Central Park, April 28th

Most interesting bird was actually viewed from the NJ Transit train
headed into the city at Secaucus, where a Common Raven was soaring
above the rock outcrop at Laurel Hill Park.

Hooded Warbler and Worm-eating Warblers were the best birds for the day after that.
Possibly more than one Worm-eating, but there was just one very active male Hooded that rarely fed at ground level. A "late"
bird was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. New birds for the year for me
included Eastern Kingbird (nr Bow Bridge), Veery, Yellow Warbler
(several) and American Redstart. Slightly odd that I've seen Redstart
and Bay-breasted before Black-throated Green (which I only heard
today). 18 or 19 warbler species is, however, not a bad total for late
April. The Juncos appear to have left but the White-throated Sparrows are still numerous.

Despite hearing Chimney Swifts I didn't see any until I was working in the yard at home in the evening.

Double-crested Cormorant (flock migrating overhead)
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo (heard only)
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Blue-winged Warbler (a few)
Nashville Warbler (several, widespread)
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (abundant)
Black-throated Green Warbler (heard)
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler (probable heard)
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart (Tanner's Spring)
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush (Gill)
Louisiana Waterthrush (Oven)
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow

Siskin Tracker

Just a post to track the last sighting of Pine Siskin at my feeders...

Siskins appear to have left during the hot weekend of 25th/26th, with the Juncos leaving then or before.

May 3rd - have been silent for days, but this was seen at close range
none April 27th, but W-t Sparrow
April 24th (+W-t Sparrow)
April 20th (+Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 17th (+Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 16th (2, nest material ?, +Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 15th (+Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 13th (+Junco)
April 11th
April 10th (+Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 7th (2, +Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 2nd (3+)
April 1st (1)
March 30th
March 29th (2++)
March 23rd (2).
March 19th.
March 15th.
March 13th (singing).
March 12th (singing).
March 10th.

Central Park, April 25th and 26th

Unseasonably warm late-April days of 85 and 90 made it almost certain there would be a good migrant push in Central Park. Interestingly there were different species on the two days, with Nashvilles far commoner on the second day. Some very early records of mid-late spring species were seen, including Magnolia (not by me) and Bay-breasted Warblers (the latter found by me at Tanner's Spring on the 26th). However the rather modest total of 14 warbler sp. over two days does still indicate the early season. Misses for me were Yellow Warbler and Black-throated Green, neither of which were yet numerous. But the male Hooded (singing) and Bay-breasted (silent) made up for it.

Double-crested Cormorant
Empidonax Flycatcher (almost certainly Least)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Blue-winged Warbler (1)
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler (1)
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat (1)
Hooded Warbler (1)
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole

Central Park, April 18th

A decent mid-April migration day with the usual suspects including a few Palm Warblers, a Pine Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Eastern Towhee. Migrants present in good numbers were: Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch

Migration moves on

New arrivals for me:

Louisiana Waterthrush: April 12th, Central Park
Yellow-throated Warbler: April 12th, Central Park
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: April 16th, Princeton
Yellow-rumped Warbler: April 18th, Central Park (first migrant one?)
Pine Warbler: April 18th, Central Park
Palm Warbler: April 18th, Central Park
Northern Parula: April 17th, Princeton (new early date for me by one day)

Central Park, April 12th

My first foray into Central Park for the year, and a smallish number of early spring migrants were present. Several Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Hermit Thrushes, one Fox Sparrow, a few Pine Siskins at the feeders and around the Ramble. Only two warblers: Louisiana Waterthrush in the Gill (seen singing) and a Yellow-throated Warbler at the south side of Conservatory Water. The latter was feeding on the roof of a concession stand and on the edge of the pond - rather atypical behavior for this species.

After that I went to Edgewater NJ to find Monk Parakeet, now that they had recently been added to the NJ list. Then down to South Amboy where I failed to pick out Little Gulls from the Bonaparte's Gull flock there in windy conditions but found other spring arrivals: Forster's Tern, Snowy Egret and Laughing Gull. A handful of Gannets were hunting in the bay.

Central Park list:
Great Egret
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-throated Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Brown-headed Cowbird
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch