[nysbirds-l] Gyrfalcon in Fort Tilden Queens NYC
I saw a very large falcon late this afternoon in Fort Tilden. It looked identical to the dark adult Gyrfalcon in Sibley's, and after watching it for nearly five minutes I id'ed it as a Gyrfalcon and entered it into ebird. I also had some great views of more common birds, like long tail ducks, common eiders and a black scoter. -- Joseph O'Sullivan -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Tree Swallows (6) at Black Rock Park, Croton and Eagle Numbers
Six tree swallows were observed late this morning at Black Rock Park, Croton-on-Hudson, Westchester County. Observed for 30+ minutes swooping over same small area of the Croton River. Perhaps getting an early aquatic insect hatch of some sort? Seems rather early for that (and the swallows.) Link to video clip via iPhone/scope: http://vimeo.com/87688634 Great views also this morning at Black Rock of three immature and 1 adult bald eagle successfully fishing in same area. Earlier in the morning, a total of 17 bald eagles were seen perched in different areas of Croton Point Park, 5 adults, 12 immature. Anne Swaim Saw Mill River Audubon www.sawmillriveraudubon.org -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC 2/26
Wednesday, 26 February, 2014 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City I looked for the Pine Warbler seen yesterday in the Ramble of Central Park, at about the same time & with similar conditions (light snow flurries ending, brisk but bright & sunny), but did not find it again this mid-day. And as I rather suspected might be, there had been a sighting & report of a "drab" Pine Warbler, dating from Feb. 9, a bit over 2 weeks prior, from Central Park & not that far from yesterday's sighting - that by Angus Wilson, and brought to my attention by a number of list-members and park regulars, as well as having this confirmed from Angus himself (thanks!) As I'd noted, the warbler was seen actively feeding Tuesday, thus seems to have been in reasonable health thru the chill & snows of this past month+. (And, as many also pointed out there have been a modest number of reports of Pine Warbler this winter from [esp.] the Atlantic shore & plain, in NY as well as various adjacent & nearby states.) The species is of course among the more northerly-wintering of our warblers, indeed there are some who've claimed it as a North American "endemic", although my understanding is that there are scant records from Costa Rica, and there are resident races or forms on Hispaniola & the Bahamas, as well as some reports from Cuba & perhaps other Caribbean isles. Other birds today were more standard for February & there was a sense that small numbers of some spp. may have actually moved on, such as American Robins, and perhaps Common Grackles. The water-bodies of the park including the reservoir remain at least 95+% frozen, with the lingering ducks & other waterbirds mainly filling the small open water areas available. At least 5 Wood Ducks were at the w. side of the Lake, and 3 more at the reservoir's south side opening. Baltimore Orioles (two, anyhow) continue as they have all late fall thru winter at the feeders, in the Ramble (appearing irregularly in any given day). 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Hawk ID conclusion and thanks
Many many thanks to all of you who replied to my hawk ID query. I received a very large number of responses, only some of which appear to have gone out to the entire lists, unfortunately. What I discovered was that a number of other people have seen individuals like this in our area, not too far from where I saw this bird (in Croton, NY). Some have also been somewhat stumped at first, but concluded that it was an immature Red-shouldered. It is clear that the differential ID between immature Red-shouldered (RSHA) and immature Broad-winged hawks (BWHA) is notoriously challenging. The main arguments I have seen in favor of immature Red-shouldered include the following. Time of year and location - that it is too early for a BWHA to be seen this far north; most of them overwinter in Central and South America, or, as Phil Jeffrey mentioned, in Florida or the Mississippi River Delta south of New Orleans, and would more likely not be here until late March or early to mid- April. In addition, BWHA would not do well in this harsh winter. Furthermore, some RSHA immatures are known to overwinter in our area. Then, there is wing marking and shape - RSHA characteristically have the translucent crescents at the base of the primaries just before the darker tips and have rounder and broader wings than BWHA, which are thought of as straighter and more pointy. Some described the BWHA as having a larger and more square light area near the wing tips. Line under chin - thought of as thicker on RSHA than on BWHA, and streaks on chest are distributed more evenly across on RSHA and darker at the sides on BWHA - although that is not always a constant. The overwhelming conclusion is that this bird is an immature Red-shouldered Hawk. Thank you again, Ardith Bondi -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
