Re: [nysbirds-l] Brooklyn & Queens weekend migration and rarities
Agree with Doug. I also had a Lapland longspur today, but a bit farther north, in croton point park. And could see massive movement this morning up along the Hudson, with many birds flying over. Jonathan > On Oct 25, 2020, at 9:33 PM, Doug Gochfeld wrote: > > > The last three days along the Brooklyn and Queens coast have been a great > study in the dynamism that is bird migration in late October. > > On Friday morning, I birded an exceedingly foggy Plum Beach in Brooklyn after > a modest night flight overnight (visible on Nexrad radar). The dunes had a > surprising amount of passerines, with Yellow-rumped Warblers dominating (as > seems to always be the case at this date), with several flocks surreally > moving westbound through the dense fog as they searched for more suitable > land. The marsh had its usual excellent array of marsh sparrows with at least > four taxa tallied (Seaside, Saltmarsh, and Nelson’s (both Interior and > Atlantic Coast types). Passerine rarities that were likely thanks to the > weather were a Dickcissel feeding in the marsh as if it were one of the marsh > sparrows, and a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW seen nicely (once the fog lifted) in the > dunes along with plenty of Savannahs and Songs. A rare-for-Brooklyn > LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER appeared out of the fog with a small flock of Greater > Yellowlegs but they continued on to the west. > > I spent the past two mornings at Breezy Point in Queens, to see what the > visible migration situation would be like during these two opposing wind > conditions on back-to-back days. Yesterday, the moderate SW wind produced a > very good waterbird flight of westbound birds over the ocean, with the > highlight species being a group of 3 HARLEQUIN DUCKS amidst a large migrating > flock of Black Scoters (of which more than a thousand passed through the > morning). > The passerine flight was also interesting, with double digit numbers of both > Pine and Blackpoll Warblers jumping off into the headwind to migrate across > the bay, a few Cape May Warblers, and an unseen Lapland Longspur flight > calling its way through, and over 2,300 Pine Siskins. The coolest event (and > the one I've seen fewest times) for me, however, was watching a group of 25 > Black-capped Chickadees take flight from the western end of the dunes and get > up high in an abortive attempt to migrate across the bay. After this, > chickadees sporadically flew up into the headwind towards the jetty before > returning to the dunes, but eventually at least four set sail into the wind > and continued over the bay. > > Today, after a much more classic big post-cold front nocturnal flight, the > dunes and scrub were pulsating with birds first thing in the morning, mostly > sparrows (White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos dominating). Migration > was very dispersed and multi-directional due to the easterly component of the > wind (it was Northeast for most of the morning), and many birds were very > high. It was while looking for these high flocks that I came across what > turned out to be a SANDHILL CRANE hauling westward very high up. When it got > well out over the mouth of lower New York Bay it circled for a minute or two > and then headed south towards Sandy Hook. This was interesting timing, > because there has been a Great Blue Heron at Breezy Point for the past two > days which has been flying around only with its neck fully extended, and I > had been meditating on how superficially similar-looking to Sandhill Cranes > they can be when doing this. That heron is likely still around. > > As I was returning to the parking lot later on, I encountered a HENSLOW'S > SPARROW which flushed out of a patch of bluestem grass and perched in a > Bayberry Bush for a minute or two. After it vanished, I tried to re-find the > bird with another nearby birder for about 40 minutes but we sadly came up > empty despite an intensive effort. There are a lot of dunes for such a skulky > species to disappear into. > > Afterwards I swung by Riis Park, where walking various excellent looking > patches of weedy habitat and dune scrub yielded Marsh Wren (Neponsit field), > Nelson’s Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, and 3 Eastern Meadowlarks. > > > Viva la migración > -Doug Gochfeld. Brooklyn, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Brooklyn & Queens weekend migration and rarities
Agree with Doug. I also had a Lapland longspur today, but a bit farther north, in croton point park. And could see massive movement this morning up along the Hudson, with many birds flying over. Jonathan > On Oct 25, 2020, at 9:33 PM, Doug Gochfeld wrote: > > > The last three days along the Brooklyn and Queens coast have been a great > study in the dynamism that is bird migration in late October. > > On Friday morning, I birded an exceedingly foggy Plum Beach in Brooklyn after > a modest night flight overnight (visible on Nexrad radar). The dunes had a > surprising amount of passerines, with Yellow-rumped Warblers dominating (as > seems to always be the case at this date), with several flocks surreally > moving westbound through the dense fog as they searched for more suitable > land. The marsh had its usual excellent array of marsh sparrows with at least > four taxa tallied (Seaside, Saltmarsh, and Nelson’s (both Interior and > Atlantic Coast types). Passerine rarities that were likely thanks to the > weather were a Dickcissel feeding in the marsh as if it were one of the marsh > sparrows, and a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW seen nicely (once the fog lifted) in the > dunes along with plenty of Savannahs and Songs. A rare-for-Brooklyn > LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER appeared out of the fog with a small flock of Greater > Yellowlegs but they continued on to the west. > > I spent the past two mornings at Breezy Point in Queens, to see what the > visible migration situation would be like during these two opposing wind > conditions on back-to-back days. Yesterday, the moderate SW wind produced a > very good waterbird flight of westbound birds over the ocean, with the > highlight species being a group of 3 HARLEQUIN DUCKS amidst a large migrating > flock of Black Scoters (of which more than a thousand passed through the > morning). > The passerine flight was also interesting, with double digit numbers of both > Pine and Blackpoll Warblers jumping off into the headwind to migrate across > the bay, a few Cape May Warblers, and an unseen Lapland Longspur flight > calling its way through, and over 2,300 Pine Siskins. The coolest event (and > the one I've seen fewest times) for me, however, was watching a group of 25 > Black-capped Chickadees take flight from the western end of the dunes and get > up high in an abortive attempt to migrate across the bay. After this, > chickadees sporadically flew up into the headwind towards the jetty before > returning to the dunes, but eventually at least four set sail into the wind > and continued over the bay. > > Today, after a much more classic big post-cold front nocturnal flight, the > dunes and scrub were pulsating with birds first thing in the morning, mostly > sparrows (White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos dominating). Migration > was very dispersed and multi-directional due to the easterly component of the > wind (it was Northeast for most of the morning), and many birds were very > high. It was while looking for these high flocks that I came across what > turned out to be a SANDHILL CRANE hauling westward very high up. When it got > well out over the mouth of lower New York Bay it circled for a minute or two > and then headed south towards Sandy Hook. This was interesting timing, > because there has been a Great Blue Heron at Breezy Point for the past two > days which has been flying around only with its neck fully extended, and I > had been meditating on how superficially similar-looking to Sandhill Cranes > they can be when doing this. That heron is likely still around. > > As I was returning to the parking lot later on, I encountered a HENSLOW'S > SPARROW which flushed out of a patch of bluestem grass and perched in a > Bayberry Bush for a minute or two. After it vanished, I tried to re-find the > bird with another nearby birder for about 40 minutes but we sadly came up > empty despite an intensive effort. There are a lot of dunes for such a skulky > species to disappear into. > > Afterwards I swung by Riis Park, where walking various excellent looking > patches of weedy habitat and dune scrub yielded Marsh Wren (Neponsit field), > Nelson’s Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, and 3 Eastern Meadowlarks. > > > Viva la migración > -Doug Gochfeld. Brooklyn, NY > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Brooklyn & Queens weekend migration and rarities
The last three days along the Brooklyn and Queens coast have been a great study in the dynamism that is bird migration in late October. On Friday morning, I birded an exceedingly foggy Plum Beach in Brooklyn after a modest night flight overnight (visible on Nexrad radar). The dunes had a surprising amount of passerines, with Yellow-rumped Warblers dominating (as seems to always be the case at this date), with several flocks surreally moving westbound through the dense fog as they searched for more suitable land. The marsh had its usual excellent array of marsh sparrows with at least four taxa tallied (*Seaside*, *Saltmarsh*, and *Nelson’s* (both Interior and Atlantic Coast types). Passerine rarities that were likely thanks to the weather were a *Dickcissel* feeding in the marsh as if it were one of the marsh sparrows, and a *GRASSHOPPER SPARROW* seen nicely (once the fog lifted) in the dunes along with plenty of Savannahs and Songs. A rare-for-Brooklyn *LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER* appeared out of the fog with a small flock of Greater Yellowlegs but they continued on to the west. I spent the past two mornings at Breezy Point in Queens, to see what the visible migration situation would be like during these two opposing wind conditions on back-to-back days. Yesterday, the moderate SW wind produced a very good waterbird flight of westbound birds over the ocean, with the highlight species being a group of *3* *HARLEQUIN DUCKS* amidst a large migrating flock of Black Scoters (of which more than a thousand passed through the morning). The passerine flight was also interesting, with double digit numbers of both Pine and Blackpoll Warblers jumping off into the headwind to migrate across the bay, a few Cape May Warblers, and an unseen *Lapland Longspur* flight calling its way through, and over *2,300 Pine Siskins*. The coolest event (and the one I've seen fewest times) for me, however, was watching a group of 25 Black-capped Chickadees take flight from the western end of the dunes and get up high in an abortive attempt to migrate across the bay. After this, chickadees sporadically flew up into the headwind towards the jetty before returning to the dunes, but eventually at least four set sail into the wind and continued over the bay. Today, after a much more classic big post-cold front nocturnal flight, the dunes and scrub were pulsating with birds first thing in the morning, mostly sparrows (White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos dominating). Migration was very dispersed and multi-directional due to the easterly component of the wind (it was Northeast for most of the morning), and many birds were very high. It was while looking for these high flocks that I came across what turned out to be a *SANDHILL CRANE* hauling westward very high up. When it got well out over the mouth of lower New York Bay it circled for a minute or two and then headed south towards Sandy Hook. This was interesting timing, because there has been a Great Blue Heron at Breezy Point for the past two days which has been flying around only with its neck fully extended, and I had been meditating on how superficially similar-looking to Sandhill Cranes they can be when doing this. That heron is likely still around. As I was returning to the parking lot later on, I encountered a *HENSLOW'S SPARROW* which flushed out of a patch of bluestem grass and perched in a Bayberry Bush for a minute or two. After it vanished, I tried to re-find the bird with another nearby birder for about 40 minutes but we sadly came up empty despite an intensive effort. There are a lot of dunes for such a skulky species to disappear into. Afterwards I swung by Riis Park, where walking various excellent looking patches of weedy habitat and dune scrub yielded *Marsh Wren *(Neponsit field)*, Nelson’s Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler*, and 3 Eastern Meadowlarks. Viva la migración -Doug Gochfeld. Brooklyn, NY -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Brooklyn & Queens weekend migration and rarities
The last three days along the Brooklyn and Queens coast have been a great study in the dynamism that is bird migration in late October. On Friday morning, I birded an exceedingly foggy Plum Beach in Brooklyn after a modest night flight overnight (visible on Nexrad radar). The dunes had a surprising amount of passerines, with Yellow-rumped Warblers dominating (as seems to always be the case at this date), with several flocks surreally moving westbound through the dense fog as they searched for more suitable land. The marsh had its usual excellent array of marsh sparrows with at least four taxa tallied (*Seaside*, *Saltmarsh*, and *Nelson’s* (both Interior and Atlantic Coast types). Passerine rarities that were likely thanks to the weather were a *Dickcissel* feeding in the marsh as if it were one of the marsh sparrows, and a *GRASSHOPPER SPARROW* seen nicely (once the fog lifted) in the dunes along with plenty of Savannahs and Songs. A rare-for-Brooklyn *LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER* appeared out of the fog with a small flock of Greater Yellowlegs but they continued on to the west. I spent the past two mornings at Breezy Point in Queens, to see what the visible migration situation would be like during these two opposing wind conditions on back-to-back days. Yesterday, the moderate SW wind produced a very good waterbird flight of westbound birds over the ocean, with the highlight species being a group of *3* *HARLEQUIN DUCKS* amidst a large migrating flock of Black Scoters (of which more than a thousand passed through the morning). The passerine flight was also interesting, with double digit numbers of both Pine and Blackpoll Warblers jumping off into the headwind to migrate across the bay, a few Cape May Warblers, and an unseen *Lapland Longspur* flight calling its way through, and over *2,300 Pine Siskins*. The coolest event (and the one I've seen fewest times) for me, however, was watching a group of 25 Black-capped Chickadees take flight from the western end of the dunes and get up high in an abortive attempt to migrate across the bay. After this, chickadees sporadically flew up into the headwind towards the jetty before returning to the dunes, but eventually at least four set sail into the wind and continued over the bay. Today, after a much more classic big post-cold front nocturnal flight, the dunes and scrub were pulsating with birds first thing in the morning, mostly sparrows (White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos dominating). Migration was very dispersed and multi-directional due to the easterly component of the wind (it was Northeast for most of the morning), and many birds were very high. It was while looking for these high flocks that I came across what turned out to be a *SANDHILL CRANE* hauling westward very high up. When it got well out over the mouth of lower New York Bay it circled for a minute or two and then headed south towards Sandy Hook. This was interesting timing, because there has been a Great Blue Heron at Breezy Point for the past two days which has been flying around only with its neck fully extended, and I had been meditating on how superficially similar-looking to Sandhill Cranes they can be when doing this. That heron is likely still around. As I was returning to the parking lot later on, I encountered a *HENSLOW'S SPARROW* which flushed out of a patch of bluestem grass and perched in a Bayberry Bush for a minute or two. After it vanished, I tried to re-find the bird with another nearby birder for about 40 minutes but we sadly came up empty despite an intensive effort. There are a lot of dunes for such a skulky species to disappear into. Afterwards I swung by Riis Park, where walking various excellent looking patches of weedy habitat and dune scrub yielded *Marsh Wren *(Neponsit field)*, Nelson’s Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler*, and 3 Eastern Meadowlarks. Viva la migración -Doug Gochfeld. Brooklyn, NY -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC: Sun. Oct. 25, 2020: Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Great Crested Flycatcher, Pine Siskin
Central Park NYC Sunday October 25, 2020 OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob Highlights: Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Great Crested Flycatcher, Pine Siskin, Five Species of Wood Warblers. Brant - flyover flock of 12 Canada Goose - 8 plus skeins of migrants overhead Mallard - 27 American Black Duck - flyover flock of 5 headed southeast Mourning Dove - 5 Herring Gull - around 15 flyovers Double-crested Cormorant - 2 flyovers Northern Harrier - male flyover seen from Belvedere Castle Cooper's Hawk - 2 flyovers Bald Eagle - 1 2nd-year flyover with Red-tailed Hawk escort Belvedere Castle Red-tailed Hawk - 4 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 5 Downy Woodpecker - 2 (King of Poland and flyover) Northern Flicker - 5 Great Crested Flycatcher - Shakespeare Garden Eastern Phoebe - 2 (2 (Pinetum & Humming Tombstone) Blue-headed Vireo - 2 Shakespeare Garden Blue Jay - 5 American Crow - 6 Black-capped Chickadee - around 40 Tufted Titmouse - around 40 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 5 or 6 White-breasted Nuthatch - 3 Brown Creeper - 2 (Great Lawn (S. Critelli), Sparrow Rock (RDC, David Barrett)) Winter Wren - 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2 Shakespeare Garden Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 10-15 Eastern Bluebird* Swainson's Thrush - 1 Shakespeare Garden Hermit Thrush - 20 American Robin - 40 (15 plus flyovers) Gray Catbird - 3 House Finch - 3 Pine Siskin - 50 American Goldfinch - 3 or 4 Eastern Towhee - 3 Chipping Sparrow - 25 Field Sparrow - 1 Sparrow Rock Song Sparrow - 15 Swamp Sparrow - 2 (near Boathouse, Pinetum) White-throated Sparrow - 75 Dark-eyed Junco - 25 Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 male Sparrow Rock (Jackie Emery) Common Grackle - 100 Northern Parula - 1 between Tupelo Field & Humming Tombstone (Erica Rosengart) Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1 female near Boathouse Pine Warbler - 2 (male & first-fall female) Shakespeare Garden Yellow-rumped Warbler - 15-20 Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 female Shakespeare Garden (Sandra Critelli) Northern Cardinal - 5 -- Other reports from the twitter Manhattan Bird Alert @BirdCentralPark maintained by David Barrett: *David Barrett heard Eastern Bluebird(s) at Shakespeare Garden, which were seen by Adam Cunningham @abclooksatbirds before we arrived. The Barred Owl continued at the north end, first reported this morning by @Above96th. Adam Cunningham @abclooksatbirds found an Orange-crowned Warbler at Dene Slope. Ursula Mitra @Timberdoodle found a female Northern Pintail at the Pool. -- Deb Allen Follow us on twitter @BirdingBobNYC & @DAllenNYC. -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC: Sun. Oct. 25, 2020: Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Great Crested Flycatcher, Pine Siskin
Central Park NYC Sunday October 25, 2020 OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob Highlights: Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Great Crested Flycatcher, Pine Siskin, Five Species of Wood Warblers. Brant - flyover flock of 12 Canada Goose - 8 plus skeins of migrants overhead Mallard - 27 American Black Duck - flyover flock of 5 headed southeast Mourning Dove - 5 Herring Gull - around 15 flyovers Double-crested Cormorant - 2 flyovers Northern Harrier - male flyover seen from Belvedere Castle Cooper's Hawk - 2 flyovers Bald Eagle - 1 2nd-year flyover with Red-tailed Hawk escort Belvedere Castle Red-tailed Hawk - 4 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 5 Downy Woodpecker - 2 (King of Poland and flyover) Northern Flicker - 5 Great Crested Flycatcher - Shakespeare Garden Eastern Phoebe - 2 (2 (Pinetum & Humming Tombstone) Blue-headed Vireo - 2 Shakespeare Garden Blue Jay - 5 American Crow - 6 Black-capped Chickadee - around 40 Tufted Titmouse - around 40 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 5 or 6 White-breasted Nuthatch - 3 Brown Creeper - 2 (Great Lawn (S. Critelli), Sparrow Rock (RDC, David Barrett)) Winter Wren - 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2 Shakespeare Garden Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 10-15 Eastern Bluebird* Swainson's Thrush - 1 Shakespeare Garden Hermit Thrush - 20 American Robin - 40 (15 plus flyovers) Gray Catbird - 3 House Finch - 3 Pine Siskin - 50 American Goldfinch - 3 or 4 Eastern Towhee - 3 Chipping Sparrow - 25 Field Sparrow - 1 Sparrow Rock Song Sparrow - 15 Swamp Sparrow - 2 (near Boathouse, Pinetum) White-throated Sparrow - 75 Dark-eyed Junco - 25 Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 male Sparrow Rock (Jackie Emery) Common Grackle - 100 Northern Parula - 1 between Tupelo Field & Humming Tombstone (Erica Rosengart) Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1 female near Boathouse Pine Warbler - 2 (male & first-fall female) Shakespeare Garden Yellow-rumped Warbler - 15-20 Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 female Shakespeare Garden (Sandra Critelli) Northern Cardinal - 5 -- Other reports from the twitter Manhattan Bird Alert @BirdCentralPark maintained by David Barrett: *David Barrett heard Eastern Bluebird(s) at Shakespeare Garden, which were seen by Adam Cunningham @abclooksatbirds before we arrived. The Barred Owl continued at the north end, first reported this morning by @Above96th. Adam Cunningham @abclooksatbirds found an Orange-crowned Warbler at Dene Slope. Ursula Mitra @Timberdoodle found a female Northern Pintail at the Pool. -- Deb Allen Follow us on twitter @BirdingBobNYC & @DAllenNYC. -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] masses of Juncos and Chipping Sparrows in Riverside Park
Returning to the city in mid-afternoon, we thought we would have a quick look in Riverside Park to see what last night's big cold front had brought in. We entered the Park at the 120th street tennis courts. North of the tennis courts, on short grass just west of the 125th street exit ramp from the West Side Highway, a dense flock of about 200 Chipping Sparrows swarmed about a heavily-leaved tree and on the ground around it, getting up whenever a car or pedestrian passed. On the flat lawn area about 150 yards south of the tennis courts, another dense flock of about 250 Dark-eyed Juncos tried to feed in the grass, constantly rising in a mass when disturbed by people and dogs. Just south of them was another flock of about 100 Chipping Sparrows, with a very few Field Sparrows among them, trying to feed on the lawn and constantly getting up in a tight mass. We have never before seen such dense masses of those two species in Riverside Park We looked further south but didn't see any further sparrow flocks in that direction, but daylight was fading and we couldn't be sure. Song Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows did not seem particularly numerous in nearby brush tangles. Bob Paxton and Sarah Plilmpton -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] masses of Juncos and Chipping Sparrows in Riverside Park
Returning to the city in mid-afternoon, we thought we would have a quick look in Riverside Park to see what last night's big cold front had brought in. We entered the Park at the 120th street tennis courts. North of the tennis courts, on short grass just west of the 125th street exit ramp from the West Side Highway, a dense flock of about 200 Chipping Sparrows swarmed about a heavily-leaved tree and on the ground around it, getting up whenever a car or pedestrian passed. On the flat lawn area about 150 yards south of the tennis courts, another dense flock of about 250 Dark-eyed Juncos tried to feed in the grass, constantly rising in a mass when disturbed by people and dogs. Just south of them was another flock of about 100 Chipping Sparrows, with a very few Field Sparrows among them, trying to feed on the lawn and constantly getting up in a tight mass. We have never before seen such dense masses of those two species in Riverside Park We looked further south but didn't see any further sparrow flocks in that direction, but daylight was fading and we couldn't be sure. Song Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows did not seem particularly numerous in nearby brush tangles. Bob Paxton and Sarah Plilmpton -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] LeConte's Sparrow photos (by finder, not mine) - Richmond Co., NY Sunday 10/25
There may be some further follow-ups (on this list) to the excellent finds by Dr. Richard Veit, with Richard Zain-Eldeen, of the LeConte’s Sparrow (as well as Grasshopper Sparrow), and the later addition of Sedge Wren in the same area of the southern-most locality of New York State - Conference House Park on Staten Island (Richmond County, which is the most-southerly county in N.Y. state) - in any event, here are links to 2 photos by Dr. Veit of the LeConte’s Sparrow from there, found Sunday, Oct. 25th. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/274354141 in-flight photo: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/274354201 Congratulations on these excellent sightings! (It’s likely that one-dozen -or more- native sparrow species were found in the above location, with a number of additional birders also arriving.) — as an additional note and as many already will be aware, the time to check closely any hummingbirds seen now (& on into the month of May, or really, year-round!) is here, with the sighting of a well-photographed male Rufous Hummingbird (in southeast N.Y. state, in eBird, &/but is at a home-feeder - thus, one should check with that home-owner or local birders who may have further directions or notices regarding visits, or, as sometimes happens, 'no-visit' requests). We’ve learned over recent years, hummingbirds of multiple species can potentially occur in the northeast & this is the start of the most-likely time of year in which vagrant hummers may show, out-of-range in eastern N. America. And while Rufous is the hummigbird species that is by far most-regular among ‘vagrants’ in the family to the east, a surprising number of other species have also turned up in states east of the center-line of the U.S., & of those, at least several others have been documented for N.Y. state. This could be the season or the year (ahead) in which one of you, somewhere in NY state, find a new species for the state - &/or one of the hummingbird sp. that are a bit more regular to the east. — — More than 130 species of migrant & (some) resident birds were seen in N.Y. County (including Manhattan, etc.) on Sunday, Oct. 25th - further reporting to follow, but not (by me) today. A fairly good chance too that any number of other counties surpassed that number of species -possibly by a lot- on the day, with all the migratory movement AND a reasonably good day for watching. good October getting-near-November 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] LeConte's Sparrow photos (by finder, not mine) - Richmond Co., NY Sunday 10/25
There may be some further follow-ups (on this list) to the excellent finds by Dr. Richard Veit, with Richard Zain-Eldeen, of the LeConte’s Sparrow (as well as Grasshopper Sparrow), and the later addition of Sedge Wren in the same area of the southern-most locality of New York State - Conference House Park on Staten Island (Richmond County, which is the most-southerly county in N.Y. state) - in any event, here are links to 2 photos by Dr. Veit of the LeConte’s Sparrow from there, found Sunday, Oct. 25th. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/274354141 in-flight photo: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/274354201 Congratulations on these excellent sightings! (It’s likely that one-dozen -or more- native sparrow species were found in the above location, with a number of additional birders also arriving.) — as an additional note and as many already will be aware, the time to check closely any hummingbirds seen now (& on into the month of May, or really, year-round!) is here, with the sighting of a well-photographed male Rufous Hummingbird (in southeast N.Y. state, in eBird, &/but is at a home-feeder - thus, one should check with that home-owner or local birders who may have further directions or notices regarding visits, or, as sometimes happens, 'no-visit' requests). We’ve learned over recent years, hummingbirds of multiple species can potentially occur in the northeast & this is the start of the most-likely time of year in which vagrant hummers may show, out-of-range in eastern N. America. And while Rufous is the hummigbird species that is by far most-regular among ‘vagrants’ in the family to the east, a surprising number of other species have also turned up in states east of the center-line of the U.S., & of those, at least several others have been documented for N.Y. state. This could be the season or the year (ahead) in which one of you, somewhere in NY state, find a new species for the state - &/or one of the hummingbird sp. that are a bit more regular to the east. — — More than 130 species of migrant & (some) resident birds were seen in N.Y. County (including Manhattan, etc.) on Sunday, Oct. 25th - further reporting to follow, but not (by me) today. A fairly good chance too that any number of other counties surpassed that number of species -possibly by a lot- on the day, with all the migratory movement AND a reasonably good day for watching. good October getting-near-November 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Cow Meadow Freeport Log Island
Three immature White Crowned Sparrows at pond trail on right under pine tree. Fifty plus Swamp Sparrows. Two Savanah Sparrows near fence tennis court side, a few juncos, thousands of white throats and resident song sparrows. Three brown creepers viewed from car at pond. Two palm warblers one Harrier flyover. Immature yellow crowned night herons. Flickers and Robin migration also. Only birders here. Sent from my iPhone > On Oct 25, 2020, at 1:46 PM, José R. Ramírez-Garofalo > wrote: > > Just found a Sedge Wren in the same spot as LeConte’s and Grasshopper > Sparrow that Dick Veit found earlier. Both birds still here, Sedge Wren > difficult to locate. > > Jose Ramirez-Garofalo > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Cow Meadow Freeport Log Island
Three immature White Crowned Sparrows at pond trail on right under pine tree. Fifty plus Swamp Sparrows. Two Savanah Sparrows near fence tennis court side, a few juncos, thousands of white throats and resident song sparrows. Three brown creepers viewed from car at pond. Two palm warblers one Harrier flyover. Immature yellow crowned night herons. Flickers and Robin migration also. Only birders here. Sent from my iPhone > On Oct 25, 2020, at 1:46 PM, José R. Ramírez-Garofalo > wrote: > > Just found a Sedge Wren in the same spot as LeConte’s and Grasshopper > Sparrow that Dick Veit found earlier. Both birds still here, Sedge Wren > difficult to locate. > > Jose Ramirez-Garofalo > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > ABA > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Sedge Wren - Conference House Park, SI
Just found a Sedge Wren in the same spot as LeConte’s and Grasshopper Sparrow that Dick Veit found earlier. Both birds still here, Sedge Wren difficult to locate. Jose Ramirez-Garofalo -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Sedge Wren - Conference House Park, SI
Just found a Sedge Wren in the same spot as LeConte’s and Grasshopper Sparrow that Dick Veit found earlier. Both birds still here, Sedge Wren difficult to locate. Jose Ramirez-Garofalo -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Summer Tanager, Central Park, NYC - 10/19 thru 10/23
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Just a brief note, a Summer Tanager in possibly/probably-female (or 1st-year male plumage; essentially yellow) has been lingering from at least Monday, 10/19 through Friday, 10/23 - and could well be continuing at the northeast quadrant of Central; the most-recent (photo-documented) sighting being by the small ‘butterfly plantings’ astride a small knoll just north of the n.-e. end of the North Meadow ballfields, that being immediately west of the park’s E. Drive roadway. However, earlier sightings of what was almost certainly the same individual had been across that park road on the east side, near & at the plant nursery area & compost, all of these locations at roughly E. 104-105th St. ‘latitudes’. (We’ve also had a few Scarlet Tanagers pass thru in the past week as well…) All of N.Y. County is seeing good diversity continue in many groups of birds, with still a rather high number of neotropical-wintering American warblers, scattered through all of Manhattan (in parks large & small & in a lot of smaller greenspaces or even ‘patches’ of habitat) - & while NO Painted warblers or other rarities have turned up, the warbler diversity was still up to 17 or more species as of Saturday, 10/24, with a fair number of the species found in Central Park, but many birds also being seen elsewhere. Obviously this includes some species now deemed ‘late’, even though virtually all of the species still being seen have late-record dates far later, within N.Y. City & even in N.Y. County, some including (past) dates into the Christmas Bird Count season. The only warblers that might be termed ‘common’ now are the expected three, Yellow-rumped [Myrtle form], Palm (of both forms), and, to a slightly lesser extent now, Common Yellowthroat (the latter of which may & does sometimes linger in odd spots all through the metro. area). good big-migrations, 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Summer Tanager, Central Park, NYC - 10/19 thru 10/23
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Just a brief note, a Summer Tanager in possibly/probably-female (or 1st-year male plumage; essentially yellow) has been lingering from at least Monday, 10/19 through Friday, 10/23 - and could well be continuing at the northeast quadrant of Central; the most-recent (photo-documented) sighting being by the small ‘butterfly plantings’ astride a small knoll just north of the n.-e. end of the North Meadow ballfields, that being immediately west of the park’s E. Drive roadway. However, earlier sightings of what was almost certainly the same individual had been across that park road on the east side, near & at the plant nursery area & compost, all of these locations at roughly E. 104-105th St. ‘latitudes’. (We’ve also had a few Scarlet Tanagers pass thru in the past week as well…) All of N.Y. County is seeing good diversity continue in many groups of birds, with still a rather high number of neotropical-wintering American warblers, scattered through all of Manhattan (in parks large & small & in a lot of smaller greenspaces or even ‘patches’ of habitat) - & while NO Painted warblers or other rarities have turned up, the warbler diversity was still up to 17 or more species as of Saturday, 10/24, with a fair number of the species found in Central Park, but many birds also being seen elsewhere. Obviously this includes some species now deemed ‘late’, even though virtually all of the species still being seen have late-record dates far later, within N.Y. City & even in N.Y. County, some including (past) dates into the Christmas Bird Count season. The only warblers that might be termed ‘common’ now are the expected three, Yellow-rumped [Myrtle form], Palm (of both forms), and, to a slightly lesser extent now, Common Yellowthroat (the latter of which may & does sometimes linger in odd spots all through the metro. area). good big-migrations, 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Cattle egret. Suffolk county farms, yaphank, liny
Still present with the cows Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[nysbirds-l] Cattle egret. Suffolk county farms, yaphank, liny
Still present with the cows Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
