Manhattan, N.Y. City Sunday-Monday, 7 & 8 October, 2012
The Blue Grosbeak noted by many in the Ramble area of Central Park today was at least the 4th of that species in that park, so far this fall. Good migration continued, perhaps more so (from my a.m. observation) on Sunday, with even some street trees and patches of street-side shrubberies /flower plantings receiving some migrants, this not noticed on Monday a.m. - and in Central Park, a nice variety of species, both days, but seemingly a more widely-dispersed and modestly heavier arrival on Sunday, 10/7. A bit of change was also evident as a lot of Gray Catbirds moved on, as did Swainson's (and some of the other) Thrushes, and at least some of the other neotropical-wintering migrants... and more shorter-range migrants (many or most of which winter in the U.S,) began further increases. Certainly the most numerous and evident migrants were Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers and White-throated Sparrows. Ongoing were good numbers of Palm Warbler and some of the other sparrows, with White-crowned and Lincoln's again present in the multiple. (Of the latter, that species is still far more numerous than are Clay-colored in migration in N.Y. City, and while Clay-colored are very much increasing rapidly in recent years as that sparrow expands its breeding/attempted-breeding range eastward, the number of Lincoln's still greatly outnumbers Clay-colored in this part of NY state and I daresay, by a great many overall in the whole of the state, in terms of migrant density and number.) A lot of Kinglets of both species (still more Ruby- than Golden- crowned) and ongoing Red-breasted Nuthatch movement (one of these was in a street tree a few blocks away from C.P.), as well as some White-breasted Nuthatches on the move, and Yellow-bellied Spasuckers, Yellow-shafted Flickers, Eastern Phoebes (and at least a few E. Wood-Pewees, although most have moved on by now, as well as a very few Empidonax-genus flycatchers), numbers of House and Winter Wrens, not all that much Thrush influx (not yet the big push of Hermit) - more of exodus, Blue-headed Vireo in numbers with Red-eyed Vireo declining quickly, more Brown Thrashers but (as already noted) far fewer Gray Catbirds, and for warblers, still a possibility of finding more than ten, perhaps more than a dozen warbler species, but the likelihood per day heading down daily now, and among somewhat more notable warblers reported from Manhattan - a bright male Hooded Warbler in the West Village area (fide Pearl Broder, via Anne Lazarus) & its relative, Wilson's Warbler in Riverside Park Sunday, plus Cape May warbler at least until Sunday in Fort Tryon Park (northern Manhattan). At Riverside, although modest numbers and variety were seen Sunday, it was clear that a nice migration was in effect there as well as area-wide. In that and Central Park have been ongoing smallish flights of Pine Siskins and Purple Finch, with American Goldfinch still lagging. A lot of the finds of the former two species so far have been of small groups in flight, and also singles or perhaps two or three in a patch of seed-bearing plants. (A very few Evening Grosbeaks are starting to turn up in the region, with several locations in Connecticut reporting the species today and others in some proximity to the coastal parts of NY; perhaps already a few have passed thru, and this month is an excellent time to keep one's ears out as well as eyes). Good flights of soaring diurnal migrants in the borough, with species from Turkey Vulture to Bald Eagle as well as more usual Sharp-shimmed and Cooper's Hawks, and all 3 falcon species regular to our area, plus Osprey still on the move and from a few folks, reports of Northern Harrier, including a "gray ghost" adult male seen by Jack Meyer and Karen Asakawa today, from Central. In addition to the birds mentioned, there is a Black-capped Chickadee momentum and iy will remain to be seen if they increase greatly in migration - "good" years for that can be those in which to watch for the rare, but possible Boreal mixed in (usually) with a strong flight of Black-capped, south of the former's usual northern range. There has also been a modest uptick in Tufted Titmouse movement. Of many other migrants, some are getting scarcer such as Scarlet Tanager and Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and some a bit more common such as Eastern Towhee... again that difference from those which winter in tropical locations, and those which don't. Some of the species that mainly winter in the tropics bear a little closer scrutiny now, as they could turn out to be not the eastern, but a western species, just one example being of hummingbirds that come along, particularly if found in November, but already a goodly number of Rufous Hummers are being found around the eastern states & north of Maryland, with sightings up thru Maine and the Maritimes also. good fall 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/ --
