Although in Ohio, a singing male Kirtland's Warbler at Columbus (Ohio) is quite the find - the bird has been seen and heard by crowds of birders there over the past several days - quite the cooperative visitor! There'd also been a drake Garganey for some time in Ohio, and still no word that it's anything other than "presumed wild". The hordes of birders at the nation's newest spring hot-spot north of the Gulf Coast, Magee marsh area, have been enjoying hordes of migrants - there's a reason the place got so popular! As in most of the east, the very early trend has been noted in a lot of migrants first arrival dates... (Magee marsh is near Ohio's Lake Erie shores - these reports are detailed on that 'buckeye' state's birding list-serve.)
While a small flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were not reported again in Massachusetts, a White-winged Dove did just appear in that state. A Kentucky Warbler made it to Maine, on Monhegan Island off that state's 'mid-coast'. There are additional reports of Kentuckys that went a bit farther than the expected summer ranges. Keep looking up also, kites of at least two species (Mississippi and Swallow- tailed) have been reported recently from a bunch of places farther north than they (once were) "expected", including north of the southern parts of N.Y. A bit farther north than is "expected", a Gray Kingbird was photographed in North Carolina and was present from May 4-6th. The reports and photo-link are on the 2 state's birding list- serve. - - - - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - The Varied Thrush that stayed on so long may finally have gone, although the last time I wrote that, there it still was - a last definite report that I'm aware of was for Sunday, 1st of May. This bird surprised a few times already this spring, by staying on through strong migrations that took place earlier in April and just a week ago. - - - Friday 6 May, 2011 - A Red-headed Woodpecker remained in its favored area, south and west of Sheep Meadow's SE "corner" or slightly farther south & west, with the 66 Street transverse road a landmark, as well as the Carousel a bit farther south. The woodpecker is not "expected" to stay on a lot longer, and it's unusual that it has stayed even to this date. (Many have overwintered in Central Park and of those that have in the last several decades, the majority had moved on by this time of the spring.) Diversity continued to be quite good, with combined reports tallying at least 25 warbler species again, although it wasn't clear whether a Kentucky Warbler was in fact among these for a third day, nor if any Yellow-throated Warbler was found... however, a warbler species "du jour"could have been Cape May, with multiple sightings, and interestingly, there were multiples of that species reported from a number of locations around N.Y. City as well as outside the city; a seemingly simultaneous influx in the local area (although these had been found previously, it seemed even more reports came in). Thursday, 5 May - Despite a lot of individual birds having moved on since Tuesday's fall- out there were still a good diversity of species again - and it seems at least 25 (perhaps even more) warbler species were collectively seen in Central today - the Kentucky continuing at the slope north of "the Pool" east of West 103 Street, and at least one Yellow-throated Warbler also continuing near Bow Bridge, with various others including Tennessee, Cape May, Bay-breasted, Hooded, and Worm-eating Warblers among those still also being found, from the north end and/or Ramble areas. In overall numbers, far fewer than last Tuesday but in diversity, still plenty to see! - - - - - - A nice report from Karen Fung of a dozen warbler species (& other migrants) in a short early afternoon visit to Riverside Park's "drip" near W. 118-119 Street on Manhattan's far west side, for Friday, 6 May - this list suggest that a longer stay could have produced a longer list of species, although as KF noted, timing (and lots of patience) is almost everything at this location - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebirdsnyc/message/9051 - with no sun, the drip itself is usually a very slow spot to see migrants; and with increasing foliage daily, a warm & sunny afternoon is perhaps the best time to try - sometimes the birds may also be active here in mid-morning, or at other times when truly hot weather occurs during migration periods - and most especially in periods with no appreciable rain for a few days or more. (It can then act as a sort of small oasis, with the water that reliably "drips".) 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/ --
