Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Monday, May 9th: A Yellow-breasted CHAT has been seen by many northeast of the Park entrance by West 103rd St. (from Central Park West). The adult RED-HEADED Woodpecker continued to the east, near the Loch (a.ka. “Ravine”). It’s been moving a bit again, and also can be high in various trees.
At least 27 species of Warblers were ongoing in the above park, with multiples of most of those. Some were in the vicinity of where, on SUNDAY, the Kentucky Warbler as well as Mourning Warbler had been, but it was unclear (as of this writing) that the Kentucky Warbler was again present on Monday - however, a male MOURNING Warbler was (and is in eBird, for Monday) on the Gr. Hill (where seen as well on 5/8). As many of the other (same) species seen Sunday there were still around, quite *possible* the Kentuck’s still in the general area of that park’s n. end. All of Central Park has had migrants, and some parts have a great many, others rather fewer. South sectors of that park were good in early morning. N.B., the CHAT was also seen moving a bit more-north away from the steps up the Hill, on W. 103 St. side of the park, and had been noted in the south ends of area of the Peter Sharp “Children’s Glade” which is accessed from a few entry-points in the far SW sector of the Great Hill area in that sector of the park, but still closest to W. 103rd St. entrance - this also is n. of the “Pool” area, head north up steps or if preferred up a winding set of paths into that area. All west of the park’s W. Drive/road, in-view (mainly) of C.P. West, but high-above that. . . . . . And, Riverside Park, on the far-west side of upper Manhattan, north of W. 72 St. and in particular, the areas n. of W. 83rd St. up to at least W. 122 St. - May 9th: At least 23 spp. of Warblers found in 4+ hrs. walk and in particular, in areas n. of 83rd St. & richest in species to the n. of W. 106th St. inside the park, with some activity found by Riverside Drive as well in a returning-south pass. The standout was a singing male CERULEAN Warbler near W. 117th St., inside the “Forever Wild" sanctuary, high in oaks &/or other trees, moving a bit in the mid-morning hours. The nearest park entrance to there is at W. 116th St. off Riverside Drive; area referred to is northwest of there. Some areas of the park were less-active, and the birds were, in part, high in some trees in the morning. Ear-birding is very helpful in this park. Also, due to lower-light there in early a.m., sightings may be fewer (even if singing is good then) in the first few hrs. of daylight in some sections, but it varies and also will like any greenspace have pockets of “hot” activity at times. In much-warmer weather (and in general in warm weather) the migrants may come down closer to ground, all the more so if termite-hatchouts start, as could happen later in the week - and some of that may (already) be just-barely seen. … Many other sections of Manhattan, with the parks & greenspaces found in them, had some or even many migrant birds for Monday. A potential rival to Central Park for Monday was Inwood Hill Park in terms of overall diversity of species, and with vastly less coverage, albeit by some very keen observers working the large expanse and varied habitat of Inwood Hill’s native forest (tallest trees, on average, in N.Y. County) as well as its’ flats on the lagoon, its length along the Hudson & the overlooks of the river as well as its’ lawns and fields. Also very good on Monday was Fort Tryon Park in n. Manhattan, to the immediate south of Inwood Hill & also having some views of sky and canopy. For the more-adventurous, Highbridge Park has a lot of trees and habitat, with migrants, however the prevailing winds - & the very steep slopes and in some parts, isolated woods off the main path, are a deterrent to wider visits. The latter does have some devoted regulars for birding, but never anything appraoching what is seen in a hot-spot like Central with its “never out of sight of binocular-camera-clad folks in the month of May” sensibility. Further, any area of the county will have had migrants on Monday, and a lot of areas including even small greenspaces or pockert-parks have had the possibility of an uncommon or rarer species showing, & many relatively-smaller areas had at least 10-12 spp. of warblers with any close looks in their expanses. There were some street trees on some avenues and streets with some migrants as well, as happens each year in peak-migration periods. Some Purple Finches continue (as do Red-breasted Nuthatches) including in and around the Central Park Ramble, and the sparrow diversity more broadly around the county continues to be good. No report as of this writing on whether a Seaside Sparrow was still present on Governors Island, as had been to at least Sun., May 8th. despite a little less migration-madness on the Monday-weekday, the birds are out there; some observers were finding 15-20+ warbler species in the several hrs. or so of mid-morning birding & a good diversity of other mostly-expected migrants in modest overall no’s. - some birds also had clearly moved on from the past several days. Good birds 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
