First & foremost, Congratulations to Gloria Hong of Manhattan for the first in New York County (!) find of an American Golden-Plover - on Friday, 10/9 - AND for the re-find of that same bird on Sun., 10/11 (!!) - with great & diagnostic photos within eBird checklists, both (days’ lists) very promptly submitted, as well as the early report of the re-find to this NYS list-serve. MANY (more) birders were flocking out to observe this fine shorebird on its’ rediscovery-day. (Referring to the bird found on Randall’s Island, New York County, east of Manhattan island, in N.Y. City). Of course, it is virtually certain this is the same individual both days, & thus likely the golden-plover was present, most likely still at Randall’s, for the intervening day of Saturday, 10/10 as well. ... Some of us can be certain that the late, great Starr Saphir would be smiling down on those seeking & finding all of these great birds, and a walk in her honor, the annual Starr Saphir memorial bird walk was again held in Central Park, happily with fine weather, on Sunday, 10/11, for & with participants of the Linnaean Society of New York. Ms. Saphir, a long-time Manhattan resident and educator, started many a birder’s interest in and increased knowledge of our birds and a lot more of the natural world; she also led walks regularly for the Linnaean Society as well as the NYC Audubon, over many years working in N.Y. City. The memorial walk was a great success, as are so many of the walks done by this, as well as another non-profit organization, the NYC Audubon, which offer walks & field-trips. …. On Sunday, Oct. 11th, a minimum of 24 species of American warblers were found in N.Y. County, all of these occurring on Manhattan island, and at least 22 of the warbler species being seen within Central Park alone (& also substantial numbers in a variety of other parks, such as Riverside, Inwood Hill, Battery, & others from the ‘top’ to the ‘bottom’ of the island). More-modest diversity from the ‘other islands’ of the county on the day (Randall’s & Governors) with the warblers. ... Congrat’s also to A. Burke, for ongoing finds of (most years, not nearly as regularly-found, even at the fall peak of occurrence) Connnecticut Warbler, this latest one for Manhattan, N.Y. City as he posted promptly to this list-serve. (That neighborhood is also known as Clinton, as seen in names of some smaller parks, gardens, etc.- and no, not named for any of the 'ex-Arkansas’ Clintons.)
Many observers on Sunday found very high numbers / concentrations of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, almost suggestive of some ‘pushback’ effect (or analogous effects partly as a result) of the remnants of what had been “Hurricane Delta”, that storm system slowly encroaching on at least southeastern NY, & expected to move through overnight through Monday. Just one example of the day’s increase of Y.-b. Sapsucker were the 19 of that species recorded in just one linear-type park - Morningside Park, by one careful & experienced observer; this sort of pattern with this species also noted from at least several other parks, as well as multiple smaller areas. There were also some batches & patches of further Black-capped Chickadee arrivals, along with already noted high numbers and distribution of Tufted Titmouse. It was reported that on Governors Island, many flocks of Pine Siskins were seen & heard in flight, ongoing for some while on Sunday. In an expected vein there have been good sparrow arrivals, with White-Crowned Sparrow amongst those starting to show in numbers, and also many other species of ’new world' sparrow. Multiple Vesper Sparrows seen recently in the county included one seen well on Sunday, 10/11, at Inwood Hill Park, by at least 4 experienced observers who cover that park frequently. The first of season [Red] Fox Sparrows have arrived in Manhattan, and at least several were found in Central Park by Sunday, 10/11, & this brings the American sparrow species-tally for N.Y. County to at least 16 for just this ‘southbound’ season, & possibly more with a few not positively confirmed / identified to species-level. Incidentally, more observers will hopefully be able to get a few decent photos at some point of the Ammospiza (genus) Sparrows occuring in particular at Randall’s Island in the saltmarsh grasses… these birds do occur here annually in (presumed!) low densities, and of them at least some are being assigned the species (by some observers), as ‘Nelson’s', and also at times, other species, in that same genus. And - there are other possibilities for sparrows (as we have seen), even in Manhattan. 16 sparrow species for this county, in one season, that is hardly even started - for sparrows, at least - is getting off to a good rolling start! Of a Vesper Sparrow at Inwood Hill Park, a keen birder (L. LaBella) who came in a bit later on 10/11 not only captured some nice photos of the Vesper, with credit to one of the earlier observers but also, with a very nice photo & a pertinent comment, has the evidence of now-regular Monk Parakeet, for the county. See: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74717050 (It’s been noted recently, but I will once again, Monk Parakeet is a ‘countable’ bird in N.Y. County in that the species has been breeding in N.Y. City for decades & has also done so, more-scarcely than in several other of the N.Y. City counties (a.k.a., boroughs), but has been found nesting in this county as well, in recent years; the species is quite well-established in a number of colonies in the city and also beyond. There are long-established colonies of Monk Parakeet in a couple of s. New England states, and for an even-more-northerly locality, in the city of Chicago; also in s.-w. Washington state. The species is very cold-hardy, native to (particularly) Argentina in an entirely temperate region. We’ve seen the species in Central Park in Manhattan in the past, as well as many other locations in N.Y. County, over many years, but it has long been more commonly-seen in Kings Co. (Brooklyn), & has also increased in at least Queens & Bronx Counties of N.Y. City. —— On Saturday, 10/10, a Yellow-breasted Chat was found & also photographed in Battery Park, lower Manhattan, by Jonathan A. Perez, who also added those & many other photos into his eBird checklist of his walk. This Chat could well linger at that site, as that species has done in many instances and, in particular, at sites nearby to that park, over the years. Also a logical site to keep eyes open for the species would be on Governors Island, a short ferry ride to the south of Battery Park, & the southernmost land within N.Y. County (as Battery Park is very nearly the southernmost part of Manhattan island). ... In butterfly-notes, an Ocola Skipper was photographed at the ‘butterfly plantings’ n. of the North Meadow in Central Park, on Sunday 10/11, by Mike Freeman of Manhattan. Also still being seen was Sachem, the latter a fairly common ‘fall’ sighting in skipper species, the former a fairly rare stray-type species which is far more common in the southeastern U.S., but regular to the northeast in scant numbers, mostly in late Aug. into October. ….. The American Warblers seen on Sunday, Oct. 11, in New York County, with at least 22 of the 24 species from Central Park alone, and others seen within Manhattan. Several additional species of warbler were reported awaiting some confirmation with details, from Manhattan & the rest of N.Y. County; those are not included below. Blue-winged Warbler (Central Park, multiple observers) Tennessee Warbler (multiple locations) Nashville Warbler (multiple locations) Northern Parula (multiple locations) Yellow Warbler (slightly late, but still in multiple locations) Chestnut-sided Warbler (not many but still in multiple locations) Magnolia Warbler (multiple locations) Cape May Warbler (diminished from one week prior, but still in multiple locations) Black-throated Blue Warbler (multiple locations) Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler (widespread and in some locations, near-common to near-abundant) Black-throated Green Warbler (multiple locations) Blackburnian Warbler (scarce this late, yet persisting in at least 3 locations, including in Centrak Park) Pine Warbler (multiple locations) Prairie Warbler (at least one, & not exceptionally late) Palm Warbler (both forms, many locations) Bay-breasted Warbler (still a few & in multiple locations) Blackpoll Warbler (fair no’s. - still in multiple locations) Black-and-white Warbler (scarce now, but still lingering in at least several locations, including Central Park) American Redstart (far more scarce now, but still in multiple locations including in Central Park) Ovenbird (multiple locations) Northern Waterthrush (relatively scant now, but still in several locations including in Central Park) Connecticut Warbler (yet another from the neighborhood known as “Clinton” in Manhattan [A. Burke], at Clinton Cove, near Hudson River) Common Yellowthroat (multiple locations) Wilson's Warbler (scant now, but still in several locations including in Central Park) — Extra-limital, but worth noting that a White-winged Dove was found & nicely photographed at New London, Connecticut - which is across Long Island Sound from the easternmost count of NY state (Suffolk Co., NY, as most readers will know). That report with photos is in eBird, from observer J. Duefrene. .. (further reports with other species & notes in a few days… there is a very high chance of some storm-tossed birds about, put down in the approaching weather in our area, & perhaps some birds found in odd locations as the storm passes & also that chance shortly after its passage.) - - - - - "This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” - Teddy Roosevelt (26th president of the U.S.A.) "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." - Frederick Douglass (1818-1895; U.S. statesman, orator, writer) good October birding to all, & thanks to many for their observations - & good ethics - out in the field, 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/ --