Some nice birds seen lately (and continuing recently) in eastern N.Y. state’s
Hudson-valley region (or nearby) have included the Northern Shrike in Putnam
County, N.Y. at the Glynwood farm area (multi. observers), also an ongoing
Harlequin Duck in Port Ewen (just south of Kingston, in Ulster County, N.Y.,
and on/adjacent to the Hudson River), as well as an ongoing ‘gambelii’ form
(“Gambel’s”) White-crowned Sparrow seen and photo’d. again to at least March
8th, at Kingston Point also in Ulster Co., N.Y.
- - -
A good many N.Y. City birders are aware that a Northern Waterthrush had been
*overwintering* at the Brooklyn Bridge Park in western-most Kings County
(Brooklyn) in N.Y. City, reliably seen again at least thru Fri., 3/10 at that
location.
…...
Also notable but as an early-arriver, a very-early (even for **southern New
Jersey**) Louisiana Waterthrush, a presumed 'very-eager’ migrant, was seen and
well-photographed at Cape May, New Jersey by March 7th, which is some weeks
ahead of a *more-expected arrival-date* - even at that location or that section
of that state. Much-more extra-limital to any part of New York, but always a
remarkable bird for the “lower-48”, a gorgeous Ross’s GULL showed for
multi-dozens of observers just off (and at) Rainbow Beach in Cooks County,
**Chicago** (Illinois) on the southwestern parts of Lake Michigan, not v. far
south from Hyde Park in Chicago, for Saturday, March 11th.
- - -
New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and
Governors Island (as well as the surrounding waters & skies above and nearby) -
A sampler of some highlights were:
Razorbill (one, and not seen-again), Black-headed Gull, Iceland Gull,
Swainson’s Thrush (over-wintered!), Baltimore Oriole (ongoing, overwintered!),
and arrivals including Am. Woodcocks, Killldeer, Eastern Phoebes, and etc.
for past week, thru Saturday, 3/11:
One quite notable bird seen, on one day only (March 5th) off Governor’s Island
- a Razorbill, which is a species that while seen rather-regularly this
winter-season in the region, of course mainly off ocean-facing shores & from
barrier-beach islands for the most part (or from boats and/or jetties and the
like) - this one being exceedingly-rare by virtue of having occurred within the
“inner” New York Harbor, in sight of the Statue of Liberty there, and also
(perhaps important to many sightings of mainly pelagic and off-shore species)
to the north, or “inside of” - relative to the whole lay of the waterways, the
Hudson River, the NYC harbor area, & Raritan Bay just south of that - north of
the span of the Verrazano Bridge which is at the narrows of that same name, and
which might be a typical cut-off of a lot of the species that can pass / cross
/ migrate thru / feed near the outer (south-of) part of that bridge, or outer
area of the NY harbor region - and which can include for one example, N.
Gannet, which is not-rare nor difficult at all in the proper seasons, from the
headlands and shores of the portions of N.Y. City that have ocean-facing
positions (Richmond County, Kings County, and Queens County) as well as the
more-than-occasional finding of gannets or some other mainly pelagic and
offshore birds, from the eastern parts of Bronx County, which face the western
sector of Long Island Sound, but not the Atlantic ocean. There may be almost
no precedents - with few exceptions - for Razorbill in New York County waters,
or to be observed from a point within that county. However, this is what
far-more observations can mean, over time - and all-importantly too,
observations from keen, serious observers who give such reports in a
straightfoward way.
The Swainson’s Thrush (not the hawk of Kings County :-) has successfully made
it thru all but the final ten days of (calendar) winter within Bryant Park, in
midtown Manhattan - along with at least one (possibly more) Hermit Thrush
there, and not all that often spied. The Swainson’s being very
well-photographed (A. Simmons, others previously) on the most-recent close
encounter, of Friday, 3/10. This is an extremely uncommon (or really, ‘rare' -
even if that 4-letter word can be overused in a lot of 'birding-talk')
occurrence of the species for an all-winter stay in the state of New York, or
in the northeastern region. The only Catharus-genus thrush species which is
regular (and even expected, in smallish numbers) in the northeast thru any
winter is Hermit Thrush.
On the reservoir of Central Park, an Iceland Gull (again) visited for a while
as recently as Friday, and (at least briefly) again Sat. (3/10 & 3/11) - this
may not be the same individual on each of its’ winter visitations, but there
are some appearances in other locations that, potentially, were of the same
individual on some occasions (all in New York County, that is). There was a
(single-observer) sighting of a Black-headed Gull at the Central Park reservoir
at end-of-daylight, and in
