Birding Dude: Van Courtlandt Bird Walk Report...

Digiscoped Wood Duck

This is the second week that I have led the group at Van Courtlandt Park in the Bronx since moving up the walk to 8:00 a.m. Despite the constant stream of cross country runners that seemed to be able to access trails that I would love to be off limits, we have seen an uptick with our species count. You think it has anything to do with the change in the start time? This week, our group started with 5, maxed out at 10 and ended up with 8 birders. I changed up our starting point and it paid off as we hit a nice little pocket of activity around the pines near the Ranger Station; we picked up 2 Pine Warblers in that flock, which was my first at Van Courtlandt.

Our "hot" spot over at the restoration area behind the Van Courtlandt Museum was buzzing with Hummingbirds.


Digiscoped Eastern Phoebe

On a conservative count, we settled for 7 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, though there could have been as many as 9-10 around. In that same area we had Eastern Phoebe, an unidentified Empid and a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak that was not very cooperative.

Out on the parade ground, I heard and then spotted Savannah Sparrows and got the early arrivals on a couple that perched on the chain link fence. No sign or sound of the Killdeers, on the field, but that could be as a result of all the activity on the field. Additional highlights were two Solitary Sandpipers seen near the Golf Course at Tibbets Brook. Below is a list of the birds seen.