New York County, including Manhattan, Randall’s Island; & includes Governors Island which latter is closed to the public until spring.
... Friday, 11/27 - Wind shifting around, from west & southwest, then more NW by day’s end, with a mild temperature under just enough sun to get into the low 60’s (F.) 2 Black Scoters were seen, & moving south over the Hudson River near Dyckman Street. At nearby Inwood Hill Park’s Dyckman fields along the Hudson, at least 3 late warblers were again seen close by each other - Tennessee, Cape May, & Nashville Warbler[s]. Elsewhere in northern Manhattan, at least 5 additional warbler species were also lingering (several of the species at Inwood), including Blackpoll, Palm, Yellow-rumped [Myrtle], Ovenbird, & Common Yellowthroat - and at least those 3 latter species were also being seen in various locations of the lower half of Manhattan, as well. None of these warblers are unprecedentedly late, but at least one species - Tennessee - is not at all common (in most years) this far into autumn. That species as well as various other neotropical-wintering warblers have shown a proclivity to some late/lingering/straggling members of their respective species this season; why that is is not clear although some theories have been suggested. ... Saturday, 11/28 - Winds from the northwest thru the night prior & all through the day, with clouds & sun, & a bit cooler. A Baltimore Oriole was again seen in Riverside Park in the general vicinity of W. 84th St., this sighting closer to the Hudson River. Another of that species was found & also photographed at Morningside Park. (that species has been showing well, if virtually all as singletons, in many locations around the region this month, including recently.) Nashville Warbler & Orange-crowned Warbler were among birds noted from the n.e. sector of Randall’s Island. … Sunday, 11/29 - Light wind from the west, with somewhat cooler temp’s in the 40’s & low 50’s (F.), and sun all day long. 5 TUNDRA Swans were seen flying together (T. Olson) over The Battery, Manhattan’s southern tip. The species has been on the move, seen from multiple locations around N.Y. City & the wider region just recently. (There also have been Mute Swan sighting in several locations in the county over recent days & weeks.) A drake Common Merganser and 13 Red-breasted Mergansers were seen from the Dyckman St. pier at the western terminus of that street, on or over the Hudson river. A Monk Parakeet was reported at Battery Park (where there had for many weeks been a budgerigar, the latter an escaped pet, while Monk Parakeet is a long-time established breeding species in N.Y. City, with various population ‘clusters’, much less regularly seen in N.Y. County than in some other parts of the city). Some (or possibly all) of the warblers seen recently in northern Manhattan may have lingered in that general area., including a late/lingering Tennessee at Inwood Hill’ Parks Dyckman fields. Warblers at Randall’s Island included a continuing Orange-crowned, Nashville, Palm, & Yellow-rumped [Myrtle]. The latter two species were also been seen in Central Park, and midtown & lower Manhattan have continued to produce a few (additional) warbler sightings, mostly in small parks or greenspaces. ... Monday, 11/30 - Increasingly strong southeast & easterly winds, with rain arriving mid-morning. At least 4 Northern Pintail were found (E. Goodman) at Randall’s Island (NE sector). following one or more seen there earlier. Great Cormorant have continued out in Hell Gate, & can be occasional along the East River itself. A Lincoln’s Sparrow has lingered on at Union Square Park (A. Deutsch). Along with more than 500 gulls on the Central Park reservoir (mid-morning) was a single female-plumaged Red-breasted Merganser; also at least 7 Wood Ducks and various of the species that have been regular there recently, such as Gadwall, N. Shovelers, Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks, Hooded Mergansers and a half-dozen American Coots, plus a few Double-crested Cormorants. ... A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron has continued on at Randall’s Island. (there are also regular Great Blue Heron sightings there, & often Black-crowned Night-Herons - all of which may change if there is any sustained sub-freezing weather.) Also continuing there has been a female-plumaged Lesser Scaup. American Tree Sparrows have been found (most often singly, so far) in multiple parks & locations, suggestive of a fairly good season for them in the county. In Central Park alone there have been 75 species of birds seen in the period of this report (not all at one time or on one day; more than 150 observers contributed to finding those birds.) ... It might also be noted that White-winged Crossbills have been seen in small numbers in the region including at least a few getting to the south of N.Y. City. and along the eastern seaboard. That also a part of a generalized south-bound push of the species across the continent recently (and more-recent relative to the Red Crossbill movements). …... 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 & Be Well. - - - - - "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/ --
