Central Park, May 4th

On the second of what was eventually four consecutive days birding the park, the numbers in the Ramble were almost as high as the previous day (Thursday).  The highlight of the day was a Grasshopper Sparrow which had been found on the croquet courts the previous day, and which I happened to find first on adjacent Falconer's Hill early in the morning.  This is my third species of Ammodramus sparrow in Central Park - the others being Saltmarsh Sparrow (twice!) and Nelson's Sparrow.  My park list is now 196 although getting to 200 would be quite a challenge.  Also on Falconer's were the colorful duo of male Indigo Bunting and two male Scarlet Tanager.

A close second in the celebrity stakes was a male Cerulean Warbler, initially silent but finally singing, making it easier to find in its traditional canopy top habits.  The area it was found in (the small hillock now called the "Captain's Bench" is approximately the same as that of last year, and might reflect the Cerulean's habitat preference of sycamores associated with nearby water, at least based on where I find them in NJ and NY.  Many Baltimore Orioles were nearby, particularly fond of the flowering Tulip Trees.

Other good birds included Veery, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-throated Vireos, Blackburnian Warblers and a Least Flycatcher that actually vocalized in addition to a silent Empidonax seen later.  The light was still challenging, with significant overcast, which made identifications frequently a challenge.  Before returning to Falconer's Hill to watch the Grasshopper Sparrow again in the early afternoon I saw quite an unlikely event: a Solitary Sandpiper flying through the Ramble at eye level headed through the trees toward the Lake.

16 species of warbler, down a little from the previous day but covering reduced territory.

Solitary Sandpiper                     
Ruby-throated Hummingbird              
Least Flycatcher                       
Empidonax sp. (Least-ish)                    
Great Crested Flycatcher               
Yellow-throated Vireo                  
Blue-headed Vireo                      
Warbling Vireo                         
House Wren                             
Ruby-crowned Kinglet                   
Veery                                  
Hermit Thrush                          
Wood Thrush                            
Brown Thrasher                         
Ovenbird                               
Northern Waterthrush                   
Black-and-white Warbler                
Nashville Warbler                      
Common Yellowthroat                    
American Redstart                      
Cerulean Warbler                       
Northern Parula                        
Magnolia Warbler                       
Blackburnian Warbler                   
Yellow Warbler                         
Chestnut-sided Warbler                 
Black-throated Blue Warbler            
Yellow-rumped Warbler                  
Prairie Warbler                        
Black-throated Green Warbler           
Eastern Towhee                         
Chipping Sparrow                       
Grasshopper Sparrow                    
Swamp Sparrow                          
Scarlet Tanager                        
Rose-breasted Grosbeak                 
Indigo Bunting