Marathon day covering the park

Today I woke up early so I decided to go on Starr's walk, and got myself on the train up there.  I was so motivated I got there about a half hour early!   Hahahaha, that doesn't happen often.  So I wandered aruond a bit before joining the group.  While I wandered around I saw a palm warbler, a chipping sparrow distracting me from the palm warbler, a towhee teasing me, a black and white whizzing by and then hopping about, a yellow rumped warbler or seven, and ........ 

this gorgeous flicker, who didn't care one whit if I was that close.  There must be something quite delicious in there!

On my way to join the group the palm popped its head up closeby and tried to make me late.

The group was quite large - I think 27 - and a bit unwieldy.  But right away by the pool she found this beautiful prairie warbler!  My first time seeing one in NY - the only time I've seen one before this was in Cayman.  So lovely! I saw a common yellow throat here and some other folks saw a waterthrush, but my camera was pretty much glued to the prairie warbler.

After this we headed up to the blockhouse, we saw a vivid rosy breasted grosbeak.  He was so much more vivid than the one I saw last year, it was amazing!  Sadly all of the pictures are headless.  The intervening branches were cruel indeed, decapitating that grosbeak over and over.

While I was off finding a different angle the group spotted and was watching a black and white, who saw the wisdom of my ways and flew right over to me.  I mean, it was so close that I couldn't get a picture.  Then the group started towards us, and it was off again.  

I spotted a hermit thrush!  Yes, that was my contribution to the group.  Yes, quite crucial!

Up by some rocks we saw a savannah sparrow.  I don't think I could ID it, but still, I think I might have seen one...... Looks quite a bit like a song sparrow, no spot on the front, streaks weaker on chest.  It was hanging out with a song sparrow and about 4-5 chipping sparrows.

Next was this northern parula.  Looks pretty sleek when stretched out like that! 

By a tree by some benches and I think some restrooms someone called out a blue headed vireo.  This picture is ~not~ good, but that might be what it is.

Hahahahahaha, this raccoon is totally splayed out.  Soaking up the sponge and getting the good sleep!

This towhee was somewhat more cooperative, and allowed a picture.

A Baltimore oriole looking startlingly beautiful.  We were walking towards the stream.

Whelp, gotta go!

Another prairie warbler - what a treat!

A blue winged warbler.  How gorgeous!  This was my first time seeing one.  Okay, I don't love a big group, but we are seeing a lot!

We made it to Harlem Meer, where this eastern kingbird was surveying its domain. At the meer I left the group, and decided to just keep walking.  

The loon was still on the reservoir!  Okay it's not a great shot, but between the wind being easier and the bird being a tiny bit closer, at least it's much better than the last round.......

Such a gorgeous bird.  

Made it to turtle pond, where this egret was stalking something.

Went for it!  :-)

This field sparrow was between the castle and Shakespeare garden.  I found it and identified it all by myself!  :-)  Two life birds in one day.  Yay!  :-)

I was so exhausted I pretty much just headed for the oven, sat for a while, and then to the stone benchlet, where I saw this waterthrush.  I think northern.

At azalea pond this common yellow throat came by, for just long enough for me to snap a picture or two.  Hello masked one, I have missed you! 

Out at the point was a black crowned night heron, a northern parula, several yellow rumped warblers, and this wood duck.  

Made it to the pond, and my feet have not actually fallen off!  The goose had just stood up - look at all of those eggs!  

The red-bellied woodpecker is probably calling out a sweet good-bye to me as I leave the park.  I'm exhausted - what a day!

Once around the pond before brunch

It was actually nice today, instead of super-dreary and rainy, like the weather predictions claimed.  So I left early and walked around the pond for almost an hour before brunch.  It was great!

 This was the first robin I've seen this season sitting in a nest.  So cute!

 This hawk gave me a great view as it flew over in circles.

  Turns out there were two of them!  It struck me more as pair bonding than as a dispute, but of course I don't really know.

 A woodpecker peeking out from a cavity in the tree.

 You can see a little of the underside of this turtle - check out how gorgeous and bright!

 The goose left her eggs under a pile of feathers in her "nest" while she gallivanted about.  

 And here's some sort of frog or toad. 

No herons or egrets, several kinds of sparrows, no warblers, no kinglets.  The hawk flyover really made the morning, that and the gorgeous weather!  Now, off to meet the girls for brunch.  :-)

Dismal day

Today the weather was not great (I really hope May is an improvement over this dreary April) but it was getting even worse, so I decided I had better get out anyway.  So off I went, to the pond!  I looked and looked for the black crowned night herons, but I couldn't find them.  Maybe they are just really good hiders, and they defeated me.

I did, however, find this cat.  Inside Hallett.  Looking........ well satisfied.  :-(  I saw this cat in the ramble a couple of times last year, and talked to a park employee.  They know the cat is around, they just have not been able to catch the cat.  Anyone know how to catch a cat?

From there I decided to just continue on, and headed up.  The red-headed woodpecker did not say hello.  He probably was comfy cozy indoors, with more sense than I had!  Near the oven a towhee flew in front of me, perched as gorgeous as can be, and flew off as I raised the camera.

At the stream near the wood bridge was this pretty winter wren, and later was a waterthrush of some sort.

At the upper lobe I looked again for the egret, and instead found this black crowned night heron!  So, the day was not completely without sightings.  I also saw a kinglet here and there, that was about it.  I'm so happy with my outerwear, I send thanks to Merrell every time I wear it.  Thanks Merrell!

Feeling Loony!

Today I decided to see if I could see the loon.  It's been on the reservoir for a few days, who knows if it will stick around for me.  I'm not feeling great but Claratin is my friend.  The wind, however, is not - it was fierce!

Anyway, there were about a gazillion (okay more like 6) cormorants on the reservoir, each one teasing me..... it might be a loon!  No, it's a cormorant.  They were flying around, diving under, confusing me, which was easy due to the Claratin.  I soldiered on, passing a yellow-rumped warbler and a group of about 6 pretty buffleheads. I saw three flying also, 2 females and one male.  That was cool!

I kept on, until finally I spotted it, smack in the middle - the loon!!!!  :-)

The pictures are not great, between the distance and the wind, but you can still pretty much tell that's what it is.

Hello gorgeous!

After seeing that I exited the reservoir pretty quickly.  It's a good thing I had my hat on a strap.  Laugh all you want, I like that hat!  :-)  Down to turtle pond, where I saw...... pretty much nothing.  Up the castle.  Nothing.  Down to the ramble.

This gorgeous egret was hanging out in the upper lobe.  Looks like he needs to do some clean-up after his preening.

The preening however was a success - quite dapper.  There was another yellow-rumped warbler or three there, and a creeper that flirted with me, and a flicker or two.  Not as many flickers as that one day, but still quite a few around.  I actually accidentally flushed one, I was just a step or two away from it.  Um, thanks, Claratin........ I mean really - how do you miss a flicker that close???

Over the gill was this super-cutie blue-gray gnatcatcher!

There's the tail with the white on the outside.  It was so cute and round!  Sadly that was about it for the rest of the ramble.  I didn't wait around, I just wanted to keep moving.

Back at the upper lobe, the egret was really showing off for the tourists, and a cormorant joined the show.  This creeper came right over, though, and demanded his share of attention.

As predicted, I had another chance to photograph a black and white....... Hopefully I'll get another chance yet again!

Heading home, some kids were making a big deal over a turtle, so I looked - and here he was, the big daddy snapping turtle!  He's quite impressive.

Further on there was a pair of red-bellied woodpeckers flying about doing their thing, maybe they will nest too.  I would so love to see some woodpecker chicks!

The black crowned night herons are back at the pond! Yay!

So today my knees were not super happy, but were up for at least a walk around the pond.  I went after leaving the PT office, so I entered at 5th Ave, and stood on the rocks for a couple of minutes.  Another birder came over and we chatted, then he was off to whatever, and I was off to the waterfall.  On the way the kinglet we had been looking at across the way came over to a tree right above me, that was nice.

The waterfall was still turned off, I have no idea what's happening with that.  There wasn't much going on there, so I headed back over towards the bridge.

Along the way, a tree looked........ just different somehow.  So I checked it out, and a red-bellied woodpecker was pecking away at a cavity.  I hope it's making a nest!  It would be wonderful to have a red-bellied woodpecker nest so close by!  Also the pictures are terrible, so I would like another chance at that.  :-)

Onward.  And something else caught my eye, across the way.  It was a black crowned night heron!  Sitting in a tree, tucked in, just resting up.  By the time I moved around to this angle it was more alert, but it went back to sleep shortly.  While I was watching this guy I spotted a black and white warbler over there, but the pictures of that came out really bad too.  But they were shameless last year, so I'm sure I will get another chance.  :-)

I scanned around hoping there was a second one, and there it was!  It came out of a tangle.  It actually moved slowly and deliberately, but I love this picture, it looks like it's skidding to a halt.

Then it flew right over towards me, and walked just in front of me to hide in some bushes.  I wonder if they will stick around!  I loved having them here last year.

Eventually I continued on towards the bridge, and found this red-winged blackbird.  It's apparently one of Jack's favorites, so here's a picture!

It looks like a goose is nesting in the same spot as last year.  I have noticed that there are several (maybe 5 or 6) geese here this year.  Maybe it's the ones that hatched here last year?  Do geese do that?  I have no idea.

Then in the little grassy nook area past the bridge, there was a golden crowned kinglet flitting about briefly.  This ruby-crowned kinglet was much more cooperative, camera-wise.  It was a really nice walk, I'm glad I went.

But the day was not over yet!  Later out the window I saw this falcon, and ~finally~ managed to get a picture.  Not a good picture by any means, but at least this time the bird is in the frame.  :-)

Today Jack and I walked around the pond before his meeting.  It was great!  

 As we were walking along, he heard this red-winged blackbird and recognized the sound, and then found the bird!  

 There were a couple of song sparrows along the side of the pond.  

 This phoebe was in the reeds by the bridge.

 Then Jack went to his meeting, and I continued on up.  First stop, checking on the red headed woodpecker, looking redder than ever!  :-)

 By the stone benchlet, this brown creeper came over to say hello.  There were actually two of them, just cycling through the trees there over and over.  It was great! 

 This hermit thrush was there too, it caught my eye but refused pictures.  This was the clearest shot I could get.  

Walking down along the lake by the west park road, this ruby crowned kinglet was being cute.  

 And this yellow bellied sapsucker came by.

 But then she needed to go.