Lingering rarities in N.Y. included the ongoing Limpkin at Pirozzolo Park in West Elmira, Chemung County, and a young Purple Gallinule at Prospect Park in Brooklyn -Kings County- in N.Y. City, both birds being seen and photographed into Tuesday, Oct. 31st, in their respective locations.
Less-rare but of some interest, a Western Cattle Egret moving around southern Staten Island -Richmond County, in N.Y. City- was matched, and then-some, by another Western Cattle Egret at the opposite end of eastern NY State, in the Chazy Riverlands area of Clinton County, NY where a -much- rarer find, the latter present at least to Oct. 30th, after the discovery on 10/29 by T. Fuller, while the Staten Island-N.Y. City rare egret was still being seen to Oct. 31st. Excellent sparrow-ing on Long Island, N.Y. with Henslows Sparrow in Brooklyn/Kings Co., LeContes Sparrow in Nassau County, and the previously-reported-here Harris Sparrow in Suffollk County, all in recent days, in those 3 counties all located on Long Island. - - - Manhattan, N.Y. City - late / last of October. A Long-tailed Duck was photographed from the pier off the western terminus of Dyckman St. in northern Manhattan, and a flock of 16 Dunlin were reported and photographed in flight from that location as well, with a modest migration of waterfowl and other birds, including many Double-crested Cormorants and American Robins on the move. Common Loons, a late-ish Osprey, and other more-expected raptors were also part of the action seen there. Eastern Bluebirds again were on the move, and a large number of observers had views in Central Park on Tues., 10/31 with several guided bird-walks occurring that morning and mid-day, all for non-profit science-based and educational organizations; also seen were Pine Siskins, which as predicted in the traditional Winter Finch Forecast, have been showing well in the region -and in this county as well- lately. The siskins as well as some Purple Finches have not been restricted to Central Park for county-sightings, but many observers are getting to see those there lately. American Woodcock have been appearing all around the county including on the other-islands of Randalls and Governors, as well as on Manhattan island, from its northern end all thru to the southern end, some of those in odd small locations where unexpected, some in the larger parks, with multiples in Central Park lately. Various waterfowl and waterbirds have been generally been returning, some already present also increasing. Atlantic Brant have been on the move and still more may be expected to pass and arrive to stay, with the chance for more-uncommon or even a rare goose species coming along this late fall. Mute Swan is a species with a small presence for all of the county, most-recently seen -just one- at Roosevelt Island in the East River, and that river-estuary one of the likelier places to spot typically one or two in recent years. The duck arrivals have included Bufflehead, including double-digits in Central Park, also so-far modest numbers of Hooded Merganser there; both, esp. the former, can be sought anywhere in the county in coming weeks on into winter. Some recent reports have included Red-breasted Mergansers, while Hooded Merganser at various plumage-stages and both genders have been coming in. Wood Ducks have had good passages, including some passing by Central Park with the usually-modest numbers of those also lingering at that park. Numbers of American Black Duck, and Gadwall have each grown, and N. Shovelers have somewhat, as for Ruddy Duck -tripling in numbers for Central Park overnight on 10/30-31, and which while most-observed in Central Park, also occur elsewhere around Manhattan shores, esp. at some sites on the E. River. N. Pintails also continue to at-least pass thru in low numbers. Green-winged Teal have included an adult / drake at the Pool in Central Park lately along with 2 other long-lingering G.-w. Teals. Anerican Coot slightly increased in the past week; as with Ruddy Duck, most observations in the county are from Central Park, although coots appear on the rivers in protected coves, etc. of Manhattan, usually sparsely. Great Cormorants have been in a few of their typical roost areas and nearby, while Double-crested Cormorants also were ongoing and still more may be expected in these cold frontal passages. Some additional sightings from n. Manhattan included up to ten Common Ravens, albeit by scanning over the Hudson River, in an area where that species may be somewhat regular -also in Manhattan airspace- and where Black Vulture is likely more reliably seen from within N.Y. County than any other area of the county. Turkey Vultures passed in good numbers on 10/31, esp. in the afternoon hours, across Manhattan more generally. Raptors on migration additional to any mentioned above have included Bald Eagles, N. Harriers, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, with the latter in particular also a common-enough resident of the county, and also around have been Merlin, American Kestrel, and Peregrine Falcon, the latter 2 spp. also very much resident in the county, and N.Y. City overall. Chimney Swifts were still being seen in small numbers at least to Sunday, 10/29 and slightly larger numbers from the day-prior in a very few places. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird seen in Central Park over many days may have at-last moved-on, so we all hope. Any hummingbirds seen in November or in any winter months should ideally be photographed and/or video-recorded, as the chances are now already. and increasingly-so, that a winter-season hummingbird here -in any part of this region- will -not- be a Ruby-throated. Not always highly-noted on their southward pushes in autumn, Winter Wrens were multitudinous this past week, with many still around. and a Marsh Wren was also reported for Central Park. House Wren is now scarce, and ideally any wren thought to be that species might be photo or video documented. Carolina Wrens will not love the near-freezing nights coming in around the N.Y. City. Both species of Kinglets were still passing thru in good to excellent numbers, some locations having many, many dozens per day, in even some smaller areas. A Swainsons Thrush was reported with details by an experienced observer at Central Park on 10/31. Most of the thrushes in the genus Catharus being seen are now -and for all the next 5 months or so- Hermit Thrushes, continuing to arrive and some getting settled-in where food is available, while a few reports of the past week included photographed Wood Thrush in Central Park, and at least one report of a very-late-now Veery, the latter from Madison Square Park, in mid-lower Manhattan. We may recall the extremely-late Veery which had stayed on in another year, at midtown Manhattans Bryant Park, sometimes making for confusion as the Hermit Thrush is quite regular even if not common there and elsewhere in Manhattan for winter months. Of American Warblers, many species in modest numbers and/or singletons of some species were showing in the past few days, while diminished in variety and number from a week prior - some of those still being seen this week included: American Redstart, Black-throated Blue Warbler both in the multiple in Manhattan to 10/31; N. Parulas were also present to 10/31 as were Pine, Palm, and Myrtle/Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Common Yellowthroats, the latter known to linger in small numbers in any number of green-spaces and mid-urban environments, into winter and some managing to seem to survive some winters here, in Manhattan. Black-and-white Warblers had diminished and may not have been found in the rains of 10/30, nor on 10/31, while they had been at least thru 10/29. Magnolia Warblers were present in Central Park at least to 10/27; this is yet-another of our migratory warblers that have -very-rarely- shown even into December, including in the latter park. Cape May and Black-throated Green Warblers were seen, along with other species, in lower Manhattan at least to 10/29. Wilsons Warbler was present at Morningside Park, Manhattan on 10/30 - S. Chang. A Blackpoll Warbler was well-seen at the lower-Manhattan Hudson River Park on 10/31, by A. Evans. It is very possible that some additional warbler species are still around, or will be passing thru; there have been some recent reports of quite-late Mourning Warbler at the south end of Manhattan, and those could deserve closer scrutiny - meaning, of the birds themselves. A few further warbler spp. also were still getting reports into this week, although not all with a lot of details offered. Of native sparrows, arrivals include more of Red Fox Sparrow, in the past week showing in multiple smaller parks or greenspaces, many singly, mixing with far more numerous White-throated Sparrows, Foxies also have increased a bit in the larger parks including Central Park, while more will be coming in for November. Some White-crowned and Lincolns Sparrows were still showing around Manhattan, including both in Central Park, as well as Field, and more Swamp, with Savannah Sparrow numbers having dropped off a bit for Manhattan island. Slate-colored Junco and Chipping Sparrow were each still around in numbers, and many Song Sparrows. Despite some further attempts, a Dickcissel seen on 10/29 and 10/30 in Highbridge Park in northern Manhattan was not re-found by other seekers. It could however still be in that, or a nearby area, and might be sought by sorting thru sparrow flocks, also including the many feral House Sparrows. Eastern Meadowlark was still around to 10/31 on Manhattan, and some more Rusty Blackbirds have been showing as well as passing thru, with the numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Common Grackles lately. A very few Baltimore Orioles have been pushing thru, if not lingering, while more of those may yet show up with each successive cold-front of the next month. There seems to be no report of Yellow-breasted Chat since 10/28 in Manhattan, although that species may disappear only to show again in some places, even after substantial time has passed in the fall and winter seasons, if and when the species is present. Blue-headed Vireo was still being found to Monday, 10/30 at Central Park, but many of the vireos have moved-on. Red-eyed Vireo was still being seen to 10/27 in Manhattan. E. Phoebes were in much-lowered numbers by 10/31, although still around in the multiple. Any -other- flycatcher species at all should be well photo and/or video documented if seen from now thru early April - and reports of same should be made to the local group-alerts that most birders use, as well as placed in eBird, with good textual details also, as much as possible. Thanks to many many observers out in recent days finding so many interesting species and giving many reports. 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/ --
