I saw my first European Goldfinch today in Central Park.  An introduced bird in North America, it is becoming more and more established. 

I had to ask a WhatsApp group I’m in to figure it out.  Luckily, folks forgave my ignorance and I got an answer within a minute.

There are scores of American Robin nests in Central Park currently.  Some nests have already produced fledglings. I caught up with one nest on the Point a small peninsula that juts out in the Central Park Lake.  Both parents were actively feeding the three young robins.

A Belted Kingfisher was on the shore of The Pond in Central Park on Wednesday.  I caught up with it while it was eating a fish.  It took a lot of work to swallow the fish!

Mary Beth Kopper found a Long-tailed Duck on the Central Park Reservoir on Saturday.  A bird common in New York harbor, is very rarely seen in Central Park.  The female slept most of the time it was on the reservoir before becoming active later in the day.

On Wednesday, thanks to a report from Deborra Mullins, I had my first warbler of the season, a Pine Warbler.  Eastern Phoebes are also being reporting in Central Park.  After a quiet winter, spring migration is very welcome. 

An American Woodcock was out in the open south of the Maintenance Field parking lot this morning.  However it got spooked and flew west. It decided to stay the whole afternoon perfectly still.  I came back at dusk and once it was dark it finally moved. 

I stayed and listened for bats, and had two Big Brown Bats in clear view flying at times a few feet from me.  I got some nice recordings.  On my way out, I was able to record two more Big Brown Bates on Cedar Hill, and possible got two recordings of a Silver-haired Bat.  I don’t usually listen for bats this early and thought I might be lucky with the warm weather and see an Eastern Red Bad, which I didn’t end up seeing or hearing.