I was just talking with Lloyd Spitalnk and between us we have photographed four YBFL between 2005-2010 in Central Park, NYC. All the images were taken between 5/21 and 5/27. My written records also support these dates.
Good Birding, David Speiser NY, NY www.lilibirds.com From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC 4/25 (incl. YTWA report & much, much more, Varied Thrush also still there...) Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:15:00 +0000 >From 1996 through 1999, in the course of near-constant effort banding at the >Fire Island Lighthouse, I captured 11 northbound Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, >on dates ranging from 19 May through 13 June. Four of these 11 were captured 19-20 May 1996, during one of coastal NY's largest spring landbird flights in recent decades, whereas the other seven were captured on later spring dates. Thus I would tend to agree with Scott's perception of this species as a very late spring migrant--much later than Least, and similar in overall timing to Willow and Alder. It should be noted that Least and Willow breed in southern NYS, and in large numbers at much more southerly latitudes, so it is not terribly surprising to see a few of these species here toward the early end of their respective passage distributions: e.g., a Least Flycatcher or two at the end of April, vs. the median date of 12 May for migrant Leasts at Fire Island; or an early Willow setting up territory around 10 May, vs. the median date of 1 June for migrant Willow/Alders at Fire Island. Yellow-bellied does not breed anywhere south of NYS (maybe a few in the Poconos), thus I would tend to think that the dates of territory occupancy in northern New York would follow closely upon the dates of migratory arrival in the New York City area. Shai Mitra Bay Shore From: [email protected] [[email protected]] on behalf of Tom Fiore [[email protected]] Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 2:28 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC 4/25 (incl. YTWA report & much, much more, Varied Thrush also still there...) I may respond on-list to Scott Haber's thoughful response to an early Empidonax sighting (by me) reported here & seen on Sunday, 4/24, a putative Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, the ID of which I'm reasonably sure of (seen & heard singing, not calling, at fairly close range in Riverside Park, Manhattan) - and am interested to try and look up records from the region of this and other Empidonax species, including any available specimen & banding records as well as any video-audio-photo records, and sight reports in the early season, particularly any before May 1st. This is not the first Yellow-bellied Flycatcher I have seen & heard singing &.or calling in New York City in the beginning stages of the spring push of neotropical-wintering migrants 9as opposed to shorter-distance migrant species that may primarily overwinter in the southern U.S. or nearby, such as Pine Warbler & any number of others that appear as early as March in our area almost each spring - I do not agree that Yellow-bellied is "among the last" and while I respect the writing of John M.C. Peterson as regards breeding information for New York, I do not think it reflects accurately on the status of migrants in the southern section of the state, with regards to this species of Empidonax. It would be interesting to read and hear from any others who have looked as well as listened carefully to the Empidonax group here in NY and nearby states. Good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan Think green before you print this email. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
