While somewhat extralimital, a mention might be made of at least 2 exceptional
sightings from “DownEast” of N.Y. - one, seen by at least many hundreds of
observers arriving from many, many states & some provinces of Canada, the
('re-discovered!') Great Black Hawk of Portland, Maine (see recent eBird
reports & MaineBirds list-serve, etc.), and the other, seen by at least a lucky
six birders on a 1-day (6-hour) boat ride out of New Hampshire on Sat., Dec.
1st - a photographed Ross’s GULL; see their eBird checklist, & smile:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50357894
- -
A far more sober & sad note comes with an article regarding the big oil-spill
in the N. Atlantic 'Grand Banks’, off the shores of maritime Canada
(Newfoundland & Labrador), via the C.B.C. news
[*] service online. It is not happy reading, but is based on some of what
scientists are starting to see in the situation, which is still being assessed,
as the article brings up:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/searose-spill-seabird-threat-1.4914730
[*C.B.C. is the Canadian public broadcast system, a non-profit somewhat
equivalent in nature
with the P.B.S. in the USA; the piece noted, posted on 11/22/18, is an
English-language version]
- - -
N.Y. County (including Manhattan island):
Several owl species have continued to be seen (some widely & by many observers,
& some apparently by very few) in Manhattan, & the more-regularly watched of
these have made some
movements on some days-nights, but been in some of the same general areas for
-in some instances- many weeks by now. Despite a lot [!] of visitation, the
feeding available to them is
presumably good -or good enough- to keep them from moving off into more
secluded areas. At the same time, some owls are also staying in much more
secluded areas, &/or far-less visited
parks and green-spaces. Barred Owl has been the species esp. notable regionally
for an exceptional number, sadly including many in all of the northeast which
have been found road-killed or
badly injured along roads, & some perhaps also dead or injured from additional
causes, which have included severe emaciation recorded after necropsies, where
those have been performed in
some cases. That species is not at all typical in any large numbers in N.Y.
City, so the numbers turning up here are rather exceptional, & it is still only
the start of December. By most accounts,
& from my own 35+ years of watching, N. Saw-whet Owls are not in record numbers
at least of what I’ve been aware of in N.Y. City so far, but clearly have
pushed through, &/or are in the area,
in higher-than-average numbers for this time of year, & it’s possible more of
them & other owls may yet move thru. Thanks to the observers (& photographers)
who are being respectful and
also trying to 'self-police’ around these birds, which require their rest
during daylight. Please try to continue to keep noise & movement to the minimum
if observing the owls, wherever they are
found & at all times - days, or even at night.
There have been more than a ‘typical’ number of, in particular, Cooper’s Hawks,
as well as some other hawks, & falcons, in & around Manhattan in recent weeks,
& some of these may be
lingering with a fair no. of sightings in smaller parks, much more so than in a
typical late-autumn in the midst of Manhattan. Many have been photographed as
well, eliminating questions on ID
as to at least whether or not more-“usual” urban Red-tailed Hawks were being
observed; the latter species also has been quite numerous & seems to now
include wintering or at least lingering
individuals as well as the many resident & breeding Red-tailed Hawks known from
all around Manhattan & vicinity. All 3 falcon species regular to our region
have been widely-noted, with Merlin
certainly more frequent in recent years than once was in the post-migration
season - likely some of that falcon species are attempting to winter or at
least linger much more than they once did,
that in addition to the general increase of the species in the area, including
of strict migrants passing through. Rarer species of raptors & falcons (& all
birds) ought to be watched-for as many
birds are still on the move, & for some species including a few of the birds of
prey, movements may happen even well into a new year, whether by need for food
or due to potentially severe
weather.
Common Goldeneye (1, drake, found off Randall’s Island in New York County, NYC
on Sat., 12/1, by N. Souirgi)
Warblers in N.Y. County include some that have been lingering, poss. for some
weeks in particular locations; Orange-crowned Warbler at Randall’s Island thru
Monday, 12/3 is one of those (in
the vicinity of a small wildflower garden w/the nickname “Bee-Good”), Ovenbirds
(in several smaller parks), Common Yellowthroats (also in several parks), Palm
Warbler (at Inwood Hill Park) &
Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler in a few locations in Central & other parks,
these all from 11/29 or more recently including as noted.
Lincoln’s Sparrow (photo’d. at Central Park on Fri. 10/30 & also on Sat., 12/1
& at Inwood Hill Park on Sun., 12/2)
White-crowned & Chipping Sparrow[s], contiuning at & near the feeders in
Central Park’s Ramble, thru Mon., 12/3.
Chipping Sparrow (1, Randall’s Island, Sunday, 12/2; very near the foot-bridge
entrance)
Numbers of many sparrows including [Red] Fox & also White-throated Sparrows had
dropped in the past week or more; the latter still easily found as always into
December but perhaps 1/3 of
their numbers of mid-Nov.; & roughly the same or less of Fox Sparrow, in
Central, & likely in other Manhattan parks. It’s possible that some of the
smaller parks with good feeding have held
steady with their more-modest lingering White-throated no’s. American Tree
Sparrow has been reported in several locations in the past week, & assuming all
correct ID’s, a rather higher than
typical incidence of them for Manhattan.
Irruptive finches have been on the move, as seen in much of the region, with
N.Y. County still seeing far more of American Goldfinch than of Pine Siskin,
although a few observers have noted
modest numbers of the latter, generally in the single-digits & so far, rarely
into low double-digits; Purple Finch have been rather less common than they
were a month or more ago, but are still
regular in scattered locations and usually in low numbers; and so far, there
are no documented redpolls for the county this season in any public reports or
known sightings - but that latter
species can also show up deep into a winter & we are not even to CBC-time quite
yet.
In Riverside Park on Mon. 12/3, I put in about 5 hours checking more than 50
American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) trees, those with many ripe &
usable seeds being visited by a total
of about 400 American Goldfinch, 250+ Slate-colored Junco, 110+ Tufted Titmice,
& various other rather typical late-fall or winter visitors either utilizing
those seeds or sticking with the mixed
flocks, some of which contained 100++ individual birds. These sightings in the
area north of W. 97 St. & on north to near Grant’s Tomb, or W. 122 Street,
within Riverside Park. Earlier, a check
of (far lesser no’s. of) Sweetgum trees in Central Park found a few Pine
Siskins in the n. end, along with many Am. Goldfinch & a mix of other
associated feeding-flock birds in the same areas as the goldfinch flocks; the
overall no’s. of goldfinches however were far fewer than the no’s. found later
in Riverside. Numbers of Tufted Titmice continue to impress & may well end up
lingering on to actual winter’s beginning or beyond. At the same time, no’s. of
Black-capped Chickadee have not kept pace at all with the mini-invasion in some
of Manhattan of the titmice.
Cedar Waxwings, another irruptive (as well as a typical migrant thru this area)
swelled & then, apparently, diminished as many presumably moved on in search of
more food, but were still being
seen in numbers around Manhattan, of course mostly in trees & shrubs with
remainlng fruits, & at times, in passage. Multiple observers had found flocks
of even over 200 in a few areas in the
past week, although more typical sightings had been of smaller flocks, up to
40-50 at once, & certainly also many more flocks of smaller no’s.; some trees
had been rather stripped in just a day
or two, while some groups of crabapples may have still had lingering fruit, &
some had not appeared utilized yet.
Manhattan & N.Y. County sightings, 11/30 thru 12/3 -full list-
Canada Goose (fairly common, ~ 800++++ in many areas, most perhaps may be found
at & just off Randall’s Island on most days thru the winter months, in N.Y.
County)
[Atlantic] Brant (modest no’s. by & in Hudson River & East River locations,
both in multiple locations as is usual, and higher no’s. at times on & around
Randall’s Island of New York County)
[“that" duck - you know the one… it is leg-banded, it is not ‘wild’, the most
famous thing with wings in NYC? Also, many even-more-amazing-brilliant ducks
are viewable in zoos… yes, this one is free to see in Central or wherever else
it goes in days not in the brilliant light of intergalactic super-celebrity…]
Wood Duck (modest no’s. continue at Central Park, ~ 10 in total, various
waterbodies there on various days, as they move & hide at times)
American Black Duck (modest no’s. & not tough to find some on the rivers, less
numerous in Central Park)
Mallard (near-ubiquitous in almost any waters…)
Northern Shoveler (150+, most at Central Park & those mostly on reservoir &
some days at the Lake, with also some around Randall’s Island waters, & as not
uncommon there)
Bufflehead (modest no’s. recently, on the Hudson, the East River, & in Central
Park)
Common Goldeneye (in notes, as above)
Hooded Merganser (minimum of 8, Central Park, poss. up to ten or more, mainly
both C.P. reservoir & some days Turtle Pond, & less-often also at The Meer)
[Common Merganser - 2 I'd photographed in prior week seemed not to stick at the
C.P. reservoir; few others also had been moving then across N.Y. County]
Red-breasted Merganser (uncommon-scarce but somewhat regular if patiently
sought, East River & Hudson River, as well as w. Long Island Sound waters)
Ruddy Duck (130-150++, mostly found on C.P. reservoir but also at least small
no’s. in multiple other waterbodies incl. some on East River off Manhattan)
Pied-billed Grebe (poss. moved on from C.P. reservoir, where at least one had
lingered for much of mid to late autumn; & can winter here as well)
Great Cormorant (several sightings in waters off east from Manhattan island, &
can be viewed at times from Manhattan shore)
Double-crested Cormorant (not scarce in waters off Randall’s Island & vicinity,
also occasional elsewhere recently; uncommon in Central Park now)
Great Blue Heron (multiple, but not many, in several locations, including n.
Manhattan, Randall’s Island, & still at Central Park)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (few, can be regular at Randall’s Island in winter,
in terms of more-accessible locations for viewing)
Black Vulture (at least several sightings into the past weekend; will be
interesting to watch for any as true winter gets into gear)
Turkey Vulture (few, but ongoing on multiple days & from multiple vantage
points)
Bald Eagle (uncommon but has been near-regular along the Hudson north of the
G.Washinton bridge, n. Manhattan / Inwood neighborhood etc.)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (few, but some well-seen, & also a few photo-documented;
generally more scarce in winter than following sp. in N.Y. City)
Cooper's Hawk (very good no’s. for start of Dec., multiple photo-documented as
well, in many locations, incl. some smaller parks, etc.)
Red-shouldered Hawk (still a couple of reports, & is possible in winter, but
typically was scarce for that season & prob. still will be in manhattan)
Red-tailed Hawk (common enough residents, now poss. supplemented by some
wintering birds in various areas)
American Coot (minimum of 5 are lingering at Central Park, with 1 at The Pond,
4+ at CP reservoir)
Killdeer (Randall’s Island, to the weekend; this sp. is possible even in winter
in N.Y. City)
American Woodcock (at least to Sat., 12/1, in Central Park; multiple observers)
Ring-billed Gull (max. ~ 800+ on Randall’s Island, mid-day, 12/2, counted on
fields + a few in flight)
[American] Herring Gull (max. ~ 300++ in multiple areas, rivers & on & over
Central Park reservoir)
Great Black-backed Gull (max. ~ 50+, multiple areas including at Central Park
reservoir, mid-days)
['feral'] Rock Pigeon (ubiquitous)
Mourning Dove (many in some feeding & roost areas, plus ‘scattered' in many
places)
American Kestrel (resident, wintering, not uncommon in some areas)
Merlin (modest no’s. - possibly attempting to winter, or at least linger)
Peregrine Falcon (residents, expected in some areas of the city)
Eastern Screech Owl (resident, n. Manhattan; as known & photo-documented)
Barred Owl (multiple)
Northern Saw-whet Owl (multiple)
owl species (others / undisclosed)
Belted Kingfisher (at least several, including regularly at Inwood Hill Park,
also regular at Randall’s Island)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (fairly good no’s. in many locations, seem a bit more
than the “average”.)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (few, & very scattered but still in a number of
locations, incl. some smaller parks)
Downy Woodpecker (in fair no’s. generally as expected)
Hairy Woodpecker (few, as is rather typical in manhattan)
Yellow-shafted Flicker (very few but at in least several locations)
Blue Jay (not obvious migration movements, potential wintering, dependent on
food/prey availability; triple-digit no’s. in all of Manhattan)
American Crow (max. about ~ 32, & in double-digits in various areas, var. days)
Horned Lark (a few reports this period, mainly just of singletons in perhaps
localised flight)
Black-capped Chickadee (modest no’s. but as prev. noted showing a slight uptick
from earlier in the fall)
Tufted Titmouse (common - many observers find 20-35+ per day in short walks;
100’s are in Manhattan recently)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (far fewer than at the peak of the movements but some
have lingered, max. about 6 per day for recent average)
White-breasted Nuthatch (at least somewhat more numerous now than the preceding
nuthatch sp. - some days more than ten in a day)
Brown Creeper (few, but still in the multiple - for locations, and numbers in
Manhattan)
Carolina Wren (multiple, but not that many)
Winter Wren (multiple, but seem not that many lingering?)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (fewer than just 1 week or more ago, still in the
multiple overall)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (uncommon, in various locations, some in small parks or
greenspaces as well as larger parks, etc.)
Eastern Bluebird (a few in several parks at least to Sat., & at least 2 present
in Central Park Sun. 12/2)
Hermit Thrush (reduced numbers in just past week or so, but still in the
multiple)
American Robin (as per previous species but of course much higher overall no’s.)
Gray Catbird (multiple, in various smaller parks & a couple also in the larger
ones)
Northern Mockingbird (uncommonly noted - but still fair no’s. in multiple
locations)
Brown Thrasher (at least several locations including in Central Park &
elsewhere)
European Starling (ubiquitous and superabundant in many areas; some likeky
moving about a bit)
Cedar Waxwing (many, but far fewer than some peak days of prior week in N.Y.
County; these can turn up at anytime over winter months, but usually in small
no’s. for that season)
Eastern Towhee (6-8+ in total, both sexes present, several locations in
Manhattan, a not-unusual number for the start of Dec. and may well overwinter)
American Tree Sparrow (sparse no’s. as is typical of Manhattan in almost all
years, a few have been reported - & a few also were photo-documented &
lingering)
Chipping Sparrow (at least a few still around; an uncommon-scarce wintering sp.
in N.Y. County; double-check for preceding species from now into early March…)
Field Sparrow (recent sightings by others, typically scarce in winter in N.Y.
County)
Savannah Sparrow (a few lingering at least on Randall’s Island into Sunday…)
[Red] Fox Sparrow (modest no’s. now, still double-digits for all of N.Y. County)
Song Sparrow (f. common, many winter in N.Y. County)
Lincoln's Sparrow (as noted, some excellent photos by others in Central Park in
recent days & at least one seems to be wanting to stay, but CBC-time is still a
while off…)
Swamp Sparrow (uncommon but still in multiple overall, with 5+ in Central Park
alone into Mon., 12/3, others recently elsewhere)
White-throated Sparrow (still numerous - many 100’s in Central Park alone, but
fewer now than in previous weeks, as is typical for/by December in Manhattan…)
White-crowned Sparrow (few, always scarce by Dec. in N.Y. County, but has -
rarely - overwintered, and can do so away from as well as around any
bird-feeders)
Dark-eyed Junco (still good no’s., 100’s - & many flocks of 30-50+, in multiple
parks & other greenspaces; may or may not linger thru winter according to
weather)
Northern Cardinal (fairly common residents)
Red-winged Blackbird (modest no’s. this week, relative to more a week+ ago; may
still be passing even so late…)
Rusty Blackbird (several, ongoing at The Loch in Central Park, & v. few
sightings from elsewhere recently)
Common Grackle (flocks of up to 350+ in the last several days, perhaps now
wintering &/or also still some moving)
Brown-headed Cowbird (scarce now, but a few still in odd locations, as of
weekend past)
Baltimore Oriole (at least 2 photographed at Ft. Tryon Park, Manhattan, a
location where the sp. has tried to winter)
Purple Finch (modest no’s. at least about equal w/ Pine Siskin no’s. recently,
& not esp. in any conjunction w/them)
House Finch (f. common & wide-ranging, no really large no’s. gathered in any
one location? - in past week, that is)
[Red Crossbill - this species has been sighted & heard by v. careful observers,
but poss. not yet photo-documented]
Pine Siskin (modest no’s. as compared with following sp. - & certainly ongoing
movement is very much a possibility)
American Goldfinch (good no’s. on many days, a “high” season for the spp. so
far, & on a typical schedule for peak)
-
Some other warbler spp. had been lingering to the week prior (late Nov.) in
N.Y. County, in addition to the below spp. - & interestingly, of those reliably
seen last week there, many or all same
species have then turned up in even-more-coastal locations, parts of Long
Island’s western portions, including Kings & Queens Countys of N.Y. City, &
(for a few) also Nassau County which
borders Queens Co. to the east, and, only slightly more-removed from Manhattan
island, in Richmond County (a.k.a. Staten Island), the southernmost county in
NY state. In general though &
as can be expected, all warbler diversity has greatly thinned, as have numbers
of even the “usual suspects” of late-late fall, such as (in part) those having
lingered in Manhattan to this week -
w/some details as rep’t. above, in notes. We may (or may not) see some
additional individuals or even other spp. come to light with CBC-season.
-
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler
Palm Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
-
House Sparrow (ubiquitous & superabundant in too many areas of N.Y.C.)
- -
“I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders”
[proverb]
good December and still late-autumn birding,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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