N.Y. County (in N.Y. City), including Manhattan & Randall’s Island On Sunday, 3/7, an Eastern Meadowlark showed on Randall’s Island NE sector (first photo’d. by J. Keane), a sign that spring is approaching and with the other more-common icteridae of the season starting to swell a little (Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, a smattering of B.-h. Cowbirds and still-lingering as well as moving Rusty Blackbirds) - another bird that showed on Randall’s Island as of 3/6, a non-adult White-crowned Sparrow (of the subspecific form ‘leucophrys, the most-regular, or ‘default' form in the east) was seen by many observers, might possibly have been wintering fairly locally, rather than an arrival from more-southerly wintering areas, but there won’t be an answer to that one; some other light sparrow movement has been so subtle, and again many be mostly-local for now, however, such species as Song Sparrow have been moving a little, & in modest no’s. also, Field, [Red] Fox, and a few other sparrow species.
The female Western Tanager has continued on at Carl Schurz Park (& I was not succesful in a brief search for the other W. Tanager in Manhattan, at Chelsea, which however is fairly likely to also be continung, in the W. 22-23rd St. area, near Tenth Ave.) - the tanager on the edge of East End Ave. is still most ‘reliable’ at a feeder array on the west edges of C. Schurz Park, a little south of East 86th St., & most-often best viewed from just inside the park, rather than the street. An adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was continuing on Randall’s Island, and Great Blue Herons have been rather regular in & over the county, with a few at least on the move locally, if not headed on to farther-north destinations. Some vultures have been seen over the last few days, & are moving generally now, with a couple of sightings of Black Vulture from Manhattan itself, as well as seen from Randall’s Island; the most regular area to see that vulture sp. from N.Y. County has been in the vicinity of n. Manhattan, & often scanning over, and beyond the Hudson river. Turkey Vulture is still the more regular of the 2 species. Some American Woodcock have continued to be seen in various sites; a lot more of them may be passing in the coming week on milder winds. In Central Park, up to 6 sparrow species could be found within 50 yards of the compost area, including Lincoln’s, American Tree, Chipping, [Red] Fox, Song, & White-throated Sparrows. Swamp Sparrow has also been wintering in Central & in other parks in the county, and there are also Slate-colored Juncos and (few) E. Towhees continuing as overwintered birds. Many birds are singing regularly esp. among those that breed locally but also some others, and various urban raptors are nest-making if they hadn’t done so already. good birding to all, 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/ --
