RE:[nysbirds-l] Black Vulture in Queens
Another Black Vulture at Alley Creek today, heading east. I saw a post from Tim Healy of two Black Vultures over Hempstead Lake State Park. Is there something going on? Actually, I wonder what took them so long to discover Long Island. They're quite comfortable in coastal areas in Florida. They do like fish. Other interesting moment of the day - a high kettle of 17 (seemingly migrating) Fish Crows (or at least their version of a kettle). Steve Walter From: Steve Walter [mailto:swalte...@verizon.net] Sent: Monday, April 08, 2019 6:32 PM To: NYSBIRDS (nysbird...@list.cornell.edu) Subject: Black Vulture in Queens Finally, after all these years, I got a Black Vulture in Queens County. Of course, it took a lot of deliberately looking up in the sky at what I dare call the Alley Creek Hawk Watch. Yea, there are a few coming through here, although the kind of Turkey Vulture flight seen last year has not materialized this season (no more than 10 in a day). Today's flight was led by 18 Ospreys and 7 Northern Harriers. While there was actually a better day for Harriers last year, I was surprised to see 4 in the sky at once. 3 were in a kettle. As some of you know, that's call a Three Ring Circus. While the heading of most migrants here averages east-northeast, the Black Vulture was heading west. That may very well be valid for a migrant on Long Island. I've considered the wintering populations of Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, which are more common in winter than summer, and what route they might take to move to summer territories. Aside from raptors, there was a continuous movement of Double-crested Cormorants, although most groups were small. A few Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons added to the flight. In non-migrant notes, the Killdeer pair is nesting again on the lawn. I assume there are the standard four eggs, but don't want to disturb them to confirm. A single Common Raven has been coming around with some regularity, sometimes quite low right over me. There is also a pair that I haven't seen in over a week, potentially moving to a nesting location not too far away. Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- 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/ --
RE:[nysbirds-l] Black Vulture in Queens
Another Black Vulture at Alley Creek today, heading east. I saw a post from Tim Healy of two Black Vultures over Hempstead Lake State Park. Is there something going on? Actually, I wonder what took them so long to discover Long Island. They're quite comfortable in coastal areas in Florida. They do like fish. Other interesting moment of the day - a high kettle of 17 (seemingly migrating) Fish Crows (or at least their version of a kettle). Steve Walter From: Steve Walter [mailto:swalte...@verizon.net] Sent: Monday, April 08, 2019 6:32 PM To: NYSBIRDS (nysbird...@list.cornell.edu) Subject: Black Vulture in Queens Finally, after all these years, I got a Black Vulture in Queens County. Of course, it took a lot of deliberately looking up in the sky at what I dare call the Alley Creek Hawk Watch. Yea, there are a few coming through here, although the kind of Turkey Vulture flight seen last year has not materialized this season (no more than 10 in a day). Today's flight was led by 18 Ospreys and 7 Northern Harriers. While there was actually a better day for Harriers last year, I was surprised to see 4 in the sky at once. 3 were in a kettle. As some of you know, that's call a Three Ring Circus. While the heading of most migrants here averages east-northeast, the Black Vulture was heading west. That may very well be valid for a migrant on Long Island. I've considered the wintering populations of Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, which are more common in winter than summer, and what route they might take to move to summer territories. Aside from raptors, there was a continuous movement of Double-crested Cormorants, although most groups were small. A few Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons added to the flight. In non-migrant notes, the Killdeer pair is nesting again on the lawn. I assume there are the standard four eggs, but don't want to disturb them to confirm. A single Common Raven has been coming around with some regularity, sometimes quite low right over me. There is also a pair that I haven't seen in over a week, potentially moving to a nesting location not too far away. Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- 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/ --
