Central Park 9/18

Do you get the general idea that I'm birding Central Park a fair amount this fall ? Saturday was a fair migration day and it dawned clear. Or at least it did over Ewing NJ, but as the train sped northward I discovered that there was a block of cloud settled over NYC that took a while to clear. The light at the start of the day was dark and challenging so although there were some warblers around quite a few of the sightings were silhouettes. Eastern Phoebe, Brown Creeper and Palm Warbler were the new fall arrivals for me. Of interest was a Song Sparrow in Strawberry Fields that showed juvenile plumage - perhaps a late season local bird that hadn't yet molted into first basic plumage. Despite fairly modest migrant volume (again Strawberry Fields was the best) a good 14 warbler species, including a rather nice but brief view of a male Hooded Warbler.

Sharp-shinned Hawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Song Sparrow (juvenile)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak