If you happen to do a search using Google today, June 9th you can see
the "doodle" that that company has made for the day, in honor of a
birder whose 85th birthday would have come this day: Phoebe
Snetsinger, an American woman born in 1931, who for a good while was
widely understood to have seen more species of wild & free birds than
any other person -&- was a superb birder who worked hard, studying &
learning the 8,450+ species she saw, all around the planet, visiting
areas which in some cases, very very few others had been and seeing
some of the world's most-difficult-to-observe species on all 7
continents.
She was also a cancer survivor, a well-known part of her birding story
was when she was diagnosed with cancer - it was determined by her
doctors as terminal - and that she might then have 1 year to live...
she got deeply involved in seeking out new ("life") birds, ending up
living on for 17 years beyond the original doctors' diagnoses and
setting in place a trail-blazing path for all birders, & particularly
for women, in an avocation then very dominated by men. She was not
a simple person, and much more about her life (including much on the
bird-seeking) can be found in 2 books, one by her & her family, and
another by a writer who adds a bit more to the story. The 2 books
are: "Birding on Borrowed Time" (by P. Snetsinger) and "Life List: A
Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds" (by Olivia Gentile).
I have met a lot of birders who were lucky to have met Phoebe
Snetsinger, in all corners of the world, and all have had a lot of
praise for her intense & serious approach to seeking out the birds, in
all families, which she sought. She is widely considered to be the
first person to observe more than 8,000 species of birds, and in doing
so, she also learned & shared in that knowledge with those who shared
voyages and observations with her. She died tragically in a freak
road accident in Madagascar in 1999, doing what she loved, observing &
finding special birds, in all parts of this planet. (It also may be
added that many - very many - of the birds she saw, in so many parts
of the world, have more recently seen "splitting", by taxonomists-
ornithologists, and in that sense, Ms. Snetsinger would have in fact
seen far more of what are now considered species (rather than sub-
species, races, forms. etc.) and further, would have distinguished
many, as she kept meticulous notes and would have had such on the
differing taxa in such various many places she went seeking them. Thus
her "list", if examined today, would still be up near highest of top
bird-seekers of the planet.)
...............
Thursday, Wed. & Tues., 9th, 8th, & 7th June, 2016
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City -
Thursday, 9 June -
Among the migrants noted were a female Mourning Warbler, a singing
male Ovenbird, and males of Magnolia & Blackpoll Warbler, American
Redstart, & Northern Waterthrush, all seen singing in the n.w.
quadrant of the Ramble - the Mourning quite active for it's kind, and
working thru the woods a bit south of the Castle area. Acadian
Flycatcher, & nesting Great Crested, as well as E. Kingbirds & E. Wood-
Pewees also were in the Ramble regions, along with E. Towhee. Further
migrants also included several Swainson's Thrush, these (I believe)
new passage-migrants (rather than just some lingering for a while)
which were seen in the south end, the Ramble, & in more than just a
number-2, in the woods at the north end. Also ongoing are Wood
Thrushes, but those are on territories.
Once again at & before the sunrise hour, at least 12 Great & 3 Snowy
Egrets were at the reservoir's edges, along with a counted 14 night-
herons, most clearly Black-crowned (but there has been at least 1
Yellow-crowned visiting at times, this late-spring), with more Black-
crowned additionally present on the Lake shores, as well as a few
elsewhere in the park. None of these nest in the park, they visit
regularly, & a fly-way existing over the n. end of the park, as well
as north of there, continues to produce daily flights of these birds,
with the possibility of other spp. of waterbird, such as a Great Blue
Heron that flew over on Tues./7th.
Good numbers of Chimney Swift have been joining the multiple Barn & N.
Rough-winged Swallows, in particular over the reservoir, & lately esp.
over the northern half of the res. - with more of these 3 spp. at the
Lake, & occasionally over some of the largest lawn & ball-field areas,
as well as other water-bodies.
...................
Wednesday, 8 June -
Among migrants noted were a couple of Swainson's Thrush, as well as a
few warblers including Blackpoll, American Redstart, and Magnolia. At
least 3 Acadian Flycatchers have been present in the park, 2 of them
in close proximity & at least 1 more, often vocal, in a totally
separate area of the park.
..............
Tuesday, 7 June - although it may have seemed "quiet", this is in part
as a variety of species are nesting, & some have been relatively quiet
in recent days or weeks. At least several species of migrant warblers
are being seen, even as the month progresses into its second week, &
true summer approaches...
Good June birding,
Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
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