Submitted by Jennie Strable on Mon, 09/26/2016 - 5:40pm
Event date:
Saturday, September 24, 2016 - 8:00am
Location:
-
Hello to All,
There is now a clearing in the woods at the north end of Bobolink Meadow. The warblers gathered in the surrounding trees. We all suffered from “warbler neck.” A circle of zero gravity outdoor lounge chairs would have been nice.
The Great Blue Herons are not fearful of high perches. One particular heron looked like a tree ornament atop of a tree on Heron Island.
The juvenile Peregrine Falcon perched alone on a tall snag on Wooded Island, perhaps wondering why no other birds came near, and unlike the Cooper’s Hawks who had to do battle with the crows when they earlier occupied the same snag.
With a gray white sky as a background, many warblers remained unidentified.
BIRDERS: 12. (1) Caroline H., (2) Tracy W., (3) Mary N. M., (4) Raman S., (5) Eric G., (6) Mark W., (7) Renate G., (8) Jennie S., (9) Karin C., (10) Bruce M., (11) Kevin V., (12) Pat D.
TIME: 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
PLACES: Bobolink Meadow, East and North Lagoons
WEATHER: Cloudy. Temperature 67 – 72 F., Wind ENE 5 – 10 mph, Humidity 88%, Dew Point 66 degrees.
TOTAL SPECIES COUNT: 38
X = commonly seen and/or not counted.
Canada Goose 12
Wood Duck 4
Mallard 8
Double-crested Cormorant 9
Great Blue Heron 5
Black-crowned Night-Heron 6
Cooper's Hawk 2 Did aerial combat with crows and playing tag with each other.
Ring-billed Gull 12
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 7
Northern Flicker 6
Peregrine Falcon 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
Eastern Phoebe 4
Blue-headed Vireo 1
American Crow 8
Black-capped Chickadee 8
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
thrush sp. 1
Gray Catbird 1
European Starling 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 6
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
White-crowned Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
American Goldfinch 12
This is a group report, with many birders contributing to the list. Most of the birds were seen by at least several or all of the birders.
Corrections, additions and comments are welcome.
Recordings are not used to attract birds.
This report will be recorded on eBird as a group report for the Wooded Island Bird Walks.
The Walks are free and open to one and all. They are held year round.Newcomers are warmly welcomed.
Darrow Bridge: Darrow Bridge has been barricaded by the Department of Transportation. No one can cross. A high black metal iron fence has been erected on all four sides. It appears that the fence will remain in place until Darrow Bridge is completely rebuilt, which could be several years away. The Bridge has been deemed unsafe.
The Walks start at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Birders meet in the southwest corner of the East Parking Lot. Wooded Island is closed off by a fence while work in being done. Birders walk through Bobolink Meadow and view the eastside of Wooded Island and the East Lagoon.
Please note: The Wednesday morning Walks have been decommissioned. An informal group often meets, but the start time varies and the distance traveled can be curtailed.
Metered parking is available in the East Parking Lot that is accessible from South Lake Shore Drive at 57th Street (labeled Science Drive on a small blue street sign). There is a Stop Light at 57th Street. Make a turn at the Stop Light towards the Museum. Turn Left (south) at the intersection of Science Drive and Columbia Drive. Go through the parking lot to the west end.
Parking and Lots: While restoration is ongoing, heavy equipment has taken over half of the east parking lot, off of South Lake Shore Drive, and half of the southwest parking lot which has an entrance off of Hayes Drive (63rd St.) and just east of Cornell Drive. Birders will be able to find metered parking in both lots. The East Parking Lot is preferred. There is also unmetered parking along Stony Island Avenue from 56th to 59th Street.
Best of Birding to All,
Patricia Durkin