A happy walk in the park

A glorious Friday afternoon, I walked in the park alone for a while and then Jack met me and we walked together.  It was beautiful!  Not very birdy, but beautiful.  :-)

northern flicker

red-eyed vireo 

black-throated blue warbler

rosy-breasted grosbeak (female)

ruby-throated hummingbird

American redstart

Common yellow-throat (female)

Fall Walk with AMNH

Today was the first of the fall walks with Paul, and it was great!  Well, I only managed to stay with the group for half of the walk.  Then I got distracted and wandered off, and didn't manage to get back to them.  I knew it would happen someday!  :-)

We started off heading over to the upper lobe, where there was a Carolina wren showing off for us, singing and posing.  That turned into almost a theme for the day - there were several Carolina wrens, it started to seem as if they were stalking us!

Carolina wren

It was a big treat to see this hummingbird.  It stayed put for quite a while, preening behind some leaves.  There was also a common yellow-throat but I missed it, all of my focus was on the hummingbird.

ruby-throated hummingbird

We also saw this Baltimore oriole doing its best to distract us from the warblers:

Baltimore oriole

Such as this parula, we were all straining our necks to see this little fellow way up there.

northern parula

There were several redstarts

American redstart

This catbird wanted attention, it kept posing until  finally agreed to take its picture.

catbird

A chestnut-sided warbler looks so different in the fall!

chestnut-sided warbler

Seeing the adult male redstart was a treat.

American redstart

This flicker was foraging on the ground, almost invisible in the brush.  Apparently it thought it was invisible even when it exited the brush, it took its time and didn't seem to mind me being quite closeby.

northern flicker

Flycatcher!

I love it when black and white warblers pretend to be nuthatches.

black-and-white warbler

I did manage to see a few things that (I think) the group sadly missed.  Hopefully we will all get to enjoy them next time!  At azalea pond there were more warblers flitting about.

blue-winged warbler

Magnolia warbler

And this waterthrush was bobbing around the streamlet.

waterthrush

A Lawrence's warbler!

It was a really beautiful day, so Jack and I walked around the park in the afternoon, starting at the pond and heading up around the boathouse and through the ramble.  The the park we were greeted by the great egret and this great blue heron.  Someday hopefully I will be able to take decent pictures of the egret, but right now all I get is a giant shining white blob.  Oh well, the heron makes up for it!

great blue heron

 Not much else happening at the pond, it was a crowded day in the park.  As it should have been - a gorgeous summer Saturday!  By the boathouse we ignored the crowds and found a pair of house finches and a gorgeous Baltimore oriole in a tree right over our heads.

house finch

 And swifts above them!

swift

 On to the ramble.  I had seen a text about a Lawrence's warbler but didn't expect to find it.  I mean, finding any warbler is difficult, and finding one specific individual seemed a pipe dream.  But find it we did!

Lawrence's warbler

 This blue-winged warbler was confused, usually it gets a lot of attention.  Instead the entire group of birders was like, "Oh, it's just the blue-winged."  And we were just annoyed by all the redstarts!

blue-winged warbler

 The star of the show was definitely the Lawrence's.  We all got a good look, although it actively resisted pictures.  I really need to figure out manual focus.  I mean, look how gorgeous!

Lawrence's warbler

 After heading off this red-tailed hawk came though briefly, it's always a thrill to see them but especially in the summer.  I think of late fall/winter as hawk season, I often just wander around until I find at least one hawk, but it's rare for me to see them in the summer with all the leaves in the trees.

red-tailed hawk

 Along the streamlet there were a couple of waterthrushes, bobbing about.

northern waterthrush

 And at the upper lobe was this black-crowned night heron, so we started and ended with herons.  What a great walk!

black-crowned night heron

Migrants back in the park

Today was a gorgeous day, so I went to the park!  Yesterday I walked through with no binoculars or camera and saw 2 American redstarts, so I was hoping to find them again today.

The day started well with this pretty black and white warbler, who stayed with me for quite some time.

black-and-white warbler

This yellow warbler however was much more elusive.  I'm glad for the brief glimpse I got!

yellow warbler

While I was welcoming the warblers back this hummingbird came by!  It didn't stay long, but I was thrilled to see it.

ruby-throated hummingbird 

There are flickers again too!

northern flicker

I saw several waterthrushes, I believe at least one Louisiana and at least one northern.  But I am not great at telling them apart.

waterthrush

 Redstart!  I did see a male also, but no pictures.

American redstart

 While I was at the oven this hawk came by and landed briefly before zooming off.  It seems like a juvie that's learning how to hunt.

red-tailed hawk

 Kingbirds!  There were 3 or 4 of them, hiding.

eastern kingbird

 This oriole looks like it has blood on its face and beak.  I hope it's okay.

Baltimore oriole

 There were 2 Carolina wrens at the oven, one singing and one calling, hanging around each other.  I saw them first up in a tree and then later down in the brush.  What a treat!

Carolina wren

 Another waterthrush.  One at azalea pond, one along the streamlet, one at the upper lobe.  It really seemed like 2 along the streamlet, but I can't say for sure.

waterthrush

More migration gorgeousness

Well it's a good sign when I get to see a Canada warbler on my way to meet the group!  I was this one by the southern end of the lake, where it teased me for a while before I remembered I was actually on a schedule and should get going.  I had time to run around the upper lobe and I saw several little guys, but I have no idea what they were because of the sneezing.  Time for allergy medicine!  It turns out that if you sneeze and then get out allergy medicine and water and Kleenex such that your hands are full and you are juggling items, the birds think it's funny to come right over and flit about.  It was maddening!

Canada warbler

 Met up with the group, and we went back to the upper lobe where there were birds a-plenty.  We finally got a good look at a red-eyed vireo.

red-eyed vireo

 There was a warbling vireo there also.  Guess what it was doing!

warbling vireo

 We saw this black-crowned night heron flying around over the lake, and it landed near us.  They are hilarious looking.

black-crowned night heron

 Oriole!  We have seen this guy here a few times, we sort of wondered if they were nesting nearby.  Later I found their nest!

Baltimore oriole

 Ah, warbler time.  I love this picture of the black-and-white, it almost makes up for the Blackburnian defeating my camera at every angle.

black-and-white warbler

 This is not a Canada (as I first thought) but is a "weakly marked" Magnolia.

magnolia warbler

 Black-throated green!  Look at how gorgeous!

black-throated green warbler

 This scarlet tanager is showing off its acrobatic skills in addition to its brilliant coloring.

scarlet tanager

 As promised, Baltimore oriole with nest.  Sadly the group had just left, but hopefully the nest will be going strong next week.

Baltimore oriole with nest