Central Park North Woods with Ursula Mitra and Kevin Sisco, 5/11/2025
Registrar: Suzanne Zywicki
Participants: 37
Weather: Sunny, light wind, temperatures ranging from 59-72 degrees
Bird Species: 65
Unlike spring migration walks of years past in Central Park’s North Woods, we had beautiful weather for this May’s field trip. Ursula Mitra and Kevin Sisco capably led a comparatively large group of enthusiastic birders in exploring a part of Central Park that was less familiar than most to many of the participants. Our group was a nice mix of experienced and newer birders, with those possessing stronger birding skills willingly helping others to identify and focus on the birds.
After meeting at 108th and Central Park West, we made our way to the Great Hill, where the morning began with an abundance of warbler sightings, including Blackpoll, Wilson’s, Blackburnian, and Blue-winged, among others. We also viewed several Baltimore Orioles and Scarlet Tanagers in and around the tulip tree.
We then made our way through the jug-handle into the North Woods, where we continued to see warblers in addition to two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a few Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, and examples of several other species.
Our next stop was the newly opened Davis Center in The Meer, where we were treated to good views of a Black-crowned Night Heron and some Double-Crested Cormorants. After a group lunch at the Green Bench, we explored the compost heap and the nursery, where we saw an Eastern Wood-Peewee, our only flycatcher of the day. We then headed into the Loch, where we had great views of a Canada Warbler near the Glen Span Arch.
We continued on to The Pool, where new birds for the day included two Solitary Sandpipers. Our day ended back on the Great Hill, after almost seven hours of birding! All told, we saw over 20 warbler species and 65 species in total. A big thank you to Ursula and Kevin for sharing their knowledge of the North End and giving us such a fun and rewarding day.
Species List
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Solitary Sandpiper
American Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
swallow sp.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
