Saturday, 29 September, 2012 Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City
There was a fair bit of migration over Friday night, &/or in recent nights prior as evidenced from a number of new arrivals and turnover in the makeup of overall migrant diversity, notably with a good mix of sparrows around, along with still a very good mix of earlier-in-season (in the main) species still passing, or at least lingering on a bit, with some activity discernable in most corners of the park, & thru the entire day. The Grasshopper Sparrow was still around in mid and late afternoon, having moved up to the main upper leaf-mold composting plateau (close to the East Drive and a bit south of the path down to the north entrance to the Conservatory Garden - the Grasshopper moving about, but several times making stops at the west side of the big windrows of dark composted leaf mulch, and the tall grassy areas, adjacent, as well as to the areas just south of that. Last seen by me there, around 6:15 p.m. - as well as mid-afternoon. Also in the vicinity were Song, Swamp, Savannah, Lincoln's, & White-throated Sparrows, with in other areas of the park, also Chipping, Field, and (at least 2) White-crowned Sparrows, plus Dark-eyed Junco and E. Towhee, most of these other than White-throated in very modest numbers overall. There were at least 2 Blue Grosbeaks present in the park, unless one is moving a very long way back & forth, from where seen previously at the west end of the wildflower meadow (in the afternoon), & as reported from near The Lake, a distance of more than a mile-and-a-half... could be, but just as likely 2 individuals around. A few Indigo Buntings also, although they have yet to appear in their typical peak fall numbers. Of warblers, it took 3 visits and a lot of areas covered, but I came up with 16 species by day's end, with an Orange-crowned remaining the least common of those I saw. By far the most numerous species I encountered were Palm, of both "yellow" and "western" types, in all parts of the park totaling about 50+, with a few loose flocks of a dozen to 15 in the n. end, as well as at the edges of Sheep Meadow much later. Of thrushes, Swainson's was certainly most common but also seen in the multiple were Wood, Hermit (single digits), and a rather late Veery, plus a couple of Gray-cheeked, all of which seemed to be typically a little more skulking. There was a modest but noticeable uptick in American Goldfinch, including some flybys for a while at the Great Hill (a.m.) and it's worth looking & listening among them to discern possible siskins, as Pine Siskin movements are in progress lately and more can be anticipated to pass south, or with luck, linger a bit. If one wants to wish a bit harder, then we can all hope that the Evening Grosbeaks that have filtered in to a few places well south of their more typical fall-winter places (and then often just in "good" years) may get even south of those, and the potential that even N.Y. City sees them again is brought to mind, in what could well be a signal event with many finches... those Red-breasted Nuthatches did know something all this summer and now in autumn. Speaking of which they were passing again also (R.b. Nuttys that is...) I saw my first-of-fall Winter Wren for the park today, although others may have been seen in recent days. Other wrens seen & reported included Marsh (a little less "rare" in Central than some believe, but certainly an uncommon sight there), and House, plus the usual bunch of Carolina that have been semi-resident for many seasons. While the damp & mainly cloudy conditions inhibited the activity a bit, there was plenty in the morning and then it continued in some areas seemingly for most of the day. Oh, and at least one Rusty Blackbird still in 'not-yet-winter' plumage around the Loch later in the day. it may be interesting to see how much of tonight's fairly intense migration locally is that of an exodus. Good birding, Tom Fiore Manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
