Farther-afield [thus extralimital] confirmed rarities include the Steller’s Sea-Eagle re-found again on Newfoundland (Canada) near Bonavista, seen to at least July 20th.
That [mainly-retained-breeding-plumaged] Curlew Sandpiper - in Connecticut - first found on Monday 7/18 (F. Mantlik) was seen again in a new set of areas, Tues.-Thursday, 7/19 - 7/20 - 7/21, and at least latterly, where birds such as that need much room to roost-rest-recover. And a bit north in Massachusetts, certainly of interest, the find of an adult-plumaged Loggerhead Shrike on Tues., 7/19, the latter in Orange, which is fairly near Springfield, Massachusetts. - - - - - New York County (in N.Y. City), including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and Governors Island Monday, 7/18 thru Friday, 7/22: A very-unexpected sight for this county anytime in (any) July was an apparent Common Loon off Randall’s Island; there are any number of this Loon species that may summer in salt or brackish waters in the region south of known breeding-range, yet the occurrence here in N.Y. County is still not exactly ‘expected’ for a midsummer. However other Common Loons have been summering or showing in a few areas of the city and nearby, in addition to this latest. A few Wood Duck came in (or were ‘revealed’) in several locations in the county, including at Inwood Hill Park by Fri. 7/22. More Least Sandpipers came thru by Tues. 7/19, plus some furthers in days-after, and perhaps the first southbound Solitary Sandipers (for the county), as well as more Spotted Sandpipers were showing in N.Y. County; the most consistent of locations for the latter sp. at Randall’s Island but also on Governors Island, and in other sites which include Central Park in Manhattan. A few Semipalmated Sandpipers have been seen as well, consistent with the many moving by now region-wide. Spotted, Solitary and “peep” Sandipers (the latter perhaps Leasts, but a chance of other small sandpiper spp. cannot be ruled-out, such as Semiplmated SP) all were in a few areas of Central Park by Friday, 7/22. Least Tern was again detected off in N.Y. Harbor, the one area watchable from (or standing-in, depending one’s choice of location, including possibly from a boat) N.Y. County on 7/19. Yellow-billed Cuckoos again showed (& were heard calling) in several locations this week, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were on the move in at least very modest numbers this week (and not just in this county). Osprey have been on the move a bit and by now, this is likely more than ultra-local (or feeding-forays) movement; also seen, albeit minimally have been Bald Eagle, again potentially in some early movement, while also being aware of the increases in local-summering populations. Black & Turkey Vultures both were again found, if in minimal no’s. yet indicating their more-regular presence even in (or over, & near) the county. Worm-eating Warbler, both species of Waterthrush, American Redstart, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat are among the species of American warblers that have appeared in the county, although only the first three (including Louisiana and Northern Waterthrushes) are the new or very-recent southbound movers. Some Yellow Warblers are again definitively on the move as well, and perhaps a few of the Am. Redstarts in some locations. A few Ovenbirds also have survived the heat in their summering-stays, as is not-that-unusual (for a few of that species) to do in this county, even though these are not attempts at breeding - in the same way that the multiple White-throated Sparrows that summer-through in the county are not breeding at all. Louisiana Waterthrush showed by (at least) Thurs. 7/21, & was ongoing in at least 2 locations in Central Park (with up to 3 or more present there), while Northern Waterthrush had actually appeared earlier, by (at least) Tuesday 7/19 and there were at least 2 in 2 widely-separated parks, one in n. Manhattan, the other in the south end of the same island; also as can happen, at first neither of the Northerns were right by any water or even damp ground, although both eventually made for that sort of habitat-patch. A single Worm-eating Warbler was present in n. Manhattan by Thursday, 7/21 (and that is not at all unusually-early for a southbound bird of that species in this region). Also, and this cannot be pointed-out enough times, it is not in the slightest “early” for these warbler species, as well as some other species in the tribe, to be found on their way south… indeed, if anything some of the southbound movement of some of these members of Parulidae family of birds are slightly-delayed as to first-noted returnees, even if some Yellow Warblers may have been doing so weeks ago in this area. Then we have the relatively few warblers which did not move on in spring to breed (i.e., Ovenbird) but have been summering, plus Common Yellowthroat a small number of which either stay in the county to breed, or as sadly happens, nest but fail to complete the breeding cycle; life is not always easy for some birds in and around the 'urban-wilds'. Red-breasted Nuthatches (which have irrupted to some extent across a swath of the U.S.A. across much of their potential range, albeit in varying degree of that summer movement) were still to be seen (& heard) but with fewer overall sightings, as relatively-fewer sightings and thus reports also are made in the current/recent heat-wave. Numbers of other species some of which are possible movers, although mainly resident, summer-breeding, and summer-visitant species, have been ongoing. A wide variety of arthropod life has been observed, with butterflies of numerous species among those, again including adult & larvae of Monarchs. Good birding to all - and stay-safe in the heat, Tom Fiore New York -- 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/ --
