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.

This winter there has been a female Green-winged Teal on the northern water bodies of Central Park.  She was first seen on the Harlem Meer, then the Reservoir and then on The Pool.  Two days ago, I saw a Green-winged Teal on The Lake.  Yesterday, I saw both a male and female Green-winged Teal together on the small island by Bow Bridge on the Lake.

The pair moved to the Reservoir along with about a hundred birds when the Urban Park Rangers launched a kayak onto the lake to search for the Common Merganser trapped in the plastic ring.  (The merganser could not be found on Tuesday despite a diligent search.)  Today, the pair was seen on The Pool.

Sadly, a Common Merganser is on The Lake in Central Park with a plastic band wrapped in its mouth and neck.  It looks like the ring to a wide mouth beverage container.  The Urban Park Rangers have tried to trap the bird over the last two days without success.  Let’s hope they are able to net the bird soon.

A Graylag Goose, which has been seem for at least a week on the Reservoir was on The Lake of Central Park today.  The spotted black/yellow bill coloration and white feathers around the bill, suggest that it is most likely a Graylag Goose x Swan Goose Hybrid.  The bird is most likely an escapee from a poultry farm.

We used to have a number of Domestic Duck/Mallard hybrids on The Pond and The Meer and we had the Mandarin Duck last winter.  So, another hybrid is just par for the course I guess.

I went walking on Randalls Island today.  I got very nice looks at a Belted Kingfisher at the north end of the island.