While it also could be noted that the (quite-rare in NY state) Black-necked Stilt had continued its’ multi-days stay (thru May 24) at the Scallop Pond Preserve in Suffolk County (Long Island), NY (many observers on various recent days), and certainly many other exciting & encouraging shorebird sightings from around the state (esp. including central-western NY state), there was also a very successful pelagic-boat trip made in waters off New York including some fairly-deep waters of the Atlantic, with (in part) corresponding birds of those waters, and I for one would of course be delighted to read any further write-ups (which are in-part now included multi. eBird checklists, incl. lots of photos) that might yet be done- this in reference to the May 23rd Atlantic Ocean pelagic which originated out of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn/Kings Co. NY and had many participants, with expert leaders and a number of additional highly experienced sea-watchers
There also is a great (photographed) sighting of a Frigatebird, presumed a Magnificent, from May 24 (from land), off Orient Point, Suffolk Co. (the eastern edge of Long Island’s North Fork, facing in part the entrance area to Long Island Sound as opposed to its’ south fork where the island stretches yet farther-east), with J. Rand, and also K.J. Klein given credit for finding, & staying with (respectively) the Frigate for others also to be able to observe (& photo). Thanks to all for reports to date of all the above, and more! - - - Manhattan, N.Y. City - Tues., May 24th - An interesting hybrid swallow, putatively a Barn-Cliff hybrid, was found (D. Aronov) & photographed, seen by eventually multiple observers at Inwood Hill Park, in n. Manhattan. Rather-rare documentation of this hybrid for (anywhere, and) N.Y. state, and the county with the same moniker. A couple of Black Vultures have been seen (separately) from Inwood Hill Park recently, along with a good general selection of more-expected migrants. At Central Park, multiple group bird-walks (all led by / for non-profit org’s. such as the N.Y.C.A.S. = NY City Audubon org., and the Linnaean Society of New York org., and etc.) have found, collectively in various walks up to about 14 spp. of warblers, with multiple walks seeing a lingertng Mourning Warbler at the Ramble area in Central (incl. to late in the day on Tuesay eve’s. Linnaean Socity walk there) as well as sightings by independent walkers. A fair variety of many other migrants have also continued, albeit with somewhat less overall diversity by now than was found in the rush of peak migratory movement, esp. with so many warblers, and for other groups of birds. There are ongoing sightings (and some heard-birds) of thrush species that include the Gray-cheeked (& possible Bicknell’s) types, of which some may again be Bicknell’s, and certainly some are (esp. clearly singing) Gray-cheeked Thrushes. By now (late-May onward) the ‘rarest’ of sightings amongst the standard migrant Catharus [genus] thrushes, a few reports continued for Hermit Thrush, and this latter species has been recorded, albeit infrequently-to-rarely, this late in New York County, including in Central Park (exceptionally even into June in more than 1 year). There have continued to be a variety of flycatcher species noted from N.Y. County (& including at Central Park and others of the larger parks), and I’d add one note on a possibly-lingering Acadian Flycatcher in the Stuyvesant-town (“Stuy-town”) green-space of lower-east Manhattan, with vocalizations noted, by several keen observers thru May 24th; this Empidonax species in particular ought to be watched, generally, for signs of possible pairings, and if seen, then the chance of breeding, as it is eminently another (along with Willow Fly.) possibility as a breeder in N.Y. County, and could (*conceivably*) even nest in at least some unexpected local areas. At the same time, we are still fully within migration-times, and some (likely many) of the birds being seen this week may well move-on in coming days, towards other destinations for the rest of the late-spring/summer, until we begin to see signs of return (south-bound) movement as early as late June & early July for some of our ‘standard' (annual) migrants. - - - Increasing numbers of observers have been noting various insects and among these have been a number of recent sightings of Monarch butterflies, a hopeful signal for what we can hope will be a successful season ahead for that migratory species, as well as for many native insects and for so many other creatures. 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/ --
