Always tough to read of the issues on overly-high water-levels & etc. at the renowned East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens Co. (NYC), however somewhat nicer news to see that Marbled Godwit were among shorebirds noted (that one also photo’d) at the shores of Ruffle Bar as seen via a kayaker-birder’s efforts (L. DeMarco) & Little Egg marsh at one point, with 2 of this godwit seen by Aug. 9th at the former site, the latter visit by kayak also including a Whimbrel, separate from the two Marbled Godwits (all photo’d.) As is usual for the whole of the area of Jamaica Bay, a lot of birds can get away from detection, & that could be happening more often if there is not an option for waders to rest or feed in the East Pond flats, due to extreme high water from both rains (& storms) and a lack of reasonable drainage-flow. It’s a tough issue there, the more so if funding is rather lacking to do certain work, such as a replacement of entire valve / drain / etc. which possibly are needed. (Jamaica Bay’s E. Pond is not a very-recently created site.) If anything, the shorebirds are moving through - some will likely pass undocumented or as can be found thru luck and of course, strong effort.
Thanks to the many observers-reporters who have been out in heat, humidity, sun, rain, storms, wind, & at times, fine summer days. …... The passage of Tropical Storm ‘Isaisas’ brought unexpected birds into the region (some at least as far inland as several hundred miles from the Atlantic), as had Tropical Storm “Fay” in July. A number of shorebirds also occurred as likely storm-pushed drop-ins or moving flocks along New York County’s waterways, and especially on the more recent storm’s passage, a fair number of birders were able to get out and observe some of these unexpected-for-the-county species. This included many sightings from Manhattan island in N.Y. City, as well as some from Randall’s Island, just east of Manhattan & a part of the same county. The Aug. 4 passage of storm ‘Isaisas’ brought at least one species that’s quite rarely seen from land at all in the NYC area, a South Polar SKUA; at least 4 lucky observers watching from along the Hudson River, at the long pier off W. 70th St. (Manhattan’s west side), photo-set by R. Zucker, & seen also by A. Burke, D. Dancis, & J. Spindel at same time, before 4 p.m. & flying north, unlike a majority of other storm waifs going in a southerly direction as seen from a few locations by various obs. As noted previously, the passage of SOOTY Terns was perhaps the most prevalent of species entirely storm-blown, far from usual range as far as we know. Some of the latter 'tropical-tern' species were found also in Putnam County, NY and Columbia County, NY on the 4th, and in the latter county at least to the 5th as well, those along the Hudson river, in addition to reports from the Berkshires region of western Massachusetts, but it seems none of the Sooty Terns made it into Canada, from reports noted. A good many additional observers were out at times in Manhattan / N.Y. County as and after the storm passage. In addition to the rarest species in the more-recent storm or it’s wake, some terns were noted, esp. numbers of Least Terns just into double-digits for some storm-watchers, and early in the morning-after (Aug. 5) a Caspian Tern was photo’d. and seen by 4 or more observers, from Manhattan’s Hudson river edge. A few Black Terns were also noted on Aug. 4th, a rare sighting for N.Y. County in normal-weather watching. …. The July passage of Tropical Storm “Fay” had brought some great sightings as well to NYC, including Manhattan (N.Y. County) waters, with a highlight of a GREAT SHEARWATER along the Hudson River at W. 70th Street’s pier, with obs. A. Auerbach, & R. Zucker who got off a set of slightly-distant photos, plus good description by both observers. …. For non-storm birds, the flock of 1 dozen Sanderlings photo’d. at Inwood Hill Park on July 28 by L. LaBella were notable, a species not often found for Manhattan or N.Y. County. (On 8/4 in the passage of tropical-storm ‘Isaias’ , there were 20 Sanderlings seen by at least 3 observers in flight along the Hudson River from Inwood Hill Park. Those were a part or portion of shorebirds in motion on that latter date, with other sightings that included many ‘rare'-in-county species.) Some (but perhaps not all) of the shorebirds found both (especially) in the wake of tropical-storm passages or outside those storm-times, included: Semipalmated Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher - the latter two species being particularly uncommon to rare in N.Y. County in most circumstances - and several observers also making the subspecies distinction on the S.-b. Dowitchers as form “griseus”. By 8/8, the number of migrant warbler species being seen in N.Y. County was up to at least eight. A majority were of 5 species, Yellow Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, both Waterthrush species (esp. Northern), and American Redstart. Others included Blue-winged, as well as long-lingering Ovenbird, and Common Yellowthroat, with the latter along with Yellow Warbler being potential breeders in the county. The Ovenbird[s] that were seen in Manhattan earlier in the summer were likely long-staying from at least spring if not even from last winter, rather than moderately early returnees, based on locations, such as in Bryant Park in midtown, and other small parks. However some are now likely on the move. Of the warblers migrating, numbers of individuals (and only slightly so far, diversity) seen have been pushing upwards, if just modestly, and from a wider variety of locations in Manhattan than was so in July, probably also in part due to increasing no’s. of observers, in many locations. Other species that have been noted & now include migrants are - Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Veery (few so far), and very likely at least some of the Icteridae, including small flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, and at least a few of the Orioles, mainly Baltimore but also a few Orchard as well, and also (relatively few reported) Bobolinks. These starting up in July, more-so in August. Among the many species noted in N.Y. County on days since July 1st of this year are these (& likely some others also!) - with more migrants sure to come in the next week or so, storms or no storms: Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Black Vulture (a few regular reports for summer so far) Turkey Vulture Canada Goose Wood Duck Gadwall American Black Duck Mallard Northern Shoveler (early Aug. report; Central Park reservoir, w/photo.) Osprey Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper (storm of 8/4; passage sightings) Short-billed Dowitcher (storm of 8/4; passage sightings) American Woodcock (at least 1, lingered at Bryant Park into the summer) Laughing Gull (increased in some locations prob. due to storm passages) Ring-billed Gull [American] Herring Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 or 2 reports, poss. storm-related) Great Black-backed Gull SOOTY Tern (ALL storm-related) Royal Tern (1 report not photo’d.) Common Tern (regular with large increase in storms) Forster's Tern (storm-birds, in part) Black Skimmer (multiple sightings, but v. uncommon) ['feral'] Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Monk Parakeet (a few reports in n. Manhattan) Chimney Swift Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Yellow-shafted Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee (scant, for this summer) Willow Flycatcher (early in summer; status for remainder unknown) Eastern Phoebe (a few reports by midsummer) Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Common Raven American Crow Fish Crow Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow (mainly on a tropical storm-day, 8/4) Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee (scant) Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch (scant reports, also scantly in the region, where no breeders known) White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren House Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (modest increases into early Aug.) Veery (very scant so far; ‘early-ish') Wood Thrush (rather scarce county breeder) American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling House Sparrow Cedar Waxwing Eastern Towhee (scarce potential-nester) Chipping Sparrow (scarce breeders) Field Sparrow (status not known for this summer) Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow (summering, and scant) White-throated Sparrow (summering, non-breeding, several locations) Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak (in few locations) Indigo Bunting (scarce potential-nester) Bobolink (small numbers) Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Purple Finch (very few) House Finch American Goldfinch Blue-winged Warbler Northern Parula Yellow Warbler (numbers increasing, in addition to possible county breeders) Black-and-white Warbler (small but increasing no’s. lately) American Redstart (much increased by 2nd week of Aug.) Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush (obvious increases into Aug.) Louisiana Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat … and more migrants sure to arrive in coming days. - - - - - "This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” - Teddy Roosevelt (26th president of the U.S.A.) "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." - Frederick Douglass (1818-1895; U.S. statesman, orater, writer) good birding, stay cool, 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/ --
