An outstanding find and observation for the location in Westchester County, NY
was a Parasitic Jaeger, seen off Edith G. Read Sanctuary, with 3 and then at
least five observers, including two of our best-&-brightest of veteran watchers
along with the younger finders, part of the time conducting a Sound-watch (Long
Island Sound).
…
New York County (in N.Y. City) including Manhattan, Randall’s Island, and
Governors Island
Saturday, Oct. 30th:
An excellent watch from Manhattan in the vicinity of Greenwich Village (along
the Hudson River, via the Greenway path for access), with a number of observers
present, spotted a group of Forster’s Terns (that species of Sterna [genus of]
tern is slightly-surprisingly ‘rare’ for N.Y. County, and has not been found
often in modern bird-observing in that county.) Thus the 7 individuals of that
species seen (& photo-documented) are of high interest, and that would be so no
matter the date (season) in N.Y. County. (This species was seen elsewhere,
especially at Atlantic coastal areas of western to central Long Island, in
numbers on the day.)
Also seen in the same watch-period, along the Hudson River, from Pier 45
specifically, were a Bonaparte’s Gull & a Lesser Black-backed Gull, as well as
3 Greater Yellowlegs (the latter 2 species not as uncommon, but also not at all
commonly found, esp. on active-migration in N.Y. County), & seen a bit later on
were 7 Red-breasted Mergansers (the latter regular in county waters as winter
approaches & resumes, but still a bit uncommon for this date, this year), as
well as some Brant (presumably, all Atlantic Brant), Laughing Gulls, plenty of
the 3 most-regular local gull species (Ring-billed, American Herring, and Great
Black-backed Gulls), a migrant fly-by Common Loon, multiples of migrating
Double-crested Cormorants, 2 Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagle, Tree Swallows (13
were seen on the move; that species widely-noted on the move today in the
region), and other species of water & ‘land’ birds on the move, or
resting-feeding in the local area. (Observers there included D. Aronov, A.
Burke, A. Cunningham, & T. Healy; & with some of same birds, esp., some of the
Forster’s Terns also seen at this location by T. Plowman, too). The watch was
conducted from near sunrise-time into very late morning.
There is much potential all along the Hudson River, & these intrepid observers
and some others have been lately attempting to find, and show that potential,
with some great birds at times. Good no’s. of Laughing Gulls were seen out
around N.Y. Harbor on Saturday, although not so many as to make for any
records. 8 Common Mergansers, as well as Red-breasted Mergansers were reported
from the Dyckman Fields section of Inwood Hill Park, those north of the western
terminus of Dyckman St. in northern Manhattan, & also reported from there were
Red-throated & Common Loons (as had been seen as well from the lower-Manhattan
'river-watch team'). Additionally at Dyckman Fields, an American Pipit was
noted, perhaps more a fly-by than a visitor.
A Marsh Wren was found on Governors Island (A. Barry) where a Vesper Sparrow
also was seen. A Wood Thrush was found on Saturday at Stuyvesant-town
(lower-east Manhattan; R. Lulov) - and may possibly be able to linger for some
time, there. (Stuy-town has the distinction of a location where the very first
species, by date, to be listed in its eBird hot-spot column is a Varied Thrush
which many, many birders were able to see just *under one decade ago* there;
there have also been at least 25 spp. of warblers in Stuy-town in that same
time-period, and a great many other migrant & visitant species; it’s one of the
great ‘patches’ of the county). The long-lingering Marsh Wren[s] by The Pond in
Central Park, seen by many again on Saturday, with one bird having moved a
little, around to s.e. edge of the pond-shore. In that same section were
ongoing Winter Wrens, & a Blue-headed Vireo there was one of fewer still being
found in the county, on Sat., although others were also seen in Central Park in
a few different locations. E. Phoebes were seen in quite a number of sites on
Saturday, & it will be interesting to see if even a few linger on for some
time. [Red] Fox Sparrows have been increasingly noted, and there may well be
more to show in the coming days.
Pine Warbler for The Pinetum makes sense, and others also having been in othe
pine-tree locations, those at Central Park and photo-documented by multiple
observers Saturday, possibly recently-lingering individuals there - one gentle
reminder: that species has been seen in Central Park during mid-winter, more
than twice in various past years, & is not too rare in winter in the region,
even though not so noted exceptionally-often. (When found in winter in the
area, on many occasions, these will sometimes, or even frequently, come in to
feeders & in particular to suet-feeders and enjoy some extra caloric content
with