Central Park: Hot and Quiet(ish)

Today Jack and I first had a "breakfast" picnic with visiting friends by the Pond.  A cormorant was there standing on the post, I saw a palm warbler across the way in Hallett, a blue jay flew into Hallett and a cardinal flew out.  Jack saw all of them except the palm warbler!

Later we went up to the south-western corner of the reservoir, where it was quiet, quiet, quiet.  I mean, bird-wise.  People-wise, it was hopping!  Anyway, we headed over to Tanner's Spring.

Sitting on the benches we saw this pretty black and white warbler right away, in a close by tree getting insects from the trunk.

There was also a little something or other, possibly a northern parula because we thought we heard its song.  No picture.  It was much too quick for me!

Then this hooded warbler flew in and stayed on the ground like a sparrow.  How gorgeous!  My first sighting of this bird.

As we were heading out I saw a little lovely in a tree, I thought its face looked yellow and it had a black throat.  However this guy was also too fast for me, and the only picture I got (containing the bird) is too fuzzy.  Plus his head is turned away.  Oh well!

Along the path right there we saw an Eastern towhee rooting around, too elusive for pictures, but stayed there a while.  And a catbird, our first sighting of this bird.  No pictures of that one either.  It was not a great day for pictures!

Then we headed down to the lake.  At the upper lobe we saw a water thrush, a yellow rumped warbler, a chipping sparrow, and a catbird.  And a cormorant came in for a landing, fished, caught a fish and ate it!  It was fantastic to see!

We pretty much went to get hot dogs at that point, and then started to head for home.  We walked down to the pond to go around it again.  And saw this black-crowned night heron there!

He was hunting right by the goose's nest.  The goose was ~not~ happy.  He went a teeny bit further away and she laid right down.

Meanwhile, in other news, the cormorant was showing off.

Leaving the bridge I got a brief glimpse of a little lovely but lost it so quickly, I have no idea what it was.  So frustrating!  But I know I'm getting better, so I need to just be patient with myself and keep at it.  I've really seen quite a lot for a beginner!