[nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - very recent birds & to Monday Oct. 4th (incl. G.H. Owl Oct. 2nd; 22+ Warbler spp. on Oct. 3rd, etc.)

[Tom Fiore]

New York County (in N.Y City) including Manhattan, Randall’s, and Governors 
Island[s]

The first Great Horned Owl found *and publicly-reported* in Manhattan *this 
fall* was seen at a location in northern Manhattan on October 2nd (one day 
ahead of the discovery of that species in the more-regularly-covered, by 
hundreds of birders, Central Park).  That earliest fall-2021, confirmed *and 
publicly-reported* sighting for Manhattan is now archived in eBird.

An adult-male plumaged Mourning Warbler was persisting at the World Trade 
Center memorial-grounds area in lower Manhattan to Monday, Oct. 4th, and is 
quite unusual for the date in this region. It’s been photo-documented at that 
location by multiple observers, from first-sighting to the most recent.

For Sunday, Oct. 3rd, at Central Park alone, there were *at least 22 species* 
of American Warblers seen, by cumulatively scores upon scores of active but 
quiet and patient birders observing through all of that park and thru almost 
all of that day.  Uncommon so late there (& regionally) was a Blackburnian 
Warbler seen near the Dene slope, a lovely wildflower-filled small meadow; that 
record is now archived in eBird.  However, many many warbler species, with some 
in fair numbers, were seen all through N.Y. County, including the two major 
outlying islands as well as all through Manhattan-island, in dozens and dozens 
of locations, with some small parks or greenspaces providing space for migrant 
birds.  The near-proliferation of Blackpoll Warbler in the county was ongoing 
to great extent into Sunday as well - more on that long-long-distance migrant 
and other migrants, in a note below.   There’ve been some Yellow Warblers seen 
in recent days, while they are not as regular now as were in prior months of 
southbound-season, the species has been recorded and well-documented even to 
(rather rarely) December in N.Y. City and is certainly not all that unusual in 
early October hereabouts. (I’d highly recommend checking pages 210-229 of the 
[well-worth-knowing] book, “A Field Guide to Warblers of North America, by J. 
Dunn and K. Garrett, for the lengthy treatment of the Yellow Warbler complex 
and what goes on in their ‘complex’ migration phenologies and patterns, as well 
as much more on that species-group. The Yellow Warblers many NY-birders know as 
summer-breeders are not the same as all that pass through in fall, and that may 
be particularly so in certain locations in fall.)  Northern Waterthrushes have 
persisted in several locations in Manhattan to Oct. 4th; one was seen in Bryant 
Park that day (with G. Willow’s walk for non-profit org. there), and as another 
example around The Pond in Central Park’s s.-e. quadrant, also Monday (C. 
Weiner), with some others still about as well. That latter species has also 
been recorded into December in N.Y. City, on multiple occasions.

A most-unusual and uncommonly-reported hybrid of Clay-colored x Field Sparrow 
has been reported from Central Park (T. Zahner) with several photos available 
at the Macaulay Library archive; here’s a link to one of those, for those with 
interest - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/374055011 
 (photos by the reporter noted 
above!)  As an added note, and as many NYS birders are aware, the 
breeding-range of Clay-colored Sparrow has expanded and may still be, into 
eastern NY and east, on through New England, and perhaps still farther within 
eastern Canadian provinces - this has been ongoing for (at least) some decades 
by now. (I’m not sure when various regions had the first *documented nestings*, 
but I recall seeing Clay-colored Sparrow in the breeding-season and 
on-territory in far-northern NYS as far back as 20+ years ago. Whether those 
spring-singing birds were *known to breed at that time*, I’m less sure, but 
eventually, some certainly did in various regions.)

Of interest as well on Oct. 3rd was the Solitary Sandpiper seen at Central Park 
(NYC) by multiple observers. There are Spotted Sandpipers ongoing or still 
passing in a number of locations around N.Y. County.   More Great Cormorants 
have been turning up in the county, as well as the region, as this month comes 
in, with the first-reported still that single bird from Sept. 30th, in N.Y. 
County this fall (C.Q.)   Vesper Sparrow was again [re]found on Sunday at 
Randall’s Island by at least 5 hearty birders seeking the species, and Nelson’s 
Sparrow was seen again on the latter island again to Monday, Oct. 4th by a 
number of observers. Yellow-crowned Night-Herons also were persisting on 
Randall’s Island to 10/4.

A slightly-late (but not really-late) Common Nighthawk was seen by an observer 
on Thursday, Sept. 30th at Inwood Hill Park in early evening; there are 
multiple later-date records of that species for Manhattan, & more generally for 
the region.  (A few) Veery have been observed again, & these (any October 
sightings) are late and still uncommon in 

[nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - very recent birds & to Monday Oct. 4th (incl. G.H. Owl Oct. 2nd; 22+ Warbler spp. on Oct. 3rd, etc.)

[Tom Fiore]

New York County (in N.Y City) including Manhattan, Randall’s, and Governors 
Island[s]

The first Great Horned Owl found *and publicly-reported* in Manhattan *this 
fall* was seen at a location in northern Manhattan on October 2nd (one day 
ahead of the discovery of that species in the more-regularly-covered, by 
hundreds of birders, Central Park).  That earliest fall-2021, confirmed *and 
publicly-reported* sighting for Manhattan is now archived in eBird.

An adult-male plumaged Mourning Warbler was persisting at the World Trade 
Center memorial-grounds area in lower Manhattan to Monday, Oct. 4th, and is 
quite unusual for the date in this region. It’s been photo-documented at that 
location by multiple observers, from first-sighting to the most recent.

For Sunday, Oct. 3rd, at Central Park alone, there were *at least 22 species* 
of American Warblers seen, by cumulatively scores upon scores of active but 
quiet and patient birders observing through all of that park and thru almost 
all of that day.  Uncommon so late there (& regionally) was a Blackburnian 
Warbler seen near the Dene slope, a lovely wildflower-filled small meadow; that 
record is now archived in eBird.  However, many many warbler species, with some 
in fair numbers, were seen all through N.Y. County, including the two major 
outlying islands as well as all through Manhattan-island, in dozens and dozens 
of locations, with some small parks or greenspaces providing space for migrant 
birds.  The near-proliferation of Blackpoll Warbler in the county was ongoing 
to great extent into Sunday as well - more on that long-long-distance migrant 
and other migrants, in a note below.   There’ve been some Yellow Warblers seen 
in recent days, while they are not as regular now as were in prior months of 
southbound-season, the species has been recorded and well-documented even to 
(rather rarely) December in N.Y. City and is certainly not all that unusual in 
early October hereabouts. (I’d highly recommend checking pages 210-229 of the 
[well-worth-knowing] book, “A Field Guide to Warblers of North America, by J. 
Dunn and K. Garrett, for the lengthy treatment of the Yellow Warbler complex 
and what goes on in their ‘complex’ migration phenologies and patterns, as well 
as much more on that species-group. The Yellow Warblers many NY-birders know as 
summer-breeders are not the same as all that pass through in fall, and that may 
be particularly so in certain locations in fall.)  Northern Waterthrushes have 
persisted in several locations in Manhattan to Oct. 4th; one was seen in Bryant 
Park that day (with G. Willow’s walk for non-profit org. there), and as another 
example around The Pond in Central Park’s s.-e. quadrant, also Monday (C. 
Weiner), with some others still about as well. That latter species has also 
been recorded into December in N.Y. City, on multiple occasions.

A most-unusual and uncommonly-reported hybrid of Clay-colored x Field Sparrow 
has been reported from Central Park (T. Zahner) with several photos available 
at the Macaulay Library archive; here’s a link to one of those, for those with 
interest - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/374055011 
 (photos by the reporter noted 
above!)  As an added note, and as many NYS birders are aware, the 
breeding-range of Clay-colored Sparrow has expanded and may still be, into 
eastern NY and east, on through New England, and perhaps still farther within 
eastern Canadian provinces - this has been ongoing for (at least) some decades 
by now. (I’m not sure when various regions had the first *documented nestings*, 
but I recall seeing Clay-colored Sparrow in the breeding-season and 
on-territory in far-northern NYS as far back as 20+ years ago. Whether those 
spring-singing birds were *known to breed at that time*, I’m less sure, but 
eventually, some certainly did in various regions.)

Of interest as well on Oct. 3rd was the Solitary Sandpiper seen at Central Park 
(NYC) by multiple observers. There are Spotted Sandpipers ongoing or still 
passing in a number of locations around N.Y. County.   More Great Cormorants 
have been turning up in the county, as well as the region, as this month comes 
in, with the first-reported still that single bird from Sept. 30th, in N.Y. 
County this fall (C.Q.)   Vesper Sparrow was again [re]found on Sunday at 
Randall’s Island by at least 5 hearty birders seeking the species, and Nelson’s 
Sparrow was seen again on the latter island again to Monday, Oct. 4th by a 
number of observers. Yellow-crowned Night-Herons also were persisting on 
Randall’s Island to 10/4.

A slightly-late (but not really-late) Common Nighthawk was seen by an observer 
on Thursday, Sept. 30th at Inwood Hill Park in early evening; there are 
multiple later-date records of that species for Manhattan, & more generally for 
the region.  (A few) Veery have been observed again, & these (any October 
sightings) are late and still uncommon in