Spring Migrants fallout at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge...

My friend Don Riepe and I had discussed last night about the possible fall out of spring migrants that might occur after the recent steady bout of bad weather and we planned on checking out JBWR. Today, at around 8:45 AM Don called me to let me know that he was at the refuge. Ten minutes, later I pulled into the parking lot and after letting Don know that I was onsite, I headed straight for the South garden. The garden was alive with the sounds of warblers all around. The familiar tzee-tzee-tzee-tzeeeo alerted me to the presence of American Redstart and it was not long before I found one, then two and more. Black-throated Blue warblers were singing their zur-zur-zur-zree and I knew that it was going to be an interesting morning at the refuge. I met some other birders from Rockland Audubon and one of them called out a Tennessee warbler, which was a good find. By then, Don had worked his way back to the South gardens and alerted me to the sound of a Black-billed Cuckoo, whose sound of ku-ku-ku could be heard amidst the din from all the other birds. Don decided to bird the edge of the gardens to get the light behind him in the hopes of good photographs, while I decided to focus more on finding out what had arrived and so I worked my way inside the South to the North garden. Along the way, I picked up several more bird including another new arrival in Chestnut-sided warbler. Don and I met around the North garden and we picked up Magnolia warblers and Scarlet Tanagers. I decided against making the loop and turned back with Don and walked the trail back towards the visitor’s center. Along the way, we met another birder who had found a Cape May warbler…another good find. We found a Ruby-throated hummingbird and heard the Yellow-billed cuckoo before we got back the center. Here I parted ways with Don as I headed across to the East Pond. Over by Big John’s I saw many of the same warblers that we had found in the gardens and also picked a few notable additions in Green Heron and Baltimore Orioles. With southerly winds tonight, we possibly could see more arrivals tomorrow. A late evening stop by the Water Hole in Forest Park Queens, did not result in much…though I did get my FOS Kingbird.

Total Species seen: 40
American Crow
American Redstart
American Robin
Baltimore Oriole
Black Crowned Heron
Black-and-white Warbler
Black-throated Blue
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blue Headed Vireo
Brown Thrasher
Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Catbird
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Common Yellow throat
Common Yellowthroat
Double-crested Cormorant
Eastern Towhee
Gadwall
Great Crested Flycatcher
Green Heron
House Wren
Kingbird (Forest Park)
Magnolia Warbler
Mallard
Northern Parula
Osprey
Red-winged Blackbird
Rose Breasted Grosbeak
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Scarlet Tanager
Tennessee Warbler
Tree Swallow
Veery
White Crowned Sparrow
White-eyed Vireo
White-throated Sparrow
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler

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