First about the Sterling Forest / Orange Co. Mississippi Kite, it might be added to the reports on this list that Aimee Labarr, and Maha Katnani, both of Dutchess County NY, played a good role in the initial (first) find of the kite... the first identification and then the report immediately following. Nice to offer some credit to those who were part of that initial sighting. And about MS kites -
perhaps it was already noted here that Sandy Hook, New Jersey observers reported as many as TEN Mississippi Kites in view there today. That's a bunch, even in these 21st-century times-they-are-a- (...climate)-changing! (see: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1205&L=JerseyBi&T=0&O=A&P=39451 which is just one of a number of reports on the sightings.) ... ... ... ... ... ... In Van Cortlandt Park, the Bronx (N.Y. City) today (Memorial Day Monday, May 28, 2012) I found a Slate-colored Junco in part of the older-growth woods. This is by far (by perhaps a few weeks or so, with the exception as noted below, which I also saw before its' last- reported date in Manhattan) the latest I have seen this species within N.Y. City, and even if the species breeds fairly commonly on higher ground within less than 100 miles of NYC, it's still a bit of a surprise this late in the spring. I am aware that a junco of this species was still "stuck' at Bryant Park well into this May, so it could be something that also happened with this individual. ... ... ... ... ... ... Central Park (Manhattan, N.Y. City) featured a couple of Mourning Warblers, and rather few other definite migrants, although a few more Acadian Flycatchers seemed to reinforce those that had been moving through (as of today, May 28). A (reportedly singing male) Prothonotary Warbler was photographed by a Staten Island birder on the southern end of that island, a part of N.Y. City (at least politically) and of course the southernmost county in NY state. This and a whole lot of once "southern" species may one day be seen by the next generations of NY and northeastern birders as fairly regular and possibly as regularly breeding species. One need merely look at the status of "Northern" Cardinal, "Northern" Mockingbird and so on from a century ago in NY to get the idea of this. Good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
