[nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - 'old' & New Year sightings, incl. 2 W. Tanagers, 5 warbler spp., parrots, duckage & many lingering birds

[Tom Fiore]

With so many birders and others from many states (including from NY state) 
having gone up to Maine recently to observe the extraordinary Steller’s Sea 
Eagle there (from Dec. 30th at the Maine location, seen by many there as of 
12/31, and since then!!) , this blog entry has an interesting take on that one 
bird & in a way, on such ‘vagrant’ birds, in general.
https://www.raptorresource.org/2021/12/31/about-that-stellers-sea-eagle/ 


And although also (even-more) extra-limital to the region, a (*first U.S. 
record*) Bat Falcon was continuing to be seen at Santa Ana N.W.R. in Hidalgo 
County, Texas, with many observers. Just a bit closer to the northeast, a White 
Wagtail (Motacilla alba) had been photo’d. (from a C.B.C. conducted on Jan. 1, 
’22) at a restriced-access location in North Carolina (in Brunswick County, 
N.C.).

-  -  -  -
A number of observers were able to follow-up with further sightings of the 
Slaty-backed Gull (that D. Wheeler found in Madison County, NY on 12/30/’21) 
and which was still present at that county’s landfill area to at least New 
Year’s Day 2022, and which just might still be around that area. 
….
It’s worth having 2nd & 3rd looks at any Waxwings that show up especially 
coastally in the southeast parts of N.Y. as there may be a few of the larger 
species - with Bohemian *potentially* showing up, perhaps only as singles and 
which might or might not be mixed up with Cedars; one of the former rarer 
species was seen & photo’d. quite recently in south-coastal Massachusetts.  And 
a wide variety of other uncommon to unusual species have been appearing around 
south-coastal New England - a frigatebird (probably a Magnificent Frigate) 
being one of those, seen at Nantucket, off Massachusetts, on 1/2/’22.   In 
Kings County/Brooklyn, an Ash-throated Flycatcher was still being seen by 
multiple seekers and there have been (at least, among lingering warblers) a N. 
Parula, Palm, Pine and ongoing Orange-crowned Warblers around Brooklyn as well, 
into the new year.  The change-over to more-wintry weather may be rough on some 
of the insectivorous late-lingerers, even if a number of mostly-insect-eating 
birds can make part of their diet small ‘winter’ fruits, where available.  

 ….
New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, Governors 
Island, & the adjacent waters and sky -
Friday, 12/31/’21 through Saturday & Sunday, Jan. 1st & 2nd:

Two Western Tanagers continued on for 2022, with one by-far the more readily 
(and generally easily) seen, that being at Carl Schurz Park; the other ongoing 
around West 48th St. & near Tenth Ave. but that individual has been tough to 
spot at times, having perhaps made a larger feeding or roosting circuit of the 
neighborhood; it has been on W. 48th St. (east of Tenth Ave.) a few times & 
also in the park along Tenth Ave., Hell’s Kitchen park and adjacent trees, and 
also over the roofs that are in that area as well… reminiscent of the year-ago 
one of same species that was lingering in the Chelsea area; this bird’s not 
been in the Clinton Community Garden a lot as far as I know, but - I’ve not 
stayed to watch and see if it has continued to show in that garden, which is 
visible from W. 48th.  The Carl Schurz Park W. Tanager has been seen at various 
times, but often early to mid-mornings are a good period to seek it, and it 
regulraly comes to and stays not far from the feeder array on the western edge 
of that park, just south of the main (W. 86th St.) entrance & also just west of 
the gate at the n.-w. corner of the Catbird Playground in the park. It may take 
some patience to see either of these 2 W. Tanagers, but it seems especially so 
of the Clinton-area tanager - and the more so of late. (Also being seen often 
at Carl Schurz Park is Hermit Thrush, a species also lingering in multiple 
other sites in N.Y. County, which is not at all uncommon for that species -in 
winter- in that county.)   Incidentally, there are reports of multiple other W. 
Tanagers in various states this January in the northeast and mid-Atlantic 
states. 

Two Monk Parakeets (which breed in N.Y. City - and in multiple states nearby, 
and are ‘countable’ as such, as they are long-established in some areas within 
the region) were found again in the neighborhood most-often known as Inwood, 
with a sighting for Sunday 1/2 at Fort Tryon Park.

In Central Park alone over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) more than 55 
species of birds were found; a decent number for this time of the year. That 
total included the (at least) 3 lingering warbler species there, which are - 
Orange-crowned Warbler still at and near the edge of the C.P. reservoir, lately 
near the n.w. portion, and the Black-throated Blue Warbler (in female-appearing 
plumage) and also an Ovenbird, in and around the C.P. Zoo areas, including 
within & near the (outdoor) crane enclosure - all 3 of these very 

[nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - 'old' & New Year sightings, incl. 2 W. Tanagers, 5 warbler spp., parrots, duckage & many lingering birds

[Tom Fiore]

With so many birders and others from many states (including from NY state) 
having gone up to Maine recently to observe the extraordinary Steller’s Sea 
Eagle there (from Dec. 30th at the Maine location, seen by many there as of 
12/31, and since then!!) , this blog entry has an interesting take on that one 
bird & in a way, on such ‘vagrant’ birds, in general.
https://www.raptorresource.org/2021/12/31/about-that-stellers-sea-eagle/ 


And although also (even-more) extra-limital to the region, a (*first U.S. 
record*) Bat Falcon was continuing to be seen at Santa Ana N.W.R. in Hidalgo 
County, Texas, with many observers. Just a bit closer to the northeast, a White 
Wagtail (Motacilla alba) had been photo’d. (from a C.B.C. conducted on Jan. 1, 
’22) at a restriced-access location in North Carolina (in Brunswick County, 
N.C.).

-  -  -  -
A number of observers were able to follow-up with further sightings of the 
Slaty-backed Gull (that D. Wheeler found in Madison County, NY on 12/30/’21) 
and which was still present at that county’s landfill area to at least New 
Year’s Day 2022, and which just might still be around that area. 
….
It’s worth having 2nd & 3rd looks at any Waxwings that show up especially 
coastally in the southeast parts of N.Y. as there may be a few of the larger 
species - with Bohemian *potentially* showing up, perhaps only as singles and 
which might or might not be mixed up with Cedars; one of the former rarer 
species was seen & photo’d. quite recently in south-coastal Massachusetts.  And 
a wide variety of other uncommon to unusual species have been appearing around 
south-coastal New England - a frigatebird (probably a Magnificent Frigate) 
being one of those, seen at Nantucket, off Massachusetts, on 1/2/’22.   In 
Kings County/Brooklyn, an Ash-throated Flycatcher was still being seen by 
multiple seekers and there have been (at least, among lingering warblers) a N. 
Parula, Palm, Pine and ongoing Orange-crowned Warblers around Brooklyn as well, 
into the new year.  The change-over to more-wintry weather may be rough on some 
of the insectivorous late-lingerers, even if a number of mostly-insect-eating 
birds can make part of their diet small ‘winter’ fruits, where available.  

 ….
New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, Governors 
Island, & the adjacent waters and sky -
Friday, 12/31/’21 through Saturday & Sunday, Jan. 1st & 2nd:

Two Western Tanagers continued on for 2022, with one by-far the more readily 
(and generally easily) seen, that being at Carl Schurz Park; the other ongoing 
around West 48th St. & near Tenth Ave. but that individual has been tough to 
spot at times, having perhaps made a larger feeding or roosting circuit of the 
neighborhood; it has been on W. 48th St. (east of Tenth Ave.) a few times & 
also in the park along Tenth Ave., Hell’s Kitchen park and adjacent trees, and 
also over the roofs that are in that area as well… reminiscent of the year-ago 
one of same species that was lingering in the Chelsea area; this bird’s not 
been in the Clinton Community Garden a lot as far as I know, but - I’ve not 
stayed to watch and see if it has continued to show in that garden, which is 
visible from W. 48th.  The Carl Schurz Park W. Tanager has been seen at various 
times, but often early to mid-mornings are a good period to seek it, and it 
regulraly comes to and stays not far from the feeder array on the western edge 
of that park, just south of the main (W. 86th St.) entrance & also just west of 
the gate at the n.-w. corner of the Catbird Playground in the park. It may take 
some patience to see either of these 2 W. Tanagers, but it seems especially so 
of the Clinton-area tanager - and the more so of late. (Also being seen often 
at Carl Schurz Park is Hermit Thrush, a species also lingering in multiple 
other sites in N.Y. County, which is not at all uncommon for that species -in 
winter- in that county.)   Incidentally, there are reports of multiple other W. 
Tanagers in various states this January in the northeast and mid-Atlantic 
states. 

Two Monk Parakeets (which breed in N.Y. City - and in multiple states nearby, 
and are ‘countable’ as such, as they are long-established in some areas within 
the region) were found again in the neighborhood most-often known as Inwood, 
with a sighting for Sunday 1/2 at Fort Tryon Park.

In Central Park alone over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) more than 55 
species of birds were found; a decent number for this time of the year. That 
total included the (at least) 3 lingering warbler species there, which are - 
Orange-crowned Warbler still at and near the edge of the C.P. reservoir, lately 
near the n.w. portion, and the Black-throated Blue Warbler (in female-appearing 
plumage) and also an Ovenbird, in and around the C.P. Zoo areas, including 
within & near the (outdoor) crane enclosure - all 3 of these very