New York County (in N.Y. City), including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and Governors Island Friday, Sept. 2nd thru Labor-Day Monday, Sept. 5th:
A single fly-over-only *American GOLDEN-PLOVER* was noted by two observers moving past Randall’s Island onward towards northwest Queens County early Friday morning, thus passing thru N.Y. County airspace, if perhaps just briefly (as it likely had also passed thru the Bronx), a rare sighting & maybe-not coincidentally where one of that species was found previously, that prior one actually grounded. A single Semipalmated Plover again showed at Inwood Hill Park’s mudflats, in n. Manhattan, both Friday on into Sat., on the latter day with a fair number of observers and photographers, and with also at least 2 Greater Yellowlegs also present along with occasional Least and Spotted Sandpipers, and very-typical Killdeer in some areas. However by Sunday, 3 Semipalmated Plovers were seen there, and again by multiple observers, and on Monday-Labor Day, at least 2 of these latter were again found. Also present at times were a few Least Sandpipers and Spotted Sandpipers. Thanks as always to the many great birders of the northern realms of Manhattan island (who of course also range all throughout the county and well beyond at times). The river-and-edge ‘flats’, and many other sections of this large part of the county have been revealing some excellent finds, esp. with so many persistently looking. There were 2 **Sanderlings** reported for Randall’s Island as well on Friday very early, and then one report from a bit later there, a landed bird; this species **quite uncommon** for N.Y. County even if extremely-common, at proper seasons, in the counties of N.Y. City which contain ocean-front or larger bay-front beach areas, and/or Sound-facing beaches (which in one or more respects, includes all four of the other counties in the city!) A few Solitary Sandpipers also occurred, with one longer-lingering individual in Central Park being seen by -over all of its’ stay- far more than 100 observers, and a great many of those also obtaining photos. There’ve been some other fly-by shorebirds in other areas, including at / from Governors Island, some going mainly unidentified very distantly &/or high-up, with some of the former not necessariily occuruing within N.Y. County even if observed from there (Governors). The most-recent notes from Randall’s Island observers on shorebirds, were of just fair numbers of Killdeer there. One adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron has been found by a number of obsevers at Randall’s Island, including on feeding grounds at the northern edges of the Bronx Kill at times. Also moving past early Friday at Randall’s Island were 2 *Caspian Terns*, with the only other definitely-identified terns (for the period, in the county) being still some Common Terns, diminished in numbers but with multiples found in N.Y. Harbor, and at Governors Island in particular into the long weekend. Big exodus of Common Terns with the other large movements of Friday, 9/2. An uncommon species for the location, an *American Bittern* was seen in-flight from Governors Island by three observers on Friday. At least one Broad-winged Hawk was reported from n. Manhattan, a flyover, on Saturday, and that species had begun moving more-generally through the region, including some just starting to show even at well-known watch-site Cape May, New Jersey well south of N.Y. City (which N.J. site is not a ‘prime' *Broad-winged Hawk* ‘watch' at any season, but gets some passing thru there, nonetheless). Ospreys have been passing, as expected now, in fair numbers, esp. as seen at and near the rivers alongside Manhattan and out over and near N.Y. Harbor. Bald Eagle also have been seen, expected as well in passage now. Not raptors but occasionally watched-for in a similar way, on sky-watch, mostly in early-eve. hours, multiple Common Nighthawks have been passing, in at least small numbers, and as seen from a number of locations on Manhattan island. (At one of these locations, this also resulted in mammal sightings which included native [Eastern] Striped Skunk, the form usually classified trinomially in the mid-Atlantic to much of New England region.) A fresh arrival of birds including various passerines and other land-birds came in and through on Saturday, with a goodly number of Cuckoos, in particular Yellow-billed (into double-digits in all of the county) and with many observers also able to see Black-billed Cuckoos in the multiple as well, esp. at Central Park where (at least) several were present. Strong passages of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been occurring, and the numbers of Chimney Swifts had swelled again, with numbers seen using roosts around the county which are not utilised (in such great numbers) during the breeding-period here in the county. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a species reported previously this season, was seen again by Friday and Sat. in very low numbers, of course with many many more anticipated as the season continues along. Red-breasted Nuthatches also have continued, with sightings including some in pocket-parks, small greenspaces, and the ongoing many of the larger parks esp. in Central, with its’ vast spread of observers virtually every day now. Some obsevers were noting Savannah Sparrow again at Randal’s Island by Sat., not the first-of-season there, but perhaps more just starting to show or simply lingering-on. Some Bobolinks have been moving, with a few at least showing part of Friday on Governors Island, and one individual noted by many for a location where, although annual, most are fly-throughs in spring and particularly, “fall” (starting in midsummer), at Central Park; at least 1 Bobolink still being seen there into Saturday, while more obs. noted “it” previously. In flight, the species can and does move thru by the dozens at a time, and quite regularly-so, not at all ‘rare’ in that respect for the county. Purple Finch have been scarce but not non-existent, and might be watched for on days with good arrival flights, such as were occcuring in this report’s period. The American Goldfinch movements at this time of year also are intriguing, albeit not being seen in any very-great no’s. Lots of Bobolinks moved thru on Friday, 9/2, and also moving that day in particular were Cedar Waxwing, which can also be drifting around a bit in the county as well. And easily the largest movement of R.-br. Nuthatch in this report’s period came thru as well on Friday early, with that movement esp. in the first 2 hours of daylight; some landed birds were found in some odd-spots in the county later same day. Also still moving thru on Friday, in particular were E. Kingbird, while more generally, E. Wood-Pewee numbers are steady, and we are still finding Great Crested Flycatchers. The other expected migrant flycatchers also have been found, with numbers of some dropping-off quite a bit by Labor-Monday. 29 species of American Warblers were noted in N.Y. County for this report’s period, with a highlight, albeit not in a location to be seen by a lot of observers, of a Connecticut Warbler in northern Manhattan (northern, heavily-wooded sector of Highbridge Park, south of Dyckman Street) on Saturday, 9/3 - both expected for the date (period), and also, as-is-typical, skulking and quite difficult to track, esp. in steep, rough, and rather-brushy terrain; the species also has occured elsewhere in the city, in recent days. Mourning Warbler also was still being found, in low no’s., and some more of the boreal-forest nesting species were either ongoing or freshly-arriving in modest no’s.. including Cape May, Bay-breasted, and Blackpoll Warblers in roughly that order of abundance, with Tennessee Warbler also ongoing, and as previously-noted, more Magnolia as well as the Black-throateds of our eastern-breeding warblers (“Blue” & “Green”) showing in higher no’s. A few Hooded Warblers, and an uptick in Wilsons’ Warblers, while if anything Canada Warbler no’s. dropped in this period. There were sightings of American Redstart from as many as 50 different individual locations, that *did not* include Central Park, in Manhattan alone, and that species also was seen in modest no’s. on both of the larger outlying islands of the county, in particular on Friday, when up to 19 species of warblers graced Governors Island, and some of those migrants in fairly good numbers. Of course, at so-heavily-birded Central Park, the sightings of Am. Redstart are and have been regular and numerous in some findings and reports. Although the vast majority of Louisiana Waterthrushes are now south of New York (state or city) and many are very far south of there, by now, we do have records (including photographed birds) well into September and, much-more-rarely, after this month, in N.Y. City and vicinity, and one found in Central Park on 9/3 was thus not at all unprecedented - but is on the later side of expectations. Most of that species had moved on (southward) by the last week to ten days of August. There seemed to be a bit of fresh influx of Northern Waterthrush migration even into Labor-Monday, although not very pronounced. Palm Warblers (of the ‘western’ form) have been seen including at least several on Governors Island (near and at Fort Jay) on Sunday. Rather fewer lately, but hardly ‘rare’ are Yellow Warblers, in scattered locations. And Worm-eating Warblers were still around in a few places at least into Sunday, 9/4. Quite good diversity was still in evidence for a lot of groups of migrants, thru Labor Day Monday and in some locations, loose flocks could reveal 1-dozen or more spp. of warblers without a need to walk a great deal, although in the odd-spots, and including in various small parks and less-visited greenspaces, were also migrants of diverse kinds, albeit almost all ‘land birds’ excepting the mudflats & water habitats of the county, and the skies. On Monday 9/5, many observers noted multiple Cape May Warblers, and of those at least 8 were found in the Ramble section of Central Park alone, by independent observers from sunrise hour on to much later in the day; the species was also seen in a number of other areas of that park, also in multiple other locations around Manhattan, & at least three individuals were still on Governors Island, as they also had been on Sunday. Additionally on Monday, multiple cuckoos -of the 2 expected species- were seen in Central Park, with at least one of each species, Black-billed and Yellow-billed, in the Central Park Ramble section thru Monday morning. In addition, many were still seeing a few of the cuckoos elsewhere in the same park which by now have been observed in the same areas including at that park’s norh end, for days and days and by scores and scores of observers, some on various not-for-profit guided bird-walks during these multiple days of their occurrences. Many of these various sightings are documented with photographs, now in the Macaulay Library. Also continuing in a number of locations, and in the multiple in Central Park to Monday have been Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Several of these have been seen by the throngs in the Loch area, and while watching those multiple cuckoos of 2 species over the many recent days. Ruby-throated hummers have however also been passing thru and on some days, were noted as flybys working their way south-by-southwest out of the county, and likely many also out of the city and to south-of this state. There are thrushes and a majority lately -of the migrants in that group- have been Veery, while at least some Wood, and a very few Swainson’s Thrushes also were showing. And what seems to be ‘same' Hermit Thrush, lingering a while, in one area. Veery movements are clearest, as they have shown in all of the 3 main islands and on Manhattan in a lot of locations; at least a few here & there in odd-spots that a thrush might not be expected-in (median planted-malls in the center of Park Ave,. or of Broadway, in the northern half of Manhattan). The Baltimore Orioles are still moving, and on some days, quite good numbers of Bobolinks. At least a few of the latter on Governors Island on Sunday morning. Other blackbird-family spp. (such as Red-winged Blackbird) in just-modest numbers, at least as any a.m. flights have been. Not noted by many, but having increased, are Chipping Sparrows, and along with those starting to move through, the time to watch for a similar but far-less common relative is here (Clay-colored), which are starting to appear regionally. As noted previously a very few Savannah Sparrows were showing, esp. (lately) on the two outer islands of the county. While Indigo Buntings have contunued, with a minimum of 3 at once in the weedy areas on Governors Island just s.w. of Fort Jay there on Sunday a.m., it is also a reasonable time to look, & keep looking over coming months for the larger ‘bunting’ that’s larger billed and called ‘Blue'; those are and will be passing thru in the region. Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have come thru but still in just very modest numbers. A Yellow-breasted Chat was reported at Central Park’s northern sector on Monday, however not many others ‘flocking’ to that area were able to re-find. It is highly possible that this bird may linger for some time, and could show again in many areas of that park. It is not at all unusual of course with that species that there may be one sighting and then a period of hours, or days - or even weeks, with no new sightings, or very few, and then, for no obvious reason the same bird may ‘choose’ to be seen. There are many other species of migrant, visitant, and some resident species all around that could be added in to a report. - - - - At least 32 species of butterflies have been recorded in the period of this report, within N.Y. County; this includes at least 22 species found on Governors Island on Sunday, 9/4, while also including many from all other sectors of the 3 main islands of the county. Among the rarer species (albeit somewhat anticipated at this late-summer period each year in the region) have been a few Ocola Skippers, considered a ’stray’ that is common in parts of the South, and increasingly-rare the farther north in the U.S. one goes. At least 2, and perhaps more, individuals were in Central Park on the recent week-end, and the species was also found at Governors Island, as well as in the flower garden at Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan. For N.Y. County, a rather unusual sighting, possibly an ongoing individual, has been a Great Spangled Fritillary in Central Park’s n. end. Overall less-common (in the state or region), at least several Variegated Fritillaries have been found, on Governors Island where they seem most ‘regular’ for the county, and also at Inwood Hill Park’s “Dyckman Fields” section, and out on Randall’s Island as well. The addition of Hackberry Emperor as a semi-regular species on Manhattan, particularly in Central Park in the multiple, as well as at Inwood Hill Park’s woodlands, has been enjoyed by a number of observers. Also documented in the last few days have been the usually-scarce White M Hairstreak, including individuals at Central Park, and fair numbers of more-regular Gray Hairstreaks and at least a few Red-banded Hairstreaks. In skipper species, there have been both Wild Indigo, and Horace’s Duskywings in very modest numbers in several locations. And Fiery Skippers have come in to be seen, later this summer to arrive than the now-mostly ‘expected’ Sachem, and with Fiery Skipper being found by serious watchers out in both Delaware County NY and in Sullivan County NY, where these may represent new, photo-documented, county records (thanks to R. Davis et al from Sullivan County for reports and photos). Common Buckeyes have continued to show rather well, for N.Y. County (and also in general) this summer. There also have been at least a few American Snouts showing, most recently one at Governors Island, and others thru the summer on the other 2 islands, esp. from Central Park with its’ multiple observers. Many many other excellent insect observations have been made over recent days, and at least some despite the very dry conditions - hopefully, that being somewhat alleviated by the latest somewhat-widespread rains. Peaceful observations & bird finding to all, 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/ --
