New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above - to Tuesday, March 4th -
Horned Grebes continued to be seen in a number of locations around the county, including off Governors Island, at Randalls Island northern border with the Bronx, and in the Hudson River at several sites, including off southern Riverside Park at W. 70th St. - also being seen in some numbers are both regular Loon species with Red-throated Loons showing a modest staging around NY Harbor, not at all unusual for this time of the year. A Snow Goose was ongoing at Central Park - that goose ranging around the park as it has done for months, and lately sometimes on the Meer in the parks NE quadrant. On Saturday March 1st, in particular there was a strong flight and passage of Canada Geese, with thousands in all passing by this county in just the morning hours of March 1st. Not a great many other waterfowl seemed to have joined those goose flights, as noted in this county. Long-tailed Ducks have again been seen off Governors Island In recent days and both Scaup of the usual species but more-so Greater Scaup, have been seen in the county waters. Common Goldeneyes also were still to be found, in just a few known sites. Red-breasted Mergansers have been in fair to good numbers in recent weeks and that held thru this week so far, with many on the rivers or in NY harbor. Hooded Merganser and Common Merganser were ongoing at Central Park, where they overwintered. Wood Ducks maintained a steady presence as well, the bulk of those being ongoing at Central Park, with a few scattered elsewhere in the county. Green-winged Teal also remain at Central Park as they had all thru winter. There had been some arrivals of Double-crested Cormorants in the past week, but much-larger arrival numbers of that species are yet to show. Great Cormorant was persisting in some select locations where typically present thru the colder months in county waters, in recent days. Black-crowned Night-Heron appeared in Central Park, a species that would normally increase by later this month in the county. Pine Warbler was ongoing and being seen by many at Central Parks Ramble area, still one brightly colored male that has also been seen singing at times, while also grabbing tidbits of suet at feeders, as it had been doing increasingly in its lengthy winter stay. An Orange-crowned Warbler was still showing at Carl Schurz Park on Manhattans far-east side, as it has been all winter and at least occasional at a suet feeder there. Other Pine and Orange-crowned Warblers may well be continuing to lurk in parts of the county, esp. on Randalls Island where both species were successfully wintering. At least several Rusty Blackbirds have been ongoing, with a few in Central Park the most-often noted. Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles have passed thru in fair to good numbers, and some sites have had both of the species on-territories again, with singing birds. An often-overlooked migratory species, Song Sparrow has started to further increase and some of those are also singing in select breeding territories of the county. The many many White-throated Sparrows that overwinter, and also are common passage migrants here in spring, are starting to get into the tuning-up phase of practice songs, which is not and never-has-been any indicator of breeding in this county or in N.Y. City - rather a prelude to when they will head off to breeding areas away from the big city. A very few Tree Swallows already were seen, showing over Manhattan, and those few probably moving-on. Many more can be expected as spring shows up on the calendar. Common Ravens continue in multiple locations in the county. Also being seen and heard a bit more have been Fish Crows, in addition to numbers of American Crows. Vulture movement has included some of both Black and Turkey Vultures, with small increases of the former. Thanks to many observers and photographers for sightings and reports via non-x alerts, and via eBird with the Macaulay Library for media. Good birding to all, Tom Fiore manhattan -- (copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".") NYSbirds-L List Info: NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsWELCOME_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsRULES_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave_DOT_htm ARCHIVES: 1) mail-archive_DOT_com/nysbirds-l@cornell_DOT_edu/maillist_DOT_html 2) surfbirds_DOT_com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) birding_DOT_aba_DOT_org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: ebird_DOT_org/content/ebird/ --
