Extralimital (but not by a lot) from NY state, and following reports Sunday, 10/23 to the CT-Birds list, a Sprague's Pipit was found in that state at Sherwood Island State Park, Westport (which is on Long Island Sound) - that bird being present there thru sunset Sunday.
- - - - - - - - Sunday, 23 October, 2016 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City On this very (westerIy) windy day, a very good vuIture & raptor fIight ensued over and as viewed from Central Park. Some of what was seen between hours of about 8 a.m. & 5 p.m. included: Black Vulture (6, good number for Manhattan & in line with their big expansion into NE region in past decade+) Turkey Vulture (120+) Osprey (2) Bald Eagle (8, of which 4 were adults) Northern Harrier (3, one coming thru near 5 pm) Sharp-shinned Hawk (18) Cooper's Hawk (7) Red-shouldered Hawk (1, adult) Red-tailed Hawk (most, or perhaps all seen being local) American Kestrel (most or perhaps all seen being local) Merlin (2) Peregrine Falcon (local/city residents) Many of the Turkey Vultures passed later in the day; the overall diurnal flight seemed to be stronger to the north (within the park), the flight path (on a somewhat SW trajectory, generally) then shifting a bit south in the sustained winds, which is typical of such flights over Manhattan in these high-wind conditions. There were surely even greater numbers of some of the species moving past Manhattan island as some birds were detected just as they cut across the NW-most parts of Central Park, especially in morning hours. The raptor-sky watch was not continuous but totaled a bit more than 5 hours of dedicated sky- watch, & from several points in the park as the day (and the flight) progressed. (Further flight is likely in coming days on the predicted winds.) At least 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers continued in Central Park as they have for many days now, with one adult continuing in the Ramble, & a young bird being most-lately found near Sheep Meadow's east side today, & first reported by 'Cathy W.' (n.b., this young bird may well be a different from one recently a mile to the north within the park). Highlights (only) among many other species noted in or over the park Sunday included: Red-throated Loon (fly-over), Common Loon (fly- over), Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Canada Goose (fly- overs), [prob. all Atlantic!-] Brant (fly-overs), Wood Duck, Bufflehead, American Coot, American Woodcock, Laughing Gull, Chimney Swift (minimum of 9), Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-eyed Vireo (bit late), Red-breasted Nuthatch (in many areas - and including many not in or around conifers), Brown Creeper, Carolina Wren, House Wren (bit late), Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush (bit late), Hermit Thrush, Cedar Waxwing (numbers), at least 11 species of Warbler (many spp. with just 1 individual found; some in the southern-most end of the park, but at least 5 spp. at the north end; many are a tad late, but it's November by which some would be truly scarce, and all have been found into past NYC C.B.C. seasons), Scarlet Tanager (quite late), Eastern Towhee, Chipping, Field, Savannah, Song, Swamp, and White-throated Sparrows (the latter by far most numerous of sparrows), Dark-eyed Junco (numerous as well), Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, E. Meadowlark (flyover only, & part-reason for my checking southern areas in the park), Rusty Blackbird (2), Baltimore Oriole, Purple Finch (good movement, & several also found giving some song when feeding) - plus many other migrant &/or resident species found. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." - Aldo Leopold (1887–1948), U.S. wildlife biologist, conservationist, professor, author, best known for his book "A Sand County Almanac" (1949), which has sold more than two million copies. good (windy) 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/ --
