Best of the Fortnight

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the second two weeks of June:

Northern Mockingbird chicks, Brooklyn, NY

Great Crested Flycatcher with dragonfly, Brooklyn, NY

Piping Plover, Wainscott, NY

Osprey, Wainscott, NY

Least Bittern, Queens, NY

Angry mockingbird, Brooklyn, NY

Red-tailed Hawk, Brooklyn, NY

Northern Flicker with nestling, Brooklyn, NY

Woodland Pinkroot, Brooklyn, NY

Astilbe, Brooklyn, NY

Eastern Kingbird, Brooklyn, NY

Eastern Kingbird chicks, Brooklyn, NY

Boxelder bug, Brooklyn, NY

Eastern Amberwing, Brooklyn, NY

Week 25 - Green-Wood Cemetery

Week 25 saw more of our breeding bird's offspring leaving the nest. Also, while I haven't seen them yet, I've received reports of a few "chuckling" sightings. I was hoping to cross paths with the young Groundhogs during my dawn walks. Maybe this coming weekend.

Our fledgling Red-tailed Hawk is still exploring the area fairly close to home base. During Sunday's early walk we found her near the grave of Samuel Chester Reid. Despite her impressive size, she disclosed her immaturity by crying for mom when being mobbed by Blue Jays.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk

By week's end some of the young birds who fledged were Warbling Vireo, Baltimore Oriole and Great Crested Flycatcher. The mockingbird nestlings in the sapling at the middle of the wildflower meadow seemed to have fledged. The nest looked empty, but they are clearly in the immediate vicinity as the adults attacked me when I tried to walk across the meadow.

Great Crested Flycatcher nestling

Baltimore Oriole nestlings

A Northern Flicker nest cavity along Border Avenue still had a couple of very large nestlings as of Sunday. Given their large size, I expect they will leave the nest some time this week.

Northern Flicker

Lots of wildflowers throughout the cemetery, too many to mention. A stretch of Central Avenue, just up the road from Valley Water, is especially rich with botanics right now. Here are just a couple of recent standouts.

Butterfly Weed

Common Yarrow

As far as trees go, the Little-leaf Lindens are still filling the air with their honey-like fragrance, although many are starting to drop their flowers. The Southern Magnolias are now in bloom. Their large showy flowers are giving the lindens a run for their money in the scent department. A new species for me, the Starburst Amur Maackia (Maackia amurensis 'Starburst'), has begun flowering. Also, I've noticed that the Blue Atlas Cedars are sporting new cones.

Southern Magnolia

Amur Maackia

Blue Atlas Cedar

Butterfly diversity is increasing, with more Monarch and swallowtail sightings. I spotted a Question Mark butterfly drinking sap from a small hole on the side of a Red Oak. Firefly abundance is on the increase and I'm hoping we have a big summer for them this year. We'll definitely know at the "Evening at Niblo’s Garden" event on July 18th.

Question Mark

Firefly

Finally, all the rainfall last week stimulated lots of slugs into activity. The only two I've ever observed in Green-Wood Cemetery are the Leopard Slug and the Dusky Arion. Both of these species of slug are introduced to North American.

Leopard Slug

Dusky Arion

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips from Saturday, June 29 - Sunday, June 30, 2024:

Green-Wood Cemetery

Birding in Peace
Sunday, June 30, 2024, 6:00am - 7:30am
Description: Before our gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads these peaceful early morning walking tours to discover the many birds that make Green-Wood their home—at least temporarily. From ruby-throated hummingbirds to over twenty species of colorful wood warblers, our peak migration tours will feature many of the 163 bird species that have been recorded at Green-Wood during the month of May. Beginning just after sunrise, we will experience spring’s dawn chorus at the most active time of day for birds.
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NYC Bird Alliance

Accessible Birding in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday, June 29, 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: Alex Wang
Description: Kick off summer by joining us in exploring the woodlands and meadows of beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Park! Enjoy coastal views of the city and the waterbirds on the East River.
Registration: Registration page
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Let's Go Birding Together on Governors Island
Saturday, June 29, 2024, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Leader: _____
Description: Celebrate Pride every Saturday this month on Governors Island! Let's Go Birding Together (LGBT) events are especially welcome to those in the queer community, but allies, families, and friends are also greatly encouraged to join!
Registration: No registration required. Free.
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Intro to Birding in Marine Park
Saturday, June 29, 2024, 9:00am - 10:30am
Leader: Sam Philbert
Description: Explore the beauty of Brooklyn’s largest green space, Marine Park! Consisting of grassland and salt marshes, this park is habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds and waterbirds. This series is hosted in partnership with the Marine Park Alliance.
Registration: No registration required. No limit. Free.
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North Fork Audubon Society

Bug Light Cruise & Boat Tour
Sunday, June 30, 2024, 12:30pm - 2:30pm
Leader: John Shemilt
Description: We will board the Peconic Star at the Museum dock in Greenport (100 3rd Street, Greenport), take a short trip to the lighthouse and have the opportunity to observe nesting Least Terns, Piping Plovers and Oystercatchers from the deck of the lighthouse. We will then have a tour of the East End Seaport Museum.
Registration: Via Eventbrite
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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods

Annual Fourth of July Butterfly Count
Saturday, June 29, 2024, 8:00am - 6:00pm
Leader: Cliff Hagen
Description: For nearly three decades folks from Staten Island have gathered to survey and document the populations of Staten Island butterflies. Each year data is consistently collected along a well-established route on the last Saturday of June. From Snug Harbor to Conference House, butterflies are sought and identified with totals being shared with the North American Butterfly Association.
Registration: For more information or to join the count call Cliff Hagen at (718) 313-8591 or e-mail chagen72@gmail.com.
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Urban Park Rangers

Saturday, June 29, 2024
Riverside Park Birding Club at 116th Street and Riverside Drive (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
8:00am – 9:30am
Monthly walks through birding hotspots in Riverside Park. Learn and build a birding community.
Free

Celebrate Shorebirds Festival at Entrance - Beach 44th Street and Boardwalk (in Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk), Queens
12:00pm – 3:00pm
Love the beach? So do nesting shorebirds. Enjoy a day of educational activities to learn how we all can share the beach and support a healthy living environment.
Free

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In Memoriam

It is with deep sadness that I report the loss of another well loved and respected member of the New York City birding community. Yesterday I received news of the passing of Lenore Swenson after a brief illness. I'd known Lenore for over twenty years and always found her to be a kind, sweet soul. A longtime member of Audubon, the Brooklyn Bird Club and Linnaean Society of New York, she was not just a birder, but possessed a wealth of knowledge spanning botanics, butterflies (insects, in general), and, seemingly, all things nature. Lenore will be sorely missed. More information on a memorial service to follow. The Linnaean Society has nice tribute page here.

Week 24 - Green-Wood Cemetery

The early breeding bird species, such as robins, grackles and starlings, have finished at the nest and are mostly trying to teach their fledglings independence. Our young Red-tailed Hawk fledged last week, but remains in the general vicity of the nest tree. It will continue to periodically return to the nest to ask for food for another week or two. Meanwhile, several other species are still feeding tiny chicks or incubating eggs.

Fledgling Red-tailed Hawk

The Sunset Park Common Raven pair now have some very vocal offspring and have started leading them into the cemetery to teach them how to forage (or raid bird nests).

Common Raven family

There is at least one pair of Northern Flicker nesting in Green-Wood Cemetery. I hope to take some decent photos for next week's summary.

Northern Flicker

I've confirmed that the Great Crested Flycatcher nest has chicks as one of the parents was seen carrying a fecal sac from the nest.

Great Crested Flycatcher removing waste from nest

Here are some occupied nests from my weekend "Birding in Peace" walk. We also watched the activity at a Baltimore Oriole nest, I just didn't take any decent photos of it.

Warbling Vireo feeding chick

Red-bellied Woodpecker delivering food to nest

American Goldfinch on nest

Cedar Waxwing on nest

Mourning Dove on nest. Likely 2nd or 3rd brood

Northern Mockingbird chicks

Eastern Kingbird on nest

Some standout botanics from last week.

Tiger Swallowtail feeding of Privet flowers

Orange Daylily

Coreopsis, yarrow, beardtongue & Black-eyed Susan

Finally, the fruiting catkins of the Japanese hornbeam along the edge of Sylvan Water looks very much like something one would use in beer making. I wouldn't recommend it, however.

Japanese hornbeam (Carpinus japonica)

Upcoming Trips

Below are the birding/nature trips from Saturday, June 22 - Sunday, June 23, 2024:

Gateway National Parks

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Guided Walk
Saturday, June 22, 2024, 2:00pmm — 3:00pm
Leader: Park Rangers
Description: Join a park ranger for a guided tour of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and learn about what makes this space special.
Registration: Not required.
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Green-Wood Cemetery

Birding in Peace
Sunday, June 23, 2024, 6:00am - 7:30am
Description: Before our gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads these peaceful early morning walking tours to discover the many birds that make Green-Wood their home—at least temporarily. From ruby-throated hummingbirds to over twenty species of colorful wood warblers, our peak migration tours will feature many of the 163 bird species that have been recorded at Green-Wood during the month of May. Beginning just after sunrise, we will experience spring’s dawn chorus at the most active time of day for birds.
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Linnaean Society of New York

Great Swamp N.W.R.
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Leader: Richard ZainEldeen
Description: The Great Swamp is located in Morris County, New Jersey. Its varied habitats host a diversity of wildlife. Ranging from open marshes to woodlands, the place is a haven for nesting heron species. Also, a variety of raptors can be seen soaring overhead, including Bald Eagles. Not to be outdone, passerines, such as several swallow species including Purple Martin, can be found within its borders.
Registration: Lisa Kroop — lisakroop2@gmail.com
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NYC Bird Alliance

Accessible Birding in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday, June 22, 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: Alex Wang
Description: Kick off summer by joining us in exploring the woodlands and meadows of beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Park! Enjoy coastal views of the city and the waterbirds on the East River.
Registration: Registration page
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Let's Go Birding Together on Governors Island
Saturday, June 22, 2024, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Leader: _____
Description: Celebrate Pride every Saturday this month on Governors Island! Let's Go Birding Together (LGBT) events are especially welcome to those in the queer community, but allies, families, and friends are also greatly encouraged to join!
Registration: No registration required. Free.
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The Parakeets of Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, June 23, 2024, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Leader: Gabriel Willow
Description: Explore Green-Wood Cemetery, rich in both history and wildlife, in search of spring migrants and its unique avian residents: the huge flocks of brilliant green Monk Parakeets that nest there. Native to South America, these charming immigrants flourish even in our harsh winters.
Registration: Registration page
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New York Botanical Garden Bird Tour
Sunday, June 23, 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Leader: _____
Description: Join us and the New York Botanical Garden for some spring birding! Get to see some of NYBG’s diverse landscape and learn why this unique green space is such a vital haven for a great variety of species year-round. The tour will meet at the Reflecting Pool in the Native Plant Garden.
Registration: While this NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) event is free, participants are still responsible for paying for Garden admission.
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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods

Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
Saturday, June 22, 2024, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Leader: Don Recklies
Description: We’ll meet at the Nature Center at Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, 2351 Veterans Road West, Staten Island New York 10309. (Be sure to use this address lest your GPS send you to the park headquarters on Carlin Street.) From the Nature Center we will walk Clay Pit Ponds Trail to Clay Pit Pond, passing through some of the Park’s unique pine barrens, then return to the parking lot by way of Abraham’s Pond Trail and the Green Trail.
Registration: For more information call Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 (646-675-5787 on the day of the walk).
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Queens County Bird Club

Nickerson Beach
Saturday, June 22, 2024, 7:30am - 12:30pm
Leader: Mike Zito (516) 507-9419
Description: The first part of this trip is Nickerson Beach, where we will view various species of terns, hopefully some that are rare to our area. Common Terns, which nest on this beach, will be abundant.
Registration: Contact the trip leader to register for this trip.
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Urban Park Rangers

Saturday, June 22, 2024
Birding: Hawk Watch at Avenue A and St. Marks Place (in Tompkins Square Park), Manhattan
11:00am – 12:00pm
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free

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Best of the Fortnight

Here's a small selection of my photos from the first two weeks of June.

Red Admiral butterfly

Red-tailed Hawk with an attitude

Fledgling Blue Jay

Turkey Vulture and chapel

Downy Woodpecker at nest

Great Crested Flycatcher

House Wren with grasshopper

Orange Daylily

Great Crested Flycatcher at nest

Fledgling Red-tailed Hawk coming in for a landing

Hungry Northern Mockingbirds

Red-bellied Woodpecker with mulberries