Sunday, 29 November, 2009 -
Has anyone seen, or tried to see, the Staten Island NYC Rufous
Hummingbird (lingered over 6 weeks) this weekend? "Negative" as well
as positive reports have value, especially with any bird that may not
stay on.
- - - - - -
A very late Black-throated Blue Warbler (male) was in Riverside Park,
Manhattan (N.Y. City) this noon, seen near the inside perimeter wall
(ie, facing the actual park, the w. side of the retaining wall) that
abuts Riverside Drive, near about W. 108 Street within the park. It
was foraging with a small band of Dark-eyed [Slate-colored] Juncos and
there were also White-throated Sparrows in the vicinity (and
elsewhere, as usual at this time of year thru April). This is not
nearly the latest sighting I have of this species in Manhattan: a male
was observed at Inwood Hill Park in northern Manhattan some years ago,
as found by birding colleague Peter Shen during the Lower Hudson CBC,
which puts that record at least 3 weeks later. I also have a late
record (again of a male) at Van Cortland Park, Bronx NYC which was
also present in December (different year). There are other examples,
six of which are true winter occurrences mentioned in "Birds of New
York State" (E. "Manny" Levine, editor, the species account authored
by Joseph DiCostanzo) with all but one having been found in Suffolk
Co., the most exceptional being one male found (quoting the account)
"wintering inland mid-Nov. 1985 (to) 14 Feb. 1986 at a feeder in
Endwell, Broome Co. The bird disappeared after a snowstorm on the
latter date."
There have been some other late warblers in Manhattan very recently
including an Ovenbird in Central Park last week (possibly still
present), & a Common Yellowthroat (not as unusually) lingering in a
part of the NYC Greenway along the Hudson River near W. 30th Street
thru Sat. 11/28. It's actually likely that there some others lurking
about the city, a few of which could potentially linger & survive into
December...
- - - - - -
A MacGillivray's Warbler has lingered cooperatively in downtown Boston
(Massachusetts) for many days - that species actually more
"expected" (if that is the correct term for a very rare autumnal
vagrant to the east) in our region now & even into the early winter
season, rather than at other times of the year.
- - - - - -
A Phainopepla has remarkably lingered in the Toronto (Ontario, Canada)
area thru this month, still present there Sunday, 11/29. Their list
has had regular updates: http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/ONTB.html
& also quite remarkable was a report, with photo, of a Gray-crowned
Rosy-Finch (a western/montane species which is very rare in the east)
found earlier this month in far northern Ontario Canada, but not seen
again.
- - - - - -
3 Pink-footed Geese have (again) been seen in southern Maine:
http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MAIN.html#1259504202
- - - - - -
Vermont's first state record of Eurasian Collared-Dove (assuming
acceptance from their bird records committee) is of note & interest on
its own, additionally to the western NY occurrences reported this month:
http://list.uvm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0911=VTBIRD=0===77977
http://list.uvm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0911=VTBIRD=0===88401
http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/VTBD.html#1259185938
Good birding,
Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
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