around the town, Manhattan & its’ county - in N.Y. City... For Monday, May 16th - there are a couple of typical signal-indicator species that have grown to a significant extent, the past few days but in-particular noted for the Manhattan parks, green-spaces and just generally in the area (New York County) - Cedar Waxwing and among Parulidae, Blackpoll Warbler (that very beautiful, and 'much-feared' as in FOMO-ridden, beast of spring birding on migratory hotspots in this area) - each of these two species has increased to nearing the signal of things-to-come. Watch out for the female Mourning Warbler too, and any of the very-late to move spring-things not called seabirds (yes those also but so-rare in N.Y. County in most conditions and seasons)… However the blackpoll warbler in female gender and numbers perhaps in a week+, depending our regional weather systems and what’s been happening from the Amazon region thru CentralAmerica on thru the Gulf-Texas USA, etc. - (and, will we still have a ‘late surge’ of usually-common Myrtle & Magnolia Warblers? Some would say, “dude where’ve you been?” - as I’ve heard aplenty, from some of my peers… and I can agree, it’s past the mid-point now), and even past SuperFlowerBlood FullMoon eclipse, etc. - so what’s next on the calendar. It’s always interesting in some ways to see what remains in a breathlessly-birded all-of-May place like Central Park, come June, when there are some migrants, not all just too-late-for active breeding arrivals and two-to-tango, we’ll watch more females of many species showing … Maybe also on June 1, to be sure, but still. And for this Monday, the female Blackpolls are still awaiting their turns to strike fears in the hearts of many songbirdseekers' for this area. And who does not love the sight and sound of 100’s of waxwings - all Cedars here, to be clear - in May & in any month? (Please stop and admire some of these silky, sweetly-dispositioned - and occasional drunkards (at overripe mulberries, soon enough, & etc.) from a better and more-perfect universe. And thank you.)
and perhaps, start listening at home and not-on-the-loudspeakers-on-walks to the songs & calls of those trickyEmpids, esp. for “frrrbee-bee-ohs” (not *much* accent on that last syllable, for many listeners) - the toughest of all the Empidonax [genus] on *local* (NYC) spring migration even IF singing - Alder Fly. - and/or for any sorts of other flycatcher-ish birds with really a lot too-much yellow, or way-long-tails & all of those things. Such as may show in any area, at almost any time May-June… PS, Alder Flycatcher is already on some territories well-north of NYC now. We have just had confirmed-in-the county Willow, and have had Acadian, and prior to those Least, of the Empidonax to be expected here. So there are 2 more of those to show or to be well-documented, and it’s Alder that is usually (by-far) the most-problematic to sort here. That ***BICKNELL’S THRUSH is still in Central Park*** - as of early Monday it was in a lower-shadier site in the vicinity of the “Loch” (a.k.a. “the Ravine) in the n. end of that park - and was not really far at all from where seen for many days prior, this newest location just some few-hundred meters or so to the south of that prior area. Thanks to Paul Sweet (A.M.N.H.), et al, for the 5/16 heads-up, and to all for regular updates over the days on this mega-special for this city and the county. This individual has been recognized as 'one-in-particular bird' from some distinct “spotting" in the greater coverts, often not-difficult to notice in the bins or in some photos. It is also a BIG day of Bay-breasted Warbler showing in MANY locations, and in some, showing in numbers - the peak of at least males (and no’s. of females as well) with likely more than fifty - 50 - of this species spread around all of Manhattan, and some tallies of 5-6 or more by single observers or small groups of obs. in some parks. A popular & often-sought species of latter part of May in their passage north here. In total by about 1 PM in Manhattan, more than 20 Warbler species were found and in Central Park as so often found, at least that number of species seen. Not so many of the early-moving species of “April” left to see, although there may be some in any further reports w/ details. The flats at Inwood Hill Park’s (n. end of Manhattan) are always worth a close scan and that is where some keen observers are finding Lesser Yellowlegs (& perhaps other waders) as Monday progressed, for that site, where conditions can change with tides and time-of-day… thanks to all for sightings from there! Also, for add’l. confirmations that from Lady Liberty’s base (in NY Harbor) on thru north, east, and other edges of the county, the Blackpoll Warblers are singing and seen *in numbers* now. And Y.-b. Cuckoos, in some areas, as well. Could be some interesting sightings from the thunder storms passage through the entire area on Monday, with some more powerful or larger in area than others. meanwhile, ongoing nice movement of Purple Finch - with the other (gold) finches-in-flocks, as well. Multiples of Purple in several parks including TEN+ in Central Park for early-Mon.-morn’. Never say done for the spring… (also seen in Central as well as Riverside Parks, Red-br. Nuthatches for Monday-morn’, and those also, like the Purple Finches, have been moving for many weeks…) Also and more-mundanely for some folks, the song of the Red-eyed Vireo is now very ubiquitous in proper habitat; some of these will be breeding in the county soon-enough, too. - - - - Also, kudos-to-KINGS County (Brooklyn, NYC) birder-photog’s for nicely documenting very-late lingering or passing [Red] Fox Sparrow there for / thru May 15th. That species may have been expanding its range OR-also found by keen breeding-bird observers for places such as high-peaks in N.H. and certainly in some of Maine’s higher elev. counties; more-common however in appropriate habitat for breeding in Canada, common in for example much of NFLD. Canada. But are any breeding on NYS-mtn. habitats…? This is rare in mid-May in southeast NY state, and that’s in reference to just the “Red” form, ‘iliaca’ as the sub-taxon is currently known, as distinct from various more-western-breeding forms or taxons. happy latter half of May, 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/ --
