Manhattan, N.Y. City - Friday, Oct. 5th, 2018 A strong migration arrival even with so many birds that had taken a more western path early the previous night, and with many birds having passed by, contiuing southward through the night. A lot of drop-in may have occurred well before first-light, but there was also a moderate a.m. flight, including a bit of the local-reverse (northbound) movement that can happen in Manhattan (and especially as seen in Central Park), in autumn migrations. Some of that flight, as expected, was of Yellow-rumped Warbler, as well as warbler “species” not identified, and of course, American Robins, plus some C. Waxwings & blackbirds. Raptor flight later seemed a bit limited, but at least 1 Broad-winged Hawk passed low over the w. side of Central, and there were some more expected Sharp-shinned & Cooper’s Hawks, & a few Turkey Vultures also. Chimney Swifts were on the move too, some small groups passing high & very early. Early flight was observed at first-light from atop the Great Hill in the park’s n. end, then shortly afterward from all points along the west side of the park, and into the 8-9 a.m. hour, though slacking off a lot by 7:30 or so. Blue Jay movements continued thru the day, but perhaps a little reduced, although that might’ve been only by a change in their flight-path, and some were seen also from Riverside Park much later, in a short visit.
Among the most obvious of fresh arrivals were sparrows, with White-throated in large numbers as well as Chipping, but also a selection of others in their tribe - with E. Towhee, Song, Savannah, Field, Lincoln’s, Swamp, & (several) White-crowned Sparrows, plus Slate-colored Juncos also found. Numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglets arrived, with some mini-flockettes having 7-8 birds; & some additional Winter Wrens as well as Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. A female-plumaged Dickcissel was found on the north side of the Great Lawn’s expanse, close to the (south side) edge of the C.P. Police precinct building, or a bit east of the Pinetum’s northern edge. (Dickcissels have been having quite a run throughout the region, so far this season.) Warblers also have continued, with as expected the bulk now being found of a half-dozen or so species, esp. Palms, & Yellow-rumped [Myrtle], although still not seeming a massive arrival of the latter. Other warblers included: Pine, N. Parula, Magnolia, Blackpoll, & lower numbers or singletons of Cape May (including 2 at the Pinetum elms early), Tennessee, Black-and-white, Black-throated Blue, Wilson’s, Yellow, Prairie (1), Chestnut-sided (1), plus Ovenbird, American Redstart, & Common Yellowthroat, and there well could be a couple of other species that have been found in this big push. Flycatchers included (mostly) E. Phoebe, with some E. Wood-Pewees remaining, & a couple of Empidonax [genus] that were likely Least Flycatchers. Thrushes did not seem to be in great no’s. but at least a smattering of the now more-expected start of Hermit Thrush arrival & still fair no’s. of Swainson’s, as well as at least a few Gray-cheeked, & a couple of reports of Veery, which now would be rather late. Icterids have continued to include mainly Common Grackles, including a modest no. of fly-overs in early a.m. - as well as the ongoing Blue Jay movements in daytime, & also in the Icteridae, Rusty Blackbird in a few sites in Central Park, at least. One Baltimore Oriole was all I saw, that in early morning at Summit Rock. Finches included the first serious movement here of American Goldfinch, while by comparison, Purple Finch seemed scant. A Solitary Sandpiper was at the compost area in Central. A Spotted Sandpiper was reported from Governor’s Island, as well as a single Broad-winged Hawk passing there. In Central Park & apparently elsewhere in & around Manhattan, any waterfowl movement was mainly confined to just that - fly-overs & not arrivals. Central still had a few N. Shovelers, the 2 drake Wood Ducks at The Pond, & at least 1 Ruddy Duck, but little more besides the most-expected or resident duckage. A Great Blue Heron has been visiting the Meer at times, & was there again late on Friday. As expected, some small, even very small, parks & greenspaces have migrants on such a strong arrival, & yet also at least one example of a lingerer, a Worm-eating Warbler staying on at Washington Square Park, with also fresh migrants there, including uncommon-there Golden-crowned Kinglet in an eBirded list for the location. Various other small parks & greenspaces also held lingering birds, as well as some new arrivals, including sparrows, White-throated in particular - the latter also a regularly-wintering bird in N.Y. City and many of these in small areas as well as larger patches of habitat. A small number of other warbler species have been noted from parks around Manhattan in addition to the larger ones, and I found a few also in a rather short trip to Riverside Park, in mid-afternoon - Blackpoll, Yellow-rumped, Palm, & Common Yellowthroat, all from near W. 79th to near W. 91st Sts. in that park. A reminder for Central Park: any & all amplified sound in Central Park is prohibited at all times & in all sections of the park, without a permit. This is posted on signage throughout the park - and is the law. - - - - - - "I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good." ― Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. good birding, Tom Fiore manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
