I had gone up to the North Woods looking for owls, but ended up seeing nocturnal activity I didn’t expect. The Loch had Mallards (displaced from their normal nighttime location of the North Meadow due to the snow), raccoons, and a Great Blue Heron who for some reason hasn’t migrated further south and was hunting after dark.
The annual Christmas Bird Count was held in Central Park. The snow storm had tapered off just in time for a nice morning in the park.
Counting in fresh snow was good exercise, although it kept the count numbers down. I birded the Northwest. Highlights included a female Wood Duck and a Great Blue Heron (most likely the same bird Jack Meyer saw earlier in the week on the Lake). Our group had two raptor species, a Cooper’s Hawk and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks.
An unusual species for the count was a Turkey Vulture, with multiple fly overs the park. Speculation was that heavy snow forced the vultures south. The Riverside Park count even had a Bald Eagle. So the weather was a mixed blessing.
All over New York City, wintering hawks are establishing themselves in various parks. I’ve received emails about hawks on the Upper East Side, down in Washington Square Park, and Riverside Park in Manhattan, as well as other locations in Queens and Brooklyn.
This Cooper’s Hawk seems to have settled into the Loch in Central Park, and looks like it might stay the winter.
The fall migration still has some beauties coming our way, including this Cedar Waxwing, a House Finch and a male Wood Duck.
I can’t figure out what species of bird this is. It was on the south shore of Turtle Pond. Is it just a strangely marked Rock Pigeon? If you know, please leave a comment.
I wasn’t able to get close to this bird, so I’m sorry if the photographs and movies aren’t that clear.
After two days, it’s clear it’s a Rock Pigeon. The behavior confused me, but the white cere should have been the giveaway.
Turtle Pond was host to a male Mandarin Duck today. The species is not native to North America, so it was most likely an escapee from a zoo or collection.
