Thursday, 5 May 2016
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City
Lots & lots of birders out again, never mind temp's again 10-20
degrees below typical norms for the date, damp easterly winds &
overcast skies all day long. Over the past week, folks in points
south / southwest (of N.Y. City) have been finding various spp. of
Ammodramus [genus] sparrows. Thus not a big surprise that some are
dropping in around NYC, too - and to have 3 Seaside on the w. side of
Manhattan is an esp. nice find for the area. Of a reported Grasshopper
Sparrow (from 5/4) at the Great Hill of Central Park, while it may
have stuck, no birders I know of who were in the immediate area
reported coming up with that species today. It is somewhat
interesting, whether coincidental or not that of the multiple times
that species has dropped into Central in the last 20 years or so, a
preponderance have been at that particular location, or within about
1/4-mile. As far as we know, it's the most-regular of the Ammodramus
to stop off on the island of Manhattan (that is, not including the
islands in the East river which may be politically a part of N.Y.
County, but are not geographically Manhattan island). Information on
Wednesday's sighting at Central was provided word-of-mouth & my
understanding is that only 1 person has reported the sparrow, and for
that day only.
Again today, a minimum of 18 Warbler species were seen in the park,
with a Cape May at the Point lingering for a longer-than-typical
length of time now, as well as a few other individuals that were
pretty clearly lingering, yet also a modest number that may have
arrived this or most recent days, despite the seemingly contrary
winds. (there was migration last night, even if not that huge locally
as could be for this date.)
With respect to Evan Cutler, I made a slight detour within a standard
route of my "big loop" of the park entire, such that I walked thru the
area known as The Dene, located nearest Fifth Ave. & the mid-upper
60's of cross-streets within the park; one nice surprise there for me
is that I will now know precisely where to seek spring breeding-
plumaged dickcissels. (to understand this reference, one would have to
be out there, & read new signage in place...) But I won't hold my
breath for that...
Other sightings today included:
Horned Grebe (same breeding plumaged individual on the reservoir,
missed my 1st 2 passes there today, as well as yesterday, but then
seen again later on)
Double-crested Cormorant (plenty at the reservoir & various fly-overs)
Great Blue Heron (fly-over)
Great Egret (several in the park & multiple n. end fly-overs)
Snowy Egret (modest no. of n. end fly-overs)
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall (multiple pairs)
Mallard
Bufflehead (at least 4 at the reservoir)
Ruddy Duck (minimum of 16 counted & photographed in 1 group at
reservoir)
Osprey (fly-over)
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon (close fly-bys)
Solitary Sandpiper (1 very early at the Meer, which was scared off by
passing jogger, & flew towards the west)
Spotted Sandpiper (multiples including at the Pond, the Lake, and
several today around the reservoir)
Laughing Gull (a few fly-overs seen from reservoir path)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull (mainly at the reservoir, or as fly-overs)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift (25+, mostly found over the reservoir with many
swallows, by walking the full reservoir loop)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (a few continuing, not too unusual yet, still
early May)
Downy Woodpecker
Yellow-shafted Flicker
Least Flycatcher (heard as well)
Eastern Phoebe (1 which I saw)
Great Crested Flycatcher (several, Ramble & N. end)
Eastern Kingbird (a few lingering)
White-eyed Vireo (seen by many in same place as prior recent sightings)
Blue-headed Vireo (multiple, many singing)
Yellow-throated Vireo (few)
Warbling Vireo (multiple, in many areas, a number of them on
territories)
Red-eyed Vireo (still just a few)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow (not than many, most are over reservoir lately)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (multiple, esp. at reservoir)
Bank Swallow (1 or 2, reservoir, in late p.m. swallow-watch)
Barn Swallow (many, esp. over reservoir)
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren (at least 1)
House Wren (multiple)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (rather few, but not 'rare' at all yet)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (a few)
Veery (multiple and starting to ease out Hermit as most numerous)
Gray-cheeked Thrush (1, singing typical song for this n. breeder,
still an unusually early date)
Swainson's Thrush (several, and 1 singing well, at Hallett Sanctuary,
a.m.)
Hermit Thrush (still fairly common, scattered all thru the park)
Wood Thrush (several in various locations, some breed in Central, with
much difficulty)
American Robin
Gray Catbird (slowly increasing)
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher (very few, and a potential breeder, which manages to
almost annually)
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Scarlet Tanager (at least 1 male in N. End)
Eastern Towhee (multiple)
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow (several from Ramble south)
Swamp Sparrow (still not too uncommon)
White-throated Sparrow (multiple, but far fewer than a week ago)
White-crowned Sparrow (at least 4 in the park, likely more; one's been
at n. end of Pinetum for many days)
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (a minimum of 6 in all the park)
Indigo Bunting (several)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole (several)
Baltimore Oriole (minimum of 8 males in all of the park)
Purple Finch (a few feeding in elms & other trees)
House Finch
American Goldfinch (many still around)
House Sparrow (overabundant in the park & all of NYC)
All of the above observed by many with no need or use of any playing
recordings,
thus: both good & ethical birding,
Tom Fiore
Manhattan
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