Week 34 - Green-Wood Cemetery

Monday of Week 34 at Green-Wood Cemetery was mostly the same at the previous week. However, overnight the winds shifted to the N-NW bringing delightfully cool weather and an influx of southbound migrants on Tuesday.

While American Redstart was still the most abundant species (with Black-and-whites running a close second), Tuesday was my first double-digit warbler species day. Among the list was my first Mourning Warbler of the year. I missed seeing one back in the spring, but to make up for it a pair of cooperative individuals foraged in the open at Dell Water. My complete list for the day was: Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Canada Warbler and Wilson's Warbler.

Worm-eating Warbler

American Redstart

Mourning Warbler

Canada Warbler

Cape May Warbler

In addition to the warblers, Red-eyed Vireo and Veery were suddenly seen in greater numbers.

Red-eyed Vireo

Veery

Robins are now showing up in fairly large flocks. I counted over 100 on Friday. Many are feasting in the Black Cherry trees, but there are also a few Kousa Dogwoods with early ripening fruit. The latter have been like a busy airport with dozens of birds coming and going every minute.

American Robin in Kousa Dogwood

We've also begun to see flocks of Cedar Waxwings, many of which are immature plumed birds. They've been rubbing shoulders with the robins at the dogwood trees.

Cedar Waxwing in Kousa Dogwood

Eastern Kingbirds have mostly disappeared, but there are still several Great Crested Flycatchers around. Eastern Wood-Pewees have increased in abundance and I've seen a few Least Flycatchers and several unidentified empidonax flycatchers (I prefer them in the spring when I can ID them by voice).

One scarce visitor was a Greater Yellowlegs at the edge of the Sylvan Water on Thursday. Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, Spotted Sandpiper and Solitary Sandpiper are the more common shorebirds here during migration. I think I've seen half a dozen yellowlegs at Green-Wood Cemetery in 2 decades of birding. Both species of yellowlegs are pretty common along the coast at places like Plum Beach and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Greater Yellowlegs

Of the botanics that were blooming last week, the hydrangeas were attracting an amazing number of pollinators. Sachem skippers continued to be the most common butterfly, but I did spot a favorite that I hadn't seen here for a couple of years - the tiny Red-banded Hairstreak. In addition, Monarchs continue to increase in numbers, but are still, regrettably, very low.

Hydrangea

Red-banded Hairstreak

Many trees are now fully fruiting. One of the more amusing observation I made regarding those trees was the insane popularity of the Shellbark Hickory among the mammal population. The ground beneath nearly every one I encountered was covered with half eaten nuts, shells and sprinkled liberally with hickory "saw dust". Gravestones near these trees appear to be popular dining tables as they have little piles of hickory shavings atop them.

Beneath a Shellbark Hickory

Here's a selection of other fruiting plants from last week.

Splendens Red Buckeye

Chinese Hornbeam

Kentucky Coffeetree

Japanese Bitter Orange

Sweet Bay Magnolia

Bottlebrush Buckeye

During the early morning or close to dusk, walk into the long grass of any of the cemetery's meadows, especially the Hill of Graves. Listen closely. There's a really nice population of crickets, grasshoppers and katydids (I also just had a close encounter with a young European Mantis). Just pick a spot and spread the blades of grass apart. Look closely. Due to this windfall, American Kestrels can now be seen regularly hunting from low perches above the grass.

Unidentified grasshopper

American Kestrel hunting at Hill of Graves