[nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - first half of July birds
Really amazing to see all the sightings of Roseate Spoonbills, including the several from several N.Y. state counties, and quite the numbers of the species from mid-Atlantic states - what has happened here (!); these are not simply a result of the recent passage of storm “Elsa”, since many of the multiple spoonbills in the states south of N.Y. had started to be found well ahead of that storm’s arrival; there is something more and perhaps bigger behind the near-irruption of this species so typical of (in N. America) subtropical locales, including of course coastal areas in Florida. It is also notable that there are other wading-waterbirds such as certain herons and egrets appearing in inland areas (in mid-Atlantic & northeastern states) where they are generally rare, or even ‘new’ to particular locations. Somewhat farther north, in eastern Canada, a Steller’s Sea-Eagle seen (& photographed) by many many observers last week & into last Sunday, at La-Cote-de-Gaspe, *Quebec* is quite the amazing occurrence, & was an understandable source of some local traffic-jams! (I’ve not heard if there were any further sightings.) … New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, Governors Island, & the adjacent waters. Among highlights, the 4 LEAST Terns seen by 4 observers, checking N.Y. harbor & vicinity with the passage of storm “Elsa” on July 9th, are standouts, as the species is not at all regular in N.Y. County. Another nice sighting, or rather, set of sightings over this month so far, is from n. Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park, where at least 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird has been seen a number of times, & gives hope that there might have been a nesting (or an attempt), although no sightings have so far included the notes of any more than 1 bird at one time. Although presumed rare as a nester in N.Y. County, Ruby-throateds have been able to in the past, even though very sparsely documented for the modern era. Some shorebird movement, of course having begun on the southbound start up of the season, with, in N.Y. County, some Least, & Spotted Sandpipers both as early as July 3rd (sparingly), and up thru more recently, with Semipalmated Sandpiper & Solitary Sandiper also already found. Spotted SP perhaps having bred (or not) in areas not so far out of the city… also for Spotted, the chance that a few could have managed to, or to try, even if not all that likely. [N.B., sometimes just as storms of any sort are ending -or even in storms, if reasonably safe to be out looking-, there can be shorebirds, and perhaps also other types of migrants, ‘put down’ in even small puddles, & equally possible on large waterbodies, in some cases those birds moving on rapidly once a storm has passed, & occasionally lingering a little while; some of such uncommon or expected migrants are found in such circumstances, including relatively recent finds as well as some from very long ago years.] Yellow-crowned Night-Heron sightings have (again) come from the Randall’s Island shores & vicinity, and there also have been good no’s. of Black-crowned Night-Herons in many more locations, esp. for observers watching at very early, or rather late hours, or even in evenings or perhaps at night. We’ve also had some Belted Kingfisher sightings, giving hope that possibly a few may have at least attempted nesting; however there also may be non-breeders about or even a few very early to start working south. Snowy Egrets are regular, mostly seen as fly-bys on their regular east or west bound passages across (mostly upper) Manhattan as well as some seen at / from Randall’s Island, while Great Egrets are far more regular and some seen in the waters, marshy spots, & various edge habitats of the county. Green Herons; shy now, but some are ongoing. There have also been an uptick in Great Blue Heron sightings & numbers. Of warblers, the first of Worm-eating Warblers were found in 2 parks on Saturday, July 3rd - Central & Riverside Parks, & that date corresponded with the species being found (same date) in south Brooklyn (Kings Co.. N.Y. City) as well. It’s also not an unprecedented date for the species to be starting to work south, in this region. Similarly for Louisiana Waterthrush, which was also present in Central Park on July 3rd, at a location which can often have the species, near W. 77 Street, in a small stream off the Lake. Further, on that date, there were some (few, perhaps) Yellow Warblers in areas where as far as known, they are not nesting & have not nested, although that species is a potential breeder in a number of locations on Manhattan and Randall’s and Governors Island[s]. Some of those 7/3 Yellow Warblers were at Riverbank S.P. on Manhattan’s west side, as well as on the east (river) side of Manhattan, so in areas not having been noted for many weeks before that latter date. (Additional Yellow Warblers in other areas, but some may be the potential
[nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - first half of July birds
Really amazing to see all the sightings of Roseate Spoonbills, including the several from several N.Y. state counties, and quite the numbers of the species from mid-Atlantic states - what has happened here (!); these are not simply a result of the recent passage of storm “Elsa”, since many of the multiple spoonbills in the states south of N.Y. had started to be found well ahead of that storm’s arrival; there is something more and perhaps bigger behind the near-irruption of this species so typical of (in N. America) subtropical locales, including of course coastal areas in Florida. It is also notable that there are other wading-waterbirds such as certain herons and egrets appearing in inland areas (in mid-Atlantic & northeastern states) where they are generally rare, or even ‘new’ to particular locations. Somewhat farther north, in eastern Canada, a Steller’s Sea-Eagle seen (& photographed) by many many observers last week & into last Sunday, at La-Cote-de-Gaspe, *Quebec* is quite the amazing occurrence, & was an understandable source of some local traffic-jams! (I’ve not heard if there were any further sightings.) … New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, Governors Island, & the adjacent waters. Among highlights, the 4 LEAST Terns seen by 4 observers, checking N.Y. harbor & vicinity with the passage of storm “Elsa” on July 9th, are standouts, as the species is not at all regular in N.Y. County. Another nice sighting, or rather, set of sightings over this month so far, is from n. Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park, where at least 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird has been seen a number of times, & gives hope that there might have been a nesting (or an attempt), although no sightings have so far included the notes of any more than 1 bird at one time. Although presumed rare as a nester in N.Y. County, Ruby-throateds have been able to in the past, even though very sparsely documented for the modern era. Some shorebird movement, of course having begun on the southbound start up of the season, with, in N.Y. County, some Least, & Spotted Sandpipers both as early as July 3rd (sparingly), and up thru more recently, with Semipalmated Sandpiper & Solitary Sandiper also already found. Spotted SP perhaps having bred (or not) in areas not so far out of the city… also for Spotted, the chance that a few could have managed to, or to try, even if not all that likely. [N.B., sometimes just as storms of any sort are ending -or even in storms, if reasonably safe to be out looking-, there can be shorebirds, and perhaps also other types of migrants, ‘put down’ in even small puddles, & equally possible on large waterbodies, in some cases those birds moving on rapidly once a storm has passed, & occasionally lingering a little while; some of such uncommon or expected migrants are found in such circumstances, including relatively recent finds as well as some from very long ago years.] Yellow-crowned Night-Heron sightings have (again) come from the Randall’s Island shores & vicinity, and there also have been good no’s. of Black-crowned Night-Herons in many more locations, esp. for observers watching at very early, or rather late hours, or even in evenings or perhaps at night. We’ve also had some Belted Kingfisher sightings, giving hope that possibly a few may have at least attempted nesting; however there also may be non-breeders about or even a few very early to start working south. Snowy Egrets are regular, mostly seen as fly-bys on their regular east or west bound passages across (mostly upper) Manhattan as well as some seen at / from Randall’s Island, while Great Egrets are far more regular and some seen in the waters, marshy spots, & various edge habitats of the county. Green Herons; shy now, but some are ongoing. There have also been an uptick in Great Blue Heron sightings & numbers. Of warblers, the first of Worm-eating Warblers were found in 2 parks on Saturday, July 3rd - Central & Riverside Parks, & that date corresponded with the species being found (same date) in south Brooklyn (Kings Co.. N.Y. City) as well. It’s also not an unprecedented date for the species to be starting to work south, in this region. Similarly for Louisiana Waterthrush, which was also present in Central Park on July 3rd, at a location which can often have the species, near W. 77 Street, in a small stream off the Lake. Further, on that date, there were some (few, perhaps) Yellow Warblers in areas where as far as known, they are not nesting & have not nested, although that species is a potential breeder in a number of locations on Manhattan and Randall’s and Governors Island[s]. Some of those 7/3 Yellow Warblers were at Riverbank S.P. on Manhattan’s west side, as well as on the east (river) side of Manhattan, so in areas not having been noted for many weeks before that latter date. (Additional Yellow Warblers in other areas, but some may be the potential
