Van Courtlandt Bird Walk Report 11-20-2010...

Fox Sparrow photographed in my backyard in 2008.

Saturday, before I went chasing the Fork-tailed Flycatcher in Connecticut, I led my weekly walk at Van Courtlandt Park in the Bronx NY. Instead of the long schelp we did last week, we walked our usual route, the John Kieran trail that looped us back to the parade grounds. It was a very slow day of birding with very little land birds. We did pick up some waterfowl in, Hooded Mergansers, Northern Shovelers, Ruddy Duck and the continuing Pied-billed Grebe. The best bird of the day came after the walk ended as I showed some newcomers the restoration spot. I heard and noticed some Sparrow activity and coaxed out into view a Fox Sparrow. My first of the season and a first for our walks. Everyone was thrilled to get on the bird and for some it was a lifer. A complete list of species seen, is provided below.

Number of species: 34

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 420
Mute Swan - Cygnus olor 4
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa 7
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 14
Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata 8
Hooded Merganser - Lophodytes cucullatus 7
Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis 1
Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps 1
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - Accipiter striatus 1
Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii 1
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis 1
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis 7
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus 3
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 4
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 1
Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus 1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 3
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 9
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 5
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 3
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana 2
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos 2
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 62
Fox Sparrow - Passerella iliaca 1
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia 2
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis 12
Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis 3
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 2
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus 12
Tags: Birding, Van Courtlandt Park Bird Walk

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