts Silver-spotted Skippers and Broadwing Skippers and various bee species, including Carpenter Bees. Scolia Dubia Wasps and Hover Flies were also finding sustenance in these bushes. Hover Flies (diptera, two wings) are bee mimickers. They pollinate, but do not sting.
We proceeded to the adjacent pond and had fun watching the antics of a Spotted Sandpiper. This pond was also home to many Slaty Skimmers, Blue Dashers, Eastern Amberwings, Eastern Pondhawks, and more. Another attraction here was the Plain-tailed Hanging Thief, a ferocious robber fly that lives up to its name.
We also identified birds. The Pileated Woodpecker was calling, and the Eastern Wood Pewee and Wood Thrush were also vocalizing.
Seth spotted a Spreadwing Damselfly, but it disappeared. Neither Seth nor Dave could relocate it, but the piece de resistance was a rare Blue-faced Meadowhawk. This meadowhawk, found by Seth and Dave, is usually seen In Illinois and surrounding areas. As it is a percher, it was most cooperative, and we all have pictures.
Our wonderful trip ended, but our memories will be with us.
Species Lists
Birds (Mt. Loretto) Mallard Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Killdeer Great Egret Great Blue Heron (flying south of Mt. Loretto) Double-crested Cormorant Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Flicker Great-crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Warbling Vireo American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Northern Rough-wing Swallow Purple Martin Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Northern House Wren Carolina wren European Starling Gray Catbird American Robin Ceder Waxwing American Goldfinch Orchard Oriole ( female-yellow type ) Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Yellow Warbler Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting Birds (Blue Heron Park) Ruby-crowned Kinglet Spotted Sandpiper Red-bellied Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker ( heard ) Northern Flicker Eastern Wood Pewee ( heard ) Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Purple Martin Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Carolina wren Gray Catbird Wood Thrush ( heard ) American Robin Red-winged Blackbird Yellow Warbler Northern Cardinal House Sparrow
Butterflies Spicebush Swallowtail Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Cabbage White Eastern-tailed Blue Pearl Crescent Common Buckeye Monarch Butterfly Horace’s Duskywing Silver-spotted Skipper Peck`s Skipper Least Skipper Zabulon Skipper Broad-winged Skipper
Odonates Fragile Forktail Spreading species Mocha Emerald Green Darner Black Saddlebags Spot-winged Glider Wandering Glider Eastern Amberwing Needham’s Skimmer Common Whitetail Slaty Skimmer Blue Dasher Eastern Pondhawk Blue-faced Meadowhawk Other Invertebrates Cicada species Cidada Killer Scolia Dubia Snowberry Clearwing Moth Assassin Bug Milkweed Bug Differential Grasshopper Plain-tailed Hanging Thief Hover Fly Lantern Fly
Herps Green Frog Bull Frog Red-eared Slider Snapping Turtle
The Linnaean Society was proud to have esteemed shorebird expert Peter Paul, aka “Tripper,” lead his first formal walk with us. With the East Pond unfortunately inaccessible, we focused on the West Pond. At the Breach, we were able to enjoy watching a huge flock of Short-billed Dowitchers take flight and fly over the pond. We were fortunate enough to see the resident American Barn Owls in their box and were also treated with a Hudsonian Whimbrel flying overhead. The long-staying American White Pelican vagrant also made an appearance, flying over the West Pond as we were watching the expected treats of the Refuge. Some highlights included Purple Martins and Boat-tailed Grackles. With additional daylight remaining, we decided to travel to the nearby Sunset Cove, where we found a Clapper Rail, a Spotted Sandpiper, and a Glossy Ibis amongst many others.
Species List
Brant Canada Goose Mute Swan Gadwall Mallard American Black Duck Greater Scaup Ruddy Duck Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird Clapper Rail American Oystercatcher Killdeer Semipalmated Plover Hudsonian Whimbrel Short-billed Dowitcher Spotted Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Willet Greater Yellowlegs Least Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull American Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Black Skimmer Least Tern Forster’s Tern Common Tern Double-crested Cormorant Glossy Ibis Yellow-crowned Night Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Snowy Egret Green Heron Great Egret Great Blue Heron American White Pelican Osprey Bald Eagle American Barn Owl Downy Woodpecker Willow Flycatcher Bank Swallow Tree Swallow Purple Martin Barn Swallow Cliff Swallow Northern House Wren Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Eastern Towhee Red-winged Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Common Yellowthroat Northern Yellow Warbler Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Lisa Kroop Participants: 15 Weather: 67°F–86°F; sunny with blue skies, wispy clouds and haze; calm 3–6 mph wind Bird Species: 49
We gathered at the Visitor Center of Conference House Park to begin a day of birding on Staten Island. It was still relatively cool, and much of our walk here would be in the shade. After Howie, our trip leader, gave introductory remarks about the bird species we might encounter in the park at this quiet, nesting time of year, we headed into the woods.
A target bird—the White-eyed Vireo, which we had heard and seen last year on this walk—remained elusive, and we did not succeed in finding one. But plenty of other birds were singing, and we were hearing the high-pitched calls of young chicks begging to be fed. Many of the birds were in juvenile plumage, especially robins that we encountered on the paths and in the trees. We briefly left the woods and walked out into the open to a sandy beach along Raritan Bay, where we observed a nesting colony of Double-crested Cormorants arranged on the framework of a channel marker.
Our second stop was Mount Loretto Unique Area, a nature preserve of approximately 200 acres of grasslands, woods, a pond, and coastal habitat. Walking through the meadows near the entrance to the park, we heard Indigo Buntings singing around us, as well as a Warbling Vireo. Gathered on the platform overlooking the pond, we observed the birds along the edges of the pond: a group of perched Northern Rough-winged Swallows; a solitary perched Barn Swallow; a Snowy Egret and a Great Egret; an Osprey that was settling itself into the leaves at the top of a tree; and, when we looked over the bridge at the far side of the pond, two large snapping turtles and a red-eared slider that began swimming towards us, seeming to expect to be fed. The day was getting hotter, but we were well rewarded with several views of Indigo Buntings shining bright blue in the sun and a few Orchard Orioles perched in trees.
For the past week, a Purple Gallinule had been reported at Sharrotts Pond and had been seen that morning as well. Not only is it a rare bird for the region, but it is the first Staten Island record of the species. We headed there next, hoping to find it. When we arrived, it was close to 1 pm, and the sun beat down on us as we stood on the observation platform overlooking the pond and scanned for the bird. A young boy with binoculars who had come to the park for the same purpose got very excited—he was sure he had found the bird. We trained our binoculars on a small island across the pond and saw a tiny red splotch. It looked very promising, even when seen through a scope, but we ultimately decided that it was most likely a red flower that looked uncannily like the red bill characteristic of a Purple Gallinule.
After about an hour of watching and waiting for the Purple Gallinule, we decided to head to our next stop, Lemon Creek Park, where we were guaranteed to see our target bird—the Purple Martin, the eponymous species of this trip.
At Lemon Creek Park we found the Purple Martin colony busy with activity, with parents flying to and from the apartments and squeezing into the portals to attend to their young. Close by were terns and gulls flying up and down Lemon Creek. And behind us, beyond the trees, was a view of New Jersey—far in the distance across Raritan Bay.
Our final destination was Great Kills Park to view the Bank Swallow colony that nests there every summer. When we arrived, we found many of the swallows swooping back and forth, up and down, over the beach and water below us, while a group remained perched on the branches of a bare tree. A short time later we noticed that that tree had been abandoned for yet another bare tree, and then that tree was abandoned; after that, all the birds remained aloft for the rest of our visit.
It was delightfully breezy and cool along the water as our trip concluded, and watching the Barn Swallows at the edge of the bay was a highlight for many. Many thanks to Howie for leading us and sharing his insights and love of Staten Island birding. We had a wonderful day!
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Laughing Gull American Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Forster’s Tern Common Tern Double-crested Cormorant Snowy Egret Great Egret Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Fish Crow Bank Swallow Tree Swallow Purple Martin Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Northern House Wren Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird American Robin House Sparrow American Goldfinch Song Sparrow Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Boat-tailed Grackle Common Yellowthroat Yellow Warbler Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting
Butterflies Cabbage White Silver-spotted Skipper Broad-winged Skipper
Odonates Fragile Forktail Common Whitetail Common Green Darner Slaty Skimmer Blue Dasher
