1. The north end of the park was hopping with warblers during the Wednesday morning bird walk with Gabriel Willow on September 27. The remains of the tropical storm Ophelia had drenched the city the weekend before, and that kept many birds, and birders, grounded. With fair weather the birds were able to continue their southward journey, and some stopped in lower Manhattan to eat and rest before moving on.
The wood chip pile was especially active, with a lively mix of Prairie Warblers, Magnolia Warblers and American Redstarts. Probably there were a lot of insects hanging around in the damp chips. They are probably heading towards the Caribbean and South America.
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| Magnolia Warbler |
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| Prairie Warbler |
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| American Redstart |
Other migratory warblers were in the area too, including a Black-and-White Warbler, looking of insects on the London Plane trees, and a Common Yellowthroat working the bushes.
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| Black-and-White Warbler |
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| Common Yellowthroat |
Up in the treetops, Gabriel spotted a new bird for me (and maybe the park) - a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Because of its size, quick movements and hazy high perch, I could only get a blurry photo of it, but enough to get the general idea of how it looks. Some of them breed in the northeast but then many go to Mexico or the Caribbean in the fall.
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| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher |
A Ruby-throated Hummingbird peered down at us from a high branch. It was probably migrating also. Even though there are still many flowers in the park, soon the nectar sources will be gone, and the hummingbirds generally go south within the US for the winter.
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| Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
In the Labyrinth, we saw a lone, robin-sized, beady-eyed Brown Thrasher digging around for insects on the ground by some new plantings. A few might stay in northern areas for the winter, but others move somewhat further south.
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| Brown Thrasher |
Further south in the park, a scruffy American Goldfinch was digging seeds out of one of the last of the cone flowers. Goldfinches molt in the fall as well as in the spring, when they get their bright yellow feathers. Some might stay nearby all year, but others move into the southern US or Mexico.
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| American Goldfinch |
2. After more rain on the following Saturday, I went back out early Sunday morning, October 1. I met up with several other Battery birders, and the park was again excitingly full of activity. I ended up staying for hours as the day became bright and sunny, and there were still more birds to see.
I thought there would be warblers again at the wood chip pile, but instead there was a new thrush - Todd Olson identified it as a Gray-cheeked Thrush. They breed in Alaska and across northern Canada, then winter in Central and South America. So just passing through.
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| Gray-cheeked Thrush |
We also saw a Swainson’s Thrush nearby at the Labyrinth, which was more olive-greenish gray, with a ‘buff’ eye ring. They also head to the tropics for the winter.
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| Swainson's Thrush |
There was a Hermit Thrush, too, which is smaller, browner and brighter, with a cinnamon-colored tail, and a white eye ring. Some of these might even stay around in the winter.
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| Hermit Thrush |
Another smaller but similar looking bird with a spotted breast was in the Labyrinth earlier. It is called a Northern Waterthrush, but it is actually a warbler. A summer resident.
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| Northern Waterthrush |
Ovenbirds are warblers too, also with spotted breasts. They look a bit similar to the Northern Waterthrushes, and are about the same size. And both birds are often seen walking on the ground. But the Ovenbirds have an orange crest on top rather than an eye stripe, and also a white eye ring.
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| Ovenbird |
Other migrants I saw in the grass were Palm Warblers. They are easy to recognize because they often pump their tails when they land.
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| Palm Warbler |
I was happy to see a bright male Black-throated Blue Warbler in the Labyrinth. I had missed getting a photo of one flitting in the bushes on Wednesday, but this one was standing boldly on the wood chips.
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| Black-throated Blue Warbler |
A bright, multicolored Northern Parula was examining the bushes, looking for insects.
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| Northern Parula |
As was a Blackpoll Warbler. During breeding season the males are striking in their black and white striped plumage (and black caps), but this time of year, as they migrate, they all look pretty subdued. Many of them travel a really long way, down to South America.
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| Blackpoll Warbler |
There were also a couple of warblers I don’t often see around here, on their way to the tropics.
A Tennessee Warbler was exploring the aster bushes.
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| Tennessee Warbler |
And the Nashville Warbler was in the grass at the Labyrinth along with the Palm Warblers.
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| Nashville Warbler |
Those were a couple of wonderful birding days at The Battery. I’m hoping for a few more good days before migration season is over …we’ll see.
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