New York County (in N.Y. City), including Manhattan (and thus, Central Park) and Randall’s and Governors Island[s] as well as the skies above and surrounding waters (and a pier here and there, possibly…)
Prior week or so, thru Thursday, March 30th - and at least one freshly-arrived L. Waterthrush on Friday 3/31. Highlights include - [notes on the ’Sooty’ Fox Sparrow], Iceland Gull, American Oystercatchers, 3 Swallow species, (2) White-crowned and many more Sparrow species, Baltimore Oriole, and arriving Warblers, + more- as not all of the highlights are noted here. -- It may be noted, some observers of (among the many-hundreds who have been to seek) a rare-in-N.Y. State [Sooty] Fox Sparrow at one of the ‘piers' off Brooklyn Bridge Park (which is connected to Kings County, N.Y. City) have been ’ticking’ that rare-here sparrow for N.Y. County (also, in addition to listing it for Kings County) in having political boundary-maps looked-at closely and finding that some of the projecting parts of western Brooklyn’s waterfront (on the lower East River) may actually come in to (inside) the [border] lines of New York County. Also notable in its way is that there has been at least one [Red] Fox Sparrow, the type we expect in and through the eastern U.S.-Canada, that’s been not far at all on the same waterfront pier, for comparisons with the “Sooty”. It’s an excellent sparrow, the Sooty, to see in this region, and for some it may be a form they’d not seen anywhere before. --- An Iceland Gull was well-observed at Governors Island on March 29th, and might still be in that area. Two American Oystercatchers have shown up at N.Y. Harbor and were seen from Governors Island (with scope, and sharp-eyed spotting). There were again some sightings of Wilson’s Snipe, American Woodcocks, and Killdeer, from various locations of the county. Laughing Gull has again been seen in the N.Y. Harbor area, including sightings from Governors Island recently (up to 4, by 3/28). Great Egrets and Black-crowned Night-Herons have been more-regular, the former also as flyovers - as well as multiple Great Blue Herons moving north (and a relative-few lingering, too). Snowy Egrets were still uite scarce over or in the county. Two White-crowned Sparrows were ongoing (overwintered), one in Central Park (as previously, south of the West 72 St. cross-Drive of the park) and one (in adult plumage) on Randall’s Island. Other sparrow species that have been (again) seen include Savannah, Field, Chipping (just a small no. of any of the 3 preceding species), Swamp, Song (many, including many migrants passing thru N.Y. City), and White-throated Sparrows (the latter in very high no’s. all of which were likely overwintering in the county or very nearby). Slate-colored Juncos have been ongoing in good no’s. in some locations, and E. Towhees are still about - mostly in places where (some had) overwintered. The Louisiana Waterthrush arrived in Central Park on March 31st (Friday) and that follows some others of the species already found in other counties of N.Y. City and in the wider region. Orange-crowned Warblers continued at several locations, with the most-observed one (or occasionally, more) at Randall’s Island. One also continued this week at Morningside Park. Palm Warblers arrived in very-modest numbers by Thursday, 3/30 in at least a few locations of N.Y. County, including Central Park, where several were seen - these in multiple locations with multiple observers. An earlier report of Palm Warbler in the past week (3/27), at Randall’s Island, may well have involved a bird that either overwintered very-locally, or one that had wintered not at all far from this county. At least a few Palms have been found thru, or partly-thru this past winter in a few areas of the city or very nearby. However, it also may be that that single Randall’s Island Palm Warbler was actually a fresh arrival. Pine Warblers have been found widely, with at least 2 dozen sightings in many of the smaller parks or green-spaces, and also a fair number in some of the larger parks. For Thursday, in Central Park, 3 species of warblers were present, with the Palms and Pines, and also a very few [Myrtle] Yellow-rumped Warblers, the latter also showing in a few other locations in the county, and some even showing a *bit* of brightness in their plumage. And by the last day of March, it’s likely that up to 4, and even 5 species of warblers - with Louisiana Waterthrush, are present in the county, and at least 3, perhaps 4 within Central Park (entire). At least 3 swallow species have by now occurred in Manhattan, with all 3 having been seen passing thru or coming in to Central Park (by 3/30) - Barn Swallow the most uncommon for such an early date, and N. Rough-winged Swallow not all that early, seen at least by 3/29, while Tree Swallow has been seen for many many days, and as fly-thrus from multiple locations around the county. At least 1 Barn Swallow showed on 3/30 at Randall’s Island (and that species has been seen elsewhere in the region, in low no’s. so far). A brightening-male Baltimore Oriole was still being seen at and near Union Square Park this week. Some Purple Finches were moving on some days, in modest no’s. Rusty Blackbirds have arrived and some lingered, including multiple birds at Central Park. Scaup of both of the ‘regular’ species were found in watching from both Governors and Randall’s Islands this week, with only Greater in double-digit numbers. Some of these scaup have been lingering in respective areas much of the later part of winter into now-spring. Some Green-winged Teal have been moving, including a couple at Governors Island, where the species has occured previously, esp. in the past times when the “puddle” was far more active, with a variety of birds. A (female-plumaged) Ring-necked Duck was seen on the slightly-unusual waterbody (for a 'diving-duck') within Central Park of the ‘model-boat pond’ (which is very shallow throughout) near the park’s east edge just north of West 72nd St., spotted there by Wed., 3/29 and again present for Thurs. 3/30. Below, some of the birds seen this week in N.Y. County (those seen in-part within Central Park are noted with (**C.P. - which does not mean, in almost all species, that they were seen exclusively in Central Park, but indicates that the species was / is present in that park, and for most, also being found in a wide selection of other sites in the county). [Atlantic] Brant Canada Goose (— including in **C.P.) Mute Swan (Randall’s Island vicinity) Wood Duck (**C.P.) Northern Shoveler (**C.P.) Gadwall (**C.P.) Mallard (**C.P.) American Black Duck (**C.P.) Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) (**C.P.) Green-winged Teal (**C.P.) Ring-necked Duck (**C.P.) Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Bufflehead (**C.P.) Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser (**C.P.) Red-breasted Merganser (**C.P.) Ruddy Duck (**C.P.) Pied-billed Grebe (**C.P.) Horned Grebe [feral] Rock Pigeon (**C.P.) Mourning Dove (**C.P.) American Coot (**C.P.) American Oystercatcher (some most recent sightings from Governors Island) Killdeer (in various locations) American Woodcock (**C.P.) Wilson's Snipe Black-headed Gull (1: Randall’s Island fly-bys, on an early-morning ’schedule') Laughing Gull (multiple but not many yet) Ring-billed Gull (**C.P.) [American] Herring Gull (**C.P.) Iceland Gull Great Black-backed Gull (**C.P.) Red-throated Loon Common Loon Great Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant (**C.P.) Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron - ‘new world Night-Heron species' (time to look closely at those night-herons) Black Vulture Turkey Vulture (**C.P.) Osprey (**C.P.) Northern Harrier (**C.P. - flyover) Sharp-shinned Hawk (**C.P.) Cooper's Hawk (**C.P.) Bald Eagle (**C.P.) Red-shouldered Hawk (**C.P.) Red-tailed Hawk (**C.P.) Great Horned Owl (**C.P.) other Owl species (**C.P., + elsewhere) Belted Kingfisher (**C.P.) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (**C.P.) Red-bellied Woodpecker (**C.P.) Downy Woodpecker (**C.P.) Hairy Woodpecker (**C.P.) Yellow-shafted Flicker (**C.P.) American Kestrel (**C.P.) Merlin (**C.P.) Peregrine Falcon (**C.P.) Eastern Phoebe (**C.P.) Blue Jay (**C.P.) American Crow (**C.P.) Fish Crow (multiple locations) Common Raven (**C.P.) Black-capped Chickadee (**C.P.) Tufted Titmouse (**C.P.) Northern Rough-winged Swallow (**C.P.) Tree Swallow (**C.P.) Barn Swallow (**C.P.) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (**C.P. - still uncommon) Golden-crowned Kinglet (**C.P.) Red-breasted Nuthatch (**C.P.) White-breasted Nuthatch (**C.P.) Brown Creeper (**C.P.) Winter Wren (**C.P.) Carolina Wren (**C.P.) European Starling (**C.P.) Gray Catbird (**C.P.) Brown Thrasher (**C.P.) Northern Mockingbird (**C.P.) Swainson's Thrush (lingering at Bryant Park, can be quite skulking at times) Hermit Thrush (**C.P.) American Robin (**C.P. - now common, and many on-territories) Cedar Waxwing (**C.P.) House Sparrow (**C.P.) American Pipit (Randall’s Island) House Finch (**C.P.) Purple Finch (**C.P.) American Goldfinch (**C.P.) Chipping Sparrow (**C.P.) Field Sparrow (**C.P.) [Red] Fox Sparrow (**C.P.) - - Note at top of this report re: ’Sooty’ Fox Sparrow, in the area. Slate-colored Junco (**C.P.) White-crowned Sparrow (1, **C.P., + also 1 at Randall’s Island) White-throated Sparrow (**C.P. - near-abundant) Savannah Sparrow (**C.P., + elsewhere) Song Sparrow (**C.P. - numerous now) Swamp Sparrow (**C.P.) Eastern Towhee (**C.P.) Baltimore Oriole (Union Square Park, and the areas v. nearby) Red-winged Blackbird (**C.P.) Brown-headed Cowbird (**C.P.) Rusty Blackbird (**C.P.) Common Grackle (**C.P.) Louisiana Waterthrush (**C.P.) Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler (**C.P.) Pine Warbler (**C.P.) Myrtle/Yellow-rumped Warbler (**C.P.) Northern Cardinal - and likely some additional species, this week. Thanks to the hundreds of observers out and about finding, and many reporting birds via eBird as well as group-me type alerts, as well as good-old word-of-mouth. —— Far more of the trees, shrubs and other plants in the county have been greening-up and with some having full-blossoming just this week. Some of the various early-lefing trees have at least started to show ripe leaf-buds and a few types are showing some leaves, albeit mostly small. One of many insect species noted have (again) been at least a few Mourning Cloak butterflies. Good almost-April and April birds 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/ --
