Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City Friday, 31 May, 2013 At least modest migrant activity on some days this week, with perhaps the greatest on Monday & Tues., but also a good if minor 'late' push today, Friday. For those looking & listening, Empidonax flycatchers have been coming thru, some of them vocal & some perhaps not. Other than Empidonax, by far the greatest number of flycatchers are E. Wood-Pweees, and a few may be behaving as if on territories in the park. There also have been at least several sightings of cuckoos, all or most apparently Yellow-billed including a few heard that were (as well as seen) of that species. A thrush of interest was the "gray-cheeked" type at the compost area (north end) on Tuesday, which gave at least one call, highly suggestive as well as by all visual characters seen, of a Bicknell's (and not Gray-cheeked) Thrush... watched a short while, it skulked into thickets and did not issue a hoped-for bit of song... nor another call.... By far the greatest numbers of thrushes still passing have been Swainson's, with that species in visual and auditory evidence in the n. woods, particularly Mon. - Wed., and there have been a very few Veery thru Wed., and a couple of lingering Wood Thrush as well.
It's been interesting that a fairly high proportion (for the last day in may) of migrant warblers seen were still males, with a fair number also singing a bit more this morning, and even into mid-day. Among the at least 20 species seen for the week since Monday: Blue-winged, Tennessee, Northern Parula, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia (still in fair numbers thru Wed.), Cape May (females), Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Bay-breasted (female), Blackpoll (males & females), Black-and-white, American Redstart (still fairly common thru today, including a few adult males), Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Mourning Warbler (including at least 2 today at the Loch & near the Conservatory Garden, w. side), Common Yellowthroat, Hooded (at least one female Wed.), Wilson's, and Canada Warbler[s] (with multiples of the latter). As many as 14 of these warbler species were in the north end today, especially in the n. woods and at or near the Loch, with some bathing in multiple small areas there. Modest numbers of other migrants still going thru or lingering have included Chimney Swifts, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher (seeming quite late), Yellow-throated Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Swamp Sparrow, and Orchard Oriole, along with more-common potential breeding species or regular summer visitors, and whatever other species birders may be seeing from areas of the park south of 96 Street this week. The one sighting of note at Riverside Park, during one of several walks there, was Common Raven being vociferously mobbed by many passerines right on up to it's cousin-corvid, an American Crow. The mob scene with Raven was near Riverside Drive at about W. 102 Street, and it looked like the score was soon to be raven: gone; mobbers: won; that sighting was on Wed. Good birding; & please remember to respect the needs of all breeding birds, give 'em room, do not play recordings or make lots of 'spishing' sounds in breeding areas in coming weeks; give them room: undisturbed birds will have the best chance at good success when nesting! Tom Fiore New York ------------ ps, anyone interested in recommendations on bird-finding in Ethiopia may contact me off-list. ------------ -- 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/[email protected]/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/ --
