Saturday, 23 October, 2010 - PROTHONOTARY still there in mid-town Manhattan (N.Y. City)!
The male Prothonotary Warbler continues in mid-town Manhattan (New York City) at the front of the New York Public Library (main building) in trees, flower & shrub plantings, and on stone steps and even on chairs & tables set out for visitors in front of the building. The very brightly-colored warbler is feeding well, not only getting some crumbs and tid-bits left by some of us (mainly non-birder visitors) but also feeding from the ground & in the trees, especially in the numerous small locust trees, and may at times be going to where 3 (counted & seen all at once in the area, this a.m.) Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been working in the locust trees. The Prothonotary was seen at least as early as 7:43 a.m. by one intrepid birder from Brooklyn who had arrived as early as 7 a.m. (when still not all that light at that location) and patiently waited for the watbler to make it's presence known. After 8:20 a.m. the warbler seemed to become more active, and it moved thru the area between very near the corner of Fifth Avenue & 40 Street, & (mainly) in the hedges & next to flowers at the front (near the sidewalk) of the south half to about 41 Street, and also at least for some minutes in the trees and also down to the stone of the building entry facade areas, just north of the "north" lion, that is slightly closer to 42 Street than to 41 Street. As of 9:30 a.m. some birders were still following the warbler about when I left. There were at least 8 birders as well as a few non-birders there observing in the first 2 hours this morning. The warbler may appear in extremely close view at times and more than once I was a bit surprised to find it within less than 2 feet (under 1 meter) from my feet. It also was seen a number of times going behind the high solid wood fence where some work is ongoing at the very edge of the library building itself. Based on speaking with a security person, a clean-up person, and a character who called himself "Russell" who feeds the pigeons & house sparrows there regularly, this warbler has been present in that place for between 3-4 weeks or possibly longer. This can be accepted as likely since the bird is so different in color from all others that are frewquenting (or likely have been) that specific area adjacent to Fifth Avenue itself. Even some other species which have been seen in the past several weeks in the area of (the rest of) Bryant Park, more to the west of the library building, towards Sixth (aka "Avenue of the Americas") are not quite so colorful, or most likely with the degree of "chutzpah" that this New York visitor and (for now) resident of mid-town, has been showing off. The warbler gives an impression of almost "knowing" what it is doing, while also being at almost total odds with the way it's species behaves naturally. I am one of many who now have photos (mine taken with a point-&-shoot, many others have used cell-phone cameras) of a Prothonotary Warbler taken from under 8 feet (and even, when the bird came closer to me, from 18 inches!) & with all the signature background of the center of urban life of the modern era. Quite the amazing juxtaposition, drawing for many of us some memories of the not-so-long-ago Scott's Oriole which frequented Manhattan's Union Square Park a few winter's ago, if anything this current (tropical-wintering) warbler even more in the thick of the big city. Thanks to Ben Cacace for a fascinating account of the evening observation as the bird went to roost, and to all who have posted and commented & offered photos & videos on the various birding lists and photo sites, etc. Great fun and there are some beautiful photos of this, in a variety of ways. Good luck - a bit of patience will likely result in great views, so long as one has a bit of time to spare there. - - - some recent "rarity" sightings in the northeastern region, of possible interest to all New York birders... ... A "first-of-season" Cave Swallow was reported at the Cape May, New Jersey hawk-watch as of 22 Oct. ... A "martin species" was noted in Massachusetts as recently as 20 Oct. and may not have been a Purple Martin, indeed as observers of the bird noted it would as likely be a more southerly-breeding species than Purple at this late date for the northeast. Other martin species (besides Purple) have been documented in the northeast. Also being seen in recent days in a number of locations have been swifts and various "non-Tree" swallows. Any swift and any swallow other than Tree become intriguing when we get into November, as do any hummingbird species and any nighthawk or nightjar sightings. For each of these kinds of birds a strong possibility exists for any of them found in November through at least the winter months in the northeast, or even almost anywhere in N. America north of Mexico, that they may not be of the particular "expected" breeding species we will see in spring and summer. All such birds found in cooler months ought be brought immediately to other's attention and documented with field notes, field sketches and any photos as thoroughly and as soon as is possible. It is fascinating to read the post to this list from Karlo Mirth of Queens, NY as it brings up a situation which is often much more common than is commonly realized: that 'rare' birds are very often in place in what location they are first reported from for some time ahead of the initial reports (usually by rather experienced birders) may suggest, indeed it is sometimes the case that a particular bird has been understood to be present for many weeks or months as more information is gathered. In some cases the 'new' information may include documentary photo, video, or audio, at other times definitive descriptive data, whether from birder or non-birder. ... Green-tailed Towhee in Ontario, Canada: http://mailman.hwcn.org/pipermail/ontbirds/Week-of-Mon-20101018/025521.html ... Golden-crowned Sparrow, Derry New Hampshire - photos: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NHBD.html#1287359590 ... Purple Gallinule found dead in New Hampshire (early Oct.): http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NHBD.html#1287443768 ... Note on the White-tailed Kite's departure from Connecticut after 71 days there (moved to N.J.?)- http://lists.ctbirding.org/pipermail/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org/Week-of-Mon-20101018/022057.html ... Hummingbirds, including some noted as Selasphorus [genus], Rufous, or lingering Ruby-thoated have been mentioned in various parts of the greater northeast. After about November 1, the species of hummingbird is much less likely to be a Ruby-throated, as we go on towards a first day of winter. Even by mid-October the majority of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are in areas well to our south. The next most "likely" species appears to be Rufous yet any number of other hummingbird species are possible; even truly tropical species can't all be ruled out. Tom Fiore, Manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
