New York County, including Manhattan (and **all of** Central Park), and Randall’s Island and Governors Island, and the surrounding waters and skies above - past week+ of March, to Sunday, 3/19.
Many highlights include: Swainson’s Thrush (overwintered), American Oystercatcher (arrival-passage), American Woodcock (in good numbers), Killdeer (ongoing plus further movements), Great Egrets (arrivals), Green-winged Teal (further arrivals), Lesser and Greater Scaup and *possible departure*-day of drake Redhead out of Central Park, and other waterfowl movements esp. on this past several days, Great Egrets (arrivals), Red-shouldered Hawks (including for Central Park), E. Phoebe (no’s. of arrivals), Tree Swallows, G.-c. Kinglets, Eastern Bluebirds (further movements), American Pipit, White-crowned Sparrows (2, overwintered), all-past-week of [Red] Fox Sparrow (movements), Field Sparrow, and other sparrows, Baltimore Oriole (overwintered), Pine Warblers in the multiple (most, if not all now being arrivals), Orange-crowned Warblers (also in the multiple and in multi.-locations - overwintered), and more (of arrivals). And plenty more of new or lingering birds! ----- The overwintered *Swainson’s Thrush* at Bryant Park has continued there, with multiple observers (and many good photos), as have at least one, perhaps more Hermit Thrush, which along with the Gray Catbirds, and numbers of White-throated Sparrows are much more-typical wintering species for that, and some other sites even in mid-Manhattan. There also were overwintered Swamp Sparrows (a few) in these smaller parks (and more in some of the larger parks, such as Central Park, etc.) as well as some sightings of Song Sparrow at Bryant Park, which is (on its northwestern corner) one block east of Times Square. Hermit Thrush is the ‘default’ species of Catharus (genus) thrush in this region that can fully-overwinter, and the latter thrush species does so in fair numbers, as many did this past winter in N.Y. County. Any other Catharus thrush (besides Hermit) in winter in this region is very rare to extremely-rare, particularly-so in the months of January and Feb. and March - in other words, through or beyond the hardships of winter in this region and not-yet within the expected-arrival period of the other thrushes (around here, species other than Hermit Thrush). Many American Robins (which are a different genus of thrush and can be extremely winter-hardy) have been arriving in this past week. A Baltimore Oriole has continued on, in brighter color recently, at Union Square Park in Manhattan; this species has overwintered uncommonly or sparsely before in this county; the oriole now at Union Square has been joined at times by various other overwintering spp., and lately by a few additional birds at times, perhaps early ’spring’ arrivals or simply birds which wandered in from the nearby area. (E. Phoebe there by Saturday 3/18 was a definite arrival from a bit farther-south, though.) The oriole can -and has been- occasionally ’skulking’ and is mobile in that area at times. Some Eastern Bluebirds were on the move, with a few showing well in several parks on Saturday, 3/18: at least two in Central Park’s n. end, as well as at Inwood Hill Park and at the Hudson River green-way later on, in what’s usually called Riverside-South (below W. 72 St.). Very minimal no’s. of Tree Swallows on the move as detected over / thru several locations this past week, even as some of that swallow species were starting to gather in a few sites quite well-north of N.Y. City. The few Tree Swallows noted earlier in the week at Governors Island have lingered on there (where they typically will be nesting, starting f .soon) - at least six were counted (again) by Saturday, 3/18 there and more should arrive in the coming milder days. A single American Pipit was confirmed from Randall’s Island (A. Cunningham) on Fri. morning, 3/17, and that too provided yet another quick sighting of the now-nearly in breeding plumage BLACK-HEADED Gull, flying by as it’s been seen for months - and seen well - by multi-observers to Sunday, 3/19, albeit again as an early-morning fly-thru. Of that gull …. no one has located the roosting place[s] nor a regular (or favored) feeding-place of this rather-rare bird, it is possible it goes some distances to and from the sites where it takes its rest, and where it feeds. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen by a number of observers on 3/14, at Randall’s Island. (The wished-for ‘big-days' for gulls and ‘gulling’ in any sites in N.Y. County **after the last storms or even as the storms were moving thru**, did not produce all that much even if numbers of the ‘usual-three’ gull species of winter had ticked-up a bit, in particular for Ring-billed, with more modest higher numbers of either [American] Herring, or Great Black-backed Gulls. Great Egret returning by 3/17 was not wholly unexpected; at least several fly-overs having shown, from the 3 principal islands - and one moving past Central Park’s north end - all in the morning hours of Friday, St. Patrick’s Day. On the same day, Great Blue Herons were in the skies, moving north, and a few more (than had wintered-thru) were again in some locations. Numbers of each, as well as other heron-species will be watched-for in the coming days (other species having shown in the region again, lately). As of Saturday, 3/18 there was a Great Egret landed at “the Pond” in the s.e. corner of Central Park. One of the many sites that that species favors for both fishing and sometimes, resting. Of the 3 expected falcon species for the region, Merlins were starting to show up, on a few days in numbers beyond "just-one”. The city-resident American Kestrels and Peregrines have been busy lately, with many sightings by those watching closely of a variety of prey, esp. smaller birds in the recent days, being taken. For the peregrines this includes the taking of some of our feral Rock Pigeons, but at-least the buzzing 'over-and-thru' all sorts of other birds, including some of the recent arrivals (such as robins and woodcocks - and others). An American Oystercatcher appeared at Randall’s Island at least for a short time, early on Sat., 3/18 (again by one ‘early-birder’, A. Cunningham) and this species might also be *sought*, probably best with scope-use, from a few other locations as well such as Governors Island, etc. - this latest sighting in-line with others of the species arriving in the wider region. In other related birds, we have seen multiple American Woodcocks in many locations, with more than a few showing in highly-birded Central Park, and also at Bryant Park but as well from sites covering all of the county, from Governors Island to The Battery and elsewhere up and along both the Hudson River, and East River, as well as multiple sites in lower and upper/northern Manhattan in the past week. Killdeer have also shown in fewer locations, but in some, in the increased numbers that are expected by now, with Randall’s and (esp.) Governors Island having shown modest flocks; there also have been at least a couple of touchdowns by Killdeer at Central Park, with most seeming to flush off-and-out fairly quickly, in the past week. A minimum of three, likely at least a few more, Pine Warblers were in Central Park on Sunday, including at the Pinetum (western part) and by The Mall, in tall elms - singing as well in later day brisk weather! - and still another at the main / formal entry gate to the Conservatory Garden of Central Park, near 104th-105th Sts. just west of Fifth Ave., this latter warbler flitting and feeding a bit in a blooming Cornus mas, with the yellow blooms - the small trees which are so widely in-bloom now in many of the county’s parks. Orange-crowned Warblers that have overwintered locally include ones at Morningside Park and Inwood Hill Park, as well as the more-often reported two at Randall’s Island, and the rarely-recently-reported one at Governors Island; all of these locations have also had [Myrtle] Yellow-rumped Warbler, albeit the latter not always at all in-company with the Orange-crowndeds. It is plausible that a few Myrtle Warblers have also moved about and turned up in specific sites where they had not wintered-thru, but most or all of the latter had likely wintered very-locally. Of other warbler species, the only ones that seem to have made it thru very sparsely were a couple of Ovenbirds in mid and lower Manhattan; the Pine Warblers of a few sites (including at Central Park) were present for a while, and may represent birds which wintered not that far off, although by now, the phenologies (for Pines) are to be on-the-move, from wintering in points-south into our region. [n.b., probably the most-notable *wintered-thru* warbler of the local NYC area continued to be the ongoing surviving Northern Waterthrush being seen (and photo’d. at times) at Brooklyn Bridge Park (Kings County, N.Y. City) which is barely a mile from parts of lower Manhattan, across the East River. That individual a very-rare example of that species having wintered-thru, this far north - or even for anywhere in the mid-Atlantic states.] The 2 overwintered White-crowned Sparrows were each present in the county to at-least Sat., 3/18, with an adult-plumaged individual remaining at the n. end of Randall’s Island, while a non-adult-plumaged White-crowned has stayed in the area north of Sheep Meadow, in Central Park’s mid-sector; that bird can be elusive and readily joins up with House Sparrow mobs, as well as the other native sparrows, esp. large no’s. of White-throated Sparrow thru that general area, ranging from near the W. 72 St. cross-park Drive, on Falconer’s Hill, and around the Mineral Springs pavillion, including on all sides of that structure and beyond. By Friday, 3/17 (Saint Patrick's Day for many), Eastern Phoebes came in - in nice numbers, with dozens all over the county and in Central Park alone, easily ten or more all around that entire park; most of the larger parks and any number of smaller ones, as well as still-smaller greenspaces, enjoyed sightings of the returning phoebes on Friday. A Chipping Sparrow was noted in Central Park on Sunday by one of our long-time reliable-regulars, and might be sought in the same area, by the rocks locally called Sparrow-Rock and associated lawns; some birds that are found there may also wander in to the very nearby locations of the Great Lawn, the Pinetum, and perhaps on Summit Rock and various nearby 'playground-area' lawns. Also and hard to miss in some places in the county, for anyone looking-up or listening, the ancient migration of the true-Canadian Canada Goose, which moved over many areas of the county in the *multi-thousands* on Friday (early-day). Many more birds also were moving on the fresh southerly breezes of that day, such as hundreds on hundreds of American Robins, and blackbirds including Red-winged Blackbird and, above-all in the Icteridae, great numbers of Common Grackles. The early-morning’s flight (on 3/17) was the strongest so far of this month or this early in the season. There were good upticks in numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglet, with multiples found, including in Manhattan’s Central Park but also in many more areas. The [Red] Fox Sparrows had already swelled in numbers in the prior week of mid-March, as seen and noted by a number of observers, including with guided not-for-profit bird walks led for the A.M.N.H. (American Museum of Natural History), when over a dozen of the Fox Sparrow were found, and in other walks by some groups as well, in the period of this report. A very few Field Sparrows have moved in, and the numbers of Song Sparrows have swelled in the past week. There also were at-least local movements of many Slate-colored Juncos. The E. Towhees which continue (including the few in Central Park) are all overwintered birds, thru the county. The (at-least 8) Green-winged Teal on the Central Park reservoir later on Sunday add a bit to the feeling of at least modest movements detected for waterfowl of various species; thanks to the multiple observers for the later reporting on those and other newly-arrived or lingering species. A hen (the name typically given to a female bird in the waterfowl assemblages) Lesser Scaup was found and photographed (at least 8 observers) off northern Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park on Sunday, 3/19 - near the Muscota-marsh section. A drake Lesser Scaup on the Central Park reservoir was one of the waterfowl species noted / photo’d. (for one day only, it seemed: 3/12), which have been moving and/or shifting-around recently. A few Lesser Scaup also have been occasional off Randall’s Island at times, and there were some recent reports of a higher number of Lessers off Governors Island, which would have needed distinguishing out of the flocks of (several-dozens of) Greater Scaup which were seen by many observers for a few recent days out in the NY Harbor area, viewed (in part or mostly) from Governors Island. The Common Goldeneyes that were around still were, off (far-off, on most viewings) Randall’s Island, and also off Governors Island, to Sat., 3/18. There have been other waterfowl and waterbird movements this past week, with shifts in Bufflehead’s numbers as well as barely-noticed (or reported) movement by Wood Ducks, and by a few other duck species. The last definite sightings of the drake REDHEAD of Central Park (one bird, which overwintered there) was back at “the Pool” thru Thursday, 3/16 - and that same bird had made a foray to the nearby C.P. reservoir, with a few of us having noted and photo’d. its 'day-away' from the favored small pond known as “the Pool” in Central Park’s n.-w. sector. There were still a few Mute Swans (up to at least 4, on some days) showing off Randall’s Island, and a very few sightings of the species elsewhere in the county, recently. [Atlantic] Brant have been regular all winter in some locations and (will) continue to be seen. There also have been movements of such species as Double-crested Cormorants, with some Great Cormorants as well that were lingering in (some of) usual sites, such as off Randall’s Island. Additional modest movement of American Coots, with at least a few sightings of that species from Governors Island (shores) and the Hudson River, along parts of the river green-way paths (near shores). There were still no mass movements of Belted Kingfisher and so, not unusually, the few seen on recent days as for most of winter, were birds that were around in the local areas, over all or most of winter. A majority of sightings of that species lately were from Central Park’s n. end, with fewer noted from other locations. Some raptors again noted in the past week included Bald Eagle, N. Harrier (scarce so far), Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, as well as at least a few Red-shouldered Hawks, with some on the move even in the winds of Sunday, as seen at Central Park by more than one keen observer - and the many, widespread-nesting Red-tailed Hawks, and in vultures at least a couple of Black Vultures (including sightings from / over Central Park) and much-more regular sightings lately of Turkey Vultures in many locations and days. There were also ongoing Common Ravens for some varied locations, and plenty of American Crows, with limited no’s. of Fish Crow sightings, the latter most readily on Governors Island or by the N.Y. harbor-sector recently. Tufted Titmouse cotinues its high-numbers in some locations, with Black-capped Chickadee having also been ongoing; both of these species also seeming to have moved a little in the past week - and/however, for *some locations*, those chickadees are lately outnumberimg those titmice. Other birds showing in modest no’s. over the past week included Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Yellow-shafted Flickers, Winter Wren, Carolina Wren, Red-breasted and (more of) White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, and of finches, very modest no’s. of American Goldfinches as well as typical numbers of House Finches; there were also some (few, mostly-heard) Purple Finch reports in the past week. Some Cedar Waxwings have also shown, not in any large numbers. More than 400 persons were out in Central Park alone (!)seeking birds at times in the past week, and a greater number all thru N.Y County; thanks to so many quiet and courteous observers who have also been reporting many of their sightings, including via eBird, as well as the local-area alerts systems. There are of course many many more birds being found than what is noted above... —— Far more flora is coming into bloom or bud with each milder day, and also noted especially in the sunny and milder days are increased numbers and diversity in insects, and other arthropods. We also were seeing some of the local (native) mammals show, in various locations, including raccoon, groundhog, chipmunk, cottontail rabbit, and some other smaller mammals of the urban-wild. good SPRING birding, and a happy vernal-equinox-Monday 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/ --
