[nysbirds-l] Manhattan / N.Y. County, 9/6-7-8-9-10 - Dickcissel, 2 Soras, 22+ Warbler species, etc.

[Thomas Fiore]

Some extra-limital rarities, the first 3 them not so very far from parts of 
N.Y. state, in particular the site of a rare plover in northwest Vermont, very 
near to Clinton County, NY.  Note that in the case of that, as well as 
(especially) the first rarity listed below, it’s possible/probable that only a 
boat would allow any viewing; any private property should be fully-respected, 
and at the VT location, there is an international boundary with Canada.

An apparent GRAY Heron was found off Nantucket, Massachusetts on Sat. 9/5, & 
re-found nearby on 9/6; a vagrant that’s native to the Palearctic region. This 
latest find may be of same (bird) that was found in Nova Scotia recently.  
There are a number of records for Newfoundland (eastern Canada), for Bermuda, 
and in the Caribbean islands, and more so on Greenland. Also from the Aleutian 
islands, for prior U.S. records.  https://ebird.org/checklist/S73234059 
  https://ebird.org/checklist/S73283191 
  (It was also noted that a possible 
candidate for this very rare vagrant was re-found at a nearby & somewhat 
more-accessible site, but the 'jury was out' for that, & there has not been a 
definitive re-find of the rarity.)

A Common Ringed Plover (another essentially-Palearctic-breeding species, but 
has bred in a small part of Alaska) was found at the Missiquoi National 
Wildlife Refuge delta area, far-northwest Vermont, Sat., 9/5 & re-found with 
more observers present on 9/6. https://ebird.org/checklist/S73223092 
  This species has been found in the 
eastern U.S. but is still extremely rare in the lower-48 U.S. states. 
Additional observers also photographed / video-audio’d this Vermont rarity, & 
with further eBird checklists.

And there’s the apparent Little Stint, found at the Edwin B. Forysthe National 
Wildlife Refuge (a.k.a. ‘Brigantine’) in Atlantic County, New Jersey on 9/5, & 
subsequently seen by many observers particularly as of 9/6, with scores of 
eBird reports, many w/photos, etc. - this rarity discovered by N.J. birder Yong 
Kong. The species has occurred in the region, but is relatively rare, even 
though it is possible more Palearctic-breeding/wintering waders (a.k.a. 
shorebirds to American birders) turn up in the U.S. that are not readily and/or 
/ nor frequently identified to (rarer for U.S.) species.

Rather interesting coincidence of another sighting of Black-throated Gray 
Warbler far out-of-usual range, in North Carolina on 9/6-7; and again - as with 
the same species found at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens Co., N.Y. City on 
9/4 - this latest considered a very early-season find; as with most N.Y. state 
records, far more eastern sightings of this species are in the colder months.

..
A DICKCISSEL was a nice find by Ron Lugo of Manhattan, in Central Park/N.Y. 
City on 9/9; details below. This bird in first-year plumage was again in the 
same area on Thurdsay morning, 9/10.

-   -   -   -   -
N.Y. County, including Manhattan, Randall’s, & Governors Island[s] -

Sun., 9/6 - Winds went light and a more humid air mass was approaching the N.Y. 
City region, partly from marine (Atlantic) influence, as well as slowed or 
stalled movement of weather fronts to the west of the region.  There was 
departure-migration on Sat. night, with a lot less arrival as compensation.  A 
good day for Solitary Sandpipers with at least 4 seen in the county on the day; 
one of those, at least, has apparently been lingering for two weeks or so in 
Central Park (assuming same individual mainly in one location).  A White-eyed 
Vireo was of note in Central Park. 

Although overall no’s. of individual migrants were not very high, diversity was 
still fairly good in some groups, warblers most of all, with at least 22 
warbler species noted on the day, & of those at least 19 in Central Park alone 
with so many observers looking; a Mourning Warbler was a nice find by A. Messer 
& R. Thomas in the Ramble of Central Park, & enjoyed by other observers later. 

Although not sought by dozens of watchers as was the one still lingering in 
Bryant Park (near 42nd St., midtown Manhattan), the Sora noted on W. 25 St. in 
Manhattan - a different individual & seen/ photo’d. concurrent with the 
preceding - by P. Shure, was illustrative of the fact the rails have been on 
the move, and further, that although typically secretive and thus not too-often 
discovered on migration and out-of-expected habitat, they can be numerous as 
migrants at the peaks of their movements; sadly this group (most often either 
Sora or Virginia Rail) do occur in migration in such odd, and sometimes very 
risky (at best) locations, although hopefully, most get on to where they need 
to.  After rather early initial two had been seen in Central Park some while 
ago, more N. Shovelers made their way in again to Central Park, and are now 
likely to be in place for 8 months or 

[nysbirds-l] Manhattan / N.Y. County, 9/6-7-8-9-10 - Dickcissel, 2 Soras, 22+ Warbler species, etc.

[Thomas Fiore]

Some extra-limital rarities, the first 3 them not so very far from parts of 
N.Y. state, in particular the site of a rare plover in northwest Vermont, very 
near to Clinton County, NY.  Note that in the case of that, as well as 
(especially) the first rarity listed below, it’s possible/probable that only a 
boat would allow any viewing; any private property should be fully-respected, 
and at the VT location, there is an international boundary with Canada.

An apparent GRAY Heron was found off Nantucket, Massachusetts on Sat. 9/5, & 
re-found nearby on 9/6; a vagrant that’s native to the Palearctic region. This 
latest find may be of same (bird) that was found in Nova Scotia recently.  
There are a number of records for Newfoundland (eastern Canada), for Bermuda, 
and in the Caribbean islands, and more so on Greenland. Also from the Aleutian 
islands, for prior U.S. records.  https://ebird.org/checklist/S73234059 
  https://ebird.org/checklist/S73283191 
  (It was also noted that a possible 
candidate for this very rare vagrant was re-found at a nearby & somewhat 
more-accessible site, but the 'jury was out' for that, & there has not been a 
definitive re-find of the rarity.)

A Common Ringed Plover (another essentially-Palearctic-breeding species, but 
has bred in a small part of Alaska) was found at the Missiquoi National 
Wildlife Refuge delta area, far-northwest Vermont, Sat., 9/5 & re-found with 
more observers present on 9/6. https://ebird.org/checklist/S73223092 
  This species has been found in the 
eastern U.S. but is still extremely rare in the lower-48 U.S. states. 
Additional observers also photographed / video-audio’d this Vermont rarity, & 
with further eBird checklists.

And there’s the apparent Little Stint, found at the Edwin B. Forysthe National 
Wildlife Refuge (a.k.a. ‘Brigantine’) in Atlantic County, New Jersey on 9/5, & 
subsequently seen by many observers particularly as of 9/6, with scores of 
eBird reports, many w/photos, etc. - this rarity discovered by N.J. birder Yong 
Kong. The species has occurred in the region, but is relatively rare, even 
though it is possible more Palearctic-breeding/wintering waders (a.k.a. 
shorebirds to American birders) turn up in the U.S. that are not readily and/or 
/ nor frequently identified to (rarer for U.S.) species.

Rather interesting coincidence of another sighting of Black-throated Gray 
Warbler far out-of-usual range, in North Carolina on 9/6-7; and again - as with 
the same species found at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens Co., N.Y. City on 
9/4 - this latest considered a very early-season find; as with most N.Y. state 
records, far more eastern sightings of this species are in the colder months.

..
A DICKCISSEL was a nice find by Ron Lugo of Manhattan, in Central Park/N.Y. 
City on 9/9; details below. This bird in first-year plumage was again in the 
same area on Thurdsay morning, 9/10.

-   -   -   -   -
N.Y. County, including Manhattan, Randall’s, & Governors Island[s] -

Sun., 9/6 - Winds went light and a more humid air mass was approaching the N.Y. 
City region, partly from marine (Atlantic) influence, as well as slowed or 
stalled movement of weather fronts to the west of the region.  There was 
departure-migration on Sat. night, with a lot less arrival as compensation.  A 
good day for Solitary Sandpipers with at least 4 seen in the county on the day; 
one of those, at least, has apparently been lingering for two weeks or so in 
Central Park (assuming same individual mainly in one location).  A White-eyed 
Vireo was of note in Central Park. 

Although overall no’s. of individual migrants were not very high, diversity was 
still fairly good in some groups, warblers most of all, with at least 22 
warbler species noted on the day, & of those at least 19 in Central Park alone 
with so many observers looking; a Mourning Warbler was a nice find by A. Messer 
& R. Thomas in the Ramble of Central Park, & enjoyed by other observers later. 

Although not sought by dozens of watchers as was the one still lingering in 
Bryant Park (near 42nd St., midtown Manhattan), the Sora noted on W. 25 St. in 
Manhattan - a different individual & seen/ photo’d. concurrent with the 
preceding - by P. Shure, was illustrative of the fact the rails have been on 
the move, and further, that although typically secretive and thus not too-often 
discovered on migration and out-of-expected habitat, they can be numerous as 
migrants at the peaks of their movements; sadly this group (most often either 
Sora or Virginia Rail) do occur in migration in such odd, and sometimes very 
risky (at best) locations, although hopefully, most get on to where they need 
to.  After rather early initial two had been seen in Central Park some while 
ago, more N. Shovelers made their way in again to Central Park, and are now 
likely to be in place for 8 months or