VETERAN'S DAY - Friday, 11th of November, 2016 - this is written early in the morning of this day we honor those who have served in our nation's military - for myself, that includes both of my parents, and generations of grand, great-grand, and greater- grand- fathers before, and too many uncles and cousins and friends and neighbors and teachers and co-workers and more than can be counted - as well as, by extension, all the many women who supported, and maintained families, home & abroad, when duty and nation called men up and into battle, to service, and to unity against such enemies as the ones we defeated in Europe in WWII. Thanks to all who have served, who sacrificed, who gave even their own lives in that service, when called: Never forgotten.
- - - - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City Thursday 10th: A young Red-headed Woodpecker remained in trees a bit north of the Carousel and also north of the 65th Street Transverse Road that undercuts the park - this is south of the southeast corner of Sheep Meadow & the bird has been rather quiet and unobtrusive on most visits I've made there (& there are other more-common woodpecker species in the vicinity, which may be much more vocal & obvious) - have not found any additional Red-headeds in the park in some days, but suspect there just may be another or two around, possibly in an equally under- visited area of the park. I Iocated just 2 species of Warblers for the day, 1 Myrtle and an Ovenbird, the latter continuing in the north end for what seems like a few weeks, if the same individual - a Blackpoll Warbler was found in Union Sqare Park (in downtown Manhattan) by Alice Deutsch Thursday - & there easily may be some other warblers yet lingering or going to turn up (in Manhattan) - besides multiple or multi-dimensional Chats, that is! (A Chat of recent weeks in Central seems not to have been re-found by multitudes of ongoing seekers; maybe it got inspired by the NYC marathoners & at the least, checked into 'downtown' quarters - there were actually some reports from 2 additional sites farther - from Central Park - downtown Iast week, besides any mentioned to this Iist, by anyone; whether these aII invoIved separate individuaIs, or not, is conjecture (if there were more than 2 chats in Manhattan at a time, that is- which is entireIy pIausibIe) The reservoir was host to at least a pair of Hooded Mergansers (and another pair at the Meer) as well as a trio of American Coot (& a 4th remaining at The Pond in the park's SE corner), & the 8 Buffleheads & nearly 200 Ruddy Ducks that have been regular plus some Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, & typical gulls, geese, and a p.m. visit from a Double-crested Cormorant. Kinglets of both species, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbirds (few), Eastern Towhee, & some other now-uncommon species round out part of what else has been seen lately in Central; a much more thorough wander however may well turn up some nice surprises. The overall numbers of migrants (or potential wintering visitors) seemed down in the past few days, though, the more so by Wednesday/9th. - - - - - - - - - - "They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds." - DeRay Mckesson, American activist & writer. - - - All who wish to support fact-based journalism over the coming weeks, months, and years may want to take out a paid subscription to your newspaper or magazine of choice - real support to actual news- gathering and working-reporter organizations: they will need that support now more than ever - informed citizens make good citizens, and help build healthy democracies. good after mid-autumn birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan - New York - U S A - Supporter for the rights of all beings, and of- diversity & education & opportunities. Born in the mountains of North Carolina, in the shadow of Mt. Mitchell, NC, the highest US peak east of the Mississippi. (worked out of college to elect more women to local-state-national offices, with some defeats and some successes; a supporter to progressive organizations; Draft-Registered but 2-months-too-young to serve in Vietnam - as that ended; visitor & traveler to (so far) 45 nations / 5 continents; lived in Mexico 2 months. - - - - - Father & Mother - US Army, 1942-45 (WWII European-theatre, defeat of Hitler; father in Infantry; mother in Women's Army Corps- logistics & communications) Sister - friend, teacher, professional working musician, black-belt/3 martial-arts Grandmother - (support for NAACP, ACLU organizations, from their foundings) Grandfather - US Army - (WWI Infantry, BeIgium-France - the front & trenches) Grandmother & Grandfather (immigration, Italy - USA; fleeing fascism at home) Aunts - mostly working women, WWII war efforts & supporting families at home Uncles - US Marines, US Army, US Navy, US Air Force (WWII- defeat of Hitler), workers in largest US companies - Ford, GM, Chrysler, GE, IBM, HP, etc. etc.- national-local union members -all- dues-paying and supporting, in 8 US states) Cousins - 5 branches US Military Services, war & intelligence service pre-1995 Ancestors - US Civil War - service in US Union Army & US Navy; victory for US -- 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/ --
