Sunday, May 16th - Thanks to Scott Stoner for clarifying the (east not west) location for the Yellow-headed Blackbird at Albany airport (Albany County, NY), which he also offered to the H-M Birds list-serve earlier on Sunday, and that list having updates on that, & many other birds in the Hudson-Mohawk region of N.Y.
… In New York County (within N.Y. City) as a whole, more than 130 species of birds were found, even with the paucity of waterfowl & other winter-lingered birds that are now presumed departed. A flyover Glossy Ibis seen from the n. end of Central Park in Manhattan was a part of the tally of species on the day (& not the first, nor 2nd nor 3rd time that that species has been observed over the years from that part of Central, including past occurences of the species IN that part of the park, albeit rarely-seen in that way). Common Nighthawks (in small no’s.) were again seen, & some also photo’d again, from locations in Manhattan. Also seen & in great numbers at times - Chimney Swift, some flocks up to 200+ individuals, and in all sectors of the county all day thru dusk. At Central Park, in Manhattan, at least 28 species of warblers were found on Sunday, with the late-day find of a Yellow-throated Warbler in the Ramble, by G. Willow, leading a bird-walk there. (A warbler of that species was not re-found at Canal Park in lower Manhattan, roughly 4 miles south of Central Park, by the observers for Sat., 5/15 at latter location nor by another observer there, on Sunday). Many later-season warbler species were seen in numbers, with again the numbers of Bay-breasted Warbler overall being quite impressive, and all through Manhattan. A female Cerulean Warbler was noted from at least 2 experienced observers, in Central Park near W. 86th St., west of the park’s west drive (north edge of the Seneca village vicinity of the park). Also noted in good numbers through the county on Sunday were Blackburnian Warblers in all the variations of sex & age plumages. Purple Finch & Pine Siskin, as well as much-more-common American Goldfinch were still passing through Sunday, and there were notable increases of Cedar Waxwing arrivals - and moving - on the day. There were very high numbers of Scarlet Tanager on the move, having further-arrrived on Sunday, with sightings even in some street-trees in Manhattan, and many (scores & scores) seen in the larger parks - as well as in many smaller green-spaces. A rather large departure was noted for White-throated Sparrow, even as that species was still not too tough to find. A drake Wood Duck was still in Central Park, one of the lingerers. We can at last thank Alexa Chabora for finding, and also thanks to Doug Futuyma for alerting other birders to the presence of the Sunday Prothonotary in Central, later seen by so many birders! That Prothonotary Warbler seen by so many at Central Park on Sunday *may* well have been a young (first-spring) male, as noted by some who took sharper photos, &/or had longer or closer views; I have seen adult females of the species (on breeding territories where the sex was not in doubt) which gave impressions similar to that I had initially of the 5/15 Central Park individual. (For now, I stick by the note that this bird’s sex is an adult female, but am happy to be shown that it’s a male.) If any observer SAW* the Prothonotary sing (& not just call) on Sunday, it would make clear the bird’s gender. (As an aside, that specific location within Central Park, & more so Central Park as a whole, has over the decades seen two Prothonotary Warblers turn up, of both opposite sex, as well as same sex, & linger together, at least twice in memory long-enough to begin to cause a bit of speculation as to what a pair with female & male Protho. might be up to, particularly when that occured into the month of May… although nesting has not been seen in Manhattan at least in living memory. Incidentally, the Sunday/16th Prothonotary was seen later in the day to explore into the edge of the Ramble’s n.w. edges a bit more, beyond the Lake-shore’s n.w. arm. (*note: in Central Park in particular, it’s best to see a bird singing, if one has a rarer species in one’s hearing, for the possibility that a song is being broadcast via someone’s electronic device - unless the song is very obviously coming from on-high in twigs.) … Going back to May 13th, a Lesser Yellowlegs which was photo’d (C. Quinn) at Governors Island in N.Y. County was a nice addition to the county species year-list; that bird not noted there again on following days, but the location can be good for the possibility of shorebirds & other birds that are less-expected on Manhattan island. (Greater Yellowlegs was still being seen at least to May 14th at Inwood Hill Park’s lagoon area, at the northern end of Manhattan.). Inwood Hill Park’s Marsh Wren was still present thru May 16th; that species also having been at Randall’s Island (in N.Y. County) over the weekend. Back on May 12th, a photo’d (B. Kane) Rusty Blackbird in Central Park was a nice, getting-late find. good birding to all, 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/ --
