For those who may not have seen this, an article from eBird, by (Dr. of Ornithology) Kathi Borgmann PhD, who is coordinator of communications at the Macaulay Lab, Cornell University. https://ebird.org/news/observations-shared-by-bird-watchers-reveal-migratory-pathways-of-more-than-600-bird-species <https://ebird.org/news/observations-shared-by-bird-watchers-reveal-migratory-pathways-of-more-than-600-bird-species>
And from the same writer, a review, interviews and observations in a ‘forgotten’ piece from last year are worth bringing to attention again, of likely interest to many birders and others (this also from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) - originally placed on the website in June, 2019. (Dr. Borgmann earned her Masters at Ohio State, her PhD in Ornithology at University of Arizona.) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-forgotten-female-how-a-generation-of-women-scientists-changed-our-view-of-evolution/ <https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-forgotten-female-how-a-generation-of-women-scientists-changed-our-view-of-evolution/> --------- Friday/14th (reporting) - February: Manhattan island, and associated waters plus the adjacent islands within New York County in New York City. A Black-crowned Night-Heron was part of a modest showing of typical late-winter, almost-spring type movement for Manhattan & vicinity, the latter seen at The Pond in Central Park’s southeastern extremity, this week. (A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, far more unusual for the region in midwinter, was still present on Randall’s Island in N.Y. County as of end of last week, & could still be in the area there or elsewhere) An Iceland Gull has continued to visit the Central Park (Manhattan) reservoir, often seen amongst many other (common, typical) gull species, at the central dike or sometimes on the water near that, & most often seen from the southern side. The most recent sightings were from late in the day Thursday (13th), & there were prior sightings in the week as well. It’s worth keeping a look out for this & other uncommon gulls wherever gulls gather in numbers. A first-year Red-headed Woodpecker has remained loyal to its favored winter territory amongst oaks & other trees, just west of the N. Meadow ball fields, near the W. Drive (the park roadway, & usually just to the immediate east of that road) closest to the West 97 St. park entrance, from Central Park West. Again this bird is slowly but surely gaining a bit of its’ red ‘hood’ & will continue to brighten to an adult plumage in the coming few months. It is often seen to best advnatage on brighter days. Not too much-reported on, so far, have been the increase (modest) in Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle movements. In keeping with those typically early-starting migrants and (some) winterers we’ve also had the American Woodcocks, however at this time and with the mixed weather-bag of this region, these may include both locally wintering & probably some new arrivals; the majority of sightings in a very few locations, but also a few showing up in typical sites of migrants of the species. More than 200 observers (not all ‘birders' w/bin’s) have seen Am.Woodcock at Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan in the past ten days or so. However there have been a dozen or more additional woodcock-sightings in as many locations in the past week, in N.Y. County, and in some areas, multiples of the species. A Northern Pintail (female-plumaged), not seen much in the past year or so in N.Y. County, has been showing at Sherman Creek / Swindler Cove park area, east of Dyckman St. in northern Manhattan’s waters. At least one Red-breasted Merganser has been on the reservoir in Manhattan’s Central Park, in addition to the many of that species always findable, if sought, in Manhattan’s waters off the shores of the island in winter. A few Greater Scaup were still findable in the East River estuary off the lower end of Manhattan’s east side, thru this week - all the waters off Manhattan are worth checking regularly for less-expected waterfowl, gulls, & so forth. A couple of Snow Geese have lingered on for the winter at Randall’s Island, in N.Y. County east of Manhattan island. Other duckage around Manhattan & specifically, in Central Park include Wood Duck & Green-winged Teal, each regular all this winter there, as well as Hooded Mergansers, many N. Shovelers, and the various scattered [Atlantic} Brant flocks of N.Y. County waters, some on Manhattan, some on the waters surrounding, and many on some of the smaller islands of the county, such as Randall’s. Less common in recent years, a few Mute Swans have been noted here & there, lately near the foot of the B’klyn bridge - Manhattan-side of the bridge, that is, not the bunting-side! And in other waterbirds, Pied-billed Grebe & American Coot each continue as regulars in Central Park, as do multiple Double-crested Cormorants in various county locations & as just-local flyovers at times. Red-throated, and (less common at the moment) Common Loons are both in N.Y. County waters lately (& typically). A Lesser Black-backed Gull visited the Central Park reservoir recently, with some sightings including on Feb. 9th, 10th, 11th, & perhaps still coming in or present now… always worth a look there and really at any times of year, for gulls, waterfowl and generally, the chances of an unexpected species of some kind. We are at the brink of more arrivals of the first part of migration, typical for end of February, with any milder flow of air, &/or change in weather patterns to our south. Raptors are already beginning to start, for some species, what will be the long journey to breeding areas as well. And some of the 2 northeastern vulture species continue to be seen, with Black Vulture seen in the past week, over Manhattan’s northern parts yet again. A number of owls are also showing movements lately, & at least 4 species have been in N.Y. County this month so far, including in areas that are off-limits to the general public. At least one species is a longtime county resident, E. Screech, and another, Great Horned, has been at times; others are 2 of the most-regular winter visitors amongst the owls, Long-eared & N. Saw-whet. A small influx of American Robin have been noted in some locations but these may well be very local-movers. The recent Boat-tailed Grackle of Central Park seems to have become a no-show, as this wet week went along, but it could still be present, perhaps with, or not with, the Common Grackles it had been associating with; the latter in numbers, plus as mentioned above, some additionals that have (at least locally) been moving about - but likely including a small fresh influx, as was so with Red-winged Blackbirds & American Woodcock recently. Some woodcocks may also have managed to be in the region all winter and survive, which is not a new phenomenon, although the periods of severe cold lasting more than a few days would have been rough on them & on many other semi-tough species that do attempt, and often succeed, in wintering through in our region, such as for example, Hermit Thrush, & multiple other spp. - if one uses such locations as Cape May County, New Jersey, as part of the greater ‘region’, it expands the possible-wintering immensely, both for species-diversity & for survival rate! And some of that ‘Cape May effect” is likely on Long Island, NY - which as everyone should know, takes in both Queens and Kings Counties, of New York City, for those readers not in the s.e.-NYS area. (an overwintering E. Phoebe in Kings County/i.e., Brooklyn this winter is just one example of this, for this year.) We have a few kinglets (of both species) overwintering in Central & other Manhattan parks, but neither is all that unusual for the location, in terms of a regular phenomenon; it is rather unusual of those species, for the region overall. The same of Gray Catbirds, not all that ‘rare’ in winter in Manhattan - in selected locations, yet not expected for the winter ‘generally' in New York… in Cape May County, N.J., though - a bit more so. Brown Thrashers in local parks and greenspaces, both large & seemingly too small for such a species, have survived so far in both of these types of habitats this winter. Less certain for the fates of thrushes of the genus Catharus, other than the usual Hermit Thrush which is a hardy species and winters in small numbers around the northeast… (no recent reports of either a Veery nor a Wood Thrush both photographed into January 2020 in Manhattan, N.Y.C.), and of warblers, only a scant few sightings of 2 species in Manhattan this month - a few Common Yellowthroat, and same in Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler, each of the species somewhat rare & yet regular in winter in N.Y. County in recent times. Many other ‘land’ & song birds have made it through the winter so far in modest numbers in New York County, some of these species include - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Carolina Wren, E. Towhee, Chipping Sparrow (in the multiple), Swamp Sparrow, [Red] Fox Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow (Randall’s Island, to previous week, at least), as well as various spp. noted above. Happy Valentines Day - & good birding, with thanks to all who practice common sense & good science and keep birds’ best interests at heart & in practice in all of their observing. 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/ --
