Trans-Atlantic Cruise Sept 18th-October 10th continued.

Birding onshore....

This was never going to be as productive as the at sea parts due to a combination of various factors; limited time in each port, relying on cruise ship trip itineraries , many summer migrants had left N.America etc. Also even I wanted to enjoy some culture.

But I always keep the bins and camera in the rucksack just in case I come across any decent habitat. One of the obvious places I was thinking of was Central Park, New York but it turned out that our visit would coincide with the Pope and the enormous crowds  had me looking for an alternative. I ended up with a walk through the Hudson River Park which turned up some decent birds despite it being a sunny afternoon and the place crawling with people. The best birds were Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, American Redstart and Northern Parula with more frequently encountered species being..

Common Grackle

Song Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song Sparrow

Less expected was Monk Parakeet but a subsequent check of Sibley revealed that small feral populations are established in the eastern States.