I updated the map at http://www.stevewalternature.com/downloads/Alley_Map.jpg . The '12' representing Nov. 12 shows locations where the Virginia's was seen both yesterday and today. The '11' is about where John Gluth saw it yesterday. This was along one of the crossovers through the gully, represented by the dashed lines I've added. The solid lines indicate paved paths around the gully (and also from the 76th Ave parking lot). My recommendation these days is to enter from 73rd Ave, which puts you at a location where it's been seen twice. From there, you can see if birders are concentrating on the north paved path, or you can continue along the "Brooklyn-Queens Greenway". A decent strategy is to find a place with good visibility, such as the overlook I mentioned earlier. Pay attention for other birds such as kinglets, chickadees, or titmice. The Virginia's may not be travelling with them, but it has a habit of showing up with other birds (cause that's where the food is?). And it remains to be seen how the Orange-crowned Warbler factors into this.
I finally got a presentable picture today - and it's presented on my main page http://www.stevewalternature.com/ . The Orange-crowned is on the recent work page, along with some other recent migrants through Alley. The American Pipit was part of a surprising fallout on Friday. Two were on the baseball field just west of the Virginia's. At least 21 where in the field across from Oakland Lake. Other pictures were gathered up in a response to participate in a blog of local nature and photographers http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/BiologicalSciences/natureOnCampus/index.html Steve Walter Bayside, NY From: Steve Walter [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 12, 2012 1:30 PM To: 'Steve Walter'; [email protected] Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Virginia's Warbler Locations The Virginia's Warbler was seen twice between 11:30 and 12:30 at the location where it was seen at 1:45 yesterday. This is on the trail on the south side of the gully, at a high point with good visibility into the gully. There is a new twist - an Orange-crowned Warbler - that may throw birders off. At one point, I watched the Virginia's chase the Orange-crowned, but the two warblers may form an association. I last saw both fly toward the south side of the south trail - a development that may unfortunately expand what appeared to be a narrowing search scope. Steve Walter From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Steve Walter Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2012 4:41 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [nysbirds-l] Virginia's Warbler Locations I updated the map http://www.stevewalternature.com/downloads/Alley_Map.jpg to show the approximate locations of the Virginia's Warbler sightings so far. I also gathered up the previous site info below. On the map, X marks the spot of its discovery Oct 31. The other spots are noted by the November dates of the sightings. To access today's location, there is an entrance to the park from the street at 73rd Avenue and Cloverdale Blvd. (which would be 227th St., but doesn't say either on this map). The bird ranged a bit with sightings about even with 228 to 229 Streets, both from the trail on the north side and the trail on the south side (noted on the map as Brooklyn-Queens Greenway). As I've said before, this is a tough bird to find. People had been searching for about six hours today before it was found. The sightings then tend to be brief, with the bird typically descending into brush. So if that's not bad enough, its expanding range makes it an even greater challenge. November 9 This is an area not far from the challenge course. I first heard a soft chip note on the trail heading north towards the shipping containers and then found the bird. Note, the trail I am referring to has a weather station apparatus attached to a tree. November 5 Enter the park at 76th Avenue and Cloverdale Blvd., this time going left. Wind around the stone wall on the left to a spot just past a stack of smaller tree limbs. Of course, by tomorrow it could be somewhere else. It's worth a look in the plantings along Cloverdale Blvd. (where you enter the park), as they did attract a Parula later on. October 31 Alley (Pond) Park is in northeastern Queens (NYC). It lies between the Cross Island Parkway, Grand Central Parkway, Clearview Expressway, and Long Island Expressway, if you plan a route here. Whichever highway you take, you'll want to get to Springfield Blvd. The specific location is in the southwestern part of the park. The closest street access is off Cloverdale Blvd., near 77th Avenue. Some might recall the Yellow-throated Warbler this spring at Cloverdale and 76th Avenue (which could be seen from the street). For this bird, you'll have to enter the park. There is an unofficial dirt trail near 77th. There is another unofficial dirt trail on the far side of a paved trail that roughly parallels Cloverdale. It is from various points on the interior dirt trail that Eric saw the bird. There is a deep gully here. Acadian Flycatchers nested at the south end of this gully in 2000. Eric was seeing the Virginia's more toward the north end of the gully. Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html> Please submit your observations to <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> eBird! -- -- 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/ --
