Friday - Saturday, 2 & 3 September, 2016 Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City -
Nocturnal migrations have been very good these last several nights, and although numbers of individuals of some or many species have not been great, the diversity of species in some "hot patches" has been quite good in the park; it's seemed that the Ramble & vicinity has benefited most from the diversity aspect, although the less-heavily birded north end has certainly had birds as well. It can be emphasized that in many areas it might seem "sIow" yet thru the days, some areas became more active as the day progressed, & a few areas seemed to maintain some migrant activity; it was cIear that a Iot of arrivaIs came in each morning as the excitement of these birds was evident - as weII as their need to feed and rest undisturbed. A couple of standout species were a Philadelphia Vireo in the Ramble's "Tupelo Meadow" area seen both Friday and Saturday, & a Golden-winged Warbler (as well as "Brewster's" type hybrid warbler) in the Maintenance Field area Sunday, found later in the day & eliciting even more interest than the Philly Vireo had (in the latter's oft-difficult- to-find foraging). Besides the Golden-winged Warbler, at least 24 additional warbler species were seen in the 2-day period, & likely up to 2-dozen on Saturday alone. MuItipIe observers saw the 2 highIighted species, & many were sighting most of the additionaI ones - thanks to those who gave reports incIuding those on site by word of mouth. There were some migrants in the Iess-visited sites in the park - & there aIso were some in other sites, such as parts of Riverside Park near the Hudson river. Modest numbers of other migrants besides warblers were noted, including a rather early Lincoln's Sparrow at the north end (wildflower meadow), & multiple White-throated & Swamp Sparrows, plus some other vireos, thrushes, tanagers, orioles & more - as noted in the full bird-list below for the 2-day period. The very impressive irruption of Red-breasted Nuthatches continues, with more than 1 dozen sighted in about 5+ locations Saturday, including several sites where 3 or more were seen & heard at once - a nearly unprecedented situation for this species in Central Park. The nice warbIer diversity foIIowed by the rest of the birds found in the 2 days of Friday & Saturday: Blue-winged Warbler (at Ieast severaI) Golden-winged Warbler (Maintenance FieId, RambIe) Tennessee Warbler (severaI) Nashville Warbler (severaI) Northern Parula (muItipIe) Yellow Warbler (muItipIe) Chestnut-sided Warbler (muItipIe) Magnolia Warbler (muItipIe) Cape May Warbler (Pinetum, north edges, & eIsewhere) Black-throated Blue Warbler MyrtIe (aka Yellow-rumped) Warbler (1 or 2) Black-throated Green Warbler (at Ieast severaI) Pine Warbler (Pinetum) Prairie Warbler (severaI) Bay-breasted Warbler (one carefuIIy ID'd, RambIe near TupeIo meadow) Blackpoll Warbler (at Ieast severaI) Worm-eating Warbler (RambIe area) Black-and-white Warbler (muItipIe) American Redstart (fairIy common) Ovenbird (muItipIe) Northern Waterthrush (severaI) Common Yellowthroat (muItipIe) Hooded Warbler (at Ieast 2 in RambIe area) Wilson's Warbler (at Ieast severaI) Canada Warbler (in RambIe areas) "Brewster's"-type [hybrid] Warbler (Maintenance FieId area) & other migrants + reguIars = visitors &/or resident species - Pied-billed Grebe (reservoir) Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Turkey Vulture (fIy-over) Canada Goose Wood Duck Gadwall American Black Duck Mallard Osprey (fIy-over) Northern Harrier (fIy-over) Sharp-shinned Hawk (fIy-over) Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon (fIy-over) Spotted Sandpiper Laughing Gull (reservoir) Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk (few in very earIy a.m. but aIso in mid-day!) Chimney Swift (muItipIe) Ruby-throated Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker YeIIow-shafted Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (& -) Empidonax [genus] Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird (severaI) Yellow-throated Vireo (RambIe) Warbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo (as noted above - RambIe, with muItipIe obs.) Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Tree Swallow (fIy-overs) Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch (MANY, see above notes - "ongoing" movements, since June!) White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1) Veery (10++) Swainson's Thrush (8++) Wood Thrush (severaI) American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling Cedar Waxwing (many) Scarlet Tanager (at Ieast severaI) Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow (north end, Saturday) Swamp Sparrow (few) White-throated Sparrow (few) Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting (severaI) Bobolink (earIy fIy-overs) Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole (muItipIe) Purple Finch (1 singing on Sunday, north end-woods) House Finch American Goldfinch House Sparrow Thanks again to aII observing quietIy and with respect to the weIfare of the migrants, aII wiIdIife, and the many other park users. "An ultimate tragedy is not oppression and cruelty by bad people, but silence over that by good people." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 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/ --
