New York County (in N.Y. City), including Manhattan, Governors Island, and Randall’s Island -
Sat., May 28th - THE solo Barn-x-Cliff (hybrid) Swallow that’s lingering at the Dyckman pier area (western terminus of Dyckman St. in northern Manhattan) which was first noted there by D. Aronov, and has been attracting some ongoing interest from birders of the area and beyond, is still around in its’ apparent attempt to be a breeding-bird of the island, as well as most-unusual visitant. Seen early in the mornings, as well as into evening-hours there, it’s very definitely hanging-in. At least one Semipalmated Sandpiper was reported from the pier area, although a lot of migrant shorebirds now can & may well be in a rush to move on (if they will be getting to much-more northerly breeding areas this late-spring). While not all that many species are seen from that one specific location per-visit recently, the area is so near to Fort Tryon Park, and Inwood Hill Park (and not really far from Swindler Cove, or Sherman Creek, or parts of Highbridge Park to the east) that there can be lengthier lists of species on some longer, more wide-ranging visits to the area. All of the northern-half of Manhattan is very interesting in almost any part of the year for birds of various kinds, and active migration is well observed from some points in that area. We are lucky in N.Y. County that some of the keenest, active observers make their homes in this large area (for Manhattan) and are out at all times of the year, of course especially so on days when the birds are very active. In terms of just the Dyckman St. pier (at its’ western end) we can go back through the far more than 150 species that are just in eBird records for the past 8 years, and look at one of the rarer species of N.Y. County’s checklist, American Avocet, which was found in mid-July by long-time local-area birder J. Knox (a year-round watcher) who got others up to see that, a very unusual sight for the county, and perhaps the more-so for being on Manhattan island. Just a little, long-legged reminder that almost-anything is possible, for those who observe and may note what’s “not like all the others”. (Granting that a breeding-plumaged Am. Avocet is hardly a whatzit bird to any observer with a bit of curiousity. Anyhow, from Gannet thru Golden Eagle and even much more unexpected, it’s been seen from that one pier**>, and vastly more from the ‘uptown' areas of Manhattan. > **, the ‘pier’ sightings in just the recent, eBirded era, with of course many other earlier sightings as well over the long-haul of the county’s birding records.) That Philadelphia Vireo was again singing there at the Loch in Central Park’s n. end - and thankfully, the actual bird was also *seen* nicely by multi serious observers. In any event, always a pleasing find, & thanks on the early-a.m. find Saturday by L. Brock, as well as other watchers and listeners. The end of day chorusing also can be a time for some listenings & generally, like day-break hour, is quiet in bird-land other than the true sounds of our wild-and-free birds, of many species. The thrushes of the county are also giving (some, at times) vocalizations to bring in the interest of latter-end migrants still passing &/or lingering… and both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos were again found on Saturday, in modest no’s. and not altogether so vocal, other than poss. quiet calls at times - these in multiple locations including Central Park. So the 6 flycatcher species, (at least) 4 still-here Vireos *plus* a ‘rarer' one as noted immed.-above., and multiple Catharus [genus] thrush species, as well as Indigo birds (oops... that is, Buntings:) and 2 oriole species and one (only?) tanager species (Scarlet), and varied other migrants all combined for pretty decent variety with 3 days yet-remaining for May. There were still up to 21 American Warbler species seen in the county for Saturday, 5/28 and among them a few that are just a little ‘late’ in this county, but which also have been seen in past years into June. And while some of the boreal-nesting migrant warblers seem to have moved on, there are still a fair number of Blackpolls passing, and a few-odd Mourning, as well as Tennessee, Bay-breasted, and even Cape May along with Wilson’s and Canada Warblers. In the Central Park Ramble and vicinity alone, up to 14 warbler species were detected on Sat. morning by multiple keen-and-quiet observers. This seemed to be a slight increase of diversity from Friday’s finds (for Central, and correlated with all of the county, too). Oh and, yet again in the warbler-tallies - Am. Redstarts RULE. Yes, also others in fair numbers. I would add, these numbers are all based around *sightings*, so females that are just calling are “weighted” equally to those more-vocal-at-times male warblers… And, as suggested by various facts, it’s usually ideal to visually attempt confirmations in this particular area of the region, and in Central Park in particular, so that it won’t be a false-alarm on any ‘heard’ bird in some instances… as most of the long-time observers of this park & area are aware. Seeing any particular bird call or sing is of course also always a happy circumstance. For some nesting species, more in a later report, another day. Goodly numbers of species are on nests right now - and of course there also are some fledgelings out in some places and spaces… Among many many nesters in New York County, I like the Chickadees - Black-capped of course, and small but mighty-feisty! This is not as regular a (nesting) species as it once was but they are about, in scattered locations. So the 21 warbler spp. for the county (& all seen within Central Park on the day, too): Ovenbird (multiple, including some long-lingering in 'middle-of-manhattan' locations) Northern Waterthrush (multiple) Black-and-white Warbler (multiple, and showing now in some smaller parks, etc. and not just in the largest wooded parks) Tennessee Warbler (multiple, including very tough non-singers, presumably some being females) Nashville Warbler (v. uncommon by now) Mourning Warbler (multiple) Common Yellowthroat (multiple) American Redstart (multiple, still fair no’s. lingering or for most, still passing thru) Cape May Warbler (several) Northern Parula (multiple) Magnolia Warbler (multiple) Bay-breasted Warbler (several) Blackburnian Warbler (several) Yellow Warbler (multiple, within all 3 larger islands of the county) Chestnut-sided Warbler (several, or more-than - for all of county) Blackpoll Warbler (multiple and in fair to strong numbers for a solely-migrant species. -n.b., Am.Restart is a **potential** nester in all of N.Y. City’s 5 counties) Black-throated Blue Warbler (several) Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler (uncommonly late but not at all unprecedented; has occured in June as well) Black-throated Green Warbler (getting a bit late, but again not unprecedented, and has been found in June) Canada Warbler (several or more for all the county) Wilson’s Warbler (v. uncommon now) *the (+) on warbler spp. listing is for a potential-poss. Hooded W. which was reported although I was not aware of any details… and there are still female Wilson’s about; any Hooded on the day ‘would' make for 22 spp. for the island of Manhattan and in Central. (There were also reports for Blue-winged Warbler from Friday, in Manhattan, also a bit late now for that warbler on the end of May in N.Y. County.) Of the above, at least 18 of these warbler species were found in the period pre-mid-day rains (starting at daybreak) in the areas of Central Park centered on “the Ramble” and including such locations as Strawberry Fields an officially designated Quiet Zone as well as the Shakespeare Garden, and Cedar Hill, & Turtle Pond areas, all within a few minutes or so walk of the Ramble, with greater diversity as well in trees & habitats just a few city-blocks walk of the noted areas, to north, east & west… 2 of the Mourning Warblers were found singing almost together within the Ramble proper at one time, and there were also a couple of females (heard chipping at times as well as mostly-silent) in the Ramble-area as is noted above. There were at least a half-dozen N. Parulas in the areas of the Ramble-proper on Saturday morning & of course some others elsewhere in Central Park. This is just concerning Central-sightings, yet some of the other parks and green-spaces of the county also had nice variety of warblers and other late or lingering migrants, with multiple warbler spp. (& a few breeders!) on the ‘other’ islands of the county. Of Wood Ducks at least 3 remain in Central Park, in at least 2 widely-separate locations there. The lingering White-eyed Vireo may be of interest - if in this context it were with a friend of opposite gender for some additional activities, as that is of course a species that nests in N.Y. City, albeit not as widely as Red-eyed and not-nearly as widely as Warbling Vireos do. The addiitional rarely-noted breeding-vireo (rather rarely-documented in N.Y. County as a breeder in modern era) is Yellow-throated, which can be seen in areas not far from Manhattan as a regularly-nesting species. The only (of 6 regularly-occurring here) vireo species *definitively not* a local-breeder is the Philly, with Blue-headed a somewhat unlikely local, although it may nest not so far at all from N.Y. City in some select habitat/areas. A lot of species of neotropical-wintering migrants can have a rough ‘go’ for attempting nestings, if and when they do so, in N.Y. County, some faring better than others. And some may be so relatively-scarce, and find little ’niche’ areas, that even in a place with many keen observers, at least a few nesters escape all detection around-the-town. Lingering E. Towhees now are likely attempting to nest (or are) and ought not to be disturbed in any way; this is a rather scant nester now in the county, and is also a species of concern in some other areas within its’ range. Nice numbers of Common Terns were seen on Governors Island as were a number of other breeding (& potentially-breeding) species, along with a relative few migrant species, as similarly found for Randall’s Island, albeit there with perhaps a somewhat higher percentage of migrants for the area and esp. so in early morn. - a relatively quieter day for any obvious diurnal movement and of course, with strong storms, thundering and lightning etc. across the local area, as well as far-beyond. [Atlantic] Brant have probably almost-all moved on north from this county, however at least a scant few were still around through Saturday, and some may even potentially linger for all of summer here; the many-hundreds of a few weeks ago are definitely moved on and north. At least to Friday, 5/27 there were sightings of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons off Randall’s Island, and that species is a potential nester in (or around) the area of N.Y. County. A good many migrant species have also been seen from Randall’s, in just the last 2 days. (Yellow-crowned Night-Heron has also been seen from lower Manhattan, and might be looked-for around the piers and jetties of lower Manhattan near the S.I. and Governors Island ferry terminals & adjacent waterfront, as well as sought in any parts of the county’s waterfront in quieter times of the day, including daybreak, or evenings. Numbers of insect species were continuing to grow as spring moves-towards summer, again including some Monarch butterflies. 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/ --
