The City Birder: Week 21 - Green-Wood Cemetery

Week 21 in Green-Wood Cemetery saw the final push of the Spring migration. Most of the warblers have passed through the area already with only the late species seen in declining abundance. The vast majority of the songbirds seen are species that will be nesting locally. I tallied only six species of warbler over the week.

Flycatchers were the last family of birds to stop off in Brooklyn on their way to more northern breeding grounds. While some Eastern Kingbird and Great Crested Flycatcher will nest in the cemetery, most flycatchers just be stopping off to rest and refuel. Acadian Flycatcher and Olive-sided Flycatchers were both spotted calling and hawking for insects last week.

Barn Swallows pairing off and nesting in or nearbly Green-Wood

Olive-sided Flycatcher at a favorite perch

Gregarious Cedar Waxwings looking for mates

We're seeing more young birds joing the cemetery population, with lots more to come.

Red-tailed Hawk nestling

American Robin fledgling

Common Grackle fledgling

Canada Geese with 5 goslings

Butterfly abundance has slowly increased with several skipper species and Tiger Swallowtail joining the Red Admirals. I also spotted my first Monarch butterfly of the season over the weekend.

Sachem skipper on iris

Speaking of butterflies, there was a profusion of White Clover blooming offering a surfeit of food for all the pollinators.

White Clover

With few exceptions, most of the trees had dropped their flowers. A stretch of flowering Thornless Honey Locusts along Green-bough Avenue was one of the few spots where warblers were finding insects within that tree's last blooming catkins.