Wed., 11 March, 2015 (& prev. 2 days)
Central & Riverside Parks, Manhattan, N.Y. City
An influx of blackbirds, esp. Red-winged Blackbirds & Common Grackles,
plus some American Robins, made this day really feel a bit more like
the near-60 degree temperatures suggested, a bit of spring. Also noted
were some Cowbirds - all Brown-headed, as far as I could tell! - and a
very modest further movement of Turkey Vultures, along with Red-tailed
Hawks - the latter a still-increasing sight as residents in the city,
but at least some just now also moving thru. Some of this detected
from along the Hudson, 60th to 125th Sts. & also from Central Park,
where:
sightings in the Ramble, esp. at & near the feeders, have included the
long-lingering (sporadic, yet seen daily) male Common Redpoll, a
Chipping Sparrow which also overwintered, American Tree Sparrows, & a
few Purple Finch plus Pine Siskin as well as a very modest number of
Red-winged Blackbirds, & some other recent arrivals, such as
Buffleheads returning to the reservoir, where the area of open water
is expanding. Monday brought Am. Woodcock to the north end of
Central, with 1 found at the Great Hill by Ken Chaya, & others farther
south in the park. Some other birds also have been showing up as an
indication of seasonal movements. Ice will be lingering on the
waterbodies in Central a while yet, although the ice is of course
showing signs of receding. A lot of snow is melting away, and streams,
rivulets, and vast puddles are forming. In field-meadow areas, open
ground is appearing, and those open areas are worth a look for
possible migrants to appear, including some that are not commonly seen
any more in Central or Riverside parks. A quick scan today did not
reveal much, but worth trying as the ice & snow diminish, and then
disappear. It will be a while before all ice is out on the reservoir &
other waterbodies in Central, even as the Hudson is virtually ice-free
again, in the area near Manhattan's west side.
...
A mid-day visit to Croton Point & Croton Gorge parks Tues. (10 March)
with Ken Chaya provided great looks at 20+ Bald Eagles (a dozen+ on &
near the Hudson river, others moving up & near the Croton river gorge
and above the dam to the east), a great many ducks including loads of
Common Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, and others, plus some Killdeer
(on spit east of the RR station parking lot), Great Blue Heron, and
Belted Kingfisher. There were 2 Black & at least 4 Turkey Vultures not
far from these areas. We did not scan or walk extensively, & there
were likely a good many more birds about the area, with fresh arrivals
& some departures also likely now.
Good birding,
Tom Fiore
Manhattan
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