To further add to the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (YBFL) discussion, I was provided with some of the earliest arrival banding dates from John and Sue Gregoire at Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory (KHMO). Some of these data can be accessed on their website (http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/index.html) by going to the Wildlife page (http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/KHMOWildlife.html) and selecting the Arrival dates PDF link (http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/KHMO-Arrivals.pdf).
The earliest arrival banding dates they have on record are as follows; they started banding in 1986; if there is not a year present, then a YBFL was not banded that spring: 1990 - 21 May 1991 - 11 May 1994 - 23 May 1995 - 23 May 2003 - 30 May 2005 - 18 May 2006 - 28 May 2007 - 30 May I was able to locate some of my own personal YBFL sighting data (all of which were seen - and in many cases heard - at the Hawthorn Orchard in Northeast Ithaca, NY), which is not entirely entered into eBird (shame on me!). I know I'm missing a few sighting dates, including at least one for June: 2001 - 24 May 2002 - 24 May 2005 - 26 May 2005 - 27 May 2006 - 24 May 2008 - 24 May 2008 - 25 May (https://picasaweb.google.com/cth4th/2008HawthornOrchardBirds#) 2009 - 25 May 2010 - 15 May 2010 - 16 May Hopes this helps! Sincerely, Chris T-H -- Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes TARU Product Line Manager and Field Applications Engineer Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 W: 607-254-2418 M: 607-351-5740 F: 607-254-1132 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp From: bounce-21833423-3686...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-21833423-3686...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Seth Ausubel Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 9:22 PM To: NYSBIRDS-L Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC 4/25 (incl. YTWA report & much, much more, Varied Thrush also still there...) I will add some slightly earlier dates for Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. In the Spring 2010 Kingbird Region 10 compilation (KB 60:3, September 2010), I cited the arrival date as 14 May based on a reliable report. There are several reports in the eBird data base for 2010 starting 15 May. Seth Ausubel Forest Hills, NY _____ From: bounce-21747506-3714...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-21747506-3714...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Shaibal Mitra Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 4:15 PM To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC 4/25 (incl. YTWA report & much, much more, Varied Thrush also still there...) >From 1996 through 1999, in the course of near-constant effort banding at the Fire Island Lighthouse, I captured 11 northbound Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, on dates ranging from 19 May through 13 June. Four of these 11 were captured 19-20 May 1996, during one of coastal NY's largest spring landbird flights in recent decades, whereas the other seven were captured on later spring dates. Thus I would tend to agree with Scott's perception of this species as a very late spring migrant--much later than Least, and similar in overall timing to Willow and Alder. It should be noted that Least and Willow breed in southern NYS, and in large numbers at much more southerly latitudes, so it is not terribly surprising to see a few of these species here toward the early end of their respective passage distributions: e.g., a Least Flycatcher or two at the end of April, vs. the median date of 12 May for migrant Leasts at Fire Island; or an early Willow setting up territory around 10 May, vs. the median date of 1 June for migrant Willow/Alders at Fire Island. Yellow-bellied does not breed anywhere south of NYS (maybe a few in the Poconos), thus I would tend to think that the dates of territory occupancy in northern New York would follow closely upon the dates of migratory arrival in the New York City area. Shai Mitra Bay Shore _____ From: bounce-21703424-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-21703424-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Tom Fiore [tom...@earthlink.net] Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 2:28 PM To: nysbirds-L@cornell.edu Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC 4/25 (incl. YTWA report & much, much more, Varied Thrush also still there...) I may respond on-list to Scott Haber's thoughful response to an early Empidonax sighting (by me) reported here & seen on Sunday, 4/24, a putative Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, the ID of which I'm reasonably sure of (seen & heard singing, not calling, at fairly close range in Riverside Park, Manhattan) - and am interested to try and look up records from the region of this and other Empidonax species, including any available specimen & banding records as well as any video-audio-photo records, and sight reports in the early season, particularly any before May 1st. This is not the first Yellow-bellied Flycatcher I have seen & heard singing &.or calling in New York City in the beginning stages of the spring push of neotropical-wintering migrants 9as opposed to shorter-distance migrant species that may primarily overwinter in the southern U.S. or nearby, such as Pine Warbler & any number of others that appear as early as March in our area almost each spring - I do not agree that Yellow-bellied is "among the last" and while I respect the writing of John M.C. Peterson as regards breeding information for New York, I do not think it reflects accurately on the status of migrants in the southern section of the state, with regards to this species of Empidonax. It would be interesting to read and hear from any others who have looked as well as listened carefully to the Empidonax group here in NY and nearby states. Good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan _____ Think green before you print this email. -- 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/ --
