Spring migration - Central Park - May 14th, 15th 2008

Originally planning to skip the park on May 14th, an excited post on eBirdsNYC induced me to hop on the train and come in for the afternoon. A late start meant a limited warbler list on what may have been the biggest day of the season. Migration unpredictability was emphasized by the overnight wind being from the ESE. The best bird of the day was unquestionably a Chuck-will's-widow - only the second one I've seen - roosting on the point. Like last year's bird this one was an adult female.

Other than that there was a decent trickle of warblers in Tanner's Spring on the 14th:

Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat

but I only managed a paltry 11 species.

On the 15th absolute numbers were down, but I had perhaps my best birding day with Tennessee and multiple Cape May Warblers, plus one Blackburnian. Activity at Tanner's Spring was far slower, enlivened by Canada Warbler and White-eyed Vireo but compromised by over-use of flash by the gaggle of photographers there. A nice addition was a Black-billed Cuckoo near Tanner's Spring, my first cuckoo of the season. Other firsts were a Least Flycatcher and my first Scarlet Tanagers in the park this year.

Migrant list:

Wood Duck
Black-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Barn Swallow
House Wren
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak