[nysbirds-l] Red Hook/Rhinebeck Birds Incl: Probable GOLDEN WINGED WARBLER, GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS

[Ryan MacLean]

Despite a lack of overall migration, there were some good birds around North 
Dutchess County today. At Ferncliff Forest in Rhinebeck this morning I was 
shocked when I heard what sounded like a textbook GOLDEN WINGED WARBLER call 
close to the firetower on the East Tower Trail. As fate would have it though, a 
couple vocalizations were all I got before things went deathly silent and it 
didn't call after that. For all I know it was probably an extremely demented 
and genetically confused Blue-Wing but having heard many of both species before 
I will say the overall high-pitched timbre of the song definitely seemed to 
match Golden-Winged more-so than the harsh nasal rasp of the Blue-Wing. If I 
went ahead and confidently called this a GW (and in reality I'd say I'm 90% 
confident) then this is the 30th warbler sp I've documented at Ferncliff in the 
three years I've been birding there. For such a small, secluded park in the 
middle of Dutchess County I would never have even imagined breaking 15. Other 
highlights at Ferncliff included an extremely vocal BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO also on 
the Tower Trail, and also like the Golden-Wing he never managed to provide a 
visual. Migrants were few and far between (with no sign of the Cape Mays, Bay 
Breasteds, Blackburnians and the rest that had dominated in the last couple 
weeks), but MAGNOLIA, BLACK THROATED BLUE and BLACKPOLL WARBLERS, YELLOW 
THROATED VIREO and LEAST FLYCATCHER all managed to make appearances.

Later in the afternoon I stopped by Rockefeller Lane in Red Hook following 
reports from Mid-Hudson Birds that there had been really cooperative 
Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrows singing in the expansive farm fields along the 
road. I birded from the road for about an hour and was unable to locate either 
of those species but SAVANNAH SPARROWS and BOBOLINKS seemed to be abundant as 
well as a couple WILLOW FLYCATCHERS. After leaving Rockefeller however I 
decided to bird the private trail next to my house in Red Hook which is 
conveniently right next to Rockefeller Rd and consists of alot of the same 
habitat. So I wasn't surprised when I ended up coming across several 
GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS (including once which gave me incredible prolonged looks) 
as well as several FIELD SPARROWS and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW. Unfortunately my 
lease for this property ends today, leaving me wondering what other grassland 
bird potential this really productive area could have had. If you do try to 
find any of the sparrows however Rockefeller Road is your best bet. There's 
parking in the public soccer fields and the elementary school along the road 
and traffic usually isn't that obtrusive. The fields across from the elementary 
school and north of the soccer field are likely the most productive areas but 
the whole road is worth birding.

Good luck to anyone who checks it out,
Ryan MacLean
Bard College

--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

[nysbirds-l] Rocky Point DEC Property

[ROBERT ADAMO]

I finally was able to do a little birding this morning, and was able to watch a 
hunting Coopers Hawk until he made a power dive out of sight (staying out of 
sight, for what I took to be a  probable successful hunt). I also saw my FOS  
E. Wood Peewee, Prairie Warbler and Vesper Sparrow,with the first two also 
vocalizing. Cheers, Bob 
--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

[Paul Sweet]

It is interesting to look at arrival dates in the more northerly 
parts of the breeding range - for example Peters & Burleigh (The 
Birds of Newfoundland) give the earliest date for Ovenbird as May 19 
and Common Yellowthroat as May 27!

Paul Sweet


At 03:31 PM 5/25/2011, Shaibal Mitra wrote:
>The yellowthroats and Ovenbirds were surely regular migrants heading 
>north (the date for my Ovenbird max at Fire Island was as late as 19 
>May). For abundant passerine migrants, I doubt that floaters 
>contribute significantly to maximum counts.
>
>Many common migrants max out much later than people suspect 
>(Red-eyed Vireo and American Redstart are good examples of birds 
>that probably haven't peaked yet this year). Even your Hooded 
>Warbler yesterday was only slightly tardy for arrival in southern 
>New England. At my old study site in Rhode Island's Great Swamp, 
>which is about as far northeast as Hooded Warblers breed at high 
>densities, the number of males on territory tended not to max out 
>until around 20-25 May.
>
>Part of the reason that these very heavy late spring movements are 
>under-detected is probably that birders tend to under-count common 
>species, particularly those that also breed locally. Another reason 
>seems to be that the pace of spring migration accelerates as the 
>season advances, so individual birds might be making longer flights 
>and/or briefer stopovers in our migrant traps now, as compared to 
>late April/early May.
>
>Shai Mitra
>Bay Shore
>
>
>
>--
>From: bounce-32274422-3714...@list.cornell.edu 
>[bounce-32274422-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
>[swalte...@verizon.net]
>Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 2:53 PM
>To: NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu
>Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out
>
>In the past, I've heard the term "floater" used. This applies to 
>maybe first year individuals or others that, for whatever reason, 
>have not yet established a territory. This would likely apply to 
>many species. One of the things in Alley that tipped me off that 
>birds had moved was the number of Ovenbirds I heard singing. This is 
>an early migrant and the Queens parks had emptied out on them prior 
>to yesterday. A couple of Baltimore Orioles were among the birds at 
>Jones Beach. They arrive early, for the most part, and I don't 
>believe nest on the beach. And of course, Hooded Warbler is not 
>something to be expected to still be in migration (and this was a 
>male). The floater phenomenon might be especially evident in 
>generally southern breeders (because they are the first to complete 
>their migrations). As an example, I remember a Swainson's Warbler 
>years ago that appeared at Forest Park right about this time. This 
>could explain the later moving Common Yellowthroats -- or they could 
>be the northernmost breeders just timing their migration appropriately.
>
>Steve Walter
>
>
>
>From: Shaibal Mitra
>Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:36 PM
>To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu)
>Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out
>
>Remnants of yesterday's coastal flight were still evident during a 
>brief visit to Robert Moses SP this morning.
>
>Most interesting to me were large numbers of passage-migrant Common 
>Yellowthroats bouncing westward and getting up into the pines and 
>other settings neglected by the local breeders. In retrospect, I 
>probably only saw about seven undoubted migrant yellowthroats during 
>a twenty minute walk (during which I probably saw or heard a 
>comparable number of local breeders), but given the mechanics of 
>bird detection on the barrier-beach, there must have been hundreds 
>of migrant yellowthroats navigating the puckerbrush today (our 
>single-day max at the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse was 99 banded on 
>22 May 1999).
>
>Given that the species has been back for about a month and is an 
>abundant and ubiquitous breeder across the state, this kind of 
>flight probably wouldn't be discernible in most settings. I wonder 
>whether even a tool as powerful as eBird is likely to detect a major 
>flight of this kind--or the counter-intuitive fact that Common 
>Yellowthroat migration in southeastern NYS peaks as late as the 
>fourth week of May?
>
>Shai Mitra
>Bay Shore
>
>--
>From: bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
>[bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve 
>Walter [swalte...@verizon.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7:46 PM
>To: NYSBirds
>Subject: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out
>
>There was a bit of a fall out this morning at Jones Beach West End. 
>Not overwhelming, but you didn't have to look hard for the next 
>bird. Most notable were Hooded, Wilson's, Tennessee, and 
>Blackburnian Warblers. Most numerous were Blackpoll, Magnolia, and 
>Parula. I only noticed this when reviewing pictures. One of the 
>Parulas was missing an eye. It's made it a long way like that. Also 
>seen were a few diurnal migrants 

[nysbirds-l] Yellow-throated Warbler - Hunter's Garden, Eastport NY

[Patrick Santinello]

Had  a Yellow-throated Warbler (albilora) at Hunter's Garden on CR 51 in
Eastport today. The bird was deep in the trails to the west of the clearing.
North and east of where "Toppings Path" meets "Hot Water Street" . Also had
a nice male Blackburnian Warbler as well as a couple American Redstarts. The
usual suspects present (Ovenbird, Yellow, Pine). Tons of Red-eyed Vireo
around. Nice flock of 18 or so Cedar Waxwings..Lots of birdsong today with
my first Veery(s) since returning to NY, never tire of hearing that song.

 

Good birding

Patrick Santinello

Eastport, NY


--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

[Shaibal Mitra]

The yellowthroats and Ovenbirds were surely regular migrants heading north (the 
date for my Ovenbird max at Fire Island was as late as 19 May). For abundant 
passerine migrants, I doubt that floaters contribute significantly to maximum 
counts.

Many common migrants max out much later than people suspect (Red-eyed Vireo and 
American Redstart are good examples of birds that probably haven't peaked yet 
this year). Even your Hooded Warbler yesterday was only slightly tardy for 
arrival in southern New England. At my old study site in Rhode Island's Great 
Swamp, which is about as far northeast as Hooded Warblers breed at high 
densities, the number of males on territory tended not to max out until around 
20-25 May.

Part of the reason that these very heavy late spring movements are 
under-detected is probably that birders tend to under-count common species, 
particularly those that also breed locally. Another reason seems to be that the 
pace of spring migration accelerates as the season advances, so individual 
birds might be making longer flights and/or briefer stopovers in our migrant 
traps now, as compared to late April/early May.

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore



From: bounce-32274422-3714...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32274422-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
[swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 2:53 PM
To: NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu
Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

In the past, I've heard the term "floater" used. This applies to maybe first 
year individuals or others that, for whatever reason, have not yet established 
a territory. This would likely apply to many species. One of the things in 
Alley that tipped me off that birds had moved was the number of Ovenbirds I 
heard singing. This is an early migrant and the Queens parks had emptied out on 
them prior to yesterday. A couple of Baltimore Orioles were among the birds at 
Jones Beach. They arrive early, for the most part, and I don't believe nest on 
the beach. And of course, Hooded Warbler is not something to be expected to 
still be in migration (and this was a male). The floater phenomenon might be 
especially evident in generally southern breeders (because they are the first 
to complete their migrations). As an example, I remember a Swainson's Warbler 
years ago that appeared at Forest Park right about this time. This could 
explain the later moving Common Yellowthroats -- or they could be the 
northernmost breeders just timing their migration appropriately.

Steve Walter



From: Shaibal Mitra
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:36 PM
To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu)
Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

Remnants of yesterday's coastal flight were still evident during a brief visit 
to Robert Moses SP this morning.

Most interesting to me were large numbers of passage-migrant Common 
Yellowthroats bouncing westward and getting up into the pines and other 
settings neglected by the local breeders. In retrospect, I probably only saw 
about seven undoubted migrant yellowthroats during a twenty minute walk (during 
which I probably saw or heard a comparable number of local breeders), but given 
the mechanics of bird detection on the barrier-beach, there must have been 
hundreds of migrant yellowthroats navigating the puckerbrush today (our 
single-day max at the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse was 99 banded on 22 May 
1999).

Given that the species has been back for about a month and is an abundant and 
ubiquitous breeder across the state, this kind of flight probably wouldn't be 
discernible in most settings. I wonder whether even a tool as powerful as eBird 
is likely to detect a major flight of this kind--or the counter-intuitive fact 
that Common Yellowthroat migration in southeastern NYS peaks as late as the 
fourth week of May?

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore

From: bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
[swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7:46 PM
To: NYSBirds
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

There was a bit of a fall out this morning at Jones Beach West End. Not 
overwhelming, but you didn’t have to look hard for the next bird. Most notable 
were Hooded, Wilson's, Tennessee, and Blackburnian Warblers. Most numerous were 
Blackpoll, Magnolia, and Parula. I only noticed this when reviewing pictures. 
One of the Parulas was missing an eye. It's made it a long way like that. Also 
seen were a few diurnal migrants such as Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern 
Kingbird, Cedar Waxwing, and Bobolink. It's reassuring to find that a warm 
front - fog combo can still produce on the beach in spring.

Considering the above, the Queens parks were disappointing in the afternoon 
(although a very early morning check of Alley convinced me that there was 
worthwhile migrant activity 

Re: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

[Steve Walter]

In the past, I've heard the term "floater" used. This applies to maybe first 
year individuals or others that, for whatever reason, have not yet established 
a territory. This would likely apply to many species. One of the things in 
Alley that tipped me off that birds had moved was the number of Ovenbirds I 
heard singing. This is an early migrant and the Queens parks had emptied out on 
them prior to yesterday. A couple of Baltimore Orioles were among the birds at 
Jones Beach. They arrive early, for the most part, and I don't believe nest on 
the beach. And of course, Hooded Warbler is not something to be expected to 
still be in migration (and this was a male). The floater phenomenon might be 
especially evident in generally southern breeders (because they are the first 
to complete their migrations). As an example, I remember a Swainson's Warbler 
years ago that appeared at Forest Park right about this time. This could 
explain the later moving Common Yellowthroats -- or they could be the 
northernmost breeders just timing their migration appropriately.

Steve Walter




From: Shaibal Mitra 
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:36 PM
To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) 
Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out


Remnants of yesterday's coastal flight were still evident during a brief visit 
to Robert Moses SP this morning. 


Most interesting to me were large numbers of passage-migrant Common 
Yellowthroats bouncing westward and getting up into the pines and other 
settings neglected by the local breeders. In retrospect, I probably only saw 
about seven undoubted migrant yellowthroats during a twenty minute walk (during 
which I probably saw or heard a comparable number of local breeders), but given 
the mechanics of bird detection on the barrier-beach, there must have been 
hundreds of migrant yellowthroats navigating the puckerbrush today (our 
single-day max at the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse was 99 banded on 22 May 
1999). 


Given that the species has been back for about a month and is an abundant and 
ubiquitous breeder across the state, this kind of flight probably wouldn't be 
discernible in most settings. I wonder whether even a tool as powerful as eBird 
is likely to detect a major flight of this kind--or the counter-intuitive fact 
that Common Yellowthroat migration in southeastern NYS peaks as late as the 
fourth week of May?


Shai Mitra
Bay Shore




From: bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
[swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7:46 PM
To: NYSBirds
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out


There was a bit of a fall out this morning at Jones Beach West End. Not 
overwhelming, but you didn’t have to look hard for the next bird. Most notable 
were Hooded, Wilson's, Tennessee, and Blackburnian Warblers. Most numerous were 
Blackpoll, Magnolia, and Parula. I only noticed this when reviewing pictures. 
One of the Parulas was missing an eye. It's made it a long way like that. Also 
seen were a few diurnal migrants such as Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern 
Kingbird, Cedar Waxwing, and Bobolink. It's reassuring to find that a warm 
front - fog combo can still produce on the beach in spring.

Considering the above, the Queens parks were disappointing in the afternoon 
(although a very early morning check of Alley convinced me that there was 
worthwhile migrant activity overnight). The saving grace at the Forest Park 
waterhole was an incredibly accommodating Black-billed Cuckoo. It made three 
visits over a two hour period, affording low, close, and open looks.  


Steve Walter 
Bayside, NY


--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics 
Rules and Information 
Subscribe, Configuration and Leave
Archives:
The Mail Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--




Change is in the Air - Smoking in Designated Areas Only as of July 1, 2011

--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics 
Rules and Information 
Subscribe, Configuration and Leave
Archives:
The Mail Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

[Shaibal Mitra]

Remnants of yesterday's coastal flight were still evident during a brief visit 
to Robert Moses SP this morning.

Most interesting to me were large numbers of passage-migrant Common 
Yellowthroats bouncing westward and getting up into the pines and other 
settings neglected by the local breeders. In retrospect, I probably only saw 
about seven undoubted migrant yellowthroats during a twenty minute walk (during 
which I probably saw or heard a comparable number of local breeders), but given 
the mechanics of bird detection on the barrier-beach, there must have been 
hundreds of migrant yellowthroats navigating the puckerbrush today (our 
single-day max at the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse was 99 banded on 22 May 
1999).

Given that the species has been back for about a month and is an abundant and 
ubiquitous breeder across the state, this kind of flight probably wouldn't be 
discernible in most settings. I wonder whether even a tool as powerful as eBird 
is likely to detect a major flight of this kind--or the counter-intuitive fact 
that Common Yellowthroat migration in southeastern NYS peaks as late as the 
fourth week of May?

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore

From: bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
[swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7:46 PM
To: NYSBirds
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

There was a bit of a fall out this morning at Jones Beach West End. Not 
overwhelming, but you didn’t have to look hard for the next bird. Most notable 
were Hooded, Wilson's, Tennessee, and Blackburnian Warblers. Most numerous were 
Blackpoll, Magnolia, and Parula. I only noticed this when reviewing pictures. 
One of the Parulas was missing an eye. It's made it a long way like that. Also 
seen were a few diurnal migrants such as Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern 
Kingbird, Cedar Waxwing, and Bobolink. It's reassuring to find that a warm 
front - fog combo can still produce on the beach in spring.

Considering the above, the Queens parks were disappointing in the afternoon 
(although a very early morning check of Alley convinced me that there was 
worthwhile migrant activity overnight). The saving grace at the Forest Park 
waterhole was an incredibly accommodating Black-billed Cuckoo. It made three 
visits over a two hour period, affording low, close, and open looks.


Steve Walter
Bayside, NY

--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--



Change is in the Air - Smoking in Designated Areas Only as of July 1, 
2011

--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

[nysbirds-l] Black-bellied Whistling Ducks YES

[Rob Jett]

I just received a call from Sean Sime that the Black-bellied Whistling  
Ducks at Wallkill River NWR were still present as of 7:15am today.


Good birding,

Rob

--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

Re: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

[Steve Walter]

In the past, I've heard the term floater used. This applies to maybe first 
year individuals or others that, for whatever reason, have not yet established 
a territory. This would likely apply to many species. One of the things in 
Alley that tipped me off that birds had moved was the number of Ovenbirds I 
heard singing. This is an early migrant and the Queens parks had emptied out on 
them prior to yesterday. A couple of Baltimore Orioles were among the birds at 
Jones Beach. They arrive early, for the most part, and I don't believe nest on 
the beach. And of course, Hooded Warbler is not something to be expected to 
still be in migration (and this was a male). The floater phenomenon might be 
especially evident in generally southern breeders (because they are the first 
to complete their migrations). As an example, I remember a Swainson's Warbler 
years ago that appeared at Forest Park right about this time. This could 
explain the later moving Common Yellowthroats -- or they could be the 
northernmost breeders just timing their migration appropriately.

Steve Walter




From: Shaibal Mitra 
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:36 PM
To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) 
Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out


Remnants of yesterday's coastal flight were still evident during a brief visit 
to Robert Moses SP this morning. 


Most interesting to me were large numbers of passage-migrant Common 
Yellowthroats bouncing westward and getting up into the pines and other 
settings neglected by the local breeders. In retrospect, I probably only saw 
about seven undoubted migrant yellowthroats during a twenty minute walk (during 
which I probably saw or heard a comparable number of local breeders), but given 
the mechanics of bird detection on the barrier-beach, there must have been 
hundreds of migrant yellowthroats navigating the puckerbrush today (our 
single-day max at the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse was 99 banded on 22 May 
1999). 


Given that the species has been back for about a month and is an abundant and 
ubiquitous breeder across the state, this kind of flight probably wouldn't be 
discernible in most settings. I wonder whether even a tool as powerful as eBird 
is likely to detect a major flight of this kind--or the counter-intuitive fact 
that Common Yellowthroat migration in southeastern NYS peaks as late as the 
fourth week of May?


Shai Mitra
Bay Shore




From: bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
[swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7:46 PM
To: NYSBirds
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out


There was a bit of a fall out this morning at Jones Beach West End. Not 
overwhelming, but you didn’t have to look hard for the next bird. Most notable 
were Hooded, Wilson's, Tennessee, and Blackburnian Warblers. Most numerous were 
Blackpoll, Magnolia, and Parula. I only noticed this when reviewing pictures. 
One of the Parulas was missing an eye. It's made it a long way like that. Also 
seen were a few diurnal migrants such as Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern 
Kingbird, Cedar Waxwing, and Bobolink. It's reassuring to find that a warm 
front - fog combo can still produce on the beach in spring.

Considering the above, the Queens parks were disappointing in the afternoon 
(although a very early morning check of Alley convinced me that there was 
worthwhile migrant activity overnight). The saving grace at the Forest Park 
waterhole was an incredibly accommodating Black-billed Cuckoo. It made three 
visits over a two hour period, affording low, close, and open looks.  


Steve Walter 
Bayside, NY


--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics 
Rules and Information 
Subscribe, Configuration and Leave
Archives:
The Mail Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--




Change is in the Air - Smoking in Designated Areas Only as of July 1, 2011

--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics 
Rules and Information 
Subscribe, Configuration and Leave
Archives:
The Mail Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

[Shaibal Mitra]

The yellowthroats and Ovenbirds were surely regular migrants heading north (the 
date for my Ovenbird max at Fire Island was as late as 19 May). For abundant 
passerine migrants, I doubt that floaters contribute significantly to maximum 
counts.

Many common migrants max out much later than people suspect (Red-eyed Vireo and 
American Redstart are good examples of birds that probably haven't peaked yet 
this year). Even your Hooded Warbler yesterday was only slightly tardy for 
arrival in southern New England. At my old study site in Rhode Island's Great 
Swamp, which is about as far northeast as Hooded Warblers breed at high 
densities, the number of males on territory tended not to max out until around 
20-25 May.

Part of the reason that these very heavy late spring movements are 
under-detected is probably that birders tend to under-count common species, 
particularly those that also breed locally. Another reason seems to be that the 
pace of spring migration accelerates as the season advances, so individual 
birds might be making longer flights and/or briefer stopovers in our migrant 
traps now, as compared to late April/early May.

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore



From: bounce-32274422-3714...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32274422-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
[swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 2:53 PM
To: NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu
Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

In the past, I've heard the term floater used. This applies to maybe first 
year individuals or others that, for whatever reason, have not yet established 
a territory. This would likely apply to many species. One of the things in 
Alley that tipped me off that birds had moved was the number of Ovenbirds I 
heard singing. This is an early migrant and the Queens parks had emptied out on 
them prior to yesterday. A couple of Baltimore Orioles were among the birds at 
Jones Beach. They arrive early, for the most part, and I don't believe nest on 
the beach. And of course, Hooded Warbler is not something to be expected to 
still be in migration (and this was a male). The floater phenomenon might be 
especially evident in generally southern breeders (because they are the first 
to complete their migrations). As an example, I remember a Swainson's Warbler 
years ago that appeared at Forest Park right about this time. This could 
explain the later moving Common Yellowthroats -- or they could be the 
northernmost breeders just timing their migration appropriately.

Steve Walter



From: Shaibal Mitramailto:shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:36 PM
To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu)mailto:NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu)
Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

Remnants of yesterday's coastal flight were still evident during a brief visit 
to Robert Moses SP this morning.

Most interesting to me were large numbers of passage-migrant Common 
Yellowthroats bouncing westward and getting up into the pines and other 
settings neglected by the local breeders. In retrospect, I probably only saw 
about seven undoubted migrant yellowthroats during a twenty minute walk (during 
which I probably saw or heard a comparable number of local breeders), but given 
the mechanics of bird detection on the barrier-beach, there must have been 
hundreds of migrant yellowthroats navigating the puckerbrush today (our 
single-day max at the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse was 99 banded on 22 May 
1999).

Given that the species has been back for about a month and is an abundant and 
ubiquitous breeder across the state, this kind of flight probably wouldn't be 
discernible in most settings. I wonder whether even a tool as powerful as eBird 
is likely to detect a major flight of this kind--or the counter-intuitive fact 
that Common Yellowthroat migration in southeastern NYS peaks as late as the 
fourth week of May?

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore

From: bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
[swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7:46 PM
To: NYSBirds
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

There was a bit of a fall out this morning at Jones Beach West End. Not 
overwhelming, but you didn’t have to look hard for the next bird. Most notable 
were Hooded, Wilson's, Tennessee, and Blackburnian Warblers. Most numerous were 
Blackpoll, Magnolia, and Parula. I only noticed this when reviewing pictures. 
One of the Parulas was missing an eye. It's made it a long way like that. Also 
seen were a few diurnal migrants such as Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern 
Kingbird, Cedar Waxwing, and Bobolink. It's reassuring to find that a warm 
front - fog combo can still produce on the beach in spring.

Considering the above, the Queens parks were disappointing in the afternoon 
(although a very early morning check of Alley convinced me that there was 
worthwhile migrant activity 

[nysbirds-l] Yellow-throated Warbler - Hunter's Garden, Eastport NY

[Patrick Santinello]

Had  a Yellow-throated Warbler (albilora) at Hunter's Garden on CR 51 in
Eastport today. The bird was deep in the trails to the west of the clearing.
North and east of where Toppings Path meets Hot Water Street . Also had
a nice male Blackburnian Warbler as well as a couple American Redstarts. The
usual suspects present (Ovenbird, Yellow, Pine). Tons of Red-eyed Vireo
around. Nice flock of 18 or so Cedar Waxwings..Lots of birdsong today with
my first Veery(s) since returning to NY, never tire of hearing that song.

 

Good birding

Patrick Santinello

Eastport, NY


--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

[Paul Sweet]

It is interesting to look at arrival dates in the more northerly 
parts of the breeding range - for example Peters  Burleigh (The 
Birds of Newfoundland) give the earliest date for Ovenbird as May 19 
and Common Yellowthroat as May 27!

Paul Sweet


At 03:31 PM 5/25/2011, Shaibal Mitra wrote:
The yellowthroats and Ovenbirds were surely regular migrants heading 
north (the date for my Ovenbird max at Fire Island was as late as 19 
May). For abundant passerine migrants, I doubt that floaters 
contribute significantly to maximum counts.

Many common migrants max out much later than people suspect 
(Red-eyed Vireo and American Redstart are good examples of birds 
that probably haven't peaked yet this year). Even your Hooded 
Warbler yesterday was only slightly tardy for arrival in southern 
New England. At my old study site in Rhode Island's Great Swamp, 
which is about as far northeast as Hooded Warblers breed at high 
densities, the number of males on territory tended not to max out 
until around 20-25 May.

Part of the reason that these very heavy late spring movements are 
under-detected is probably that birders tend to under-count common 
species, particularly those that also breed locally. Another reason 
seems to be that the pace of spring migration accelerates as the 
season advances, so individual birds might be making longer flights 
and/or briefer stopovers in our migrant traps now, as compared to 
late April/early May.

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore



--
From: bounce-32274422-3714...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32274422-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve Walter 
[swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 2:53 PM
To: NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu
Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

In the past, I've heard the term floater used. This applies to 
maybe first year individuals or others that, for whatever reason, 
have not yet established a territory. This would likely apply to 
many species. One of the things in Alley that tipped me off that 
birds had moved was the number of Ovenbirds I heard singing. This is 
an early migrant and the Queens parks had emptied out on them prior 
to yesterday. A couple of Baltimore Orioles were among the birds at 
Jones Beach. They arrive early, for the most part, and I don't 
believe nest on the beach. And of course, Hooded Warbler is not 
something to be expected to still be in migration (and this was a 
male). The floater phenomenon might be especially evident in 
generally southern breeders (because they are the first to complete 
their migrations). As an example, I remember a Swainson's Warbler 
years ago that appeared at Forest Park right about this time. This 
could explain the later moving Common Yellowthroats -- or they could 
be the northernmost breeders just timing their migration appropriately.

Steve Walter



From: mailto:shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.eduShaibal Mitra
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:36 PM
To: mailto:NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu)NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu)
Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

Remnants of yesterday's coastal flight were still evident during a 
brief visit to Robert Moses SP this morning.

Most interesting to me were large numbers of passage-migrant Common 
Yellowthroats bouncing westward and getting up into the pines and 
other settings neglected by the local breeders. In retrospect, I 
probably only saw about seven undoubted migrant yellowthroats during 
a twenty minute walk (during which I probably saw or heard a 
comparable number of local breeders), but given the mechanics of 
bird detection on the barrier-beach, there must have been hundreds 
of migrant yellowthroats navigating the puckerbrush today (our 
single-day max at the nearby Fire Island Lighthouse was 99 banded on 
22 May 1999).

Given that the species has been back for about a month and is an 
abundant and ubiquitous breeder across the state, this kind of 
flight probably wouldn't be discernible in most settings. I wonder 
whether even a tool as powerful as eBird is likely to detect a major 
flight of this kind--or the counter-intuitive fact that Common 
Yellowthroat migration in southeastern NYS peaks as late as the 
fourth week of May?

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore

--
From: bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-32011424-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Steve 
Walter [swalte...@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7:46 PM
To: NYSBirds
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Jones Beach fall out

There was a bit of a fall out this morning at Jones Beach West End. 
Not overwhelming, but you didn't have to look hard for the next 
bird. Most notable were Hooded, Wilson's, Tennessee, and 
Blackburnian Warblers. Most numerous were Blackpoll, Magnolia, and 
Parula. I only noticed this when reviewing pictures. One of the 
Parulas was missing an eye. It's made it a long way like that. Also 
seen were a few diurnal migrants such as Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 
Eastern Kingbird, Cedar Waxwing, and Bobolink. It's reassuring to 
find 

[nysbirds-l] Rocky Point DEC Property

[ROBERT ADAMO]

I finally was able to do a little birding this morning, and was able to watch a 
hunting Coopers Hawk until he made a power dive out of sight (staying out of 
sight, for what I took to be a  probable successful hunt). I also saw my FOS  
E. Wood Peewee, Prairie Warbler and Vesper Sparrow,with the first two also 
vocalizing. Cheers, Bob 
--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

[nysbirds-l] Red Hook/Rhinebeck Birds Incl: Probable GOLDEN WINGED WARBLER, GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS

[Ryan MacLean]

Despite a lack of overall migration, there were some good birds around North 
Dutchess County today. At Ferncliff Forest in Rhinebeck this morning I was 
shocked when I heard what sounded like a textbook GOLDEN WINGED WARBLER call 
close to the firetower on the East Tower Trail. As fate would have it though, a 
couple vocalizations were all I got before things went deathly silent and it 
didn't call after that. For all I know it was probably an extremely demented 
and genetically confused Blue-Wing but having heard many of both species before 
I will say the overall high-pitched timbre of the song definitely seemed to 
match Golden-Winged more-so than the harsh nasal rasp of the Blue-Wing. If I 
went ahead and confidently called this a GW (and in reality I'd say I'm 90% 
confident) then this is the 30th warbler sp I've documented at Ferncliff in the 
three years I've been birding there. For such a small, secluded park in the 
middle of Dutchess County I would never have even imagined breaking 15. Other 
highlights at Ferncliff included an extremely vocal BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO also on 
the Tower Trail, and also like the Golden-Wing he never managed to provide a 
visual. Migrants were few and far between (with no sign of the Cape Mays, Bay 
Breasteds, Blackburnians and the rest that had dominated in the last couple 
weeks), but MAGNOLIA, BLACK THROATED BLUE and BLACKPOLL WARBLERS, YELLOW 
THROATED VIREO and LEAST FLYCATCHER all managed to make appearances.

Later in the afternoon I stopped by Rockefeller Lane in Red Hook following 
reports from Mid-Hudson Birds that there had been really cooperative 
Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrows singing in the expansive farm fields along the 
road. I birded from the road for about an hour and was unable to locate either 
of those species but SAVANNAH SPARROWS and BOBOLINKS seemed to be abundant as 
well as a couple WILLOW FLYCATCHERS. After leaving Rockefeller however I 
decided to bird the private trail next to my house in Red Hook which is 
conveniently right next to Rockefeller Rd and consists of alot of the same 
habitat. So I wasn't surprised when I ended up coming across several 
GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS (including once which gave me incredible prolonged looks) 
as well as several FIELD SPARROWS and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW. Unfortunately my 
lease for this property ends today, leaving me wondering what other grassland 
bird potential this really productive area could have had. If you do try to 
find any of the sparrows however Rockefeller Road is your best bet. There's 
parking in the public soccer fields and the elementary school along the road 
and traffic usually isn't that obtrusive. The fields across from the elementary 
school and north of the soccer field are likely the most productive areas but 
the whole road is worth birding.

Good luck to anyone who checks it out,
Ryan MacLean
Bard College

--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--