Wednesday, 26 February, 2014 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City I looked for the Pine Warbler seen yesterday in the Ramble of Central Park, at about the same time & with similar conditions (light snow flurries ending, brisk but bright & sunny), but did not find it again this mid-day. And as I rather suspected might be, there had been a sighting & report of a "drab" Pine Warbler, dating from Feb. 9, a bit over 2 weeks prior, from Central Park & not that far from yesterday's sighting - that by Angus Wilson, and brought to my attention by a number of list-members and park regulars, as well as having this confirmed from Angus himself (thanks!) As I'd noted, the warbler was seen actively feeding Tuesday, thus seems to have been in reasonable health thru the chill & snows of this past month+. (And, as many also pointed out there have been a modest number of reports of Pine Warbler this winter from [esp.] the Atlantic shore & plain, in NY as well as various adjacent & nearby states.) The species is of course among the more northerly-wintering of our warblers, indeed there are some who've claimed it as a North American "endemic", although my understanding is that there are scant records from Costa Rica, and there are resident races or forms on Hispaniola & the Bahamas, as well as some reports from Cuba & perhaps other Caribbean isles.
Other birds today were more standard for February & there was a sense that small numbers of some spp. may have actually moved on, such as American Robins, and perhaps Common Grackles. The water-bodies of the park including the reservoir remain at least 95+% frozen, with the lingering ducks & other waterbirds mainly filling the small open water areas available. At least 5 Wood Ducks were at the w. side of the Lake, and 3 more at the reservoir's south side opening. Baltimore Orioles (two, anyhow) continue as they have all late fall thru winter at the feeders, in the Ramble (appearing irregularly in any given day). Good birding, Tom Fiore Manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
