Wednesday, 21 October 2009 - Staten Island, N.Y. City A couple of the rarities recently reported were still present today, including a male Rufous (judging by prior photos showing tail spreads) Hummingbird in the same location (at around 7:15 a.m.), and a Cackling Goose also at a location as previously reported. The hummer was visiting flowers when I saw it & I did not notice it going to a feeder but did not stay long observing. Directions for this Rufous Hummingbird were posted to this list over the past week, & to the SINaturaList: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SINaturaList/message/ 1310 There are still flowers available incidentally, although likely fewer than on the day of discovery; I do not see any other updates to this rare bird from later in the day and now wonder... this would be the sort of weather day (& yesterday, & tomorrow too) when a hummingbird might decide to move on & take off.
A Cackling Goose was with about 120+ Canada Geese, all feeding or resting in the back field behind the K.-school at Mt. Loretto, off Hylan Blvd. & a bit north of Page Ave. - the school's field is on the west side of Hylan Blvd., & in the NW portion of the open areas of the property. In both places one should act in a manner befitting a visit to private property and be respectful of other people (most of whom will not be birders). Sparrows were common to abundant in many locations and it was not long to compile a list of ten species, Chipping, Field, Savannah, Song, Swamp, Lincoln's, White-crowned, White-throated, [red] Fox (at least 2), & a Vesper at Mt. Loretto - in the area near the bluff, where a paved spur goes up towards the highest point. Incidentally Mount Loretto (a NY DEC Unique Area Preserve) has good potential for all sorts of birds, both the expected & also the totally unexpected - were it visited twice a day by keen birders every day in Oct. & Nov. it could become among the better-known NYC hot-spots. It is "known", yet there's even more potential. A White-eyed Vireo seen singing at Crooke's Point, Great Kills Park was a tad on the late side (even if it's a species that winters farther north than any of our other NY-breeding vireos). Crooke's Point in particular, and Great Kills Park in general, had many thousands of migrants & arrivals, with Yellow-rumped Warblers (all presumed Myrtle types) in absolute abundance, and up to 300+ seen coming in off the outer NY harbor even over an hour past sunrise. These Yellow-rumped numbers were really uncountable, but certainly were well into the high 6-figure range for all of the shore areas south of the Narrows and north of Ward's Point. I also counted (actual count) 62 Palm Warblers, many of which were of the "western" type. Other warblers included an Orange-crowned and Magnolia at Mt. Loretto, & a Pine Warbler in Snug Harbor Cultural Center botanical gardens, later on. The American Robin flight while hardly comparable to the Yellow-rumped movement & aggregations, was nonetheless numerous with a thousand or more moving thru Great Kills Park. I looked for and did not see any swallows/martins, anywhere. I also looked carefully through a flock of 850+ Atlantic Brant on Miller Field, with one recent report suggesting a possible 'Black' Brant amongst a large flock there - I found no individual[s] that looked really good in all, or even any, characters for 'Black '- considered a potentially separate species from the 'Atlantic' form we typically see hereabouts. As the Brant continue to increase this fall, any observers interested in discerning a rarely-documented Black Brant might wish to look at: http://www.oceanwanderers.com/BBrantNY.html (thanks to Angus Wilson) - I would emphasize the marks that are noted therein including great extent of black in the underparts well into the lower belly for Black Brant. Many Atlantic Brant can look very dusky below the upper breast. A stop at Wolfe's Pond Park did not reveal anything of great note in my visit. There are some sea duck such as Red-breasted Merganser beginning to gather as well as at least a small number Red-throated Loons. Fairly common & expected were N. Flickers, Eastern Phoebes, Cedar Waxwings. Not seemingly very common were blackbirds of any kind although I did find a few flocks now & then, mainly Red-winged Blackbird. There were 48 American Crows together in two trees at Mt. Loretto in the morning. --- --- --- --- Of 3 vagrant flycatchers now reported in the greater northeast none are kingbirds. And there are likely a few kingbirds out there! THREE Pink-footed Geese, continuing, in southern Maine: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MAIN.html#1256160509 (prior reports give additional location info - check updates!) - - - SAGE Thrasher continued, Sandy Hook New Jersey, 10/21: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NJBC.html#1256132625 - - - Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, in n.-central Massachusetts 10/21: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MASS.html#1256155136 http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MASS.html#1256131861 (Orange, Mass. is less than 70 miles from NY's east border) - - - And, a Massachusetts LeConte's Sparrow was seen again: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MASS.html#1256154738 - - - B.-t. GRAY Warbler still at Big Springs, Cumberland Co, PA: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/PENN.html#1256156386 - - - Fork-tailed Flycatcher seen again, New Brunswick Canada: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NTNB.html#1256091858 - - - Say's Phoebe in (different part of) New Brunswick, Canada: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NTNB.html#1256143982 - - - (Yellow Rails were lately reported from Maine & Ohio & ...?) Good birding wherever you get to, Tom Fiore, Manhattan _________ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
