It’s not every day that a Phylloscopus (genus) warbler, native to Eurasia for the most part in summer season, is found in *eastern Canada*. So the Yellow-browed Warbler that was reported and well-documented at least to April 24th at Missisauga (Ontario) Canada is a kind of big deal.
. . . . N.Y. County, including Manhattan, Randall’s & Governors Islands - highlights include multiple Evening Grosbeaks, many many freshly-arrived migrants, with a potential first-record of Blue-winged Teal photographed on Governors Island, & a whole lot more, for a week that is (not quite) into the month of May. And interesting weather (for much of N. America & the local area) continues to affect some aspects of local and regional migration as would be expected. Wed., April 28 & Thursday, 4/29 - -you all asked for “more migrants”? You got your wishes... The numbers of Evening Grosbeaks passing through (with some lingering for more than 1 day) are not the highest, historically (or even for the past 3 decades) but for many, they’ve been the first some observers have seen in the county (and for some, first for them in the city, or the state, or… ever), and a modest number have offered excellent and extended views. At least two dozen (which is likely on the conservative side of the total numbers) Evening Grosbeaks passed through New York County in just the 2 days. (Further, for those not following the eastern irruption of this species all this past winter, into spring as they return north, states to the south of N.Y. have been finding numbers of these as they linger & move north in the past week or less, such as 50+ at a single site in Maryland, and more modest numbers are reported from Delaware & New Jersey with 15 at a single site in Cape May, N.J. as examples there; in Virginia, there’ve been examples such as 55 at a single site; West Virginia, 50 at a single site, & so on through multiple additional eastern states. And these are not even remotely close to state-total tallies, but mere high counts from individual sites (locations) in each state in the past week or less. In other words, keep listening & watching for this species as more will be passing north!) If it’s big-big numbers of Evening Grosbeaks for a state near N.Y. one is curious about, the recent 150 reported (on 4/29) from a county in Pennsylvania (Elk County, PA) might just do it. The region (and N.Y. County) also continue to see a nice passage of Purple Finches, also headed back north to breeding areas this month (& for at least a while longer). Also, p.s. at least some of the Evening Grosbeaks hanging around have been placed in the “Type-3” group, by calls heard & recorded. However, other forms-types are also at least in theory possible as passage birds. Congrat’s to G. Willow (& overall, the team of excellent -and permitted- observers over a period of many months in which Governors Island had been closed to access for the general public, which is due to change as of May 1st, when direct-ferry reservations to all are again being accepted to visit that south-most outpost of N.Y. County in the upper harbor area of N.Y. City) for the probable first 'modern-era' record there (with photo-documentation) of 2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, and as further representation of the nice surge of recent migrants hereabouts, the 8+ warbler species and Yellow-throated Vireo & many other migrants & breeding or all-year residents on Governors Island, for this April 29th, w/ further reports from that location from B. Cacace for 4/29. The 9 Gray Catbirds & 2 Wood Thrush which Gabriel W. reported for the day at Governors Island also clear indications of the big fresh push of many migrants (indeed, first / larger Gray Catbird arrivals in spring can be good indicators of a fresh wave of many other neotropical migrants in an area). Some interesting birds also have been showing at Randall’s Island, off to the northeast - but more on that another time. 30 (Thirty) species of warblers have now been recorded in New York County already in this calendar year (and this spring season, and this month) as of April 29th. The surge of neotropical-wintering species (along with eyes-wide-open rarities such as the nearby Black-throated Gray Warbler & Burrowing Owl already noted to this list, elsewhere in the local area, plus other rarities showing in nearby states) in just the 2 days of this report indicate a major migration, much of it consisting of species ahead (and some far ahead) of their *once-typical* **first-arrival dates** (which I will repeat, is not *at all* the same as expected/typical **peak arrival dates**, which in spring are always later dates, by obvious logic and the way migration functions - species do not all arrive and pass thru on 1 day, in our area) and this is quite a phenomenon, certainly at the least suggestive of changes on a broad scale of the complex effects / results of climate change & more, which perhaps is beyond the purview of this list (?) and anyhow, not a subject I’ll try to cover that much - but these are ongoing observations of (big) change, in action, events of magnitude happening in our line of sight and direct experience… and a part of why field observations of nature -and note-making- can be important. With all of its hundreds of observers out & about, it’s not that surprising that Central Park in Manhattan has recorded up to 28 of the above-mentioned 30 warbler species this spring (and this month). However, it is also notable how the migrants have been found, albeit by fewer observers in those other sites, at locations spread across the entire area of the county including the several islands apart from Manhattan that lie in the county’s political boundaries. In addition to all of those many warbler species, we’ve had at least 30 more neotropical-wintering passerines, & “sub-oscine” birds of a variety of species which also are neotropical-winterers, come in as migrants just into the county in the last few days. A great many of these also are earlier (& a few far earlier), than their typical first-arrival dates, excepting that we may be in a “new-normal” situation now for the phenology of migration, as well as for so much else in nature. At least 27 species of warblers were recorded in Manhattan alone in the 2-day period, 4/28-29. And of those, at least 25 species were seen in Central Park alone. A few observers found more than 20 species in their exploring Central Park on Thursday, 4/29 - with a lot of efforts! Migrants, including a nice variety of warbler species, were seen in many dozens of smaller parks & green-spaces, all around Manhattan, as well as on the 2 larger islands adjacent to Manhattan which share it within N.Y. County. Plenty of first-of-the-year birds were noted on the 2 days of this report. A few folks to give shout-outs to for assisting with getting word out & in (some) re-location finding of the *latest* Yellow-throated Warbler for Manhattan, to 🌸Lotus Winnie Lee, to A. Perkins for again being involved in a Yellow-throated Warbler occurrence, and to R. Zucker & others for further assists in getting this bird-&-word out on its stay at Central Park, ongoing from 4/27 into 4/28 & 4/29. (The 4/27 finder wanted to remain anonymous and for now, will be.) Many more observers ‘catching-up’ with this bird in Central esp. by Thursday 4/29. Note too, this species of warbler had *already* been occuring in multiple sites in N.Y City, as well as the 2 Long Island NY counties, & at least a few in hoped-for N.Y. breeding sites, again. It will be interesting to see if recent-current occurences of the species in southern New England could result in new (& rare) breeding attempts *there*, where known previously (as breeders) but *very* sparsely. The latest Central Parkl Ramble find of Yellow-throated Warbler appears to be of the form “albilora”. (The other form of this species that can appear locally & regionally is the “dominica” form. We have occasionally-rarely had both of these two forms appear almost-together in the same place and date[s] in N.Y. County, in the past.) We continue to have at least 2 (overwintered) Lincoln’s Sparrows in Manhattan, one often seen & continuing at the compost area of Central Park, the other less-regularly seen but still going at Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan. (yep, & we can again give a little shout-out to G. Willow there, in one of his late-Thursday group bird-walks). These are usually not found overwintering in the region, but time will tell if that situation might start to change. Most if not all of the expected push of migrant arrivals of this sparrow species are yet to arrive in N.Y. County. Meanwhile, many other migrant sparrows have been moving, with most recently, new arrivals of White-crowned Sparrow in multiple locations, and as expected, a lot of departure of the early-movers in the sparrow tribes, such as Slate-colored Junco, and [Red] Fox Sparrow, to name 2 species that tend to depart the county by around May (if not before). (Indeed, any “Fox” Sparrow seen from now through Sept. ought be checked closely for the possibility of a different form / species, as has happened occasionally in the past for the Fox Sparrow complex with sightings in May, in particular in the region.) Below is just a sampler of a lot of the species in N.Y. County over 2 days, 4/28 & 4/29: Canada Goose (less abundant, some lingering as is usual) [Atlantic] Brant (many still in the county) Mute Swan (2) Wood Duck (few) Gadwall (some lingering as is the norm) American Black Duck (few noted) Mallard (common) Blue-winged Teal (2 photo’d. at Governors Island, 4/29; G. Willow) Northern Shoveler (multiple, still passing through) Bufflehead (many on passage) Red-breasted Merganser (scant, bordering on scarce) Ruddy Duck (scant) Red-throated Loon (flyovers) Common Loon (multiple flyovers & at least some lingering) Double-crested Cormorant (many) Great Blue Heron (several) Great Egret (many as flyovers) Snowy Egret (many as flyovers) Green Heron (multiple locations around the county) Black-crowned Night-Heron Turkey Vulture (multiple) Osprey (multiple) Bald Eagle (at least several) Sharp-shinned Hawk (passing through in numbers) Cooper's Hawk (few) Broad-winged Hawk (1, & perhaps more on passage - one of this species noted by Dr. Roger Pasquier, PhD at the weather-station in the Central Park Ramble, & also photographed by others) Red-tailed Hawk (common nesting species, many on nests, all around the county & city) American Coot (scarcer…) Killdeer (several locations) Greater Yellowlegs (northern Manhattan, 4/29; photos & multiple observers, not that rare in proper habitat, for the county - this is an annual passage-migrant) Solitary Sandpiper (several locations) Spotted Sandpiper (multiple locations) Laughing Gull (fairly regular E. River & N.Y. harbor at times, also some showing elsewhere) Ring-billed Gull (still regular) [American] Herring Gull (common) Great Black-backed Gull (fairly common at some locations) ['feral'] Rock Pigeon (nearly ubiquitous) Mourning Dove (widespread) American Kestrel (widespread nester, & some poss. migrants passing) Peregrine Falcon (widespread nester) Black-billed Cuckoo (photo’d, and one seen by many in Central Park as of 4/29; may not have been quite 1st of the year but is notably early for this cuckoo species here) Yellow-billed Cuckoo (multiple, & seen previously to this report) Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, E. Screech-owl... Common Nighthawk (several - daylight & dusk) Chimney Swift (increasing, but not yet common) Ruby-throated Hummingbird (many fly-throughs, also a number nectaring in various locations) Belted Kingfisher (multiple) Red-bellied Woodpecker (fairly widespread) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (some still lingering & some on passage) Downy Woodpecker (widespread in wooded areas) Hairy Woodpecker (rather scant in the county, but an indicator for better habitat in woodlands) Yellow-shafted Flicker (many) Olive-sided Flycatcher (first of the spring, at least by Thursday 4/29, in at least 2 locations) Empidonax Flycatcher (most likely Least Flycatcher, but needing confirmation) Eastern Phoebe (still lingering &/or passing thru) Great Crested Flycatcher (multiple) Eastern Kingbird (multiple flyovers) White-eyed Vireo (at least several) Blue-headed Vireo (fairly common) Yellow-throated Vireo (at least several in multiple parks) Warbling Vireo (multiple) Red-eyed Vireo (multiple) Blue Jay (many, with some migration during daylight) Common Raven (still multiple but not as regular now) American Crow Fish Crow (so far having a good spring locally) Tree Swallow (regular in some locations now) Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow (scant, so far and a species to watch closely for in coming weeks on passage) Barn Swallow (regular in multiple locations now) Black-capped Chickadee (not that many still around but some still passing thru) Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch (now showing in multiple locations as they continue to pass through) White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper (now scant) Carolina Wren (widespread nester) House Wren (multiple) Winter Wren (multiple still on the move) Golden-crowned Kinglet (very scant & a little late, but hardly unprecedented even in early May in the county) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (many) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (multiple, & a potential & previous scarce nester in the county - do NOT disturb them) Veery (multiple) Swainson's Thrush (at least one, a bit early, found in northern Manhattan 4/29) Hermit Thrush (many) Wood Thrush (many locations, but as usual far fewer than Hermit Thrush) American Robin (common nester) Gray Catbird (massive influx even from Wed. into Thursday, from dozens to many hundreds for all of the county) Northern Mockingbird (common) Brown Thrasher (multiple) European Starling (overabundant) House Sparrow (overabundant) Cedar Waxwing (mofdest no’s. & in small groups) Summer Tanager (adult male, 4/28) Scarlet Tanager (multiple, but not yet common) Eastern Towhee (many) Slate-colored Junco (still lingering / passing to 4/29; sometimes found in early May in the county) Chipping Sparrow (many; and some will breed in the county) Field Sparrow (scant now) Savannah Sparrow (multiple locations) Song Sparrow (breeding pairs & perhaps some still late to pass through) Lincoln's Sparrow (2 continuing where each individual had overwintered, Central Park/n. end, & in Bryant Park) Swamp Sparrow (many) White-throated Sparrow (many) White-crowned Sparrow (multiple) Northern Cardinal (common) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (many) Indigo Bunting (still not common) - Blue-winged Warbler (multiple) [Brewster’s-type hybrid] Warbler (cross of Blue-winged/Golden-winged) Nashville Warbler (multiple) Northern Parula (common) Yellow Warbler (common) Chestnut-sided Warbler (multiple) Magnolia Warbler (multiple) Cape May Warbler (multiple, but not many noted) Black-throated Blue Warbler (multiple and a very significant increase overnight from Wed. into Thursday) Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler (huge flight already by 4/28, many continuing on, & again many on 4/29, with thousands in pre-dawn flight over & beyond the county) Black-throated Green Warbler (many) Blackburnian Warbler (multiple - not possible to count but a minimum of a dozen singing males through Manhattan alone) Yellow-throated Warbler (one watched by many hundreds of observers over 48 hrs. in the Ramble area of Central Park, & the initial observation having been on 4/27) Pine Warbler (multiple, some found in smaller greenspaces) Prairie Warbler (many, including multiples in smaller parks & northern Manhattan areas with bits of habitat-type that this species can favor, even as a migrant) Palm Warbler (multiple, w/ more non-singing females now) Bay-breasted Warbler (at least one, Riverside Park north, singing male observed) Blackpoll Warbler (few, & NOT a sign that “it’s all over”! This species now regularly occurs among big late-April warbler-waves in N.Y. City - in SMALL numbers; far more to come in mid-May) Cerulean Warbler (one male, found singing at Highbridge Park, n. Manhattan, not easily observed in high branches of large oak) Black-and-white Warbler (common) American Redstart (multiple, but still not at all common) Worm-eating Warbler (at least several locations in at least several parks in Manhattan) Ovenbird (many) Northern Waterthrush (many) Louisiana Waterthrush (still a very few passing) Kentucky Warbler (at least to 4/27 in Central Park, & a few reports into 4/28 there, this species can sometimes linger quietly for weeks in one location or park, sometimes quietly) Common Yellowthroat (near-common) Hooded Warbler (minimum of 8 in Manhattan with at least 3 separate singing males in Central Park alone by 4/29, also a few likely females) - (** note, the “Brewster’s” type hybrid is not counted as a separate species, and is not thus part of the species-count of all warblers seen) - Bobolink (several calling fly-overs, 4/29, and also note sightings from much farther north - all are on the very early side) Red-winged Blackbird (still small no’s. passing, w/ some breeders as usual) Rusty Blackbird (several locations, both days) Common Grackle (fairly common) Brown-headed Cowbird (many fly-throughs) Orchard Oriole (multiple) Baltimore Oriole (near-common; & some heard-first as early as 4:20 a.m. by 4/29) Purple Finch (multiple fly-throughs and modest numbers stopping in to feed) House Finch (fairly common) Pine Siskin (apparently few, but scattered passage, with some in smaller parks - such as at Carl Schurz Park on 4/29, etc.) American Goldfinch (increasing; & most not visiting feeders at all) Evening Grosbeak (multiple locations in at least 8 different parks & green-spaces, plus some fly-throughs - and also, NOT the historical N.Y. County high count by any means) & virtually certain to have been other species, and possibly including some real rarities; not all migrants are discovered or quickly reported, even in Manhattan or Central Park. … Some of the butterflies appearing in the past week by now have included: E. Tiger Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, Cabbage White, Orange Sulphur, Gray Hairstreak, Red-banded Hairstreak, Summer (type) Azure, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Pearl Crescent, Eastern Comma, Question Mark, Mourning Cloak, American Lady, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, and one report of a fly-by Monarch. Hundreds & hundreds of other insect species have been observed this week, as well. At least a few Common Green Darners have appeared; that dragonfly species is a migrant in mid-spring. Thanks to so many observers spread across the county, and a particular thanks to those also birding the ‘small’ spaces & some less-covered birding places! good birding to all, 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/ --
