Wednesday & Thursday, 29 & 30 April, 2015 Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City
A Prothonotary Warbler had not been sighted again as of Wed., although it could well be lurking in the park, perhaps in a less-watched area. If it has moved on, we all hope it stays out of the way of walls or windows & lives out a full normal life. As we come into the month of May, it is most important we remember and be aware that all birds are very sensitive to disturbances at & near their breeding areas, and even what may seem like minor disturbance (such as the playing of recorded songs or calls of that species) can interrupt the progress and success of breeding of the individuals, and can hinder or even cause failure in the breeding period - I must remind myself: "how badly do I want to see this bird - & how closely & for how long do I need to see it?" We all want these birds to have the best possible chance at reproducing well & bringing along a next generation so that we all continue to see our birds in the numbers they are capable of achieving, the more so with just a little restraint on our parts to give the nest areas some room, and to not overly crowd them. It is usually apparent when a bird is a bit stressed; if it is spending minutes coming in to look closely at you & me, those are precious minutes that may be taken from attending to the daily & minute-by-minute needs of raising the next generation of the species. We can all make a difference at this crucial time of the year for all of our beloved birds. (and, apologies for a little "preaching to the choir" as it were.) Acknowledging the respectful way in which most birders act and think when out in the field; for any times some may be less-thoughtful, we can also reinforce each other's better natures. In addition to birds known to be on breeding territories, we all know that many migrants have flown vast distances, faced all sorts of risk in their normal lives, and even more- stationary species have all too many hardships living with changes that make it tough on many species nowadays. All of this is well- documented in conservation. Our thoughtful discretion can give the birds the breaks needed to carry on and to have success. A birder just starting out today & those who come along decades from now will thank us for our good efforts, and to the benefit of birds and other wildlife. Not just for a good conscience but for good science, let's all try to be at our best with giving wildlife room. A nice, if rather varied arrival of more migrants on Wednesday was followed by a less robust push overnight into Thursday (today), when it felt as though some birds had moved on, even as a few typical end- of-April migrants may have increased just a little. The wider & fuller arrival of many spring migrants is still yet to be seen here, however! Birds noted were primarily in either Ramble &/or north end, but a modest variety of spp. could be found in less-birded sections such as around The Pond, etc. The discovery of several (at least 3) Wilson's Snipe at Turtle Pond on Wed., as well as at least 17 warbler spp. on the day, including multiple Blue-winged (seen from the Pond area, thru the Ramble area, & all the way to the Blockhouse in the n. woods), and for some, first sightings of Black-throated Blue, American Redstart and a few other warblers, plus a general influx of typical mid-spring migrants, was all part of the day's findings for many. With relatively cool starts to days, the birds have not all been singing at full volumes, yet some individuals certainly have, allowing those who bird by ear to discern at least some of the species high in newly-leafing-out boughs, &/or skulking in shrubs that are thickening with fresh greenery. For some, including myself, we will want to see & check on the sounds of the Purple Finches, now passing thru in numbers, & be sure of the source, and also make the comparison with occasionally similar-yet-different sounds of Warbling Vireo, which just now are turning up, some appearing exactly where they may decide to nest. Just some of the many birds found Wed. with some lingering into Thurs. - Wood Duck, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher (several), Least Flycatcher White-eyed, Blue-headed (mainly), Yellow-throated Vireo, & Warbling Vireo[s] Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush (few) Gray Catbird (few), Brown Thrasher (fewer this week) Blue-winged Warbler (multiples in on Wed.) Nashville Warbler (very few so far) Northern Parula (still scarce) Yellow Warbler (not many yet) Magnolia Warbler (1 or 2) Black-throated Blue Warbler (1 or 2) Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler (multiple) Black-throated Green Warbler (several +) Pine Warbler (fewer, with more females now) Prairie Warbler (few) Palm Warbler (still a good many going thru) Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart (few, so far) Ovenbird (slight increase now) Northern Waterthrush (low-ish but multiples) Louisiana Waterthrush (a dwindling number) Common Yellowthroat (still very few) Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee; Dark-eyed Junco (fewer now) White-crowned, Chipping, Field, Savannah, Swamp, & still many White- throated Sparrows Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting (few of either, so far) Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole (scarce so far) Purple Finch (in many areas, many also heard) Pine Siskin (few continue to pass thru, some with Am Goldfinch flocks) American Goldfinch ... and many other typical migrants &/or residents. Still on the reservoir were a lingering drake Lesser Scaup (very late), as well as a few N. Shovelers, Buffleheads, & at the lake, a lingering (& late) American Coot. In the vein of late-lingering species, also still being seen were at least singles of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and a modest no. of Dark-eyed Junco, and not esp. late but of a more 'wintry flavor' are some Pine Siskins as well as Purple Finches still moving through, with expected American Goldfinch, these 3 spp. feeding in trees, as well as making occasional visits to still-active mid-Ramble feeders. Swallows of 4 species have been noted, with Bank the least common in Central (Tree, N. Rough-winged and Barn being the regularly-seen three. On a historical note, 25+ years ago & before, scaup were abundant wintering visitors to the reservoir at Central Park, along with Canvasbacks - these spp. rapidly diminished in no's. there thru the early 90's, to the point where they are now scarcely seen most winters. These species were once found by the 100's, & even 1,000's with the scaup.) Thanks greatly to the many who offered reports on sightings. Enjoy May and all the birds, Tom Fiore Manhattan . . . . . . “That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.” ~ Aldo Leopold, American author & ecologist, in "A Sand County Almanac", 1949. -- 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/ --
