There were a modest number of birders out Sunday in the area where, on
Saturday 3/4, a Long-eared Owl was reported (elsewhere, not to this
list, and seen Saturday by 50+ observers, all on best-behavior with a
bird that was rather low in a tree but did move a bit to a -slightly-
more protected bit of cover (this may have been the first of the year
in Central Park, but is not the first for Manhattan island - the story
on that, perhaps, in another month or so). Saturday's CP owl sighting
was posted to the eBird site and thus was fully-accessible to the
public by afternoon & many birders responded; a fly-out was observed
at dusk as well, by a respectful -and much smaller- group of birders.
Thanks to the keen birder & to the blue jays who assisted him on the
find, and those discriminating reports. To my knowledge this owl was
not re-found on Sunday - if it, or any were in Central Park, it's
assumed that any who enjoyed it did so with the greatest respect for
the well-being of the bird, above all - and thanks to all for that
which was seen on Saturday.
------------
SUNDAY, 5 March, 2017 -
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City
Some of the highlights from the day in Central, & some other areas in
Manhattan as noted, & as seen by myself and about 30 other observers
in total:
A young Red-headed Woodpecker in first-year plumage continues just
west of East 68th Street within Central Park, a good amount of red now
showing on this bird.
A modest movement of, in particular, Vultures, with at least 2 Black
Vultures and up to 14 Turkey Vultures, all noted in mid-day hours,
thru about 3 pm, from Central Park's northern half & then from the
Upper East Side including Carl Schurz Park - seen by other observers
as well, in varying numbers & possibly representing different &
additional individuals, esp. of Turkey Vultures - additional 'light'
movement added 2 near-adult-plumaged Bald Eagles, 1 Cooper's Hawk (sub-
adult plumage), 1 American Kestrel (this perhaps not a migrant), &
several Red-tailed Hawks that appeared to be migrating; the general
direction of all of these headed north/northeast; and of other birds
- It might be added that of Black Vulture, there have been sightings
and reports coming from almost across the continent - including in
some states & a few provinces where these are relatively scarce, or
were not so many years ago - this "feels" like an ongoing range-
extension for this species - first record for Barrow, AK, anyone?!
(And in NY state, please name the county that has not had this species
by now - in this decade, that is?)
Some waterfowl (not much, but some Canada Geese, and a few Aythya-
genus ducks that I took to be Ring-necked, but a bit too high to know,
as well as some Red-breasted Mergansers along the East River, those
perhaps just moving more locally), and a nice, if modest movement of
Killdeer, with at least 7 in total (I said modest!), perhaps 3
lingering a bit - 1 seen & tellied-texted-tweeted-eBirded, etc. from
Riverside Park near West 80th, 2 seen & still around 2 hours later
near East 116 Street public school-yard, 2 more at a site off East
Dyckman Street (edge of Sherman Creek), & 2 in a small not-so-open
part of a trail south of Dyckman Street at the Hudson river, which is
a 'dead-end' ped-bike path. I was actually on that path seeking
potential passerines, & did find some, but none notable at that area.
There was again a modest movement of icterids, all identified (in
flight, by sight as well as calls) were either Red-winged Blackbird or
Common Grackle, a total of perhaps 200+ of the former and 400+ of the
latter species, in the 2nd hour of the day, all moving north, seen
from Central Park. There were also a very modest number of American
Robins & some smaller passerines in flight in the morning, northbound
as well - despite the freeze, the winds were quite light in morning
hours and never that strong all day, at least at the surface.
An annotated list for some of today's sightings:
Red-throated Loon (1 non-breeding plumage, East River off about East
91st Street)
Pied-billed Grebe (2 continue at the Central Park reservoir)
Red-necked Grebe (1 - that which was rehabbed & released weeks ago
continues at the CP reservoir)
Great Cormorant (1, East River - distant but ok views near end of the
day)
Double-crested Cormorant (several locations including in Central
Park's waters)
Great Blue Heron (Central Park, The Pond - SE part of the park)
Black Vulture (as noted above)
Turkey Vulture (" " ")
Canada Goose
Brant (usuals, East River areas; all presumed Atlantic Brant as is
usual, too)
Mute Swan (very distant, from East River shore path)
Wood Duck (several, Central Park in 'usual locations')
Gadwall (various areas in 2 rivers, & in Central Park)
American Black Duck (" " " " " " " ")
Mallard (ubiquitous)
Northern Shoveler (good numbers continue in Central Park)
Northern Pintail (fabulous breeding-plumaged drake still at The Pond,
in Central)
Ring-necked Duck (possible high fly-overs, see note above)
Bufflehead (numerous on East River, and as typical, in Central)
Common Goldeneye (1 drake, East River - not unusual, but my first in a
while - not checking there often however)
Hooded Merganser (2 pairs, Central Park)
Red-breasted Merganser (a few, East River; & noted by Karen Fung at
the Hudson river north of West 96th Street)
Ruddy Duck (some on East River north of 86th Street to East 116th
which is typical in winter, & as usual in Central's water-bodies)
Bald Eagle (as noted above)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (in Central Park)
Cooper's Hawk (in Central Park, and as noted above in potential
migration)
Red-tailed Hawk (with a note above)
American Kestrel (noted above)
Peregrine Falcon (1 noted)
American Coot (11, in total, in Central Park, on 4 water-bodies but
most on the reservoir as is typical)
Killdeer (as noted above)
American Woodcock (**1, in part of Central Park not far from where 2
where released the other day from rehab, thus perhaps one of them)
Ring-billed Gull (many)
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Long-eared Owl (pellet found, from Saturday's occurrence, by the
finder of the bird, but tmk, not the bird today)
Belted Kingfisher (seen from East River path at a known area on west
edges of Randall's island - which is 'politically' part of Manhattan-
NY County)
Red-headed Woodpecker (as noted above!)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (few, Central Park)
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker (Central Park)
Yellow-shafted Flicker (" ")
Blue Jay (rather common)
American Crow
Fish Crow (East River area, seen & heard)
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse (many)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Central Park and Washington Heights area of
Manhattan)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (Central Park)
Carolina Wren (3, Central Park)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1, Central Park - overwintered)
Hermit Thrush (1, Central Park - overwintered)
American Robin (as noted above, & in Central Park)
Gray Catbird (1, Central Park - overwintered)
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher (Central Park - overwintered)
European Starling
Eastern Towhee (3, Central Park - overwintered)
[Red] Fox Sparrow (Central Park, and 1 found in Riverside Park)
Song Sparrow (many)
Swamp Sparrow (Central Park - overwintered)
White-throated Sparrow (many)
Dark-eyed Junco (35+, through various areas)
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird (in part, as noted above)
Common Grackle (in part, as noted above)
Brown-headed Cowbird (few)
House Finch
American Goldfinch (uncommon just now)
House Sparrow
-------
"All ethics so far evolved rest upon a single premise: that the
individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts. ~
The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to
include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land. ~
A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the
land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect
for his-her fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such."
- 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 birding, and thanks to those respecting all wildlife and other
park users.
Tom Fiore,
manhattan
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