Wed., 9/26 - On a very humid, ultimately warm summer-like day, a Yellow-breasted CHAT was found at Strawberry Fields early in the morning; the bird-walk group with the AMNH (American Museum of Natural History) leader were able to see this as well. Modest numbers of migrants were all about the park, but in scattered areas. 4 N. Shovelers were seen at the Meer; those have continued as well to 9/28 at the Meer; I photo’d just one of that species at the reservoir the day before, 9/25.
Thursday, 9/27 - A cold front, arriving just slightly interrupted by showers, came through overnight & in N.Y.C. as day broke. A LARK SPARROW (in nice bright plumage) was discovered by Nadir Sourgi by the compost area in the park’s n.e. section; much later in the day, it was again seen on a fairly nearby area known as “Nutter’s Battery”, an historical place-name & just south of the Meer. At least 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo was at the park’s n. end. Friday, 9/28 - Yet more rain the night before, much of it heavy and lasting into the first hours of daylight, with winds turning from the east, then from a more northerly direction. The LARK SPARROW was re-found, again at the compost area in the park’s n.e. quadrant, this location is due west, & uphill from the Conservatory Garden, & can be accessed via the park’s East Drive. Additionally, in the vicinity, a DICKCISSEL was spotted by T. Zahner at the butterfly plantings on what birders locally call the “grassy knoll”, a low rise just north of the n.-e. corner of the North Meadow ballfields; that area & a few others also had Purple Finches feeding. Flycatchers have diminshed, but E. Wood-Pewee is still being found, along with now-expected E. Phoebe, & a very few Empidonax, most appearing to be Least Flycatcher now. Thrushes were also diminished but Wood & Swainson’s, along with likely Gray-cheeked Thrush all were found; there were sight-reports by some other birders for Hermit Thrush in a couple of places, but I was unable to find these. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks also have diminished a bit, but are still in scattered locations & as is usual, some taking the seeds of the impatiens known as Orange Jewelweed, or “touch-me-not”, the lingering flowers of which also still gather in a Ruby-throated Hummingbird or two. Around some of the rock outcrops of the N. Meadow ballfields, there were a small number of sparrows, including Song, Chipping, & (at least 2) Savannah, as well as over a dozen Palm Warblers. Elsewhere, some Swamp and White-throated Sparrows were seen but not in any great number; a small additional number of Chipping Sparrows as well. Thru the park, migrants, including warblers, were quite scattered, with warbler species that included Nashville, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped [Myrtle], Black-throated Green, Pine, Prairie, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, & Wilson's Warbler[s], plus American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, & Common Yellowthroat, totaling at least 18 species, with Palm, although most, besides the latter, appeared at all numerous in any one location, & some I spotted, such as Cape May & N. Waterthrush were seen singly. The migrant activity ranged patchily from near the Meer, the Great Hill, & on south through the park’s south end. 3 Wood Ducks were at The Pond this day. Red-breasted Nuthatches have continued with up to a half-dozen or more in such locations as the Pinetum, even with all the commotion due to the massive event to take place on Sat., 9/29, & the ongoing prep. for that at the Great Lawn. (Access to some areas there may be restricted on that day.) Blue Jays continued a huge flight, seen daily in large numbers and in some other parts of Manhattan, in diurnal migration in droves; this is a widespread, well-reported phenomena of recent. There had been an earlier report, from 9/23 of a male Summer Tanager in Central Park’s Ramble. Monarch butterflies have continued a great showing all through this month, as they migrate southwest towards central Mexico. - - - - - “Knowing what must be done does away with fear” - Rosa Parks [1913-2005], American civil-rights activist good birding, Tom Fiore manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
