Date:
13th February 2022 - 20th February 2022
Location:
New York City & Surrounds
Weather:
Temperature between +17 degrees and -12. We had every weather possible.
Species Highlights:
Cooper's Hawk, Hooded Merganser, American Goldfinch, Brent Goose, Bufflehead, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Song Sparrow, American Black Duck, Fox Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing, Winter Wren, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Turkey Vulture, Baltimore Oriole, American Tree Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Green-Winged Teal, Snow Goose, Orange Crowned Warbler, American Kestrel, Black Crowned Night Heron, Red Throated Diver, Greater Yellowlegs, Pine Warbler, Brown Creeper
Cooper's Hawk, Hooded Merganser, American Goldfinch, Brent Goose, Bufflehead, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Song Sparrow, American Black Duck, Fox Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing, Winter Wren, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Turkey Vulture, Baltimore Oriole, American Tree Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Green-Winged Teal, Snow Goose, Orange Crowned Warbler, American Kestrel, Black Crowned Night Heron, Red Throated Diver, Greater Yellowlegs, Pine Warbler, Brown Creeper
Observation:
We were due to fly out to spend Lauren's Birthday in New York, but a family emergency meant we had to delay the trip for 2 weeks, if we had been there as planned we would have had Snowy Owl, Great Horned Owl, Slaty-backed Gull and Bald Eagle to name a few, but a few days before landed, there were no further sightings!
Cooper's Hawk
Blue Jay
The next morning, we returned to Central Park and started at the Southern End, still a little quiet, but we managed a few more pictures.
We landed after dark on Sunday but got up at 6am Monday morning to spend a few hours in Central Park before we started the sightseeing. We had a wind chill of -16 on this day, and snowfall the night before, everything was frozen, and the Park was very quiet.
We started at the Northern End in the hope the Owl would re-appear and spent 2 hours looking and walking around a circular route with no sign.
The best of the morning was this Cooper's Hawk, sat warming up before hunting.
Cooper's Hawk
We moved onto the Reservoir, for a quick scan for the Slaty-backed or Bald Eagle, you never know they may have turned back up... but not today!
There seemed to be a lot more Hooded Merganser and Buffleheads on this visit.
Hooded Merganser
We ran out of time this morning and headed back to the Subway, but snapped on the way.
Northern Mockingbird
We spent the rest of the morning on Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
The blue skies look very misleading, it was FREEZING!
We left the others to it on Ellis Island and spent some time with the local Gulls.
Ring Billed Gull
Ring Billed Gull
Great Black-Backed Gull
With Sunset fast approaching, we headed to Brooklyn Bridge and took some pictures whilst walking over the Bridge.
The next morning, we returned to Central Park and started at the Southern End, still a little quiet, but we managed a few more pictures.
Hooded Merganser
We then did Roosevelt Island, Bryant Park and Empire State Building, so no more birding this day.
The next morning, we headed over to Governor's Island. A great place for a different view of the City. We had some good birds here, and the first of the spring migrants a Yellow-Rumped Warbler.
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
The rest of the day we visited The Edge and then a 2.5 hour Boat Trip.
The next 2 days we had full birding and spent the first day at Prospect Park and then Greenwood Cemetery, the temperature had increased almost 30 degrees.
Within minutes of arriving, we had some great birds including some more spring migrants..
American Robin
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Whilst photographing Ruddy Duck, Lauren looked up and saw a small flock of about 15 Cedar Waxwing, a new tick for us!
Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
Ruddy Duck
In the same area, this little Song Sparrow popped up into the Sunshine.
In the same area, this little Song Sparrow popped up into the Sunshine.
We then saw a tweet saying a flock of 150+ Cedar Waxwing at The Vale which was the Northern end of the Park. Upon arrival, they were high in the trees so we sat and waited, when this little Winter Wren had a little sing.
Winter Wren
Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
Then the local celebrity ran past the small group of people, White Squirrel.
We moved onto Greenwood Cemetery for the last part of the day. The Park was a little quieter but our first stop was the Pond, where we had 2 American Tree Sparrow, a much wanted bird of ours.
American Tree Sparrow
Moving on in the Cemetery, some more great birds by the new Feeding Area.
Carolina Wren
We then saw a sighting on eBird for a Baltimore Oriole, so on the way out we headed via that way, where we saw a pair, a Male and a Juvenile/Female, a very early sighting!
Baltimore Oriole
We arrived back into Manhattan and had a few hours before it got dark so went looking for the Green-winged Teal at The Loch, on the way this Northern Mockingbird was happily feeding with people brushing past.
When we arrived, a local birder was feeding the Ducks, hidden in the group was the Green-winged Teal, she spent all her time out the water, a bit different to when we see them back home!
Green-winged Teal
Our plan for the next day was to visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a storm blew in overnight so we were hoping for some new arrivals, when we arrived the storm was so strong, it was hard to walk around the Reserve, the temperature had also dropped back down to minus, we walked around once, and apart from being windblown and only seeing hundreds of Snow Goose, we attempted to walk around again, this time, the wind had improved a little, and there were huge numbers of Yellow-Rumped Warbler, who were being blown around.
Snow Goose
We promptly moved on, as the wind was just far too strong!
Next stop, Salt Marsh Marine Centre, somewhere new for us, and although the wind was still strong, it was a little more sheltered and we saw some great birds!
American Kestrel
4 species in 1 picture!
American Wigeon, Great Blue Heron, Greater Yellowlegs & Black Crowned Night Heron
A trip to New York wouldn't be complete with some Sunset pictures of the Manhattan Skyline.
Another sighting came in for Central Park for a Pine Warbler, we had searched the day before with no luck, so we returned today, and it was feeding on the floor before hopping into the sun and posed nicely for us!
Pine Warbler
Our last day already, so the last few hours in Central Park before heading for the Airport.
Overall, we managed 66 species, it was great to be back in New York, our last visit was prior to COVID, and we have noticed a huge difference in Birding in and around the City, a decline in some of the more common birds, It will be interesting to see how Spring migration goes this year, for our friends over the pond.
just a side note we used public transport when there, subway & buses plus walked 100 miles over the week!
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