[nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC Oct. 11-12
2 Black-throated Gray Warblers are one of the most-recent western vagrants to appear near southeast NY state, one not that far south of NYC, in Mercer County, N.J. on Oct. 12, the earlier on Oct. 10 at Higbee’s Beach, Cape May County, N.J. Both individuals were photographed; the more recently-seen is in this checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49136279 (and the latter also having been re-found & seen by additional observers on-scene) - - - - - - Manhattan, N.Y. City - A recent escapee or release of a Mandarin Duck in Central Park, at The Pond in the park’s SE sector, had some folks all a-twitter, and I saw a few people seeking that bird still on Friday, with no luck. This is not the first nor 2nd time that species had found it’s way to at least very temporary “freedom” from captivity in Central Park. There were even sightings a couple of decades ago, where the escapee Mandarin got up-close with a Wood Duck (the two species are most closely-related to each other, in the same genus), the latter regular in Central Park, & in one of the long-ago escapee’s time out of captivity, it also visited a few of the other waterbodies of Central Park, beyond the one nearest to the C.P. Zoo. (For those wishing to see a Mandarin Duck truly in the wild, get ready for a trip to northern Asia. The species has been known to breed from parts of California after escapes there, but is not seen as a migrant in this region at all. It is also a species kept by waterfowl fanciers, and the recent one in Central Park had a leg band. There have been feral Mandarin Ducks also in the U.K. and likely the occasional escapes also in other non-Asian regions where waterfowl-fanciers, and zoos, also exist.) - - - Thurs., Oct. 11 - A Worm-eating Warbler, lingering at Union Square Park was noted by A. Deutsch. A Great Egret was noted at the lagoon off the n. side of Inwood Hill Park on a low tide. A number of other smaller parks & green-spaces in Manhattan also held a modest variety of migrants, including some other warbler species. At Central Park, fewer migrants detected than on days just prior, but still Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Wood (1), Gray-cheeked, & Swainson’s Thrushes, & at least one dozen warbler species; among the busier of areas with migrants was from W. 81-86 St. section of the park, including the Pinetum area, where at least 7 warbler species were present. It was also noticed that on this day at least some of the warblers were moving to & from trees lining the bridle path on the n. side of the 86th St. Transverse. Rain was intermittent, but mainly held off to late in the day & that evening. Friday, Oct. 12 - The storm that was Hurricane ‘Michael’ passed east off the s. shore of Long Island, NY Thursday night thru early Friday, as a cold front accompanied by strong NW wind moved in from the WNW also over Thurs. night into early Friday, and the rain was clearing away from N.Y. City shortly before day-break. I went into Central Park’s north end, finding just a modest variety of expected species, and possible evidence of a bit of new arrival, which if so would’ve landed in just the 2 hrs. or so from end of harder rain to before first light & daybreak. It was a very good flight day in much of the eastern U.S. for raptors, falcons, vultures & other diurnally-migrating birds & above all, American Kestrels in Cape May, N.J., where more than 5,400 of those were counted migrating, on just 1 day, & (I believe) this a new record-high 1-day count of the species for that site. Among the very early a.m. sightings at the Great Hill were 3 thrush species: Hermit, Swainson’s, & Gray-cheeked; just a few more Hermit Thrush were subsequently seen in 20 minutes in the n. woods; a few warbler species that included an American Redstart, & a fair number of Blue Jays in a vocal flock. I then moved on to Riverbank St. Park (137th St. edge, with a wide view of sky in all directions) & for 40 minutes, 8 - 8:40 a.m., saw: 6 Bald Eagles (all non-adults, & at one point, 4 in view at once), 10 Ospreys (with up to 6 in view at one point), 3 Sharp-shinned & 1 Cooper’s Hawk, as well as 2 Peregrines (adults, possibly local residents of the area), & a couple of Red-tailed Hawks moving mostly low near buildings, & likely “locals”. By 9 a.m. having returned to Central Park, I took a position near the s. side of the N. Meadow, & observed more raptor & vulture movement, for an additional 2.5 hours, thru 11:30. Further sightings then included at least 14 additional Bald Eagles (mostly non-adults), 8 additional Osprey, 6 additional Sharp-shinned & 4 additional Cooper’s Hawks, 2 Merlins, additional Peregrine sightings as well as several of American Kestrel (although hard to say how many, if any of the latter 2 spp. were of migrants here, or just residents moving around the park as is usual.) Later in the day, the wind diminished & started to be from the west. And,
[nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC Oct. 11-12
2 Black-throated Gray Warblers are one of the most-recent western vagrants to appear near southeast NY state, one not that far south of NYC, in Mercer County, N.J. on Oct. 12, the earlier on Oct. 10 at Higbee’s Beach, Cape May County, N.J. Both individuals were photographed; the more recently-seen is in this checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49136279 (and the latter also having been re-found & seen by additional observers on-scene) - - - - - - Manhattan, N.Y. City - A recent escapee or release of a Mandarin Duck in Central Park, at The Pond in the park’s SE sector, had some folks all a-twitter, and I saw a few people seeking that bird still on Friday, with no luck. This is not the first nor 2nd time that species had found it’s way to at least very temporary “freedom” from captivity in Central Park. There were even sightings a couple of decades ago, where the escapee Mandarin got up-close with a Wood Duck (the two species are most closely-related to each other, in the same genus), the latter regular in Central Park, & in one of the long-ago escapee’s time out of captivity, it also visited a few of the other waterbodies of Central Park, beyond the one nearest to the C.P. Zoo. (For those wishing to see a Mandarin Duck truly in the wild, get ready for a trip to northern Asia. The species has been known to breed from parts of California after escapes there, but is not seen as a migrant in this region at all. It is also a species kept by waterfowl fanciers, and the recent one in Central Park had a leg band. There have been feral Mandarin Ducks also in the U.K. and likely the occasional escapes also in other non-Asian regions where waterfowl-fanciers, and zoos, also exist.) - - - Thurs., Oct. 11 - A Worm-eating Warbler, lingering at Union Square Park was noted by A. Deutsch. A Great Egret was noted at the lagoon off the n. side of Inwood Hill Park on a low tide. A number of other smaller parks & green-spaces in Manhattan also held a modest variety of migrants, including some other warbler species. At Central Park, fewer migrants detected than on days just prior, but still Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Wood (1), Gray-cheeked, & Swainson’s Thrushes, & at least one dozen warbler species; among the busier of areas with migrants was from W. 81-86 St. section of the park, including the Pinetum area, where at least 7 warbler species were present. It was also noticed that on this day at least some of the warblers were moving to & from trees lining the bridle path on the n. side of the 86th St. Transverse. Rain was intermittent, but mainly held off to late in the day & that evening. Friday, Oct. 12 - The storm that was Hurricane ‘Michael’ passed east off the s. shore of Long Island, NY Thursday night thru early Friday, as a cold front accompanied by strong NW wind moved in from the WNW also over Thurs. night into early Friday, and the rain was clearing away from N.Y. City shortly before day-break. I went into Central Park’s north end, finding just a modest variety of expected species, and possible evidence of a bit of new arrival, which if so would’ve landed in just the 2 hrs. or so from end of harder rain to before first light & daybreak. It was a very good flight day in much of the eastern U.S. for raptors, falcons, vultures & other diurnally-migrating birds & above all, American Kestrels in Cape May, N.J., where more than 5,400 of those were counted migrating, on just 1 day, & (I believe) this a new record-high 1-day count of the species for that site. Among the very early a.m. sightings at the Great Hill were 3 thrush species: Hermit, Swainson’s, & Gray-cheeked; just a few more Hermit Thrush were subsequently seen in 20 minutes in the n. woods; a few warbler species that included an American Redstart, & a fair number of Blue Jays in a vocal flock. I then moved on to Riverbank St. Park (137th St. edge, with a wide view of sky in all directions) & for 40 minutes, 8 - 8:40 a.m., saw: 6 Bald Eagles (all non-adults, & at one point, 4 in view at once), 10 Ospreys (with up to 6 in view at one point), 3 Sharp-shinned & 1 Cooper’s Hawk, as well as 2 Peregrines (adults, possibly local residents of the area), & a couple of Red-tailed Hawks moving mostly low near buildings, & likely “locals”. By 9 a.m. having returned to Central Park, I took a position near the s. side of the N. Meadow, & observed more raptor & vulture movement, for an additional 2.5 hours, thru 11:30. Further sightings then included at least 14 additional Bald Eagles (mostly non-adults), 8 additional Osprey, 6 additional Sharp-shinned & 4 additional Cooper’s Hawks, 2 Merlins, additional Peregrine sightings as well as several of American Kestrel (although hard to say how many, if any of the latter 2 spp. were of migrants here, or just residents moving around the park as is usual.) Later in the day, the wind diminished & started to be from the west. And,
