A Northern WHEATEAR found at Sandy Island Beach S.P. (on Oct. 6th, by Matt Brown) in Oswego County NY was a great find - that was still there for a number of other observers on Oct. 7th, and also nicely photo-documented.
Recent arrivals of many waterfowl species in the state, and including eastern and also southeastern region of this state, are all reason to be alert to more in that category of migrants as well as possible lingerers or wintering birds, in both “usual” locations as well as chances of drop-ins to less-expected areas. As an example this includes the recent Barnacle Goose confirmed & photographed in Schoharie County, NY by 10/6, and other various waterfowl also showing, some species just-arrived at various sites in multiple NY counties. And obviously, many other ‘waterbirds’ including really-rarely-seen species. - - - N.Y. County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Randall’s, and Governors Island[s] - Friday, Oct. 8th: A DICKCISSEL was again found on Governors Island (& great photos by C. W. Yong) on Friday morning; this is somewhat likely the same individual seen there previously in the past week, but also possible that a new individual came in. And a different Dickcissel was again at the compost area in Central Park's compost area (park's n.-e. quardrant), but was elusive for many seekers, in various attempts to view. That latter location can have any number of birds that will evade much attention to the site, still to be found or re-found in subsequent days, or even weeks, esp. so in the case of certain species known to be capable of such 'disappearing-acts’. Although this has never been a problem there, it might be noted that no one is permitted to go into the Parks nursery area (adjacent to compost area) unless specifically authorized BY Parks officials; going past the obvious tall fence could be risky - including the possibility of an arrest. Various birds may however be viewed looking thru said fencing, often from the south side, where lawn is open. Also in Central Park, at least 11 Wood Ducks were present, with a minimum of nine of that species on the reservoir, & others at waterbodies in the park’s northern & southern ends. There were more than several Indigo Buntings seen in Central Park on the day, and it is again still *possible* that a Blue Grosbeak may be lurking-lingering there. Again from Governors Island, among many other migrants, visitants, and resident species, 3 E. Meadowlarks and 1 Rusty Blackbird were found (in a N.Y. City Audubon non-profit group walk led) by A. Barry in the morning; those 2 species were at and around the Fort Jay sector of the island and viewed by many observers. The Nelson’s Sparrows at Randall’s Island are being scrutinized by some observers, and also photographed, and it is both possible and plausible that there are several subspecific forms to be seen there, including the form ‘subvirgata’ which is an Atlantic-coastal-breeding form, and is expected as at least a migrant in our area (including in N.Y. County) and also the forms which are ‘interior-breeding’, that is those not breeding along the northern Atlantic coastal plain, but in the interior portions of some of N. America; these include more than one named sub-species. These latter forms are also somewhat expected but all these forms require some scrutiny to discern (and to differentiate) well. (We also had a Nelson’s Sparrow show at Inwood Hill Park in n. Manhattan, and these may turn up really almost anywhere, esp. in the peak-migration period of autumn.) At least 18 American Warbler species were still present on Friday in N.Y. County, with a minimum of 17 species in Central Park alone, thanks to so many observers there through the day and spread through all of that park. Many species of warblers, as well as numerous other migrants continued to be seen in a lot of smaller parks and greenspaces, and particularly so in the southern third of Manhattan - also with many observers out looking. It seems more & more apparent that the warblers are now to be dominated by just a few species that are expected to linger a while in this region, and can be fairly common through this month, including (esp.) Myrtle/Yellow-rumped and Palm (of both the ‘yellow’ form and also the ‘western’ form), plus Common Yellowthroat (at least within N.Y. County for that last), and a few other species still around in any larger numbers. . . . Yet again, a note that any Myiarchus [genus] flycatcher (or almost any flycatcher not seen to be a certain-ID Eastern Phoebe), might be scrutinized and if at all possible, also photographed or video-recorded, for the rest of this year (and on into April of next). The chances *rise* for any (other than E. Phoebe) flycatchers to be potential vagrant, rarer species to our area as this month goes along, and those chances *rise steeply* as November comes on. 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/[email protected]/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/ --
