I hadn't seen a Bay-Breasted Warbler this Spring. There had been plenty of sightings, but by the time I got there, the birds were gone. Saturday, I took a rest on a bench at Azalea Pond. Eventually, there was some movement across the pond, up high. A pair of Bay-Breasteds, males it looked like. At last!
I continued resting. One of the birds came down to the tree in front of me and grabbed some lunch.
Bay-Breasted Warbler at luncheon
How about that? Best view of a Bay-Breasted Warbler I ever had. He hung around a few minutes, singing and preening.
indeed, I am a fine-lookin' bird
Sunday, I was intending to walk up to the North Woods (Central Park), starting at West 81st Street, but I wasn't really sure I was up to it. I git into the park, and at the bottom of the path going up Summit Rock, I had a nice view of a Redstart.
a bird with an idea
And then a White-Crowned Sparrow came out, right on the path.
elegant sparrow
He flushed into the bushes whenever someone walked down the hill, but always came back right after.
Then I sat down for a long time at Tanner's Spring. The "spring" is often just a mud puddle, but this day the water was pretty high from the rain the previous night. A lot of birds came down to enjoy it. There was even a Nashville Warbler!
unusually good view of a Nashville
There was a Magnolia Warbler there who seemed to have an unusual amount of testosterone. Not only was he singing, but he was chasing other birds around. I watched him chase a Black-and-White Warbler away from the water several times, and he even want after House Sparrows.
mighty bull warbler
The AIDS walk, going on that day, passed on the drive only a few dozen yards away. They had brass and percussion bands, but the birds didn't seem bothered at all. I watched this Northern Waterthrush calmly work his way around and around the spring while the drums pounded.
cool and collected
All in all, a good weekend for sitting and watching.
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