The Ash-throated Flycatcher found (& photo’d.!) on Thanksgiving-Thursday (and seen *only that time and date*, apparently) at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn (Kings County, N.Y. City) is an obvious reminder that rarer flycatchers, as well as rarer warblers -and other possibilities- are as likely as they’ll get in our region in these weeks of Nov. and also (increasingly in recent times, it seems) into December. A Western Tanager at Fort Tilden on the Rockaway peninsula, in Queens County on Sunday, 11/27 (3 obs., photod.!) may get a further report or more for this list (it was noted in eBird, etc.)
The Pink-footed Goose is sure to attract some fresh attention at Northport (Suffolk County), NY as noted along with Greater White-fronted, Cackling, and ‘usual'-many Canada Geese for Sunday, 11/27. (There are at least a few more Pink-foots in places in eastern N. America, along with at least a few Barnacle Geese, thus further attention to all the many geese will be given.) A Tufted Duck being seen by many at LaSalle Park, Erie County, NY (from at least Wed.-Sunday, 11/23-27) was a nice addition to an Eared Grebe also seen there, along with the ’tuftie’. Both birds have been photo’d. by many. A bit extra-limitally, there’s a [presumptive] *Hermit Warbler* in **Pennsylvania’s** Delaware County (NOT in NY state!), first (?) found on Sat.,11/25, re-found on 11/26, and seen by many on 11/27; this will be a PA first-state-record, IF confirmed and accepted as such by that state’s avian records committee. Just another reminder for all of us - plenty of possibilities exist at this special time of the birding-year. (This Hermit Warbler has dozens and dozens of eBird reports, and other alerts, etc. etc. - and this bird has been in a church-yard, with so-far welcoming parishioners for the birders who have also come to see this rare-in-east bird.) ------ THE Steller’s Sea-Eagle is back on the ‘radar’ in (eastern Maritime) **Canada** at Kent County, within the province of New Brunswick - see: https://ebird.org/checklist/S122999344 <https://ebird.org/checklist/S122999344> and there were many subsequent observers of the sea-eagle around there on the same date, Nov. 25th, on into Nov. 26th -and- Sunday, Nov. 27th. This is (again) likely the rarest bird in North America which is wild and free-flying. This great sea-eagle had spent much of the past summer on Newfoundland, and is also the bird which visited parts of the U.S. previously. ------ New York County (in N.Y. City), including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and Governors Island The Lesser Black-backed Gull was again re-found (A. Evans) at the kayak-dock at Pier 32 in lower Manhattan, off the Hudson River greenway, on Sat., 11/26. This bird has been recurring there for some weeks, at least. (Also present in the same area are often the 3 most-regular gull species of the county and coastal or near-shore region: Ring-billed, [American] Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls.) A *Black-headed Gull* which seems to have occurred or been reported solely as a fly-thru, but several times, was last-reported & photo’d. on early morning of 11/23, by multiple observers. This bird *might* be roosting and feeding mostly or solely in a different part of the county or city (or even outside of the city-limits) while all recent sightings were along the East River east of Manhattan, & near to E. 103 St. where a foot-bridge leads across a narrower part of that river-estuary to Randall’s Island western edge. A Cackling Goose (a fly-over in amongst a small group of Canada Geese moving) was among birds of interest seen by a group gathered at Dyckman Street pier and vicinity on Sat. morning, 11/26. A single Snow Goose was noted as a fly-over from Randall’s Island on the same day, but for mid-day, and the count of Mute Swan was up to 4 (all photo’d. together) off Randall’s for that day. 3 Bonaparte’s Gulls were reported from the Hudson River well-south of the G.W. Bridge at (apparently) mid-day, on Sat., 11/26. There also was a report of a single Bonaparte’s Gull at the Central Park reservoir for a while on Friday, 11/25, which unfortunately was not further-confirmed (the species has occurred there but is rare there, over the years). Friday, 11/26 brought a fair number of American Goldfinches in, with some Pine Siskins as well, these seen in at least 2 Manhattan parks, Central & Riverside, each with many sweetgum trees (Liquidamabar styrifolia), the seed’balls’ of which can attract a lot of birds, both underneath, feeding on fallen seed, and in the trees. Those trees are particularly common in some areas in Riverside Park, and are also found in n. Manhattan. Pine Siskins were still present to Sunday, 11/27 (with Am. Goldfinshes), in Riverside Park (several areas) and Central Park (where, esp. thanks to ongoing ‘alerts’, there are 1 or 2 that’ve been seen by hundreds of observers, although at least a few other siskins are also present, in other areas of the same park). It’s very possible that in locations with goldfinches now, a few Pine Siskins may be as well - the ratios of siskin to goldfinch was (overall) still very low. Baltimore Orioles were seen in both Fort Tryon Park and Union Square Park, both locations where orioles have lingered late into even winter seasons-past, on Wed., 11/23. The Ft. Tryon Park bird (M. Maldron, obs.) was found to the east of the north-bound auto-road (and below, on what is known as the “Cliff Path”)- the road being that which brings buses and other vehicles to the Cloisters museum entrance, and associated parking, all of which is within that park. (The popular “Heather Garden” is to the southwest of the “Cliff Path” and has some views across the Hudson River, as do other west-facing sections of that park, such as those closer to the Cloisters). The Union Square Park Baltimore Oriole has been present for (at least) some weeks, and has had many obs. by now. (that latter park also was brought to at-least 3-warbler-species status by 11/23, (photo’d. there by L. LaBella on that day.) The Baltimore Oriole at Union Square Park is ongoing & seen by multiple observers. There was a further report of Baltimore Oriole from the Chelsea waterside park, part of the Hudson River Greenway, north of W. 23rd St. / west edge of Manhattan, for 11/27. Rusty Blackbirds were persisting in at least Central Park in Manhattan to 11/27 (and the latter species sometimes winters, or attempts to, in appropriate-habitat areas within that park.) Many blackbirds, including Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles, and still some Brown-headed Cowbirds have been moving thru, with some flocks stopping off (esp. those grackles which is typical in N.Y. County) for feeding, in recent days, right up into (smaller flights / numbers) Sunday, 11/27. There also were still American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, and other passerines on the move into Sunday, with the approaching weather-change. A fairly-high (for N.Y. County) number - 22 American Pipits were noted landing, most or all of them briefly, at the Dyckman Fields section of Inwood Hill Park (western ball fields area, faces the Hudson River to the north of the western end of Dyckman St., in northern Manhattan) on Wed., 11/23. The species was also (earlier the same day) noted, with up to 7 pipits, by multiple observers at Randall’s Island, where sightings of that species are moderately regular esp. on migrations. (The Dyckman Fields and other fields at Inwood Hill Park also have recorded this species multiple times over the years). 2 Horned Larks were seen at Randall’s Island on Sun., 11/27. A high count of 13 Black Vultures was made on Sat., 11/26 from the vantage point of the Dyckman St. pier area (west end / terminus of Dyckman St. in northern Manhattan) - this on a day when that species was moving in very strong numbers thru the local area if not a much-broader area. (This species has increased greatly and become fairly-regular, in comparison to for example 30+ years ago, when it was a major rarity for the area). A rapidly-moving (& hastily photo’d) N. Goshawk (in juvenile plumage) was noted at the Dyckman Pier area of n. Manhattan on Sat., 11/26 early-morning (only), and by 4 at least observers. (This autumn had already been proving a good one for this species moving, with higher-than-average no’s. being seen at some regional hawk-watch locations, although not all in the local area.) There were also multiple Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, and several Red-shouldered Hawk sightings for the day seen from Dyckman Pier / Fields &/or the adjacent Inwood Hill Park, and the latter 3 species were also noted variously elsewhere by other observers or groups, all on Sat., 11/26. Two Monk Parakeets were noted at Randall’s Island on 11/23, and it’s possible the species will be more regularly seen there, &/or elsewhere in the county, in coming years - time will tell. Of ‘shorebirds’ (which are not just along ’shores’), the county’s had perhaps just 3 species (that we know of…) with American Woodcock continuing to show (including under the gaze of owls and their observers, in Central Park, and elsewhere), Wilson’s Snipe (of, in particular, Randall’s Island recently), and Killdeer (relatively few). At least several E. Bluebirds were again noted on Thanksgiving Day Thurs., 11/24 in Central Park, and at least one was still being seen (& photo’d.) there thru Sat. & Sun. 11/26-27. At Randall’s Island, one (or more) American Tree Sparrow[s] were ongoing, a good site to check for that species any time from mid-Nov. to at least the end of winter. Around the county, further Black-capped Chickadee reports came in, while the Tufted Titmouse is still the more-numerous in some locations. (Both species are more-abundant lately in the county than had been for some time.) A drake Ring-necked Duck at Central Park’s Turtle Pond got a lot of attention on Wed., 11/23, along with the good variety of other birds showing there and nearby. Other duckage for Central Park includes ongoing Wood Ducks, Green-winged Teal, Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, N. Shovelers, Gadwall, and Ruddy Ducks; also showing there, increased no’s. of American Coots, and a couple of Pied-billed Grebes. One photo (A. Deutsch) of the lingering Orange-crowned Warbler at Union Square Park on Thanksgiving-Thursday, 11/24: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/506869741 <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/506869741> And, since nobody-doesn’t-like Black-throated Blues, here is the adult male (from S. Holleran) that was present in Central Park’s north end also on Thanksgiving day: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/506906041 <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/506906041> The Union Square Orange-crowned was still there thru Sunday, 11/27, and at least 2 Orange-crowned Warblers have also persisted on Randall’s Island (in separate areas there) thru Sun., 11/27, where Palm Warbler, and [Myrtle] Yellow-rumped Warbler, as well as Common Yellowthroat also have persisted. There are multiple Common Yellowthroats and Ovenbirds in various parks and green-spaces of Manhattan - not at all unusual for those 2 warbler spp. in particular to linger on thru November, and often farther into the winter season, esp. in Manhattan. And there may well be some additional warblers, along with other less-expected lingerers (or even, ‘vagrants’) in the county, around and yet to be found or noted as the month comes to a close. Thanks to many many quiet and observant reporters of many birds from all over, Good 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/ --
