On Dickcissels, there’ve been some sightings in e. Canada, including very near Buffalo, NY. Any location in NY state might potentially see these, the more so in likely / good habitat patches.
- - - Start of Summer, 21st June 2017 (Wed.) Central Park, Manhattan, New York City The list below indicates the less-than-forty species of birds which somewhat regularly or annually breed in Central Park. Putting that number (of expected breeders) in perspective, it is fewer than the number of species that can be expected, in this era, in most of the cold-weather months of the year, in this same park, with a possible exception of the month of February, & even that month sometimes providing a greater number, according in part to any particular winter’s weather. This list does not intend to include all of the many species which will begin to appear in the month of July, & swell exponentially by mid-late August, as migration is again in full swing. Those species, in Central Park, are especially made up of various warblers, but also will include shorebirds, swallows, & a variety of other passerine & non-passerine birds. It also does not take into account all of the many possible/potential summer visitors-wanderers-strays-nonbreeders that might turn up, but are generally rare or at least not expected in the summer - or at all, for really rare vagrants. For this month, so far, I have put in roughly 120 hours this month, in Central Park, including birding on foot totaling up to or more than 60 miles within the park proper. Most areas of the park were visited a number of times, some daily. The least-visited area (& least-birded, at any time, by all birders) was the SW corner of the park, which contains no water features, and seems less likely to have a great variety of nesting species. That does not mean that no nesting species are to be found there. By far, the majority of time seeking nesting birds was in the Ramble & areas close to the Ramble, and the northern parts of the park, but with daily visits to the reservoir & vicinity as well. On almost every day, my birding began by 5 a.m. when of course most birds are the most-active and vocal. There were also some longer days, as well as a few early-evening visits. In some cases, it may have been far more difficult to detect some species, by after even 7 a.m., without considerable additional effort - Wood Thrush is a rather obvious example of such species. Double-crested Cormorant (a regular summer visitor / & flyovers) Great Egret (regular summer visitor / & flyovers) Snowy Egret (rare summer visitor / regular flyovers seen from n. end of park) Green Heron (breeding, at least 2 active nests in park this spring) Black-crowned Night-Heron (regular summer visitor / & flyovers)s Canada Goose (several pairs bred this spring; additionally more than a dozen non-breeding/summering) Wood Duck (drake, after visiting reservoir recently, has been back on The Pond - a regular site for at least one) Gadwall (a few lingering earlier in June - a much more frequent summer visitor than once was in Central Park) Mallard (numerous & some breeding, as is common in Central) Osprey (several were still visiting the park well into June this spring; not breeding on Manhattan island) Red-tailed Hawk (common sight; multiple pairs nesting on adjacent buildings in the vicinity of Central Park) American Kestrel (common enough in & near the park, with nesting pairs in multiple locations near Central) Peregrine Falcon (seen regularly from the park, a few nesting pairs in multiple locations very near Central) Laughing Gull (occasionally visting the reservoir in June; this species can be found on occasion in summer) Ring-billed Gull (rare as June progresses, can sometimes be found in mid-summer, more likely towards fall) [American] Herring Gull (common flyover & visitor at Central, all year) Great Black-backed Gull (common flyover & visitor to Central Park, always most evident at the reservoir) ['feral'] Rock Pigeon (abundant urban bird) Mourning Dove (common in Central Park, multiple nesters as well as visitors) Monk Parakeet (rare but occasional this spring, may be nesting “somewhere” in Manhattan as they do nest in all 4 other boroughs of NYC) Yellow-billed Cuckoo (a few sightings well into June, this species does breed in NYC parks, but is uncommon & typically not well-detected) Chimney Swift (uncommon as June progresses, fairly high numbers this mid-spring into early June dispersed or moved on; probably nesting in very scant numbers near Central Park) Ruby-throated Hummingbird (a very rare breeder in Manhattan, not known if nesting in the borough this year) Red-bellied Woodpecker (fairly common year-round resident, breeds in Central Park) Downy Woodpecker (not rare resident in Central Park, multiple nests) Hairy Woodpecker (at least one continues in Central Park, this species is a rather rare breeder in Manhattan) Yellow-shafted Flicker (multiple nests in Central Park, this species is subject to nest-harassment, in part due to European Starling) Eastern Wood-Pewee (as is typical, several pairs are nesting in Central Park; very quiet in the peak of nesting) Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (a few migrants finally cleared out by mid-June) Acadian Flycatcher (potential breeder, & does breed in NYC parks, but not detected past mid-June so far this year in Central Park) Great Crested Flycatcher (several nesting pairs in Central Park - with young in nests in at least 2 distinct locations) Eastern Kingbird (minimum of 7 nesting pairs in Central - which is roughly typical - and most with young right now) Warbling Vireo (minimum of 18 separate pairs on nests spread throughout Central Park, & some with young now) Red-eyed Vireo (at least 3 nesting pairs, each with young in nests; one of the active nests is in the Ramble; poss. a few non-breeders about in addition) Blue Jay (fairly common breeder, nests have young now; this is one of many ‘noisy’ species that is much quieter at nesting season) American Crow (regular breeder, a few nests, young being fed) Fish Crow (not detected in Central Park as a breeder this spring, a rather rare breeder in the park) Tree Swallow (some still passing &/or lingering into June, but not detected as breeders here this spring) Northern Rough-winged Swallow (uncommon but still appearing well into June, apparently non-nesters) Barn Swallow (several nesting pairs in park, & some stragglers or non-breeders also moving thru even into later in June) Black-capped Chickadee (has become very scarce breeder, at least one pair successfully fledged 2 hatchlings this year) Tufted Titmouse (at least several pairs in park, each nesting; possibly a few non-breeders as well) White-breasted Nuthatch (breeds every year in Central, quiet while nesting; minimum of 4 pairs this spring with young) Carolina Wren (several pairs present in park, at least 1 pair noted with young so far) House Wren (minimum of 6 pairs with nests in park, some fledged young already out; possibly a few non-breeders also) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (individual observed into June, but apparently not able to secure a mate?) Wood Thrush (minimum of 3 nesting pairs in Central Park, which is often the typical no. of nesting pairs; some with young now) American Robin (abundant breeder, many have fledged young, some on 2nd nests, & poss. even w/second sets of hatchlings) Gray Catbird (common breeder, fledged young have been out for as much as 10+ days now, w/many more out each day) Northern Mockingbird (uncommon but regular breeder, at least 5 pairs nested & have young) Brown Thrasher (shy but regular nester, a minimum of 4 active nests, & some fledged young seen so far this spring) European Starling (overabund passing thru in June, w/poss. more than a dozen nesting territories; a late-nesting species) Common Yellowthroat (has nested in Central Park, but with great duress, several singing males continuing into late June) Yellow Warbler (although a regular breeder in northern Manhattan, this species seems not to do so in Central Park in the modern era; many can be found lingering in June, & will reappear in July as some wander in, either non-breeders or modestly early migrants; fall migration-period can be as much as 5+ months in duration for the species, in this region) Eastern Towhee (very scarce nester in Central, the few that lingered are poss. unmated, with one exception of a pair seen) Chipping Sparrow (scarcely-detected breeder, there are several nesting pairs in the park - which is typical of recent years) Song Sparrow (a minimum of 10 pairs attempting to nest in the park, roughly typical no’s. - there are some nests wiped out by clearing of vegetation at the reservoir’s shore in recent weeks) White-throated Sparrow (a few summering, which is not unusual; but non-breeding) Northern Cardinal (very common breeder, many fledged young are about, & some 2nd-nestings begun) Indigo Bunting (has lingered in some years in Central; the species has bred elsewhere in Manhattan in recent decades) Red-winged Blackbird (minimum of 10 active pairs in the park, with some fledged young seen in the past week or more) Common Grackle (regular breeder, & fledged young seen in past 10 days; some also linger but apparently not nesting) Brown-headed Cowbird (uncommon, some have been observed parasitizing birds of their own size, i.e., Gray Catbirds) Orchard Oriole (uncommon in Manhattan, has bred scarcely in Central Park; at least 2 males had been present in June this year; they might still be present) Baltimore Oriole (minimum of 22 active nests in Central Park, from all sectors of the park; some fledged young out, and there are also multiple non-breeding individuals, typical of the species that some 1st-year birds act as “helpers” at some nests) House Finch (fairly common resident & breeder, some fledged young seen in past 2 weeks) American Goldfinch (rather scarce & scant breeder in the park, the species can be present into July & yet not be nesting) House Sparrow (superabundant & pestilential, probably the most abundant passerine in the park in early summer months) - - - - - - - "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, and has also been translated into at least a dozen languages. “good morning, America, how are you - don’t you know me, I’m your native son I’m the train they call The City of New Orleans I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is gone” (lyrics, Steve Goodman; sung also by Arlo Guthrie, & a dozen years later by Willie Nelson) good -and ethical- birding, Tom Fiore manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
