Although this is still a ‘developing story’ in the greater Northeast, there are increasing reports of, at least - Red-breasted Nuthatches showing this time of the year where they are not thought to be breeding (and including -lately- in N.Y. County), with some sense that this could predict an influx of other irruptive-breeding and flock-feeding wanderer-species - there are also reports in some northeast & mid-Atlantic locations of unusual-for-site[s], and some uncommonly-high numbers, of at least Red Crossbill, including some not too far out from N.Y. City; and also some increases in sightings of Pine Siskins that include signs of flocking-up and some wandering already. See below for some sightings of Red-breasted Nuthatches in N.Y. County, in the past week or less. There also were 2 Purple Finches at Inwood on Sat., 6/25 which is possibly almost-unprecedented at such a late date; that species was running-late well into May with a few still going in early June. No signs that the 2 at Inwood show any pairing, however.
- - - Some of the many sightings of last several days (beginning Saturday, 6/25 to Monday, 6/27) in New York County, including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and Governors Island - Highlights include the ongoing-into-Monday evening (6/27) SUMMER Tanager at Riverside Park North (see Karen Fung’s earlier-previous report on her initial discovery & sightings, and with her photos linked-to there, in eBird and on this list-serve) -&- Black Skimmer sightings recurring at the southern end of Manhattan - scanning N.Y. Harbor area; also, the recurring Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Randall’s Island, as well as the minimum of 3 nesting pairs of Cliff Swallows there (& by now seen by many dozens of birders, since A. Cunningham’s initial find), plus a wide variety of odd-lingering species & some uncommon other nesting species, -&- at least 8 American warbler spp. which were still lingering in the county at least into Sunday, 6/26 - some seen ahead of PrideNYC activities and other big associated NYC events. With respect to one of the many nesting species in Central Park (& also in other locations), at that park and within the Ramble, very large groups of observers in and supporting the LBGTQ community guided bird-walks - these included the non-profits NYC Audubon, National Audubon, and Feminist Bird Club, all on Saturday 6/25 observed (as have many others including many independent observers) the Great Crested Flycatcher nestlings being fed, brought many prey-items by their patient parent birds, that along with many, many other excellent Saturday-sightings seen with great pride. More than 55 species of birds were nesting this season in this county. Sat., 6/25 thru Mon., 6/27 - all from New York County - Canada Goose (NEST) [Atlantic] Brant (rare but not unprecedented as a solo-?-lingerer and may well summer) Wood Duck (Central Park - lingering) Gadwall American Black Duck Mallard (NEST) - Osprey (NEST - at least, attempts) Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk (NEST - many!) - Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret (regular as fly-overs) Green Heron (NEST) Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Randall’s Island, seen to Monday, 6/27) - Black Vulture Turkey Vulture - Wild Turkey (1) - Killdeer (NEST) Spotted Sandpiper (1) Laughing Gull (many) Ring-billed Gull [American] Herring Gull (NEST) Great Black-backed Gull Common Tern (NEST) Black Skimmer (see notes above) - ['feral'] Rock Pigeon American Kestrel (NEST - many!) Peregrine Falcon (NEST) Mourning Dove (NEST) Monk Parakeet (NEST) Yellow-billed Cuckoo (one noted from Sat. 6/25, northern Manhattan) Great Horned Owl (NEST) Eastern Screech-Owl (NEST) - Common Nighthawk (noted from Sat., 6/25) - Chimney Swift (ongoing for multiple areas) Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1 female, to at least 6/25; very ‘late’) Belted Kingfisher (2) - Red-bellied Woodpecker (NEST) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (rather uncommon in summer but not unprecedented) Downy Woodpecker (NEST) Hairy Woodpecker (NEST) Yellow-shafted Flicker (NEST) - Eastern Wood-Pewee (NEST) Acadian Flycatcher (Status??) Willow Flycatcher (Status???) Eastern Phoebe (NEST) Great Crested Flycatcher (NEST) Eastern Kingbird (NEST) - White-eyed Vireo (lingerer, or???) Warbling Vireo (NEST) Red-eyed Vireo (NEST) Common Raven (many... nesting?) American Crow (NEST) Fish Crow (multiple, but CAUTION in making this ID by sound now, as many young AM.Crows are about) Blue Jay (NEST) - Tree Swallow (NEST) Northern Rough-winged Swallow (multiple) Barn Swallow (NEST) Cliff Swallow (NEST - minimum of 3 nests) - Black-capped Chickadee (NEST) Tufted Titmouse (NEST) Red-breasted Nuthatch - (minimum of FOUR individuals just on Sunday, June 26th - Union Square Park, City Hall Park, and 2 for Central Park, at Ramble area and Pinetum area same-time) White-breasted Nuthatch (NEST) Carolina Wren (NEST) House Wren (NEST) - Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (NEST - uncommon at best in the county) Swainson's Thrush (VERY late lingerer on Monday, June 27th, at Central Park n. woods area, also heard giving bit of song in early-eve.) Wood Thrush (NEST) American Robin (NEST - very common) - Gray Catbird (NEST) Northern Mockingbird (NEST) Brown Thrasher (NEST) - European Starling (NEST) Cedar Waxwing (NEST) House Sparrow (NEST) - Summer Tanager (ongoing for at least several days, thru Monday, 6/27 - Riverside Park North; see above for more) - Eastern Towhee (NEST) Chipping Sparrow (NEST) Field Sparrow (Status??) Song Sparrow (NEST) Swamp Sparrow (NON-breeding summer-lingerer: several) White-throated Sparrow (NON-breeding summer-lingerers: several-DOZEN for Manhattan) - Northern Cardinal (NEST) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Status??? - very uncommon in summer season) Indigo Bunting (Status this summer? Has nested in other recent years and occ. w/success) - Red-winged Blackbird (NEST) Common Grackle (NEST) Brown-headed Cowbird (nest-parasite; multiple have fledged from other var. species’ nests) Orchard Oriole (NEST) Baltimore Oriole (NEST) - Northern Parula (at least 2 individuals continuing, this is a species that has very-rarely nested elsewhere in N.Y. City) Yellow Warbler (NEST) Magnolia Warbler (very-late lingerer at one location) Blackburnian Warbler (very-late lingerer at one location) Black-and-white Warbler (at least 3 lingering, separately and with no hints of pairing) American Redstart (Status??? - several pairs in N.Y. County that *might be* nesting, or at minimum appear to be paired) Ovenbird (several summering, NON-breeding; this species can be found in many summers - in var. Manhattan locations) Common Yellowthroat (NEST) - Purple Finch (RARE here in summer, after multiple sightings in late May into early June; 2 were present at Inwood Hill Park, 6/25) House Finch (NEST) American Goldfinch (NEST) ________________ Many summer flowers out now, including a fair number of native plants. Your humble observer-reporter admits to sampling just 2 small wild Black Raspberry fruits in 1 park recently; others all left for the birds and other wild creatures; many fruits are now beginning to form and mulberry fruits have been feeding some of the waxwings in some areas, as well as many other species… Fireflies are out in good numbers after the blaze of summer warmth, seen in multiple areas now & just-recently. Many other insects in many families also are active now. thanks to the very many observers who have been out and giving support and kindness in these times. 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/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/ --
