Wednesday's Green-Wood Birds

Despite rainy conditions, one intrepid birder joined me on my Wednesday morning walk in Green-Wood Cemetery. It turned out to be one of the best inclement bird walks in recent memory.

Unlike us humans, birds don't get crabby when they spend the day in the rain, especially when they are migrating. They just continue on their merry way, eating, singing and flying. At a stand of oak trees in the cemetery just south of Battle Hill, there seemed to be an endless stream of songbirds moving through the canopy. One amazing site was to see 6 or 8 Baltimore Orioles and 2 or 3 Orchard Orioles at the top of the same tree. In the adjacent trees there were Black-and-white Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Prairie Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler. After 3 hours we tallied 14 species of warbler. New for the year were Glossy Ibis (flying over), Least Flycatcher, Swainson's Thrush, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Scarlet Tanager. I am always blown away by the intensity of the male Scarlet Tanager's plumage. Even under dark, drizzly conditions, this bird still elicits "OOs" and "AHs". I have yet to see a photograph that does this lovely bird justice.

**********

Green-Wood Cemetery
May 2, 2012 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
65 species

Great Egret (1.)
Green Heron (1.)
Glossy Ibis (1.)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (1.)
Red-tailed Hawk (2.)
Laughing Gull
Monk Parakeet
Chimney Swift
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher (1.)
Great Crested Flycatcher (3.)
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery (2.)
Swainson's Thrush (2.)
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush (3.)
Gray Catbird

Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler

Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow (1.)
White-throated Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager (2.)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole (4.)
Baltimore Oriole (12.)
American Goldfinch

Other common species seen (or heard):
Canada Goose, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, House Sparrow