Saturday - Wednesday, 8th thru 12th September, 2018 Manhattan, N.Y. City - With some arrivals on each night preceding the above dates, even in what, at a glance, may have seemed less-than-ideal conditions for migration, there’ve been a good variety of migrants found, esp. where observers gather in numbers, which as is usual, includes Central Park; in fog, drizzles, & occasional showers, a number of groups & individuals have seen a lot in these 5 days.
A few of multiple highlights include a female Summer Tanager, seen Wed. early a.m. at Battery Park, by Gabriel Willow & his NYC Audubon bird walk group (and photo’d by them, & later in the day by me, as I happened to get to that park, which was hopping with migrants into the afternoon), a first-fall Red-headed Woodpecker, found by Paul Sweet’s AMNH [American Museum, Natural Hisitory] Tues. 9/11 bird-walk group, in the Central Park Ramble, & also seen later there in the same area by me; at least several sightings of Philadelphia Vireos, including one at Battery Park on 9/12; plus a very good diversity of American warblers, the rarest of these still that Connecticut from Sat. 9/8 (just barely off of Manhattan, on Governor’s Island, which lies less than a half-mile from the south tip of Manhattan; was G. Willow’s discovery) but 27 additional species of warblers all on the island of Manhattan, or, as Yellow-breasted Chat is no longer classified as a warbler by many, 26 spp.+ a Chat. It can be well worth looking in rainy-foggy weather at times of the year when so many migrants are trying to move. Some of us in the past week or so have seen more birds feeding in some of the cherry trees, in Central Park; there are a lot of these, including the double-flowered types planted at both east & west sides of the reservoir’s track; on several days this week, I have found up to 100 individual migrants in just one side (at a time) of that reservoir track. By far, & this seems to have been generally so, as well, a majority are American Redstarts, but there have also been a good variety of other species. In some other parks visited, also, cherry trees (of the Asian varieties) have been quite productive this week. Manhattan island, 9/8-12: Double-crested Cormorant (regularly) Great Blue Heron (a few fly-overs seen in migration, at least one at The Pond in Central Park on 9/8 & again on 9/10) Great Egret (one, lawn at Battery Park, 9/10-12, & several or more as fly-bys over Central Park, on multiple days) Snowy Egret (at least 4, as east-west fly-overs, 9/9, from Central Park’s n. end) Green Heron (continuing & poss. additional migrants moving thru; up to 5 seen on 9/10 in Central Park, & seen in other parks as well) Black-crowned Night-Heron (few fly-overs at first-light on some mornings; also ongoing at The Pond in Central Park’s SE quadrant) Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (continued in NY County, on Randall’s & Governor’s Island, where they have been rather regular of late) Canada Goose (motley small numbers in various locations around Manhattan) Wood Duck (2 drakes, regular lately at The Pond in Central Park; sometimes together, & often not; may be under shaded boughs when resting) Gadwall (fair numbers in multiple locations) American Black Duck (few, noticed by me mostly at Hudson River) Mallard (common) Osprey (multiple flyovers, on some days more than several per hour moving mostly SSW) Bald Eagle (one adult on 9/9, seen from Riverside Park / n. section) Sharp-shinned Hawk (few, including a couple of sightings of hunting; others quite high headed SW) Cooper's Hawk (few, including several perhaps lingering, one of them an adult in Central Park to 9/10) Broad-winged Hawk (a few have been noted from open watch sites; weather not the best so far to try & observe this species locally; typical peak flights in these next 2 weeks) Red-tailed Hawk (regular, & in some of the smaller parks and greenspaces as well as the usual sightings in & around Central Park) Greater Yellowlegs (apparent, with a couple of Solitary Sandpipers briefly in N. Meadow ballfield, Central Park, 9/12) Solitary Sandpiper (at least 4, Central Park, Wed., 9/12 - also up to 2 or more on some prior days) Spotted Sandpiper (to at least 9/10, Central Park) Ring-billed Gull (still uncommon) [American] Herring Gull (common) Great Black-backed Gull (uncommon) ['feral'] Rock Pigeon (ubiquitous) Mourning Dove (many) American Kestrel (many sightings including some migrants on some days, plus usual city residents) Merlin (at least 1 on 9/10, fly-over from Riverside Park) Peregrine Falcon (uncommon but regular; city residents, including some seen from Central Park) Common Nighthawk (continuing to Wed. eve., 9/12; getting slightly late; several on prior evenings from Central Park & Riverside Park) Chimney Swift (200+ seen at one time moving slowly south, Sat. 9/8; & rather fewer on subsequent days, to perhaps 25+ on Wed., 9/12) Ruby-throated Hummingbird (ongoing & some seen in migration; thru 9/12, including a few at Battery Park & adjacent Wagner Park, both with many flowers to attract hummers) Belted Kingfisher (multiple, with up to 3 or 4 per day; including some sightings of 2 at same place, both sexes seen as well; various waterbodies in Central Park; also at Inwood) RED-HEADED Woodpecker (a first-fall bird, in the Ramble on 9/11, seen by multiple obs. & still in same gen. area later the same day; southwest of the Gill - the Ramble’s stream) Red-bellied Woodpecker (regular) Downy Woodpecker (regular) Hairy Woodpecker (several slightings in the n. end of Central Park; also at least 1 in Riverside Park this ‘fall’) Yellow-shafted Flicker (multiple, but not that many, some light migration movement barely noticed this week) Olive-sided Flycatcher (Ramble, 9/11) Eastern Wood-Pewee (multiple, and diminishing a bit in these 5 days of reporting) Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (several, esp. 9/8 & 9/9; in n. end & elsewhere in Central Park) Empidonax [genus] Flycatcher (multiple, some of which probably Willow, possibly Alder, or to be safer, “Traill’s” types - one of those 2 species; & also other species in the genus…) Least Flycatcher (a few positively id’d based on appearance plus calls given; these all diminishing as the 5 days of this report period went on) Eastern Phoebe (few, but slight increase in the period of this report) Great Crested Flycatcher (more noticeable on the weekend, 9/8 & 9/9; now diminished but some still around; also in a few parks besides Central) Eastern Kingbird (last noticed by me on 9/10; by now getting a bit late) White-eyed Vireo (in several locations in Central Park, probably representing at least 2 or more individuals, to at least 9/11) Blue-headed Vireo (possibly ‘first-of-season, and early here, 9/10, in north woods of Central Park; seen singing!) Warbling Vireo (multiple, esp. on weekend, 9/8 & 9/9) Philadelphia Vireo (several sightings in multiple locations, including one at Battery Park, Wed. 9/12 - near NE section at noon) Red-eyed Vireo (many, ongoing and in very good numbers on multiple days, also seen in a few small greenspaces in addition to all the larger parks) Blue Jay (common; at least small no’s. probably on the move) American Crow (few, but regular) Black-capped Chickadee (scarce, but a few have seemingly been moving in, or through) Tufted Titmouse (scarce, but at least scattered sightings are ongoing) Red-breasted Nuthatch (continue to move thru, up to a dozen on both days of the weekend; also a few noted in other parks - this species has been found increasingly in many states south of its breeding range, and in some areas where only sporadically seen; also still being reported from northern locations) White-breasted Nuthatch (regular, & perhaps a few on the move; in several smaller parks in the past ten+ days now) Carolina Wren (uncommon, but regular in Central & a few other parks) House Wren (less common since the weekend of 9/8, 9/9) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (two, one of them singing a bit; 9/8 & 9/10 - north woods, & then Ramble, Central Park) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (several or more on the weekend, 9/8 & 9/9; one on 9/12 in Central Park Ramble area) Veery (multiple, some seen in smaller greenspaces as well as up to 15+ per day in Central Park; several or more at Battery Park on 9/12) Gray-cheeked [type] Thrush (1 of what appeareed to be this type; N. woods in Central Park, 9/8, but quite not a definitive look) Swainson's Thrush (multiple, but still fewer than Veery in Manhattan; at least 2 in Battery Park on 9/12) Wood Thrush (now scarce; 1 on 9/8, and poss. a different individual on 9/10, Central Park, Ramble area) American Robin (common, & some are on the move in numbers now) Gray Catbird (an uptick, since many local-Manhattan breeders had already cleared out; some also in small parks & greenspaces now, as is typical for fall) Northern Mockingbird (uncommon - but regular in many locations) Brown Thrasher (few; seemingly the very few Manhattan breeders have moved on) European Starling (ubiquitous) Cedar Waxwing (not that many in this period; very few obvious migrants just lately) - Yellow-breasted Chat (as prev. reported, on 9/10 in Central Park’s Ramble; no further sightings I’m aware of) - SUMMER Tanager (female, Battery Park. 9/12 - rept’d. w/ photo in eBird by G. Willow in a.m.; also seen & photo’d later there by me; seen at noon by Bridge St./State St. section, next to winding bicycle route path - briefly, out in open on that path; mostly in various shrubs & smaller trees at noon hour.) Scarlet Tanager (multiple, near-common in report period in all the larger parks; 12++ seen in Central Park on several days, & a few in smaller parks) Chipping Sparrow (very few so far; poss. that some are still lingering breeders, but may be early-ish arrivals) Song Sparrow (few, besides what are presumed locals) Swamp Sparrow (several, seems a tiny uptick from a few that may have been summering) White-throated Sparrow (several; this species is a scarce summering, NON-breeding bird in Manhattan, many years; & now a very few new arrivals) Dark-eyed Junco (quite early; 1 on 9/10 in n. woods, Central Park, & not found again) Northern Cardinal (common reidents) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (multiple but not yet in great no’s.; a few in some of the smaller parks on 9/10) Indigo Bunting (at least several on 9/8, in Central Park) Red-winged Blackbird (very few just now) Common Grackle (in modest no’s. with little recent movement) Brown-headed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole (small no’s daily; more on 9/9 than other days; at least one in Battery Park, 9/12) Purple Finch (several; including 2 at same time on 9/8 in Central Park) House Finch (widespread resident) American Goldfinch (few so far, but slight change in no’s., & up to 8 at once on 9/9, in Riverside Park) House Sparrow (ubiquitous) - Blue-winged Warbler (to at least Sun. 9/9 in Central Park) Tennessee Warbler (modest no. in Central; also seen at Battery Park on 9/12) Nashville Warbler (still modest no’s. and at least 1 in Battery Park, 9/12) Northern Parula (good numbers continue; several in Battery Park, 9/12) Yellow Warbler (fewer but still in multiple; several in Battery Park, 9/12) Chestnut-sided Warbler (also less than in week previous, but multiple) Magnolia Warbler (few, so far, at least 5 on 9/8 in Central Park) Cape May Warbler (relatively few so far, for a species that was amazingly not at all scarce in spring migration here) Black-throated Blue Warbler (multiple; at least 4 in Battery Park, 9/12) Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler (at least 2 in Central Park, 9/9, north end) Black-throated Green Warbler (modest no’s. & at least 1 in Battery Park, 9/12) Blackburnian Warbler (more than a few continue to appear; a 1st-fall male in Battery Park, 9/12) Pine Warbler (few, & not expected in any numbers this soon; 1 at Central Park, 9/10) Prairie Warbler (multiple, still in all plumages including adult male; a 1st-fall male in Battery Park, 9/12) Palm Warbler (1, ‘yellow' form, Central Park off east side of reservoir track, 9/10) Bay-breasted Warbler (at least several, including an adult male w/ a bit of color, Battery Park, 9/12) Blackpoll Warbler (few so far; unclear how many may have made their way south off New England already) Black-and-white Warbler (good no’s. in the report period; a minimum of 5 in Battery Park, 9/12) American Redstart (by far the most numerous warbler in all days of this report; 150+++ in Central Park on 9/10; seen in some small greenspaces; 20+ in Battery Park on 9/12) Worm-eating Warbler (getting late, & just two separate sightings in Central Park on the weekend; 9/8 & 9/9; in n. woods, & Ramble) Ovenbird (fairly common now; some seen in small greenspaces; up to 5 in Battery Park, 9/12 & far more now in the largest parks) Northern Waterthrush (fewer but some continuing; 1 at Battery Park, 9/12) Mourning Warbler (a bit late, but not unusually so; 9/9 in Central Park, Hallett Sanctuary) Common Yellowthroat (common; in multiple locations including small greenspaces; 8++ in Battery Park, 9/12) Wilson's Warbler (few so far; up to 3 in Central Park in as many locations, 9/8) Canada Warbler (few now; 1 at Battery Park, 9/12 - others have been in various locations in Central Park) - Monarch butterflies have been in good numbers all this month; in Battery Park & the adjacent parks on the Hudson river estuary, more than 150, likely over 200, on 9/12. The weather has not been ideal for their southwestward migrations, but they have been massing at flowers with nectar, & in some places, seen on the move with slight northerly breezes. - - - - - "I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good." ― Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. good birding, Tom Fiore manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
