4/13/13 Birding

I forget that one of the easiest ways to frustrate myself is to go out birding with an agenda.  Spring migration has begun, and I sat at the desk of my day-job all week reading email reports of warblers coming into Central Park and the other NYC area parks--so far Pine Warblers, Palm Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrushes and a Yellowrump.  So I toddled off to the park after lunch today to see all four (of course!) and (of course!) didn't find a single one.  There were some lovely birds to see, though, and below are some of my best pictures for the day.

I didn't get pictures of some of the "best" birds of my day:  I had a lovely Fox Sparrow sitting on a branch over some water, who got scared away by a duck landing in the water.  I had a Swamp Sparrow that  kept hopping behind things and then flew away.  Just as an Eastern Towhee hopped out onto the path, a guy came along with a dog on a leash and scared the towhee away--my Winter Wren also got scared away by a dog on a leash, but I'd already gotten a picture and the dog was a Puli, which I'd never seen one in person before, so that was interesting, too!

Here's a Winter Wren... (I need more zoom on my camera, LOL!)

A pair of Chipping Sparrows...

The White-throated Sparrows are looking very bright for breeding season...

This male Northern Cardinal was feeding the female in courtship...

This Mallard may look like he's sleeping, but his eyes are open...

The Grackles are looking very iridescent...

This Grackle has half a dinner roll, but he couldn't put it down to eat it, because other birds were trying to take it from him...

In the center of this picture is a Hermit Thrush who ran into the bushes and never came out again...:sigh:...

We'll see what the rest of the month brings!