Registrar: Suzanne Zywicki
Participants: 16
Weather: Calm, partly cloudy, temperatures in the 50s-60s
Bird Species: 37
Our annual spring walk to celebrate the iconic birding guide, Starr Saphir, focused on Central Park’s North End. The group met at the 103rd Street and Central Park West entrance to the park and traveled down to the Pool, where our leader, Jeff Kimball, told the group a bit about Starr and her approach to birding.
Beginning our walk, we quickly spotted a Solitary Sandpiper and a Northern Waterthrush in the mudflats. As we continued around the Pool, we spied a Nashville Warbler moving around in some low foliage. We then moved on to the Loch, where we saw lots of warbler activity, including two of the day’s highlights—a Worm-Eating and a Black-Throated Green Warbler. We also saw a Black-Throated Blue Warbler, one of Starr’s favorite birds.
The group move on to the newly opened Davis Center to take a quick break and to explore the Harlem Meer. Our route then took us back to the North Woods, where we saw a single Cedar Waxwing—unusual for a bird we are used to seeing in small flocks. As we continued, we were excited to see a single Wood Thrush, but soon after encountered four more!
Finally, we worked our way to the Great Hill, where we were treated to several Baltimore Orioles and a Scarlet Tanager.
Species List
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Solitary Sandpiper
Great Egret
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
falcon sp.
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
