06/08/2026
Weekly Bird Report-6/1/26-6/7/26
I love how familiar I’ve gotten with the birds in the neighborhood but it’s always great to have some surprises every once in a while. This week, I definitely had one! A Yellow-Billed Cuckoo showed up in the Chinese Elm right outside of Marie’s Bar. I have seen them here in the neighborhood a couple of times before but it is definitely a rarity. They prefer more secluded spaces. What a treat it was to see them! I also saw the Bronzed Cowbird a couple of times this week. As cool as they are to see, that likely means there are some birds in our neighborhood whose nest has been infiltrated by the Bronzed Cowbird. They lay their eggs in other bird’s nests and let them raise them.
The Yellow-Crowned Night Heron babies are getting so big! The first nest in Washington Square has basically been cleared. I haven’t been seeing the babies over there so they have likely fully fledged. The other four nests have babies but they are starting to move off the nest as well. The Cooper’s Hawks nest is also clear and I have been seeing the adults in the neighborhood quite a bit. I keep seeing Downy Woodpecker babies learning to peck (absolutely the cutest thing ever, TBH) and there are definitely lots of Northern Mockingbird babies as well. I also got to witness a Mourning Dove fledging. They are considerably smaller than their parents and learn to fly from the ground. So exciting!
As we settle into the end of Spring, beginning of Summer, this is a time best served for getting to know the birds that are here. There will not be a lot of changes in our bird population over the next couple of months but there will still be plenty of birds. Taking the time to observe the birds in their environment can be very rewarding.
This week, I also saw Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, Rock Pigeons, White-Winged Doves, Chimney Swifts, Black-Crowned Night Herons, a Turkey Vulture, Mississippi Kites, Great Crested Flycatchers, Blue Jays, American and Fish Crows, Carolina Chickadees, a Barn Swallow, European Starlings, House Sparrows and Finches, Northern Cardinals, Laughing Gulls, a Carolina Wren and a Great Egret.
What birds did you see this week???
