Manhattan and some sightings from Randall’s Island, all in N.Y. County (within N.Y. City) thru Wednesday, May 17th -
An apparent Iceland Gull was photographed off the West 79th St. boat-basin (along the Hudson River) on Tues., 5/16 - this is a slightly-late date for the county but such later-spring occurrences are not unprecedented for this species. Whether that bird would have been lingering, or could still, is unknown. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher has been arriving in modest numbers with some calling, at least, and well-noted as well as some being video-audio recorded by keen and careful observers. This ‘completes’ the five expected species in the genus Empidonax for first-arrivals and passages thru the county this spring while many will still continue to pass thru or linger in coming weeks. The winds of Wednesday (5/17) brought Broad-winged Hawk into view for a group with the A.M.N.H. [American Museum of Natural History] bird-walk for mid-day; this has been a fairly nice season for the species with sightings in the county a bit more frequent than in some spring seasons. On an early-a.m. group walk with one of our finest walk-leaders and area birders, also on the A.M.N.H. series (of not-for-profit, guided) walks, as many as 18 warbler species were found in the Ramble area, all of course found using the skills developed over (many) decades of observing and learning. A Solitary Sandpiper was also among the 55 total species of birds recorded for that early-morning-start group-walk. Thanks to some audio (recordings) and to multiple observers describing hearing it, one of the Bicknell’s Thrushes to be seen in recent days is also again confirmed in eBird, etc. with one of these in the north end of Central Park on Tues., 5/16. Other individuals noted as Bicknell’s have been found in a variety of locations in recent days. (and, again as is usual, plenty of Gray-cheeked and/or “gray-cheeked types”, with some being assigned definitively as Gray-cheeked thanks to their vocalizations, or simply left as “gray-cheeked types, i.e. Bicknell’s/Gray Cheeked types, one or the other as found now on their migrations). Mourning Warblers are continuing to pass thru the region and have been found in the county, including (by now) on all three of the main isles [in terms of birds found, and birder-efforts] of the county (which are Manhattan island, Randall’s Island, and Governors Island), with some singing to reveal their skulking presences. Parks and greenspaces in the multiple have by now had this latter warbler, some sites many times over days this May by now. A Summer Tanager was again seen in the Ramble area of Central Park by a group-walk for a non-profit bird conservation org.; it’s very possible this may be one of the same Summers that’s been lingering in that area for many, many days by now - and not that unusual for that park (as a lingerer in spring season) in recent decades, more so in recent years. The Cliff Swallows continue on at Randall’s Island, where an Alder Flyctacher continued to be seen and heard sing, the latter bird for several days in a row and with multi observers there. These have had multiple observers and some with video-audio, as well as good descriptions. There were up to 15 warbler species for one large (not-for-profit) group-walk, with NYC Audubon’s regular group out in the north end of Central Park on Wed. (5/17) morning, with sightings also including Yellow-billed Cuckoo (photographed well by a walk participant), and many more migrant, resident or visitant species seen as well. Almost all species seen by all of the group, including for example Cape May Warbler, with a very few exceptions not for all such as Prairie Warbler. Among late-ish warbler species (for N.Y. County, that is), the Louisiana Waterthrushes of recent days have been observed by a number of birders, some photo’d or even video’d., esp. from Central Park. Also reported thru Tues., 5/16 were Palm Warbler and at least 1 Pine Warbler, which are also fairly ‘late’ for this county. Red-breasted Nuthatches continue to pass thru the county right into this week, as do some Ruby-crowned Kinglets. A drake Wood Duck was still in Central Park into Wed. 5/17, possibly to stay on into summer, as has happened for many many years with just a few, or one individual of that species, most-typically with a male ‘woodie'. Good migrant-diversity has continued here this week, but with numbers of individual birds of many species generally dropping-off a bit, as is expected. We have yet to see the female Blackpoll Warbler become ubiquitous (a sign of the nearing end of big May migrations). Many more parks and some smaller greenspaces in the county, besides those noted above, have continued to see a lot of fine migration, and some resident / breeding birds this week, and with many dedicated observers - Thanks to all for so many excellent sightings and reports. 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/ --
