I birded in the North Wood on Saturday and enjoyed the second wave of the fall migration, which as brought new ducks, woodpeckers, fly catchers and thrushes. I also stumbled into the Monarch Butterfly migration, where at least 500 Monarchs were taking a break in the Wildflower Meadow.
Random pictures from Saturday…
Saturday was a great day for birding. Once the rainy weather had cleared up, the park was full of active birds. Sunday was quieter, but there was still lots to see. Highlights for me included a Solitary Sandpiper, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks eating Jewelweed, assorted warblers and close up views of a Black-crowned Night Heron.
On Saturday, I continued to experiment with different techniques for photographing hummingbirds, this time trying to use more natural light with mixed results. They are more realistic but less clear than my flash pictures.
On Wednesday, the Jewelweed in the Oven (a cove on the Lake in the Ramble of Central Park) had a very cooperative female Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
On Saturday morning along the lower lobe, a Chestnut-sided Warbler flew into the duck weed that was covering the surface of the Lake. The bird may have been confused by the color and thought it was landing on solid ground. It tried to get out of the water by climbing up on to a stick in the water without success. The warbler eventually ended up slowly paddling to the shore and safety.
