New York County, including Manhattan - with Central Park therein included - and
Randall’s and Governors Islands
April 6th, Thursday into Good Friday morning, April 7.
The [singing, male] Northern PARULA (further-confirmed in eBird, and with
photos taken, on both April 6th and 7th) found and reported in the northern end
of Central Park on Thursday, April 6th, was continuing into Good Friday, April
7th in the same general area, and has been seen by multiple and indepedent
observers. This moderately-early arrival seems a modest trend of that species
to have arrivals earlier, some by some weeks as compared with typical-expected
peak-numbers arrivals of that species in the local area and broader region,
which -possibly- could also be partialy due to more of the species having
wintered increasingly within the U.S. in such states as from Florida west to
Texas, i.e. along and near the Gulf of Mexico, and not going farther-south in
the winters. If so, this stlll would apply for only a modest percentage of all
wintering birds of that species over all of the total winter-ranges.
With the above, one individual 'early-bird', there were at least 5 migrant
warbler-species in the north end of Central Park alone, on Thursday 4/6 -as
well as Friday 4/7- and it is quite possible one or two additional *may* be in
the county - as to overwintering warblers, there were again still at least a
few Orange-crowned Warblers in the county, with the most-watched of those most
of this year being one of the ones on Randall’s Island, which is/[are]
occasionally vocalizing (more) in recent weeks; that latter Orange-crowned
still present to Friday April 7th, on Randall’s Island.
The additional warblers being seen by many and in various locations, within
Central Park, over recent days or longer, include Louisiana Waterthrush, Palm
Warbler (of the ‘yellow’ form, primarily), Pine Warbler, and
Myrtle/Yellow-rumped Warbler. The latter three species are also being found in
many many other areas all through the county into Friday, April 7th.
N.B. - there have, as-of Thursday, 4/6, been sightings of Yellow-throated
Warblers -plural- in the nearby counties in NY state (Long Island) and those
recent arrivals could suggest some others awaiting discovery in the region
(potentially of course including any counties in N.Y. City, of which there are
5). For sightings from in particular, Central Park, it would be most
imperative to see the bird[s], and to not only report a ‘heard-only’ sighting,
in order to confirm such a find there.
The Blue-headed Vireo (possibly 2) in the northern end of Central Park, first
noted and well-photographed in that area on April 5th, was again seen by
multiple observers by Thursday, April 6th; this is modestly-early for that
species, although some, possibly many in some winters, do overwinter in the
southern U.S.A., as do some White-eyed Vireos (in southern states, mainly).
The Baltimore Oriole (male, in increasingly bright spring plumage after having
over-wintered there) was ongoing at Union Square Park (just north of East 14th
Street in Manhattan), seen by multiple observers (including this reporter) in
recent days and into Friday, April 7th. And, as per the following para., there
were more than one Savannah Sparrow in Union Square on 4/6, as seen and
photo’d. there by multi-observers.
A good (further) influx of Savannah Sparrow has taken place, with many dozens
of these spread across New York County, and at least a dozen (likely more)
having been in Central Park (in Manhattan) alone, on Thursday, 4/6. Those
Thursday-Savannahs at Central Park were in locations from the northern edges to
southern-most parts of that park,and as seen by multiple obs.; some, small
groups of birders. That species also seen in numbers at Governors Island and
additionals on Randall’s Island; yet additional of the species at Inwood Hill
Park, and even in smaller greenspaces of the county, an impressive drop-in.
Other sparrow species also have been on the move, with some in fair numbers.
It’s an excellent time to be watching for Vesper Sparrow (in general, and in
N.Y. County).
An Eastern Bluebird was found in the Stuyvesant-town green-spaces (lower
east-Manhattan) on Thursday 4/6, with multiple Savannah Sparrows also seen (and
photo’d., R. Lulov) there.
Three species of swallows have appeared in, and over the county in recent days
and all 3 of those have also been seen in Central Park, including those passing
thru and directly over - Barn (low-ish numbers), Tree (in particularly good
numbers on 4/6) and now remaining - lingering, Northern Rough-winged Swallows,
which have been regular over The Meer and elsewhere of Central Park’s
water-bodies.
Purple Finches have been moving through in recent days in fair numbers, with
some stopping off in parks such as Central Park, where on Thursday for example,
2 bright males of that species were seen in a not-for-profit bird walk given
