Travel birding pt 2 - New York

On our first morning in New York, with a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel in hand for breakfast we headed up to Central Park, and there was good birding to be had everywhere I looked. Eating the first half of my bagel I clocked an American Robin, and was on to a coopers hawk perched up in a tree shortly after that, as I was alerted to what I thought were bird of prey cries. The noises turned out to be blue jays, which call relentlessly from everywhere in the park, but on that occasion it helped me to spot the Coopers, and give me a better insight into the differences with sharp shinned. I had my shots of the confusion species confirmed on an American birding forum, but they can be quite difficult sometimes judging from the discussions and photos online.  

Nearby, Jess clocked a male and female cardinal in the tree whilst Iooked at a pintail on the frozen pond.

I picked up an amazing male yellow-bellied sapsucker up in a tree at the Bethesda Terrace, and when I turned back to see him after photographing a nearby white-throated sparrow he had come down the tree giving amazing views.

Shortly after arriving at the rambles we came across an area by the pond where people had put down seed, and we saw a white-breasted nuthatch, and I also got a glimpse of a different woodpecker before it flew on. Unfortunately that was the last sighting of the woodie, so I was unable to tell which species it was, but I think it might well have been a red-bellied. I also saw American goldfinch, and at the Evodia Field feeders added tufted titmouse and a common grackle. Up at the reservoir I had wood ducks pointed out, and saw more hooded mergansers and buffleheads, though both were sleeping. I clocked a brown creeper, and also a perched red-tailed hawk which allowed some amazing close views. 

On the last day we took another trip up to Central Park, and I also added hermit thrush which gave amazing views, and managed some better shots of the blue jay and common grackle.