Manhattan, N.Y. City - thru Saturday, March 8 - Killdeer, which also overwintered in N.Y. County, were new arrivals for Central Park this week, commingled at times with some American Robins, and perhaps lingering longest on parts of the N. Meadow ball fields of that park, among typical sites for their spring appearances in Central. Some Killdeer were found thru parts of this winter in northern Manhattan at sites where they can be fairly regular, in addition to the very regular sites for them elsewhere in N.Y. County.
The first few Eastern Phoebes of the season have started to arrive, with at least 3 coming in, that after some were being found elsewhere in N.Y. City from the first day of March if not a bit earlier, and since. In Manhattan, Central Park was among the locations for at least several of these always-first among flycatcher species to return. Some of the earliest might possibly be individuals that wintered not far away, such as in southern New Jersey or in other mid-Atlantic eastern states, in low numbers. Far more of course winter a bit farther south, and many will be returning north as actual calendar-spring arrives and thereafter. In Manhattan, the overwintered brightly-plumaged male Pine Warbler, sometimes seen singing has remained at Central Park, and mostly seen recently at and near the feeder area in the Ramble, where it sometimes shows to gobble bits of suet. An Orange-crowned Warbler at Carl Schurz Park on Manhattans east edge was also lingering to this week. These 2 warbler species have also been wintering in other parts of N.Y. City lately. We also are still seeing some Yellow-rumpled Warblers of the expected Myrtle type in Manhattan this week. American Woodcock were present in Manhattan, with at least a few in Central Park all this past week - thanks in part to S. Chang, and also J. Wooten, for some of these first sightings in different sections of that latter park, and also seen were a few elsewhere, although not as widely-reported as when some in previous winters have been stranded in smaller parks and-or in the midst of late-winter snow. Another arrival, a bit-less expected for the first week in March but no longer that unusual by then, a few Osprey have been showing over Manhattan and elsewhere in the county-skies, with at least one passing up the Hudson River, northward a ways. Red-throated and Common Loons each continued to show off Manhattan as well as other county waters thru the past week. Inadvertently left out of reports on waterfowl recently, Ring-necked Duck was among species noted, in Central Park in the past week. A long-long-lingering Snow Goose was still in Central Park all last week, moving around as it has much of this winter, esp within that park and from the n. end of the park to the reservoir or other locations. Green-winged Teal, Wood, Ruddy, and American Black Duck, as well as N. Shoveler, Common and Hooded Merganser, with widespread Red-breasted Merganser and Bufflehead, plus some other lingering dockage, and Atlantic Brant are all still being found off Manhattan, as well as many of those waterfowl plus a few others around the county waters. Red Fox Sparrows are still here, and like some other sparrows such as Song, Swamp, and numerous White-throated Sparrows have started to sing on some days. Also singing are some of the Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles which have been here, with more of those still arriving. Rusty Blackbird is also still around, particularly found in several areas in Central Park. Both usual species of Nuthatch continue, with Red-breasted as previously the less-commonly found lately, and Brown Creeper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, and a small number of Winter Wren and Brown Thrasher are some of the overwintered species of Manhattan. A very few Yellow-shafted Flickers also continued this week, with many more fairly soon to be arriving. Many birds have been more vocal in the past week, the more so on the several milder mornings we have had. Thanks to many observers and photographers for sightings and reports via non-X alerts, and via eBird with the Macaulay Library for all media. Good daylight-savings late-evening-daylight birding to all -and later morning-twilight by the clocks, for the early-birders, amongst we birders- more spring-ish reports for all of the county will be forthcoming. Tom Fiore manhattan -- (copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".") NYSbirds-L List Info: NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsWELCOME_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsRULES_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave_DOT_htm ARCHIVES: 1) mail-archive_DOT_com/nysbirds-l@cornell_DOT_edu/maillist_DOT_html 2) surfbirds_DOT_com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) birding_DOT_aba_DOT_org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: ebird_DOT_org/content/ebird/ --
