Some Cedar Waxwings from Sunday, about an hour before I saw the Saw-Whet.  I was 15 feet from the owl, but it was too well hidden to find on my own!

Seeing a Northern Saw-whet Owl in Central Park is a real treat.  Only a few are seen during migration and they only seem to be one day guests of the park, so actually seeing one takes patience. 

Today, the Central Park birding community helped me out.  Rebekah Creshkof found the owl, told a friend who got me to the general area of the bird, and then another pair of birders helped me find the right tree.

What may be the last Eastern Screech-Owl in Central Park, continues to captivate me.  She was lower in the cavity today, something that makes sense given the colder weather.

On a cold, gray afternoon flocks of birds can be a welcome find.  My first flock was a group of American Goldfinches with a few Pine Siskins eating Sweet Gum seeds. 

The second flock was a group of Cedar Waxwings.  They got spooked by a pair of Cooper's Hawks.

The Eastern Screech-Owl continues in her favorite cavity.  While I was watching her, a few birders stood very close to her.  (A good sign that she's annoyed is that she puts her ears up.)

When visiting her in the afternoon, please give her some space.  Most of us have expensive binoculars.  Let's use them!  How would you like it if someone came into your bedroom and started staring at you!

In addition to this owl, the park had a Northern Saw-whet owl last week, and has a Great-Horned Owl now.

This youngster was in the Loch on Sunday.  This is a tough period for many young hawks.  They're on their own for the first time, and those that haven't mastered hunting are in a real battle for their lives.  After nest and fledging accidents, this is a peak time for rehabbers, who get lots of undernourished youngsters in the Fall.

More Eastern Screech-Owls photos...

Late fall is a great time to Hawk Watch in New York City.  There are lots of migrants passing through and some may even stay for the winter.  Here's a Cooper's Hawk in Central Park.

Tonight is the last day, I can owl or hawk watch during the week.  After this weekend, we'll be back on Eastern Standard Time, and it will be dark when I leave work.

A shift of cavities found Central Park's Eastern-Screech Owl in a familiar location from previous years.  She's lost two mates over the last few years and is now single. 

I miss the duets after fly out we used to here. Now we only hear a few calls, and then silence.

One of the joys of late Fall in New York City is the ability to relocate owls that during the warmer months easily hide in tree tops during the day.

What may be the last remaining Eastern Screech-Owl in Central Park, was found again now that the weather is colder.

The Merlin that had been hanging out on top of a watertower on Central Park West between 101st and 102nd is still there.  On Tuesday, just like Sunday it caught dinner just before dusk.