Princeton: Bittern, White-eyed Vireo 4/14

A quite cooperative American Bittern had been at Princeton's Rogers Refuge most of the week. After a quick check on Monday, when I found only a few Wilson's Snipe, I returned on a warm Thursday evening where I found the bird out in the open at the edge of the phragmites. Not a bad bird for NJ. I also saw one Wilson's Snipe again as it flushed from further back in the pond.

Additional birds were Wood Duck, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and a White-eyed Vireo. The vireo is noteworthy because my personal early date for WEVI in the north-east was April 22nd 2008 (Sandy Hook), so this bird was 8 days early.

Central Park, May 6th

Not the most auspicious weather to go birding in Central Park - a north wind overnight and overcast making viewing conditions difficult. Nevertheless it was May 6th, so there were a decent number of migrants in small pockets. Best birds for the day were White-eyed Vireo (Upper Lobe), Indigo Bunting and a persistently singing Blackburnian Warbler at Mugger's Woods. For May 6th the lack of Red-eyed Vireos gave it a feel of being a little late for some species, consistent with the poor and wet weather over the last few days retarding migration.

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
American Kestrel
Blue-headed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Brown Thrasher
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole