Yes, it is later in autumn, that time when so many birds can become not just “possible”!
Some other area birds of note or interest just lately include the several adult Northern Shrikes that were photographed, one at coastal Connecticut, another slightly farther east in Massachusetts, just in the last few days, as well as the several LeConte’s Sparrows found (also in those 2 states) very recently, and the various “vagrant” flycatchers that have turned up in the northeast - including reports of Fork-tailed, Scissor-tailed, and Ash-throated Flycatchers, & that recent Orange Co., NY Say’s Phoebe (which was also photographed), and perhaps still other species in various eastern states in the past week. AND, if you really wanted to work on an eastern-continental rarity, there was the Yellow-breasted Bunting showing at a feeder in Labrador, Canada (on Oct. 16th) - http://blog.aba.org/2017/10/abarare-yellow-breasted-bunting-newfoundland-labrador.html - which struck a chord in me, as I know how much that species has declined in parts of its typical range in east Asia, where i’ve been able to connect with it (the good old wastewater-treatment ponds, just out of downtown Ulaan Bator, Mongolia one summer). Eastern Canada does receive some fascinating out-of-range birds, at all different seasons, and fortunately has some very keen observers. Much earlier this month, a Wood Stork was found in Delaware Co., NY by Doug Amadon, report (with photo link) has been on the Oswego-Birds list-serve, & thanks as always to Andy Mason - http://digest.sialia.com/?rm=message;id=13580
- - - - - -
Manhattan, N.Y. City - including Central Park in particular, & also parks from Inwood Hill at the northern end of Manhattan island, to islands off Manhattan which are politically in the same county with Manhattan (New York County) & some lower-Manhattan parks & green-spaces...
Friday thru Tuesday, 20th to 24th October, 2017 -
Good flights occurred both Thursday night into Friday, & again Friday night into Saturday, with yet more migrants still moving Sat. night. Sparrows were rather strongly featured in these flights, with a few less-commonly found species being noted. On Governor’s Island on Friday (10/20) I found a Clay-colored Sparrow, a bit east of the food courts & the dock area of Soisson’s Landing; this bird was photographed nicely. Kudos to Stefan Passlick who’s had a good several days finding Clay-colored Sparrow at the “Knoll” in Central Park’’s north end also on Friday 10/20 (& much later on that day seen & reported by Debbie Becker at the latter location, and then 2 days later, S. Passlick finding an E. Meadowlark (an increasingly tough “get” in Manhattan & especially so nowadays in Central Park) at the N. Meadow sports-field, in a section that’s been fenced-off and not in use for sports recently - that meadowlark, seen Sunday, observed ultimately by perhaps dozens of birders. It was even sought at the sunset hour that day, although not re-found quite that late (& apparently not in subsequent searches the next 2 days).
On Saturday, Nate O’Reilly found at least 2 Vesper Sparrows among other migrant sparrows in a flock at Inwood Hill Park, in northern Manhattan. By Sunday, up to 4 Vesper Sparrows were being seen at Governor’s Island (which is in New York harbor, & is politically a part of N.Y. County which takes in all of Manhattan island) & these also were well-photographed (Karen Fung was among Saturday observers there who noted the four Vespers), after other observers had seen one, & then even greater numbers. (that species was also rather widely reported all around the region, as have been Clay-colored Sparrow, the latter a species which seems likely to be found with some increasing frequency in eastern NY & surrounds, as more of them are breeding in the northeast.) On Tuesday/24th Gabriel Willow, one of the bird-walk leaders with NYCAS (NY City Audubon Society) found that at least a couple of Vespers were still in the vicinity of Fort Jay, on Governor’s Island, and there are oher ongoing New York County reports of the species.
At Fort Tryon Park, in northern Manhattan, a Yellow-breasted Chat had been sighted on at least 3 successive days, starting on Friday, 10/20 - I was able to photograph this Chat nicely by Sunday, 10/22 at 5 p.m., and various observers had also had mixed success in seeing it on that day. It had favored an area in the NW corner of the Heather Garden (within Ft. Tryon Park) and was sometimes seen from a path that runs below (west of) the garden paths (which was where I managed to photo it). On Monday, several of us tried looking at various hours, but (as far as I know) no one re-found this bird. It’s possible it is still in that area, but also may have moved on by Sunday night. (It seemed a bit less-active in that park generally on Monday as compared with Sunday,) We thank Gerard Savaresse for alerting to this Chat’s presence on both days of the past weekend. (I’m not sure who originally spotted the bird before then, but some neighborhood birders had heard about it as early as Friday, if not before then.)
By Tuesday (10/24) in Central Park, it was clear that many migrants had moved on; the one group of birds that modestly increased was, perhaps, waterbirds, mainly duckage. There were (as of mid & late day Tues.) at least 5 American Coots, & more than 220 Ruddy Ducks, as well as 3 Wood Ducks, 24 Gadwall, 8 American Black Ducks, & others. For all four days of this report, at least 15 (or 16, if you prefer your yellow-breasted chats in the warbler family) species of ‘American' - in the broader sense of all of the Americas) warblers were found, with most on Friday & Saturday, but still a few species in scant numbers by Tuesday.
A list of some of the sightings for Manhattan & other N.Y. County sites, from Friday-Tuesday, Oct. 20-24, 2017:
Pied-billed Grebe (ongoing at Central Park reservoir)
Double-crested Cormorant (somewhat lower numbers of these in this period, still daily on reservoir, & elsewhere)
Great Blue Heron (daily in Central Park, often at The Pond in the SE part of the park - & can be well-hidden at times)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Friday, The Pond)
Turkey Vulture (some noted on Friday & Saturday from Central Park, all fly-overs…)
Canada Goose (fairly common in various areas)
Wood Duck (at least 4 individuals on Tuesday, 10/24 in Central Park)
Gadwall (more than 60 in Central Park on Tues., including 25+ at the reservoir, & 15+/Meer, & 10+ at The Pool, etc.)
American Black Duck (minimum of one-dozen in Central Park as of Tuesday, various water-bodies)
Mallard (common)
Northern Shoveler (very modest no’s. in Central, having been greatly reduced from previous week)
Bufflehead (1 drake, reservoir, at least on Tues.)
Ruddy Duck (220+ on reservoir in varying-size rafts, at all “corners”, also a few on the Meer, Tues.)
Osprey (closely photographed over Inwood Hill Park’s lagoon, Sun. 10/22, seen with Ken Chaya)
Bald Eagle (observed at same hour with above Osprey, much higher and circling the lagoon area)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (relatively few noted for this time of the season)
Cooper's Hawk (multiple sightings, in several parks & on all days excepting Tues.)
Red-tailed Hawk (rather common city-residents seen)
American Kestrel (multiple sightings, also a city-resident species)
Peregrine Falcon (fair no. of sightings, hard to say of how many - a bit less-common city resident)
American Coot (minimum of five, photographed on the reservoir Tuesday & 5 also present there on Monday)
Laughing Gull (still visiting reservoir, to Monday, and looked for but not noted among 450+ gulls there Tues.)
Ring-billed Gull (common)
[American] Herring Gull (common)
Great Black-backed Gull (common, & easy to see at the C.P. reservoir)
['feral'] Rock Pigeon (ubiquitous raptor-food all over this city)
Mourning Dove (contiunes to be rather common)
Chimney Swift (a few at least to Monday, 10/23 in morning, from north end; also on previous days in Central)
Belted Kingfisher (thru at least Saturday, in Central Park)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (fairly common resident)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (scarcer by Tuesday, as many had left in preceding 2 days, from Central Park)
Downy Woodpecker (resident)
Yellow-shafted Flicker (multiple, far fewer by Tuesday in Central Park)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (lingering to at least Sunday, 10/22 - getting late: should be photo or video documented after this week if seen)
Eastern Phoebe (far fewer thru Tuesday)
Blue-headed Vireo (scarce by Tuesday - still in some numbers on Friday 10/20)
Red-eyed Vireo (several to Saturday, at least, in Central Park)
Blue Jay (many including many hundreds in diurnal movement on Friday, Sat., & to a lesser extent Sunday morning at Central Park)
Common Raven (at least 2 in Central Park, & as fly-overs in mid-park, Saturday)
Double-crested Cormorant (somewhat lower numbers of these in this period, still daily on reservoir, & elsewhere)
Great Blue Heron (daily in Central Park, often at The Pond in the SE part of the park - & can be well-hidden at times)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Friday, The Pond)
Turkey Vulture (some noted on Friday & Saturday from Central Park, all fly-overs…)
Canada Goose (fairly common in various areas)
Wood Duck (at least 4 individuals on Tuesday, 10/24 in Central Park)
Gadwall (more than 60 in Central Park on Tues., including 25+ at the reservoir, & 15+/Meer, & 10+ at The Pool, etc.)
American Black Duck (minimum of one-dozen in Central Park as of Tuesday, various water-bodies)
Mallard (common)
Northern Shoveler (very modest no’s. in Central, having been greatly reduced from previous week)
Bufflehead (1 drake, reservoir, at least on Tues.)
Ruddy Duck (220+ on reservoir in varying-size rafts, at all “corners”, also a few on the Meer, Tues.)
Osprey (closely photographed over Inwood Hill Park’s lagoon, Sun. 10/22, seen with Ken Chaya)
Bald Eagle (observed at same hour with above Osprey, much higher and circling the lagoon area)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (relatively few noted for this time of the season)
Cooper's Hawk (multiple sightings, in several parks & on all days excepting Tues.)
Red-tailed Hawk (rather common city-residents seen)
American Kestrel (multiple sightings, also a city-resident species)
Peregrine Falcon (fair no. of sightings, hard to say of how many - a bit less-common city resident)
American Coot (minimum of five, photographed on the reservoir Tuesday & 5 also present there on Monday)
Laughing Gull (still visiting reservoir, to Monday, and looked for but not noted among 450+ gulls there Tues.)
Ring-billed Gull (common)
[American] Herring Gull (common)
Great Black-backed Gull (common, & easy to see at the C.P. reservoir)
['feral'] Rock Pigeon (ubiquitous raptor-food all over this city)
Mourning Dove (contiunes to be rather common)
Chimney Swift (a few at least to Monday, 10/23 in morning, from north end; also on previous days in Central)
Belted Kingfisher (thru at least Saturday, in Central Park)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (fairly common resident)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (scarcer by Tuesday, as many had left in preceding 2 days, from Central Park)
Downy Woodpecker (resident)
Yellow-shafted Flicker (multiple, far fewer by Tuesday in Central Park)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (lingering to at least Sunday, 10/22 - getting late: should be photo or video documented after this week if seen)
Eastern Phoebe (far fewer thru Tuesday)
Blue-headed Vireo (scarce by Tuesday - still in some numbers on Friday 10/20)
Red-eyed Vireo (several to Saturday, at least, in Central Park)
Blue Jay (many including many hundreds in diurnal movement on Friday, Sat., & to a lesser extent Sunday morning at Central Park)
Common Raven (at least 2 in Central Park, & as fly-overs in mid-park, Saturday)
American Crow (multiple; in multiple parks)
Black-capped Chickadee (scant numbers)
Tufted Titmouse (rather low numbers)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2, Pinetum east & west, Friday-Sat.-Sun.-Monday, in Central Park)
White-breasted Nuthatch (multiple, but not many noted)
Brown Creeper (scant no’s., not noted for Tuesday in Central Park)
Carolina Wren (a few in various parks)
House Wren (still at least one through Tues., 10/24, in Central)
Winter Wren (multiple, & still in scattered locations on Tuesday)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (multiple, a very good passage on Friday & also Saturday, some seen in City Hall Park, Sat. mid-morning)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (many and still a few to Tuesday, 24th, these were in v. good numbers in N.Y. County-wide on Friday, 10/20)
Gray-cheeked Thrush (several to Friday, 10/20, getting late)
Swainson's Thrush (multiple, but not many, on Friday, 10/20, & at least a few still present to Sunday, 10/22 in Central Park, rather late)
Hermit Thrush (many - a major flight on Thursday night & Friday night, in all parks visited on Friday & Saturday, incl. 1 dozen smaller parks in lower & mid-Manhattan)
Wood Thrush (at least 1 to Saturday in Central Park - late, but this is a species which - very rarely - has overwintered in that park, in the past few decades)
American Robin (many, a very good flight on both Thurs. night into Friday, and the following night & day, with much diurnal movement, which on Sat. was still evident at noon in Central Park)
Gray Catbird (rather few remaining by Tuesday, a modest movement Thurs. & Fri. nights in the area)
Northern Mockingbird (residents - some are singing with all the mild weather)
Brown Thrasher (few remaining into Tues., modest no’s. on prior days in - at least as noted - Central Park)
European Starling (ubiquitous feral/introdced city & contintal pest)
Cedar Waxwing (modest no’s. moving on Friday & Saturday, far fewer noted by Tues.)
..
Orange-crowned Warbler (2 on Friday & Sat., including in the Maintenance Field, C.P. & also in Riverside Park-north)
Nashville Warbler (thru at least Sunday, in Central Park)
Northern Parula (1 still around Tuesday, Pinetum area, Central Park)
Cape May Warbler (at least 1 still at the C.P. Pinetum Monday 10/23)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (several to Sunday, & at least 2 still being found on Tuesday in Central Park, mult. obs.)
Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler (multiple, with a bit of diurnal early a.m. flight seen in Central Park on Friday & Sat.- best seen perhaps from the Great Hill at & before sunrise; a few still moving more than an hour past sunrise on Friday - no’s. lingering were rather scant by mid-morning.
Black-throated Green Warbler (1, Central Park Great Hill, to Saturday)
Pine Warbler (modest no’s. on Friday & Sat. in several parks, including City Hall Park Saturday; still a few Tuesday)
Palm Warbler (many on Friday, some in ‘odd’ locations which indicated a good flight; still a few on Tues. in Central)
Blackpoll Warbler (1 to Saturday, rather late, but not at all unprecedented, with a small mixed flock at C.P. Great Hill)
Black-and-white Warbler (at least several to Saturday, including one adult female in Madison Square Park same day)
American Redstart (Madison Square Park, to Saturday - tip ‘o’ the hat on that, to A. Deutsch)
Ovenbird (modest flight Thurs. night into Friday, and a few in various parks on Saturday & at least 2 in City Hall Park)
Northern Waterthrush (lingering straggler at The Pond, Tuesday, 10/24 - late, but this species has had Dec. records in NYS; there was also one at The Pool near W. 103rd St. at least to Monday, w/multiple obs. of that individual.)
Common Yellowthroat (few by Monday, 10/23 - but some still in a number of city parks in Manhattan)
...
Yellow-breasted CHAT (the one in Fort Tryon Park was present there at least by Friday 10/20, & still as of Sunday, 10/22; I photographed this bird at 5 p.m. Sunday, from below the garden)
..
Eastern Towhee (multiple, some lingering to Tuesday)
Chipping Sparrow (many, a good flight on at least Thurs. & Fri. nights; seen in most parks on Sat.)
Clay-colored Sparrow (1 photographed at Governor’s Island on Friday, also present in Central Park’s north end on same day)
Field Sparrow (multiple, also comments as for Chipping Sparrow on same nights & days, and seen in City Hall Park Saturday)
Vesper Sparrow (as noted at top, and also still being found in N.Y. County to Tuesday, at Randall’s Island (D. Barrett sighting)
Savannah Sparrow (multiple on Friday & Sat., fewer by Sunday, & scarce by Monday)
[Red] Fox Sparrow (at least one, again in N. Woods, to Saturday - also seen there on Friday among White-throated Sparrows)
Song Sparrow (many, esp. obvious numbers Fri. to Sunday)
Lincoln's Sparrow (at least several to Saturday, & 1 or more to Sunday, Central; with reports from other parks also)
Swamp Sparrow (multiple into Tuesday - better no’s. were found Friday & Sat.)
White-throated Sparrow (good movements, & then rather scant by Tues. at least in Central Park)
White-crowned Sparrow (several to Sunday, & more reported for Fri. & Sat. in multiple locations)
Dark-eyed [Slate-colored] Junco (fair flights, some seen in City Hall Park on Saturday)
..
Black-capped Chickadee (scant numbers)
Tufted Titmouse (rather low numbers)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (2, Pinetum east & west, Friday-Sat.-Sun.-Monday, in Central Park)
White-breasted Nuthatch (multiple, but not many noted)
Brown Creeper (scant no’s., not noted for Tuesday in Central Park)
Carolina Wren (a few in various parks)
House Wren (still at least one through Tues., 10/24, in Central)
Winter Wren (multiple, & still in scattered locations on Tuesday)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (multiple, a very good passage on Friday & also Saturday, some seen in City Hall Park, Sat. mid-morning)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (many and still a few to Tuesday, 24th, these were in v. good numbers in N.Y. County-wide on Friday, 10/20)
Gray-cheeked Thrush (several to Friday, 10/20, getting late)
Swainson's Thrush (multiple, but not many, on Friday, 10/20, & at least a few still present to Sunday, 10/22 in Central Park, rather late)
Hermit Thrush (many - a major flight on Thursday night & Friday night, in all parks visited on Friday & Saturday, incl. 1 dozen smaller parks in lower & mid-Manhattan)
Wood Thrush (at least 1 to Saturday in Central Park - late, but this is a species which - very rarely - has overwintered in that park, in the past few decades)
American Robin (many, a very good flight on both Thurs. night into Friday, and the following night & day, with much diurnal movement, which on Sat. was still evident at noon in Central Park)
Gray Catbird (rather few remaining by Tuesday, a modest movement Thurs. & Fri. nights in the area)
Northern Mockingbird (residents - some are singing with all the mild weather)
Brown Thrasher (few remaining into Tues., modest no’s. on prior days in - at least as noted - Central Park)
European Starling (ubiquitous feral/introdced city & contintal pest)
Cedar Waxwing (modest no’s. moving on Friday & Saturday, far fewer noted by Tues.)
..
Orange-crowned Warbler (2 on Friday & Sat., including in the Maintenance Field, C.P. & also in Riverside Park-north)
Nashville Warbler (thru at least Sunday, in Central Park)
Northern Parula (1 still around Tuesday, Pinetum area, Central Park)
Cape May Warbler (at least 1 still at the C.P. Pinetum Monday 10/23)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (several to Sunday, & at least 2 still being found on Tuesday in Central Park, mult. obs.)
Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warbler (multiple, with a bit of diurnal early a.m. flight seen in Central Park on Friday & Sat.- best seen perhaps from the Great Hill at & before sunrise; a few still moving more than an hour past sunrise on Friday - no’s. lingering were rather scant by mid-morning.
Black-throated Green Warbler (1, Central Park Great Hill, to Saturday)
Pine Warbler (modest no’s. on Friday & Sat. in several parks, including City Hall Park Saturday; still a few Tuesday)
Palm Warbler (many on Friday, some in ‘odd’ locations which indicated a good flight; still a few on Tues. in Central)
Blackpoll Warbler (1 to Saturday, rather late, but not at all unprecedented, with a small mixed flock at C.P. Great Hill)
Black-and-white Warbler (at least several to Saturday, including one adult female in Madison Square Park same day)
American Redstart (Madison Square Park, to Saturday - tip ‘o’ the hat on that, to A. Deutsch)
Ovenbird (modest flight Thurs. night into Friday, and a few in various parks on Saturday & at least 2 in City Hall Park)
Northern Waterthrush (lingering straggler at The Pond, Tuesday, 10/24 - late, but this species has had Dec. records in NYS; there was also one at The Pool near W. 103rd St. at least to Monday, w/multiple obs. of that individual.)
Common Yellowthroat (few by Monday, 10/23 - but some still in a number of city parks in Manhattan)
...
Yellow-breasted CHAT (the one in Fort Tryon Park was present there at least by Friday 10/20, & still as of Sunday, 10/22; I photographed this bird at 5 p.m. Sunday, from below the garden)
..
Eastern Towhee (multiple, some lingering to Tuesday)
Chipping Sparrow (many, a good flight on at least Thurs. & Fri. nights; seen in most parks on Sat.)
Clay-colored Sparrow (1 photographed at Governor’s Island on Friday, also present in Central Park’s north end on same day)
Field Sparrow (multiple, also comments as for Chipping Sparrow on same nights & days, and seen in City Hall Park Saturday)
Vesper Sparrow (as noted at top, and also still being found in N.Y. County to Tuesday, at Randall’s Island (D. Barrett sighting)
Savannah Sparrow (multiple on Friday & Sat., fewer by Sunday, & scarce by Monday)
[Red] Fox Sparrow (at least one, again in N. Woods, to Saturday - also seen there on Friday among White-throated Sparrows)
Song Sparrow (many, esp. obvious numbers Fri. to Sunday)
Lincoln's Sparrow (at least several to Saturday, & 1 or more to Sunday, Central; with reports from other parks also)
Swamp Sparrow (multiple into Tuesday - better no’s. were found Friday & Sat.)
White-throated Sparrow (good movements, & then rather scant by Tues. at least in Central Park)
White-crowned Sparrow (several to Sunday, & more reported for Fri. & Sat. in multiple locations)
Dark-eyed [Slate-colored] Junco (fair flights, some seen in City Hall Park on Saturday)
..
Northern Cardinal (common city resident)
Indigo Bunting (still a few to Friday, 10/20)
Red-winged Blackbird (multiple fly-overs on Friday, also some on Saturday)
Eastern Meadowlark (as noted above, seen by many on Sunday in Central Park’s n. end ballfield)
Rusty Blackbird (one, The Pond to Tuesday)
Common Grackle (fair flights on Friday & Sat. & still some moving Sunday, then much reduced in no’s.)
Brown-headed Cowbird (few)
Baltimore Oriole (minimum of 4 Friday, with at least one bright male hanging around on the weekend to Monday, Central Park - not “late” as the species is regular to even December, & has overwintered multiple times in Manhattan, including adults in bright plumage; at least 2 were attempting to winter at Fort Tryon Park in 2016-17)
House Finch (variable populations; city resident)
American Goldfinch (scant numbers locally so far)
House Sparrow (ultra-ubiquitous pestiferous city resident)
Indigo Bunting (still a few to Friday, 10/20)
Red-winged Blackbird (multiple fly-overs on Friday, also some on Saturday)
Eastern Meadowlark (as noted above, seen by many on Sunday in Central Park’s n. end ballfield)
Rusty Blackbird (one, The Pond to Tuesday)
Common Grackle (fair flights on Friday & Sat. & still some moving Sunday, then much reduced in no’s.)
Brown-headed Cowbird (few)
Baltimore Oriole (minimum of 4 Friday, with at least one bright male hanging around on the weekend to Monday, Central Park - not “late” as the species is regular to even December, & has overwintered multiple times in Manhattan, including adults in bright plumage; at least 2 were attempting to winter at Fort Tryon Park in 2016-17)
House Finch (variable populations; city resident)
American Goldfinch (scant numbers locally so far)
House Sparrow (ultra-ubiquitous pestiferous city resident)
** (escapee - a blue-form Budgerigar, hanging out with House Sparrows, photographed at Dyckman St. ballfields at Inwood Hill Park, reported prior & also seen on Sunday, 10/22)
..
A nice sighting for Bronx County, NY (& also rather high-numbers count) were the 25 American Pipits seen (& photographed) by Nadir Sourgi’s NYC Audubon (NYCAS) guided group bird-walk at Van Cortlandt Park on Saturday/21st, with a variety of other migrants, resident & “winter” species that included a single of Rusty Blackbird (the latter species once was, and hopefully will continue to be, a winter specialty of that Bronx NYC public park. Of Pipits, it is rare that they linger long on Van Cortlandt’s Parade Ground, where N.S. & group found them, but they are somewhat regular, if tough to anticipate there, mostly in smaller numbers, on migration - & very rarely in winter, when certain species may ‘move around’.)
...
Butterflies & many other insects seen over the past several days (in some of the above N.Y. County sites) have included Variegated Fritillary (Governor’s Island, 10/20 - photographed), Ocola Skipper (at Fort Tryon Park’s heather garden on 10/21), Common Checkered-Skipper (Governor’s Island, 10/20 and also 10/21), Red-banded Hairstreak (to Tues. 10/24 photographed in Central Park), & many, many Painted Lady -as well as some American Lady- butterflies, Common Buckeye (over 50 on Governor’s Island on 10/20, that’s fifty+! - & also seen in all the other locations noted above within N.Y. County), and Monarchs by the many hundreds - on Tuesday, 10/24 in just one area in Central Park, there were over 200 Monarchs in view - all nectaring at the ‘mum'-display in the Conservatory Garden’s north (or, “French”) garden area… Many species of wasps, bees, flies, & some beetles, bugs, moths, & much more were also seen by some of us in the ongoing warmth, & increased humidities of the last few days in N.Y. City. The odonates noted have included Common Green Darners, Glider (species, 2 possibilities), and Autumn Meadowhawks. (and with thanks to some of the many “bug crew” observers in various locations over the period of this report.)
-
N.B. - the floral displays in Central Park’s Conservatory Garden are already reduced, with a majority of plants (still in bloom) having been pulled, by staff & many volunteers, in the south garden there - this happens every year, & often is done well before those plants are at all near their end of blooming. (The reasons given: preparation of the planting beds for next year.) It’s not clear (to me) how much longer the mum show (chrysanthemums) in the n. garden of the Conservatory Garden of Central Park will be allowed to stay… those flowers also are tyically pulled out long before the blooms are old, & even as many lingering insects can still be active in the flowers. (Same rationale: preparation of the beds for next spring’s different display of flowers - usually including many bulbs in a fall-planting scheme by the staff & loads of volunteers).
Good observing, and thanks to the many who keep it ethical (which is also the way of science) & give respect to all wildlife & all parks visitors,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
Archives:
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
