As correctly pointed out privately to me, in my report to this list-serve on 12/6, and mentioning Black Vultures in far-northern places, Essex County (in N.Y.) is -not- “closest to Canada” (what I wrote, and rather riduclously as I was in the actual counties of northeast NYS that do border Canada, this year) - the northeastern-most county in NYS is of course Clinton County, with Franklin County just west of the latter and also having a Canadian border section. (thanks to B.Y. for this).
And for the excellent (and perhaps, ongoing) Harlequin Duck at or around East Shore Park, Ithaca (Tompkins Co.), NY, that was seen to in fact be a developing drake, just starting to show traces of the plumage patterns which -if all continuing to watch are lucky- may even transition further to bright plumage as winter rolls on. Thanks to those who were first noticing this, in part thanks to study of even crisper photos being obtained; this duck was still there to at least Dec. 14th, per its’ initial finder. Incidentally a young drake Tufted Duck was ongoing in Erie County, NY (from LaSalle Park) to Dec. 14th, a now long-lingering individual. The Hammond’s Flycatcher (noted-in-brief to this list) in Sullivan County, NY was apparently not re-found (at all, anywhere in NY state) after Dec. 10th. Similarly there appear to be no further (later-date) public reports of a Painted Bunting which appeared on that date, in southern Nassau County, NY, which like the aforementioned flycatcher had multiple observers on the one day; the P.B. was also found in same Nassau Co. NY location on 12/11. A Barn Swallow (photo’d., R. Ellard) is p-d-l for anywhere in the state on Dec. 13th (seen from Breezy Pt., Queens County - located on the Rockaway peninsula and facing a part of the open Atlantic). This did follow a few others reported in the preceding days, from farther north & east (in other states; provinces). - - - - - A bit extra-limitlally, a MacGillivray's Warbler was seen by 100+ observers for Dec. 14th after it was revealed at a site on the s.w. side of outer *Boston, Massachusetts*; other Massachusetts birds of great note have included an adult Slaty-backed Gull (O’Neill; Nikula, et al) first noted at Provincetown (Cape Cod) Barnstable County, Mass. on Dec. 11th, and reported at least thru Dec. 13th still out there. And it is interesting to see the Loggerhead Shrike reports from both a Massachusetts location and (at same dates) for one of the same species in Ulster County, NY. Recent northern New England sightings of W. Kingbird from southern Maine (12/13, photo’d.) and Ash-throated Flycatcher ongoing in New Hampshire (to 12/14; photo’d), and the astonishing Canada Warbler in coastal New Hampshire to Dec. 10 (well photo’d. to 12/9) all point to some late-movers among many vagrant species. And ongoing lingerers, as the “other” Townsend’s Warbler (that’s been in Boston, Massachusetts), a different bird there from the one remaining in ‘downtown'-Brooklyn, N.Y. City (to 12/14). More extra-limitally and well northeast of NY state, a Mountain Bluebird recently out in Nova Scotia, e. Canada is a hopeful signal, perhaps others await being discovered in the east this winter; one lovely photo of the Nova Scotia bluebird is here: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/512514611 <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/512514611> - - - - New York County, N.Y. City, including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and Governors Island Dec. 6th thru Wednesday, Dec. 14th - The Yellow-breasted Chat which Karen Fung found on Tuesday, Dec. 13th at Riverside Drive near W. 111 Street (not in the ‘park-proper’, although this slim strip of greenspace may be technically a part of the park with that name was also seen and photo’d. by others after word went out. One of the photos of that bird is here: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/512868501 <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/512868501> On Dec. 14th, a slightly-windier day at that very windy region of Manhattan (river-winds…) a few of us were out looking, but to my knowledge the Chat went unseen for Wednesday/14th; of course such a species may well be staying on in that area. A White-crowned Sparrow (in first-fall plumage) was again seen (that is, ‘again’ if this is a very long-lingering bird, which at this particular park is very possible) at Bryant Park, miditown Manhattan, on Tues., Dec. 13th, and will be likely to associate with the White-throated Sparrows that are regular overwinterers there. A more-definite lingerer there is the Lincoln’s Sparrow which has remained there for many weeks by now (and was also present thru 12/14). Bryant Park does not always reveal 100% of its’ winter birds quickly or easily. Other Lincoln’s Sparrows also were ongoing. A White-winged Scoter seen from Governors Island Dec. 10th (A. Barry and other obs.) is a welcome addition to the duckage of the season for the county; although rarely-reported in the county’s waters, it could be, along with some of the other 'sea-ducks', a bit more regular in-season than may be presumed; careful and attentive watching would be key to more potential sightings of this group of ducks. A single Snow Goose was noted (E. Peterson) within a flock of Canada Geese moving past the Clinton Cove area on the Hudson River, near Manhattan’s west side at about W. 55 St. Some additional Red-breasted Mergansers have been showing, typical by now around Manhattan’s salt and brackish water-ways, and fairly recent or fresh arrivals in-line with a lot of recent further waterfowl movement all around the region in most-recent days. Also moving in recent days in particular have been more gulls, including those with northern affinities, particularly Iceland Gull (& various others); more scrutiny of gull-flocks and roosts is likely and with C.B.C. season now here. Late in the day on Monday 12/12, an adult Bald Eagle perched in trees along the Central Park reservoir. This has happened a number of times in just recent years (and would have been almost unthinkable in the period of decades when this species was so rare & threatened in the region). Multiple Red-shouldered Hawks have been seen (including perched individuals) in recent days and seen from many locations in the county. The proliferation of Cooper’s Hawks continues, with multiples starting to winter around the county (as well as the broader region). In addition to the House Wren from City Hall Park, a 2nd of same species was photo’d. at Swindler Cove Park, many miles uptown (north of) the City Hall Park individual, just 2 days later on 12/6. An uncommon sight this late in the year, but with some precedents. Winter Wren is still the ‘default’ small dark-brown wren of this area and season. And getting back to City Hall Park, a very-late Black-and-White Warbler was seen and photo’d. (A. Kramer) there on Sat., 12/10 (not unprecedented, this species has shown up in Manhattan C.B.C.-territory previously, i.e. in mid-December, but still a quite-late date!) An adult-male plumaged Black-throated Blue Warbler was (again, after an interval of no reports) sighted and photo’d. - see: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/511020181 <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/511020181> by S. Holleran, on Wed., 12/7 at Central Park’s north end. (A very late-date but not an unprecedented one for the species, in N.Y. City.) A minimum of three Cape May Warblers were present in Manhattan this week, one in fairly bright plumage at Fort Tryon Park (n. Manhattan) on Tues., Dec. 13th, another (not as brightly-plumaged) at Jackie Robinson Park (in northeast Harlem, s. of 155th St.) on same day and a somewhat-long-lingering Cape May (in drab 1st-fall plumage) which was again seen and photo’d. (A. Deutsch, others to at least 12/12) at Union Square Park, in mid-lower Manhattan, where a Baltimore Oriole (in much brighter color) has also lingered on, both still there thru Tues., 12/13 - and at least the B. Oriole ongoing thru 12/14. (Cape May Warbler is a species that has been found into January in Manhattan, in N.Y. City.) Orange-crowned Warblers in the multiple have continued on; this includes more than one on Randall’s Island, as well as others in the county overall. The latter species has fully overwintered a number of times in the county, as elsewhere in the region. At least 8 (and very-possibly more) American Warbler species were seen and documented in the period of this report in the county. (In some adjacent counties, the list of recent warbler species is still more diverse. And there are warblers that are far out-of-season still in far-north states and provinces to 12/14.) A list of species seen in N.Y. County from Dec. 6th thru Dec. 14th includes: Snow Goose Atlantic Brant Canada Goose Mute Swan (contunued around Randall’s Island shores) Wood Duck (Central park) Northern Shoveler (in good numbers, esp. Central Park) Gadwall Mallard American Black Duck Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) Northern Pintail (Hudson River) Green-winged Teal (Governors Island) Bufflehead (multiple areas of the county) Common Goldeneye (far off Randall’s Island, in waters that are not themselves in N.Y. County) White-winged Scoter (off Governors Island, as noted above) Hooded Merganser (several locations, with Central Park providing most of the sightings) Common Merganser (‘rare' and seen just a few times recently) Red-breasted Merganser (multiple) Ruddy Duck (in several locations, Central Park’s waters the best-known and watched) Pied-billed Grebe Rock Pigeon (superabundant through the county) Mourning Dove American Coot (most seen at Central Park) Killdeer American Woodcock Ring-billed Gull (many) [American] Herring Gull (many) Great Black-backed Gull (not uncommon in some areas at times) N.B.- gulls in roosts and flocks, often *not all* are ID’d. to species. Common Loon Great Cormorant (regular areas, off both Randall’s and more-scantly off Governors Island) Double-crested Cormorant (ongoing and still in the multiple) Great Blue Heron (multiple) Black-crowned Night-Heron (scant in this report’s period) Black Vulture (scarcer than the following, but not ‘rare' as once had been) Turkey Vulture (multiple) Northern Harrier (scarce) Sharp-shinned Hawk (scant, at best, now) Cooper's Hawk (multiple, the ‘default’ accipiter now in this county in winter) Bald Eagle (regular all thru this report’s period, multiple sighting-locations) Red-shouldered Hawk (multiple sightings and including multiple perched birds, various days) Red-tailed Hawk (many residents and perhaps occ. migrators at some locations in this period) -------- owl sp. (multiple) -------- Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (many around Manhattan) Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Yellow-shafted Flicker American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Blue Jay American Crow (numerous at times) Fish Crow (required ‘caution' on ID - in rather-limited areas) Common Raven (multiple locations, for multiple individuals) Black-capped Chickadee (many) Tufted Titmouse (many) Horned Lark (scarce and fleeting) Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet (scant) Red-breasted Nuthatch (multiple in multiple locations) White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper House Wren (rare in winter, detailed above) Winter Wren (multiple) Carolina Wren (multiple) European Starling (still very numerous all around) Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Mockingbird [Catharus] Thrush species (to be determined on better photographs) Hermit Thrush (multiple) American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Sparrow (superabundant as usual; in ‘plagues') American Pipit (rather scarce and mostly very fleeting) House Finch Purple Finch (multiple, but not very many) Pine Siskin (at least several ongoing, Central Park & n. Riverside Park, w/ Am. Goldfinches) American Goldfinch Chipping Sparrow (scarcer, and requiring scrutiny to separate now from 'American Tree') Field Sparrow American Tree Sparrow (scant, but some ongoing, esp. Randall’s Island & Governor’s Island) [Red] Fox Sparrow (multiple) Dark-eyed [Slate-colored] Junco White-crowned Sparrow (at least 1 as noted at top) White-throated Sparrow (common) Savannah Sparrow (uncommon) Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow (noted above, in part) Swamp Sparrow (uncommon but still in the many-multiple) Eastern Towhee (multiple) Yellow-breasted Chat (at least for 12/13, Manhattan along Riverside Drive - n. of 110th Street) Baltimore Oriole (one definite lingerer at Union Square in Manhattan) Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Rusty Blackbird (scant, a few lingering) Common Grackle - Ovenbird (multiple) Black-and-white Warbler (rare this late) Orange-crowned Warbler (multiple) Common Yellowthroat (multiple) Cape May Warbler (multiple) Black-throated Blue Warbler (rare this late) Pine Warbler (has occasionally been seen in mid-winter in the county, but not at all ‘expected' now) [Myrtle] Yellow-rumped Warbler (multiple) N.B. - some additional reports of American Warbler spp. besides the above… await documentation. - Northern Cardinal . . . and, there certainly may be other / various additional species to be found, lingering or arriving or even ‘returning’ to the county in coming days. With some luck and plenty of efforts, CBC-ers out in the count-period and day may well find some of those. Thanks to many keen and quiet observers of the last week plus. 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/ --
