Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City Tuesday, 3 Oct., thru Monday, 9th October, 2017
Some days & nights with seemingly little arrival, yet movement has continued & there have been surprise migration movements on nights of what may have seemed “off” wind direction; time of year now induces a number of species, & individuals, to get moving, &, so they have been. The lingering & some (now) quite late migrants are mixing with arrival of more & more typical migrants of later-autumn, with duckage increasing on water-bodies, & some sparrows more evident by the day… & overall, the species-richness of neotropical-wintering migrants diminishing even as a relative few lingerers here have made if “feel” as if summer is not yet done with us (along with the summer-ish temperatures & humidities); this may be a last-gasp of such warmth, unless yet more weather arising from tropical-storm systems continue to push north to our region in the weeks ahead. Only time will tell, but for immediate changes, we should see results with fresh arrivals & departures quite soon; this is autumn, after all. Monday (a.k.a. Columbus Day in some parts) featured rather sparse pickings, some lingerers, such as Cape May Warblers (5 or more in the Pinetum elms & vicinity) & other warblers, and some of the ducks noted in the list below, but very low no’s. of gulls, & nothing of real note in any water-body; the fields or places with any small puddles, from today’s rains, held no birds, or anyhow none of any note, in my passes thru all sections of the park. Still, I came up with 11 warbler species, even after so much departure had occurred. We may see a lot of fresh arrival as this week proceeds. Whether we see “storm-related” avian waifs or other effects, remains to be found, but I won’t hold my breath (and keeping in mind that this is the start of a typical period of southern/western/other vagrant species appearing in the northeast, storms or not.) Incidentally (& noted in some more detail below), the Monarchs stopping off on their southwest-bound migrations have been ongoing in great numbers; more than 200 in Central Park alone on this wet, warm, & south-windy day. Notable, if moderately expected, were the finds of several more (October) Central Park Orange-crowned Warblers with photos &/or good details, including those reported on-site in the north end on Friday, in 2 locations, by 'north-end regulars' Ken Chaya, & Karen Fung (in separate but nearby areas) and seen also by others later. There was also another Orange-crowned seen by several or more observers at the stream near West 77 St. (n. side) on Wed./4th, & that location was still holding on to a Northern Waterthrush to at least Saturday/7th. Up to 22 species of warblers have been found thru Saturday, Oct. 7th, which is a rather high number of species for that far into the season. This seems likely to be in part due to all of the tropical weather systems pushing up into our region, and slowing, or really delaying portions of the southward migration by various means (even as typical migrant arrivals have come in &/or passed thru). It also has begun to seem a trend for more & more birds to linger later, that were once likelier gone-south by mid-autumn; however some of that may be due to greater observer presence ongoing through the recent era, to the present. It is not so clear this is a trend for all that many neotropical-wintering species, if any, although we do know that some species breeding ranges (not only of warblers) appear to be shifting north, in our lifetimes. Many, many observers have been out & about most days, slightly fewer once these rains arrived… Pied-billed Grebe (at least 1 continues at the reservoir) Double-crested Cormorant (multiple fly-overs some days, as well as ongoing regulars at reservoir, & occasional at other water-bodies) Great Blue Heron (occasional at various water-bodies &/or flying low over the park) Great Egret (last definitely seen at The Pond, Friday, 6th) Black-crowned Night-Heron (several continuing to visit the reservoir, Pond, & poss. other water-bodies) Wood Duck (2 drakes, one very regular at The Pond, & a 2nd there &/or at other waterbodies) Gadwall (maximum of 16, most continuing thru the period) American Black Duck (max. of 10, some still continuing) Mallard (common) Green-winged Teal (1, reservoir) Ring-necked Duck (1 first-year male on reservoir early Sunday, 8th, not noted later in the day there, but poss. still present) Ruddy Duck (minimum of 63 on reservoir as of Saturday, 7th, & continuing on) Osprey (several fly-overs to at least Saturday, 7th) Sharp-shinned Hawk (multiple, including migrant fly-overs to Saturday, 7th) Cooper's Hawk (several sightings thru period, including migrant fly-overs) Broad-winged Hawk (very few to at least Wed., Oct. 4th) Red-tailed Hawk (regular, local residents) American Kestrel (multiple, including local residents & likely at least some migrants) Merlin (thru at least Friday, Oct. 6th) Peregrine Falcon (regular, local area/city residents) American Coot (1 as of Sunday, Oct. 8th, reservoir) Lesser Yellowlegs (1, Sunday, reservoir dike, to at least 8:30 a.m.; not re-found later despite extensive scanning) Laughing Gull (at least 1 thru Thursday, Oct. 5th, reservoir) Ring-billed Gull (many now regular at reservoir, & seen as fly-overs & in lower no’s. at other waterbodies) [American] Herring Gull (100’s on many days at the reservoir) Great Black-backed Gull (many, esp. evident on the reservoir) ['feral'] Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo (at least 1 continuing in north woods to Saturday, 7th) Chimney Swift (diminished no’s. but still more than a dozen, to Monday, 9th) Ruby-throated Hummingbird (several sightings of this species thru Fri., 6th) Hummingbird species (several, presumed Ruby-throated but other species from the western U.S. become possible at this season) Belted Kingfisher (Thurs., 5th) Red-bellied Woodpecker (resident) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (multiple, some have taken on territories & many have moved thru) Downy Woodpecker (resident) Hairy Woodpecker (1 thru 7th) Yellow-shafted Flicker (many, including a mildly surprising fresh arrival thru the fog on Sunday morning, with 50+ newly arrived then) Eastern Wood-Pewee (last definitively seen on Thursday, 5th, but some still being “reported”… & getting a little late for this species) Empidonax [genus] Flycatcher (any seen from now ought be scrutinized; with still Least Flycatcher being identified to Thursday, 5th) Eastern Phoebe (multiple, many also moving on thru the period) Great Crested Flycatcher (still one definitively to Thursday, 5th) Blue-headed Vireo (multiple, & many moved thru as well) Yellow-throated Vireo (definitively to at least Friday, 6th, & now late to find) Warbling Vireo (thru at least Friday, 6th, also running late) Philadelphia Vireo (to Friday, 6th, with good details as well as some photos) Red-eyed Vireo (few now, multiple thru last week, & not yet particularly late) Blue Jay (many including fair numbers on diurnal migration, on some days) Common Raven (at least 2 which have been occasional over & in the park) American Crow (multiple, but not great numbers lately) Black-capped Chickadee (very modest numbers all this season so far) Tufted Titmouse (modest numbers thru the season so far) White-breasted Nuthatch (resident, and few possible migrators around) Brown Creeper (relatively few this past week Carolina Wren (uncommon, and continuing) House Wren (very few lingering thru Sunday, 8th) Winter Wren (very few lingering, an additional arrival of more is anticipated) Golden-crowned Kinglet (many for so early in season already, diminshed by Sunday) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (ongoing, but far fewer now than in prior weeks) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (fairly late on Saturday, 7th) Veery (still a few and quite late, to at least Sat. 7th) Gray-cheeked Thrush (several of this type, to Sunday, 8th) Bicknell's Thrush (*possible, in the mix with above migrant) Swainson's Thrush (modest numbers to at least Sat., then scarce by Sunday, 8th) Hermit Thrush (modest numbers, a strong push of this species not yet arrived here) Wood Thrush (few to at least Saturday 7th) American Robin (many, & a fresh arrival of many hundreds Sunday, 8th, including morning & diurnal flight) Gray Catbird (greatly diminished no’s. but still in various locations) Northern Mockingbird (residents, & probably some moving about) Brown Thrasher (uncommon again, after a fairly good early showing) European Starling Cedar Waxwing (modest numbers, some in diurnal flight on some days) - Tennessee Warbler (few but still present into Sunday, 8th) Orange-crowned Warbler (several well-seen & documented with details in several locations) Nashville Warbler (some still present to Sunday, 8th) Northern Parula (fewer, but still present to Sunday) Yellow Warbler (at least 1 to Friday, 6th, in north end) Chestnut-sided Warbler (several thru at least Sat. 7th) Magnolia Warbler (multiple, still present to Monday 9th) Cape May Warbler (more than 8 still present thru Monday including at least 5 in Pinetum area) Black-throated Blue Warbler (few but still present to Mon.) Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler (big push including obvious movement in north end Friday, & ongoing to Mon. in lesser no’s.) Black-throated Green Warbler (multiple, diminished no’s. by Sunday) Blackburnian Warbler (1 reliably reported to Saturday, 7th, & getting quite late) Pine Warbler (multiple, with an evident small push on Friday, 6th) Prairie Warbler (1 late individual lingering to Sat., 7th in Ramble) Palm Warbler (multiple of both forms, fewer around after Sat. 7th) Bay-breasted Warbler (1 lingering to Sat. 7th, & getting a bit late) Blackpoll Warbler (at least several to Sat., 7th) Black-and-white Warbler (fewer by Sat. but 2 or more lingering to Monday, 9th) American Redstart (few as of Sunday, 8th) Ovenbird (fewer lingering by Sunday, 8th) Northern Waterthrush (at least one thru Saturday 7th) Common Yellowthroat (multiple, but greatly diminished by Sunday) Hooded Warbler (one thru at least Saturday in Ramble) Wilson's Warbler (2 or more to at least Sat.) - Scarlet Tanager (multiples to at least Sat. & a few detected thru Monday, 9th) Eastern Towhee (modest numbers, after a good early passage; some still lingering) Chipping Sparrow (modest numbers, including an obvious fresh arrival on Friday) Field Sparrow (few lingering, still early for the larger push) Savannah Sparrow (1 or 2 lingering into at least Sat. 7th) Song Sparrow (scanty no’s. now after a small early push; some residents also still about) Lincoln's Sparrow (very few lingered to Sunday, 8th) Swamp Sparrow (scant numbers but more are still expected to push thru, some remaining) White-throated Sparrow (common, but many of the early-arriving batches have moved on) White-crowned Sparrow (several still lingering into Sunday, 8th) Dark-eyed [Slate-colored] Junco (few lingering, after a small & early push) Northern Cardinal (common) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (few lingering after Saturday, 7th) Indigo Bunting (several on Fri., 6th, & at least 1 to Sunday) Red-winged Blackbird (very modest push on Sunday, 8th) Common Grackle (most of earlier batches moved on, but still some hundreds through the park) Brown-headed Cowbird (modest fresh arrival, Sunday) Baltimore Oriole (1, male, Sunday, near compost area) Purple Finch (several have been reported in the past week, from the Ramble) House Finch (fairly common in some areas) American Goldfinch (scant numbers) House Sparrow (over-abundant city resident) Thanks to all those practicing ethical and common-sense birding in a very busy urban park, by giving respect to all the birds & other birders. This includes those leaders & guides for non-profit organizations that have walks in Central Park such as the Linnaean Society of New York, the American Museum of Natural History, the NY City Audubon chapter (NYCAS), the newer non-profit called NYCH2O, & various other non-profit organizations. The migrations of Monarch butterflies continues at very good pace, many hundreds per day being seen from Central Park alone (& far more at some coastal / shore areas in N.Y. City) in this past week. Also occuring in great numbers, as part of a nearly continent-wide irruptive movement are Painted Lady butterflies, the “other” and usually more-scarce of 2 Lady species; normally our more-common is the American Lady, which may also be found at this season. Various other butterflies are continuing, & a special find this past week was of Ocola Skipper, a much more southern species for the most part, documented by expert all-around naturalist Peter W. Post; this sighting was near Central Park West, just inside the park. (It is an irregular visitor to this area, some years almost unseen here, rarely more than a few noted in a season.) Additional skipper species being seen & continuing have been Sachem, & Fiery Skipper. Common Buckeye has also continued to be found, in this good year for that more-common-to-our-south species. Many, many other insects of note are also being found by some of the naturalists studying various families in the vast array of insect & arthropod diversity, found even in the urban wild. Some of these, the more notable especially, may be found documented through the BugGuide.com <http://bugguide.com/> website, which is non-profit. Good observations 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/ --