Central Park 1/17--Wood Ducks

I had to be in the city (as we called it in Brooklyn) today for a quick appointment. As I like to spend at least as much time there as it takes me to get back and forth, after I was done doing what I had to do, I took the subway up to Central Park to get in my birding for the day. I had a target bird for Bird A Day:

Wood Ducks, Central Park Reservoir

They were easy to find, right where I thought they'd be. It really is a toss up which is the more beautiful duck--these or Harlequin Ducks. I go with the woodies--much more elegant than the harlequins which verge on the clownish as is somewhat implied in their name.

The reservoir was pretty active but there was nothing else new there for the year. I walked down to The Ramble after a brief stop at Turtle Pond (one hen Bufflehead) and checked out the Maintenance Meadow and the feeders. Again, lots of activity; again, nothing new.

26 species
Canada Goose  300
Wood Duck  5    Reservoir
Mallard  85
Bufflehead  1    Turtle Pond
Hooded Merganser  5
Ruddy Duck  12
Pied-billed Grebe  1
American Coot  10
Ring-billed Gull  300
Herring Gull  200
Great Black-backed Gull  50
Rock Pigeon  15
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1    Feeders
Blue Jay  8
American Crow  1
Black-capped Chickadee  1
Tufted Titmouse  20
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
American Robin  7
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  25
Northern Cardinal  1    Feeders
House Finch  5    Feeders
American Goldfinch  4
House Sparrow  50