Huntington Central Park: 15 Oct 2022

[Written by Elizabeth Galton, posted by Chuck Almdale]

Red-shouldered Hawk, juvenile(ish) (Ray Juncosa 10-15-22)

There was a threat of rain on the day of our Huntington Central Park bird walk, but in the end it was merely overcast, and the grass was wet. Seven intrepid birders met for this walk. The local Mycelia had rapidly used the little rain there was to send up a few hundred mushrooms, visible from the parking lot.

Yellow Tree Fungus (Ray Juncosa 10-15-22)

Our first sight was a mobbing, by five or six crows, of two perfectly peaceful looking perched Red-shouldered Hawks, although there was another one flying around calling. As we went to the lake, we saw a Belted Kingfisher flying. Nobody remembered having seen one there before. Also a perched Osprey indicated there must be good fishing. Swimming birds were limited to American Coots, in the beginning, and altogether it seemed there were rather few birds. Snowy and Great Egrets were represented in few numbers. A Green Heron stayed camouflaged and hard for some of us to see. A Northern Flicker and his wife presented lovely views as they perched near a Brazilian Pepper Tree.

Northern Flicker (Ray Juncosa 10-15-22)

As we walked around to the more extensive part of the lake, we saw 18 Long-billed Dowitchers, busy fishing. A Double-crested Cormorant sat drying his wings. A couple of Black-crowned Night-Herons sat across the lake.

Long-billed Dowitcher (Ray Juncosa 10-15-22)

From the butterfly garden we were able to see the usual White-faced Ibis, busy fishing, then running with outspread wings. I saw a beautiful Townsend’s Warbler in the trees. We were pursued by about five Mallards, but we turned out to be ultimately disappointing to them.

White-faced Ibis without its white-faced alternate plumage, but iridescent olive-green on the back (Ray Juncosa 10-15-22)

Several lovely Lesser Goldfinches were clearing the seeds off a plant. One Downy Woodpecker, a gnatcatcher too hard to identify further (but most likely Blue-gray), several Orange-crowned Warblers, House Finches, and a number of Black Phoebes almost complete the list.

A Great Egret who might have something stuck in his craw (Ray Juncosa 10-15-22)

What others reported having seen, but we didn’t: Pin-tailed Whydah, Townsend’s Solitaire.

We did not see the resident owl.

Osprey, overhead, where they often are until they suddenly aren’t (Ray Juncosa 10-15-22)

Trip List: Huntington Central Park – 15 Oct 2022
34 Species

• Cinnamon Teal  1
• American Wigeon  5     M&F
• Mallard  37
• Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  1
• Allen’s Hummingbird  7
• American Coot  30
• Long-billed Dowitcher  18
• gull sp.  1
• Double-crested Cormorant  1
• Great Blue Heron  1
• Great Egret  2
• Snowy Egret  3
• Green Heron  1
• Black-crowned Night-Heron  3     Adult 2 juvie1
• White-faced Ibis  1
• Osprey  1
• Cooper’s Hawk  2
• Red-shouldered Hawk  3
• Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis)  1
• Belted Kingfisher  1
• Downy Woodpecker  2
• Northern Flicker  2     M&F
• Black Phoebe  8
• American Crow  10
• Swinhoe’s White-eye  10
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1     Heard only
• House Wren  2
• House Finch  12
• Lesser Goldfinch  4
• White-crowned Sparrow  3
• Song Sparrow  1
• Orange-crowned Warbler  4
• Common Yellowthroat  7
• Yellow-rumped Warbler  14
• Townsend’s Warbler  1