Very sad news on the sudden and unexpected passing of birder / ornithologist, and professor of literature Ned Brinkley, who was a great force in NY state (as well as all-Americas, and international) birding. I’m sure there will be additional announcements and some sort of eulogy in due course. Many birders may have been aware of his work as editor-in-chief of the journal “North American Birds” for over two decades. Condolences to the many who knew or worked with him and to all of his loved ones. - R.I.P. to a good man lost to us too soon.
--- --- There had been a Variegated Flycatcher - a species that’s native to (& migratory in parts of) South America, and is very rare in N. America with some past records that run from Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and up into Maine as well as previously in Ontario - seen from at least Nov. 13-17 this month (& more recently, not being seen), IN Ontario (Canada). A Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch also was recently seen in Ontario. (These & other unexpected wandering species certainly a *possibility* for appearances in N.Y. state, and many of them possible in almost any location here!) ... Two of the Brooklyn / Kings County NY rarities were still being seen in Green-Wood Cemetery, on Sunday, 11/22: the Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Western Tanager. See eBird or other alerts for the latest on those. - - - - New York County, including Manhattan - as well as Randall’s Island, Governors Island (which is closed to public-access until spring), and in the skies & waters surrounding the county - Highlights include BROWN BOOBY (on 11/22 over the Hudson River, north of the G.W. Bridge when multiple watchers observed it flying south), various duckage including Long-tailed Duck (also on the Hudson), & winter finches including EVENING GROSBEAKS (in Central Park’s Ramble, on Sunday, 11/22) and RED CROSSBILLS (particularly on 11/21, but on other days as well), and other winter finches still on the move such as Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, and indeed also American Goldfinches. ... Tuesday 11/17 - Turning colder again, in the pattern we’ve seen this month of variable weather. An American Tree Sparrow was found on the Linnaean Society of New York bird-walk (by J. Wooten, & group), seen later on - & in days ahead - by others as well. In somewhat general terms on the days of this report, into Nov. 22, there have been fine sightings of a number of raptor species - and also have been ongoing sightings of a variety of owl species (the majority of individuals not being widely-shared, or perhaps not widely-known-of, and thus luckily for those owls, a slightly less-stressed experience of N.Y. City life (with its’ rodents-galore as an attraction!) - in the diurnally-active category of birds of prey have been such species as Sharp-shinned (few) and Cooper’s Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks (in nice numbers on some days), migrant Red-tailed Hawks (in addition to the many residents), Bald Eagles (on some days getting into perhaps double-digit numbers on passage), Northern Harriers (not many sightings, but regular in recent days), as well as the occasional Merlin, and the 2 city-resident falcon species, American Kestrel and Peregrine, each of which have mostly-finished up their migrations thru this region (and those being seen mostly if not all local residents). Also being seen have been goodly numbers of Turkey Vulture on migration, and the occasional fewer Black Vulture - the latter no longer the ‘rarity’ it once was, just a few short decades ago. Flights on some mornings have continued to some extent with expected species including some American Robins, some Cedar Waxwings, and (in particular) blackbirds, esp. Red-winged Blackbirds & Common Grackles. There have been some shy but observable Rusty Blackbirds ongoing in Central Park, some of these in ‘usual’ areas from the n. to s. ends of the park. A brief note on finches for the period, at the end of this report (11/22). There have been at least some other modestly less-common (by now) lingering species such as a few Brown Thrashers, Lincoln’s & White-crowned Sparrows, etc., as well as the more-regular lingerers that include species such as Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, both of the ‘expected' Nuthatch species, and both Kinglet species, Hermit Thrush, E. Towhee, Swamp Sparrow, & some others. More of these ‘half-hardy’ species (an old term still used by some) are possible to be seen as colder 'cold-fronts' come in coming weeks, pushing birds that may still be in more-northerlt realms for now. ... Wed., 11/18 - A chilly start with some light frost, winds out of the N. to NW. Many geese were moving thru during the day, this included at least some Snow Geese, although primarily Canada Geese were seen, as expected. Other sightings of highlights may or may not be noted by their observers. ... Thurs., 11/19 - Winds out of the S-SW, less chilly by later in the day. A Green Heron, quite late now, seen at Inwood Hill Park (A. Barry), & seprately, a Common Merganser (one, reported flying by) at Inwood Hill Park. An American Tree Sparrow, photographed at Union Square Park (A. Deutsch) and again seen at Central Park, n. end’s compost area) - this normally not a common species in N.Y. County, and particularly not (usually) all that regular in Manhattan. ... Friday, 11/20 - Southwesterly wind prevailed, and with it, temp’s. rose to 60+ later in the day. An Eastern Meadowlark was seen (& photo’d by C. Weiner) at Governors Island, for which public access is now closed for the season, until spring. A Blackpoll Warbler (photographed) at Inwood Hill Park. At least 5 additional warbler spp. were also still around in the county: N. Parula, Ovenbird, Palm, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warblers. All were also present in Manhattan. It is highly-likely that at least a few other straggling warbler spp. have also maintained a precarious hold on survival in the city, into and after a light overnight frost has occurred there. ... Sat., 11/21 - Although still quite mild, winds turned from the NW by the prior night into the morning. A fair number of RED CROSSBILLS came through Manhattan, and while possibly fewer than 5% of these birds stopped off for any appreciable length of time, the fact that at least a ‘handful' (or two handfuls) stopped within Central Park meant that at least a few of the ten-thousand humans with cameras &/or binoculars who wander that park got to see, as well as (some) to photograph a batch of these birds, which as has been noted to this list, have been moving in significant numbers all-around the region, including many on some days through N.Y. City. (the key phrase being MOVING through - not all that many staying in any one location that long!) American Wigeon - 6 seen in-flight in afternoon (Efua Peterson, in a very astute call of these birds in overhead flight, and further confirmed w/ photo by D. Aronov, who had earlier re-found (with M. Applegate), & photo’d. a single lingering Lesser Scaup at Randall’s Island. At least one American Pipit was also noted from Randall’s Island for the day. Eastern Bluebirds - at least 18 moving across Manhattan in the morning, perhaps more, and at least one-dozen stopping off in Central Park. An E. Phoebe was found at Inwood Hill Park, where 7 Rusty Blackbirds also stopped in, and at least one American Tree Sparrow was also noted; a Blackpoll Warbler was again seen & photo’d. there as well, and now viewed by more observers. ... Sunday, 11/22 - A damp, cool wind from the east prevailed, with a few drizzles by evening. The sighting of the day (week, too) was photographed, well-spotted by N. O’Reilly, and with able & immediate active observation also by N. Souirgi, plus at least one additional observer on-scene) - a **BROWN BOOBY**, seen over the Hudson River in early morning, from the Dyckman St. boat-ramp - technically this is Fort Washington Park, as Inwood Hill Park south-ends on the n. side of Dyckman Street’s w. end (it’s western terminus, at the Hudson river). Fort Washington Park continues south from Dyckman Street and surrounds the footing of the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson. AND, that Booby was also seen indepedently - same bird, certainly (!) by another observer who was not aware of his birding colleagues’ find - the Booby moving south, & under the G.W. Bridge - lower Manhattan, Brooklyn (& even Queens) and Staten Island, be 'on-watch'. 3 Common Goldeneye, & two (initially, a drake and hen, the drake moving off first) Long-tailed Ducks, were also part of sightings over / in the Hudson river for the morning, by various observers, including the 2 finders-identifiers of the Booby at Fort Washington Park’s n.w. tip - which is just south of the s.w. end of Inwood Hill Park. There also were multiple Red-breasted Mergansers on the move, a species that’s been increasing in the local waters, & some of these were also nicely-photo’d in flight off of the Inwood area. A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron continued at Randall’s Island. Some E. Bluebirds continued in a few locations in Manhattan, including in Central Park, but numbers may have dropped from the day before there. EVENING GROSBEAKS (at least 4, but very possibly more) came in to Manhattan - with the noted number seen by a number of observers in Central Park, on the western edge of the Ramble area, and there were modest numbers of at least some of the other irruptve finch species also found, including Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, and (as expected annually of course, but which also fluctuate in numbers from one year to the next in winter-seasons) American Goldfinches, also showing more recently in high numbers, many - as with these other finches - simply flying through. Learning the calls of the various finches is a helpful step to finding (or at least recognizing in flight) all of these finch species. There were also at least a few RED CROSSBILLS again around in N.Y. County, with 3 seen at Randall’s Island late in the day, just n. of the NYFD (Fire Dept.) facility, in conifers that are adjacent with that facility’s (fenced & closed to the pubic) northern edges. Just in Central Park, more than 50 species of birds have been found daily, including to Sunday (with multiple observers’ finds), and more than 110 species were found for the county, in just the period of this report. Thanks to the many ethically-minded observers who helped in locating so many, and reporting (as well as not widely-reporting some sensitive species, such as roosting owls) a lot of the above, this (and in prior) weeks. — A good many (adult) insects in many families, and a variety of genera in those families, still were being seen, particularly on the days of mild weather with some sun. Butterflies have become scarcer, but there are still a few species here & there, including a few slightly-slow-to-go Monarchs. …... With the viral pandemic still very much all around us, PLEASE do use and take all possible precautions to keep yourself and all others around safe! Thank You. - - - - - "This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” - Teddy Roosevelt (26th president of the U.S.A.) "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." - Frederick Douglass (1818-1895; U.S. statesman, orator, writer) Good birding to all - and thanks to the many who also keep the birds’ best interests at heart when out in the field - and limit any possible disturbances to the birds’ requirements for food, shelter, & safety, including for the many migrants a safe passage on their often long journeys as well as birds on roost sites. 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/ --
