Manhattan, N.Y. City - thru Tuesday, April 8th - A Virginia Rail was continuing to be observed by many at Bryant Park, in mid-Manhattan. This rail was increasingly being noted as either resting, or sleeping, but also by some as seeming unwell - and unfortunately, all too many rail species which occasionally are found in just these sorts of out-of-place habitats for such a bird of -normally- freshwater wetlands, marshes, etc., can be rails that may have come into an urban area such as this on foggy or stormy nights or days and also may have had an encounter with either a building, glass window, or other structure and might have been stunned or more-seriously injured, and could have simply taken up refuge in any possible place - some rails have been found at planters such as on window-ledges or along street plantings, where there might be just a few plants to give cover and very little in the way of potential food for a hungry migrant nor proper cover to be able to rest in when needed, etc. - and some of such birds are in need of rescue or rehab, in part to be able to get out of poor, or risky habitat and in to more-appropriate locations for such a species - and of birds in spring which almost all simply need to get to a breeding-area - some of which may be right-here or nearby, while some could be 1,000 or 2,000 kilometers distant from this big city, at this time of year. Again we at-least hope that this rail can make its way onward and out of its current situation. The same of American Woodcock, which are more-often seen in this same park -and in some of same situation at times under similar circumstances, with our woodcock also being as-likely as not to have encountered sudden snows or ice storms in the late winter when starting that species is often starting to move northward, also towards early breeding areas. One or more American Woodcock was also ongoing at Bryant Park, as were a number of other more-usual migrant species some of which had overwintered and are still lingering, more-generally, in Manhattan as well as at this small park - such as Gray Catbirds, and the far-more common wintering species, White-throated Sparrow for Manhattan -seen each winter- in very large numbers.
N.B., the Virginia Rail, seen to be unwell and not-improving thru the day on Tuesday, was later on that day transported by car to the Wild Bird Fund for care and rehab and hopefully may be able to recover, and if so, it will obviously not be placed back in such an inappropriate rail-habitat as Bryant Park is, but allowed to go where it may be able to move on of its own to a breeding-grounds. Many observers were increasingly concerned having seen how badly this rail appeared to be doing at Bryant by Tuesday afternoon. At least one American Woodcock was still at Bryant Park into the evening on Tuesday. At least 400 persons saw the Virginia Rail over a 3-days period, with at least half of those observing identifying as birders, and likely more so. Many Bonapartes Gulls have been moving in this city and some of those also passing thru N.Y. County including near or into Manhattan waters at times, such appears to have been so for up to 40 Bonapartes in a large group, off the east side of Manhattan island, which is where such a sizable group was seen on Tuesday. Additional to the flock of at least 40 there were also at least 8 Bonapartes Gulls seen over the Hudson River well out off the west side of lower Manhattan, also on Tuesday, and further a flock of 16 of the species were reported as being far out towards the N.J. side of the Hudson, seen from Riverside Park near 108th St. in Manhattan. As noted to this list, in one large group of Bonapartes Gulls was a great find on April 7 of Little Gull for Piermont Pier - on the Hudson River in Rockland County, NY - ranger-Gene Herskovics was the finder on Monday, and by Tuesday, easily 40 to 50 or more birders had come in on the day to view this adult bird, with some patience often needed to get the desired views by Tuesday. An excellent find by a Rockland County observer and with many Rockland-regulars and others also coming to view this and other good birds at the Piermont Pier, a site which has long garnered attention and sometimes hosted mega-rare species for the region, as well as having birds all year long - so far this year, well over 100 species have been documented there and many more will be this spring. The find of the Piermont NY Little Gull also backs the notion that it is well worth checking flocks of such species as Bonapartes and many other flocking species for the odd-bird. Going back just a couple of days, a single-observer sighting of Black-headed Gull with photos forthcoming to the Macaulay Library archive, was from the Central Park reservoir of Manhattan for a possibly-shirt visit on Sunday April 6th, after no sightings there quite so recently, that latter species having been a brief semi-regular at that site, and even two individuals having been present on some recent-past occasions. This latest April 6 sighting of a Black-headed pertains to a younger bird, and not one with full hood as had also been seen in past weeks at times. A drake N. Pintail appeared off Inwood Hill Park for Tuesday, seen in the a.m. with D. Karlson, and also by others later. Inwood Hill Park has had a wide array of migrant species in recent days, including some of the various species mentioned-more-before at Central Park, such as Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and others, such as Purple Finches. For warbler diversity just at Central Park in Manhattan we have come up to 7 species of American warblers in the last several days, with Yellow, N. Parula, and Black-and-white Warblers all having shown, along with ongoing Louisiana Waterthrushes and the regular three of early-arriving species, Pine, Palm, and a small number of Myrtle form of Yellow-rumped Warblers. A Northern Parula was seen by many on a guided not-for-profit bird-walk led for the Linnaean Society of New York in the Ramble area, and then still another showed in the s.-e. Part of Central Park, these each following the N. Parula which was at Canal Park in lower Manhattan, found there by A. Evans. A Yellow Warbler was again in Central Parks s-e sector, while the rest of the warblers were more-widespread albeit the waterthrush sightings as is typical came mostly out of Central Park, there in many areas of that park by Tuesday and on prior days. As noted previously, the Yellow-rumped Warblers showing in this early-spring time period are not at all as numerous as that species will become in some weeks from now, and when many will be in fullest bright alternate or breeding plumage, and many also singing vociferously. Many, many more migrants are showing in all of N.Y. County recently and will be for the week ahead, especially once winds and weather become a bit more-favorable to ongoing spring migrations. Thanks to many keen observers and photographers for so many reports. The not-for-profit guided bird walks are now happening very regularly all around the region, in N.Y. City and for Central Park and many other local parks here, the NYC Bird Alliance, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Linnaean Society of New York are among such science-based educational organizations which offer a variety of walks and trips, and all interested are recommended to join as members as well as look into the walks and other events on offer. Many other not-for-profit organizations are also offering guided bird and nature walks this spring in N.Y. County. Good birding to all, Tom Fiore manhattan -- (copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".") 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