Noted from around N.Y. State in recent days: a **Yellow Rail** seen by many and photographed well in Tioga County, NY on 10/17 (and nice work, after the farmer / landowner there saw the species again, for birders to organize a rail-watch); presumed young-drake *Tufted Duck* (with usual many Scaup, etc.) off Port Kent, Essex County, in Lake Champlain on the N.Y. side of lake, 3 *Common Nighthawks* on passage from Queens County NYC to 10/21 (also still reported on passage at Kings Co., NYC), a confirmed-in-eBird count of 33 (*thirty-three!*) *Cattle Egrets* at a pasture in Stafford, Genesee County, NY on 10/15 (D. Beattie; multi. photos, notes; https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/494094431 <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/494094431> ), a confirmed-in-eBird and well-photo’d. late *Veery* (H. Wolf, who wrote a book on birding that bridge -) at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Kings Co., N.Y. City 10/16, and lots and lots of other species, some detailed in the multitudinous alerts and listservers of various regions and sections of NY state.
- - - N.Y. County (in N.Y. City), with focus on Manhattan and in particular, on Central Park At least 18 species of warblers were identified in Central Park in Manhattan, N.Y. City on Friday 10/21, with multiple observers in many areas. Also as an indication of the still-strong presence of American warblers in New York County generally, and all around Manhattan more particularly, at least one dozen warbler species were seen, by a number of observers thru the day on Friday in one smaller park in lower Manhattan - Union Square Park. It’s possible that more than 12 spp. of warblers were there on the day. Overall in N.Y. County, by far the most numerous warbler species was Palm Warbler, of both the “western” form and the “yellow” form; in Central Park alone, Palm Warbler was noted into triple-digits taking all of the park into account and with many of the Palms around the edges or even central sections at times of many lawns and meadows, and around large sports fields as well as in various other areas. In a few instances, 25+ of that one species could be observed at one time and place, with a few moments of scanning. 2nd-most numerous warbler on the day in the county, not surprisingly, Yellow-rumped [all of the Myrtle form]. All of the species listed for Friday were observed by multiple birders or photographers, and many were seen by dozens or more observers. Ovenbird (multiple; this is a species that regularly winters - &/or attempts to, in small-ish numbers, on Manhattan island) Northern Waterthrush (several around still, including the lingering individual now seen by scores and scores of birders at Central Park’s n. end) Black-and-white Warbler (multiple still around, although far fewer by Friday) Tennessee Warbler (multiple, and including an individual near the ’nursery’ area just s. of Central Park’s compost piles, n.e. sector of that park) Nashville Warbler (multiple) Common Yellowthroat (plenty still around) American Redstart (multiple, although few in comparison to peak period of passage) Cape May Warbler (multiple, in many small parks as well as still in the multiple in Central Park; also still present in Riverside Park, etc. etc.) Northern Parula (multiple, but far fewer than peak passage) Magnolia Warbler (still in multiple, but vastly fewer than the peak of passage) Yellow Warbler (still more than a few, including at Central Park; while later in season than the peak of the species, much much later individuals have been found in the county and in N.Y. City) Blackpoll Warbler (few and widely scattered, and running a bit late by now, but occasionally seen later still in this region, including at Central Park) Black-throated Blue Warbler (multiple and still a few in spring-male-like plumage, as well as more in first-fall) Palm Warbler (abundant in some areas, w/ many hundreds in the county overall) Pine Warbler (multiple, some in brighter and some in very drab first-fall plumages) [Myrtle] Yellow-rumped Warbler (scattered all through the county, and in numbers) Prairie Warbler (few, including several in Central Park, in several areas) Black-throated Green Warbler (getting late, and scarce) 3 American Pipits were found (D. Karlson) on the Dyckman Fields section of Inwood Hill Park (just off the Hudson River) in n. Manhattan on Friday 10/21, a location that's had that species on multiple occasions. Two Purple Finch, 2 Savannah and a Lincoln’s Sparrow were among many other birds also seen by same observer, on same walk, in that park. With other active regulars observing there, that park and others of northern Manhattan have seen good migration, & coverage. Interestingly, large no’s. of Black-capped Chickadees were reported for northern Manhattan, many as fly-thru’s in the morning. This might be watched in coming days and weeks to see if any follow-on movements of that species show a trend, with the mass (local?) influx and movements here for Tufted Titmice in the last ten+ days. A 'late-moving' first-fall female Bobolink was photo’d. at Governors Island (in N.Y. County) on Friday, near Fort Jay there, often a good place to find that species on passage. A Vesper Sparrow was noted along with other birds on Randall’s Island on Friday, which had fairly good diversity again on the day. A lingering Spotted Sandpiper has been noted by many, on into Friday 10/21 at the Bronx Kill that edges the n. side of Randall’s (there on the county line with Bronx County, N.Y.C.) Blue-headed Vireos were still passing in multiple locations, now just-about the ‘default’ vireo of mid-autumn - but worth keeping eyes out for and on any vireo that looks “different”. Both species of Kinglet were seen in nice numbers in many locations in N.Y. County on Friday, and a modest no. of Swainson’s Thrush were still found, as well as the increased numbers of (expected) Hermit Thrushes. A few reports also of Gray-cheeked Thrush, now a bit late for that type, and with notes not necessarily excluding the similarly plumaged Bicknell’s. For some species (of them), sparrow numbers are still building. The coming week to to the end of Oct. often will bring in a lot of sparrows and of course, many other potentially interesting migrants. good milder-weather birding, 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/ --
