New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and
Governors Island and waters and skies surrounding,
this week starting Sunday
-thru Thursday, March 23:
Of the species noted in this report, at least 80 (*eighty*) species had shown
in (or over) Central Park (alone) in the past 5 days.
Of those from Central Park, at least 65 species were seen daily / regularly,
and most also by many, many observers combined.
By Thursday morning (3/23) there was some migration-arrival that included birds
pushing in through fog… and with a bit of light drizzles in some areas, with a
few heavier showers coming through later in the morning. All through this, some
migrants were coming along. As would be expected, many were American Robins,
Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Grackles. A lot of other species also were on
the move as well.
A Wilson’s Snipe was a popular bird given the one individual's
relatively-cooperative nature and in particular, that it set down in the
“Ramble"-area of Central Park, as of Tuesday 3/21, the first full-day of the
spring. Thanks to J. Wooten and others for reports getting many to the area,
for some snipe-observations. [Wilson’s Snipe also were migrating all-through
the local region in the last several days, as well as some further arrivals of
American Woodcock and Killdeer.]
An overwintered Swainson’s Thrush, extremely-rare for the months between
January to March, was still present at Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan at
least as of earlier this week, and may well still be present there. Also
present there have been the vastly-more-typical wintering Hermit Thrush, and
among other winterers, Gray Catbird, and still at least a couple of American
Woodcocks to part of this week (and possibly still lingering).
Appearing by Sunday thru Wed. (3/19 - 3/22) and onward, Great Egrets and
Black-crowned Night-Herons were found in Central Park, and elsewhere around the
county, for the week of spring’s arrival. Snowy Egret[s] also had appeared in
the county at least by Wed., and again for Thurs., 3/22-23. Eastern Phoebes
are rather regular by now in a lot of areas, although not as common as likely
will be in another week or less. Both kinglet species have been seen, with
Golden-crowned Kinglet the more regular this week, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet
still somewhat uncommon. Red-breasted Nuthatch has been found in more
locations this week than in quite a while, while White-breasted Nuthatches also
may have increased. Brown Creepers were again in fair to good numbers. Winter
Wrens also were being seen in areas where they had not (scantly) overwintered;
Carolina Wrens have been making their presence heard as well.
Belted Kingfishers were coming into the county by Tues. & Wed., in modest
numbers. Tree Swallows have by now been detected over Manhattan (including
over-thru Central Park) and at Randall’s Island, as well as an increase for the
nest-colonies of Governors Island. At least one (perhaps more) Laughing Gull
was noted from off Governors Island by Thurs., 3/23. The ongoing Black-headed
Gull was still making its “customary” fly-through in very early morning, as of
3/23; now in rather high plumage thus standing out a bit still-more than in
winter. Horned Grebes have been visible from Governors Island, albeit not
often that near to shore. Double-creasted Cormorants have been on the
increase and seen in more sites in recent days; Great Cormorants continued also
in the more-limited locations they often have favored, off Randall’s and
Governors Island[s] in particular.
Pine Warblers were ongoing at Central Park (including in the Ramble), and
lately in Riverside Park (southern section). By Thursday, 3/23, there were at
least 7 Pine Warblers present in Central Park alone, and others in various
locations scattered through Manhattan island, as well as in a couple of areas
of Randall’s Island and Governors Island. An additional sighting of (an
arriving migrant) Pine Warbler came from Washington Square Park (in Manhattan)
on Sunday, 3/19. There are a very few [Myrtle] Yellow-rumped Warblers around,
which still most-likely represent ones that wintered not that far away from the
larger region; some of these latter are not in high-breeding plumage.
A now-rather-bright Baltimore Oriole was ongoing at Union Square Park in
Manhattan, with the occasional report of what is surely the same individual
wandering off very slightly and then back to its’ “old haunts” in Union Square.
This is an overewintered bird, present in that area for months. Eastern
Meadowlark have been coming in at Governors Island, with various other
migrants. In a few areas including Central Park, some freshly-arrived Rusty
Blackbirds have appeared, and some may also have moved-on. Brown-headed
Cowbirds are still on the scarce side for the numbers that will be showing up
this spring.
Plenty of sparrows were continuing to move with further increases of Song
Sparrow, and a few sightings of (early) Savannah Sparrow, as well as Chipping,
Field, Swamp, and perhaps slight shifting-around by some White-throated
Sparrows. The two known-overwintered White-crowned Sparrows in the county were
each still around, with an adult being the more-often noticed on Randall’s
Island, and a 1st-year White-crowned still in Central Park, south of the W. 72
St. cross-Drive. [Red] Fox Sparrows have been seen in many, many locations and
in some parks in fair to good numbers, with some singing a bit (as is so of
many of the songbirds present thru the county in the past week-plus). There
also have been numbers of Slate-colored Juncos on the move and so fluctuating
numbers are being found in various locations. The multiple E. Towhees that all
overwintered in the area have continued in same areas, or mostly very nearby to
where they’d been over the winter.
Osprey have been a bit scant but shown a number of times by now, and other
raptors again seen included Bald Eagles, N. Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s,
Red-shouldered, and Red-tailed Hawks, as well as ongoing several non-zoo owl
species (and yes, the ongoing-escaped Eurasian owl which fled after an act of
criminal vandalism at the Central Park zoo took place), with the three typical
falcon species also being seen, Merlins, American Kestrels and Peregrines (the
latter 2 species each resident and nesting in multiple sites in the county and
also elsewhere within N.Y. City). Monk Parakeet made an appearance in an area
in the county it’s been found in the recent past. Both Black Vulture and
(more-commonly) Turkey Vultures have been noted on many recent days and from
multiple locations, esp. for the latter of the two species. Common Ravens
have been regularly seen in some areas, and occasionally in some other
locations. Fish Crows are heard in a few areas, at Governors Island and other
sites close to N.Y. Harbor in particular.
Ring-necked Duck was among the waterfowl found in Central Park this week, which
also still included Wood Duck and Hooded Merganser, as well as other typical
overwintered species. The few Mute Swans have continued off Randall’s Island
(with a couple of sightings of the species elsewhere in the county) and at
least some Greater Scaup were again visible from Governors Island, with some
scope-work, as have been ongoing (few) Common Goldeneyes. Various areas have
had Red-breasted Mergansers, and a very small no. of both Common and
Red-throated Loons have been observed, mainly well offshore on N.Y. Harbor (and
not all in county-waters or even in N.Y. state waters, as New Jersey is quite
nearby).
Some of the species noted in N.Y. County for the week so far:
[Atlantic] Brant (ongoing in many areas where typically seen)
Canada Goose (many)
Mute Swan (few)
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard (common)
American Black Duck (some increases)
Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid)
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck (at least one in Central Park, this week)
Greater Scaup (most or all in N.Y. Harbor)
Bufflehead (in many locations)
Common Goldeneye (several known areas, well offshore!)
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser (ongoing in modest no’s.)
Ruddy Duck
Horned Grebe (N.Y. Harbor area)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Coot (small no’s. including ongoing at Central Park)
Killdeer (fair no’s. at several typical locations, plus some fly-thrus)
American Woodcock (ongoing, multiple sites)
Wilson's Snipe (several, but best-seen and much-watched at Central Park on 1
day)
Black-headed Gull (Randall’s Island as per all-winter "just an eartly morning's
fly-by")
Laughing Gull (just one or two noted)
Ring-billed Gull
[American] Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon (few, mostly well offshore)
Common Loon (a very few flyovers, and some in offshore waters)
Great Cormorant (small no’s. as is most typical)
Double-crested Cormorant (increased this week)
Great Blue Heron (fly-bys as well as some that’ve lingered or seen stopping in
to feed)
Great Egret (few so far)
Snowy Egret (thus far noted just as fly-by)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (increased by a little)
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture (more numerous than the latter sp.)
Osprey (few so far)
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk (multiple sightings, many locations)
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk (scant sightings this week)
Red-tailed Hawk (common and many that are nesting or working on their nest
areas)
three Owl spp. (Great Horned and 2 other sp.)
Belted Kingfisher (increased)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (ongoing in modest numbers)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow-shafted Flicker (very slight uptick in no’s. of these this week)
American Kestrel (resident-nesters are ongoing sightings this week)
Merlin (still scant)
Peregrine Falcon (regular residents, many locations around the county, and
around N.Y. City)
Monk Parakeet
Eastern Phoebe (more numerous this week)
Blue Jay (many)
American Crow (common in many locations)
Fish Crow (not common)
Common Raven (slight uptick in sightings this week)
Black-capped Chickadee (some areas have almost come par-with the following; a
few sites have more of these than of titmouse)
Tufted Titmouse (large numbers still in some places; in some places where
very-frequently fed by hand.)
Tree Swallow (slight increases esp. for Governors Island; has appeared over /
in Central Park as well this week)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (relatively scarce compared with Golden-crowned Kinglets
so far)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (the more-regularly-seen kinglet in past week, and in
multiple areas all around the county)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (increased a bit this week)
White-breasted Nuthatch (some increases)
Brown Creeper (increased)
Winter Wren (increased a bit this week)
Carolina Wren (some singing more, this week)
European Starling
Gray Catbird (all around now were overwintered)
Brown Thrasher (likely all seen now were overwintered)
Northern Mockingbird (some small increase in sightings)
Eastern Bluebird (few, fly-thrus for most part)
Swainson's Thrush (one - Bryant Park, mid-Manhattan)
Hermit Thrush (multiple, but may all have wintered nearby or locally)
American Robin (many, with lots of flyovers in many mornings)
Cedar Waxwing (few)
House Sparrow
American Pipit (Governors Island, may quickly move-on if flushed by humans - or
dogs now allowed there)
House Finch (common, in some sites)
Purple Finch (very scant)
American Goldfinch (not very many, still)
Chipping Sparrow (starting to appear in at least a few locations, including
those seen at Central Park now)
Field Sparrow (few so far, including in Central Park)
[Red] Fox Sparrow (still many of this expected-form of Fox Sparrow, and many
also singing a bit this week)
Slate-colored Junco (increases and some on-the-move this week)
White-crowned Sparrow (2 *overwintered birds* continued on; one of these at
Central Park s. of West 72nd St.)
White-throated Sparrow (many as this is the common-overwintering-songbird of
the county)
Savannah Sparrow (newly arrived)
Song Sparrow (increased)
Swamp Sparrow (numbers have increased somewhat)
Eastern Towhee (in areas where they had overwintered)
Eastern Meadowlark (Governors Island, at least)
Baltimore Oriole (mainly seen at Union Square Park, where it had over-wintered)
Red-winged Blackbird (many including large numbers migrating past in mornings)
Brown-headed Cowbird (relatively few)
Rusty Blackbird (small no’s. - on the move again this week)
Common Grackle (large numbers migrating thru on morning flights, and also
increased in local parks etc.)
Ovenbird (in Manhattan)
Orange-crowned Warbler (multiple locations, all of which had overwintered)
Pine Warbler (multiple sites, increased this week)
Northern Cardinal (plenty of songs and activity lately)
- and almost certainly some additional species also in the county, this week.
- - - -
With more blooms, buds, and new growth on plants each day lately; there also
are correspondingly more insects being found; at least 3 species of butterflies
were noted from the county this week on the sunnier milder days: Cabbage White
("modestly-early"), and two species which will overwinter as adults, Eastern
Comma and Mourning Cloak. Only the Mourning Cloak seems to have been seen in
any numbers so far, which is rather typical for a week in late March. More
species of flies, bees, and even a few individual wasps have been found, some
in little warner micro-climes within garden areas and so forth. Many other
kinds of insect and other arthropods are awakening with the start of spring.
Thanks to the many many observers out and about, some in all weathers, and of
course, even greater numbers on fine-weather days, for so many reports of the
birds of the county.
Good birding and nature-observing to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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