Van Courtlandt Bird Walk Report 4-9-2011...

Pine Warbler @ Van Courtlandt Park Bronx, NY.

This past Saturday I was hoping that we would have better results than the previous week. Our group, met up at the nature center near the parade grounds and after picking up a few Killdeers (Charadrius vociferus) American Robins (Turdus migratorius), Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Brown Headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) on the fields we headed out to hike the lake. I was hoping for a migrant or two - perhaps a warbler, but like the week before, land birds and waterfowl were scarce. Nevertheless, we did manage nice looks at a Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), Green Winged-teals (Anas crecca) and Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). From the lake we hiked up Vault Hill losing a few of our attendees in the process. Vault Hill was quiet, but I heard an Eastern Phoebe and American Goldfinches and that gave me hope for the woods. We hiked the woods picking up multiple Hairy, Downy, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and others. We also had our first of the season Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), which kept tantalizing us with somewhat distance looks. On our way out of the woods, I finally locked on an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) and tried to get the group on the bird though it proved rather tough. Undeterred, we continued to work the area where the Phoebe was seen and eventually a few of us got on the bird. While we were working the Phoebe, I picked up a flash of olive near the ground and I thought of warbler. Sure enough, I tracked down a Pine Warbler (Dendroica pinus), which was insect hunting and moving around quite a bit. It took some work, but eventually everyone got on the bird. In the same area we added a second Pine Warbler (Dendroica pinus) making two for the day and the highlight of the walk. I was very happy for the group and was even more thrilled that Robin, one of our regulars and a new birder was able to pick out one of the Pine Warblers amongst the shrubs with her naked eye. Here is a list of the species seen.

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias
Great Egret - Ardea alba
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus
Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis
American Robin - Turdus migratorius
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris
Pine Warbler - Dendroica pinus
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis
Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula
Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus