The Suffolk County, NY Mottled Duck was confirmed-continuing, at same locality as it’s long been ‘skulking' (or, just often hard to see in the habitat), through Monday, 10/24.
- - - N.Y. County (in N.Y. City), including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and Governors Island Saturday, 10/22 saw at least 15 species of warblers still lingering / passing thru the county, as seen by well over 100 observers spread through all of the county including all outlaying larger islands and many areas in Manhattan. All 14 of those warbler spp. also were noted within Central Park, which alone had scores and scores of observers in many areas at all times of the day. Orange-crowned Warbler has been found in a number of locations this season by now, at least one on Saturday at Inwood Hill Park. There were still high numbers of Chimney Swifts being observed, and it may be November when that species finally seems ‘rare’ in the county, as roost-watchers at dusk hour in particular have had tallies even into triple-digits in recent days to Saturday. A good movement of Turkey Vultures for Sat., and at least one or two Black Vultures as well; the Turkey Vultures going by in numbers far in excess of 100, for those really watching. Also seen were Bald Eagle, Osprey, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawk (including several well-photogrpahed individuals), Red-tailed Hawk, N. Harrier, Merlin, American Kestrel, and Peregrine Falcon (the latter two also resident in the county, but migrants may also be passing thru). For those watching morning flight, lots of icteridae, with Brown-headed Cowbird making strong showings in some sites, however Red-winged Blackbird also showing well in some other locations. Eastern Meadowlark is still showing and one of the locations that can produce sightings was on Sat., Randall’s Island. Baltimore Orioles are also still passing &/or lingering, with a few sightings in various places, including in Central Park, on Saturday and from Randall’s Island too on Sunday. The morning-flight passage of Yellow-rumped Warblers also was fine on Sat., if hardly spectacular for that species. 2 Monk Parakeets were seen at Randall’s Island and this may be where more birders wishing to put the species on their county-lists (and poss., on their county-breeding lists) will be going in the coming years; time will tell. The species seems to be resurgent, on a modest scale so far, in a few places in the county. Some other sightings on that island to be reported at some future date. Two Mute Swans have been ongoing for some time around Randall’s Island, a location which has had them (in the area) in other years also, and a report of six additional swans there, seen as fly-bys, came on Sun. morning. A single American Pipit was seen from Governors Island, & Purple Finches also were noted there, as were multiple Red-breasted Nuthatches. An extremely-late Veery was confirmed in eBird for Central Park on Saturday; hopefully if any observers sight this Veery again, it might be photo’d. or video-recorded for some additional documentation. There were still some Swainson’s Thrush about, while most thrushes in the same genus now are Hermit Thrush, some of which typically winter over, or at least put in some time in calendar winter, in the county and all around the wider region. A Wood Thrush also was in Central Park on Saturday, and while a bit late, that species is (rarely) found even winter in N.Y. City and with multiple such documented records in Central Park. Among vireos, Red-eyed Vireo was seen at Fort Tryon Park on Saturday, while Blue-headed Vireos were still fairly widespread and being noted in a variety of locations. Ruby-throated Hummingbird was noted (near the Heather Garden) at “Allison’s Walk” in Fort Tryon Park, and is getting a bit late for the species, however that species of hummingbird - and others!! - have of course been known to occur later into the year in Manhattan, and elsewhere in the city, state, & region. Any hummigbird seen now and in any of the coming 6 months deserves a bit of scrutiny, and if possible, to be photo’d. or video-recorded. With video, clips of any vocalizations may be recorded along with the visual, which are potentially both useful in case of any tough - or typical - ID situations. That hint about using the video feature of any phone or almost any camera is useful to virtually any bird sighting, as vocalizations if reasonably well-captured (for the actual bird being seen!) are as useful or more-so in many instances, to get closer to good identifications on many species and for a vast variety of types of birds; the emphasis here strongly towards recording-of the bird. Sunday, 10/23 - A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was noted from Governors Island, obviously a bit late, although the species has been seen later still in New York in other years. On a morning visit to the Dyckman ballfields in the western edge of Inwood Hill Park, 14 N. Pintails were seen & photographed as that flock passed by; later on Sunday, a Vesper Sparrow was photo’d. there. Another Vesper Sparrow was seen at Governors Island, as was an Orange-crowned Warbler. Both Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sparrows were lingering at Randall’s Island. An E. Meadowlark was again seen on Randall’s Island. And once again, at least 15 spp. of warblers were in the county, 14 of those warbler species being seen in Central Park alone, with obviously some lingering on just a bit late at this point in the season. Monday, 10/24 - 7 Eastern Bluebirds appeared for a short (?) time at Inwood Hill Park. For newer birders in Manhattan, this is not even close to the maxima for that species - far more have occurred at one time in migration on occasion, in Manhattan; often they are there-and-gone all too quickly, only rarely lingering in the urban-wilds. This was the highest number so far seen this season. A N. Waterthrush, very long-staying, was still around “the Pool” in Central Park’s n.-w. quadrant, where seen by many over this month; also still present in Central Park were a variety of other warbler species, a few others also at least a bit later than typical peaks of southbound migration. The “Pool” in Central also collected up to 4 Green-winged Teal, and other duckage in the park continues to include Wood Ducks, Gadwalls, N. Shovelers, and Ruddy Ducks, plus non-duckage of American Coots and P.-b. Grebe. Vesper Sparrow was again found at Randall’s Island.With all the sparrow migration, there also have been nice numbers of E. Towhees around. Common (and over-wintering) species such as White-throated Sparrow have increased a lot, some of those likely to stick, and as usual, in numbers in a variety of N.Y. County urban green-spaces, including small parks and plazas with plantings, and etc.; in some of these places, other (visitant) birds of additional interest may well be lurking. For those watching for them, species such as Swamp Sparrow have greatly increased also, and at least some of those can attempt to or will over-winter in N.Y. County, but in modest no’s. compared with all of the White-throateds that do so each winter. Of course plenty of other sparrow species, with juncos are all detectable recently. Laughing Gull is still being seen in some areas, including occasional visits by a few in Central Park’s reservoir, which is not that unusual. One Mute Swan appeared at Inwood Hill Park’s Muscota marsh area (photo-documented). Mute Swans also have been showing up on a few (or more) waters in the wider region, where not present in the past summer season. There were still more than fifty species of native and wild birds present in Central Park on Monday, as has been so for some days (and in some prior days, many more than that number). Many other species have also been occuring in N.Y. County over recent days that are not noted above. good end-of-October birding, 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/ --
