New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above - thru Tuesday, September 3rd -
Easily the best day so far for diversity of species of birds in the county, so far this entire season including all of August, and this start of September, on Tuesday, 9-3. Many areas - not just well-covered Central Park in Manhattan - had very good species-diversity, with warblers still very well-represented, and also a good selection of many more birds having arrived. On passage were such species as expected raptors, some vultures including Black Vulture, the latter as is typical from n. Manhattan, and of passing hummingbirds - all noted as Ruby-throated!, E. Kingbirds, Cedar Waxwings in very good numbers, some Bobolinks and small numbers of other icterids, including Baltimore Orioles, and also some shorebirds, and still other types of birds. A smatter of sparrows were starting to show very small increases - with some Savannah, Swamp, and even a few arriving White-throated Sparrows having joined up with the sparrows already here, or which had come in August. Among warblers, much sought for this month are Connecticut Warblers and at least a few were noted, with some reports yet to be confirmed, perhaps based on photos taken, and-or on textual details of sightings. Key to seeing this species is usually much patience - and the quiet approach. A Virginia Rail was found and photographed at St. Paul's Chapel cemetery which is just southwest of the s. edge of City Hall Park in lower Manhattan along Broadway, the chapel and graveyard to the west - late in the day on Tuesday, 9/3. Obviously, any visitors to such spaces as churchyards or other outdoor sections of public places of worship should show common respect to others, and do as told, if spoken to, by any guards or caretakers. We birders obviously carry optics and may carry cameras, and simple respect in such spaces is the minimum of acting responsibly, and thanks to all for doing so. Note that there are some places of worship with facilities and gardens, etc. which are not open to all of the public under most circumstances in this county. The above-noted site is open. A Pectoral Sandpiper was photographed at Inwood Hill Parks mudflats on Monday, Sept. 2nd, a scarce species especially seen feeding in this county, that sighting also late in the day but on Labor Day. Multiple other shorebirds have been seen in the county in recent days, the more-regular species in multiple locations, and some only as flybys. A Philadelphia Vireo was studied at a location in the Central Park Ramble during a Linnaean Society of New York guided -not-for-profit- bird walk with many observers, on Tuesday. Also seen were Red-eyed, and Warbling Vireos on that walk for comparisons to the smaller and finer-featured Philly. The same walk also took in at least 16 migratory warbler species for the many members and guests observing in the Ramble area. Thanks to all involved, in leading and organizing for the non-profit group. A single-observer -so far- sighting of Yellow-breasted Chat in Morningside Park near 115th St., late in the day on Tuesday, could just-possibly be even the same individual recently showing in Central Park, as that species tends to jump around locally after initial discoveries in migration seasons here, however it also could well be a different and newer bird from the earlier one at Central Park, which had many observers, with tough viewing as is typical for the species. The E. Whip-poor-will of Sept. 2nd at Central Park in Manhattan was not re-found the following day, however a number of Common Nighthawks were again seen from a number of locations, primarily by those out later in the day including on Tuesday, 9/3. Nighthawk season may extend thru the rest of the month, but sooner is as likely to find success than waiting to late in September. In N.Y. County, locations alongside the Hudson or East Rivers may have good sightings, while many also try from Central Park and are rewarded - as with all birding, patience and persistence may pay one dividends. Excellent diversity of many migrant birds has been seen on all four of the larger islands of the county - all named above in the header to this report, with Manhattan of course the most thoroughly-covered by birders overall, but for all of the 3 other large islands, excellent birds are out-there, with the chance of rarer species in any of those sites, and in any of hundreds of locations in the county. We have had over twenty species of migratory warblers appear on -each- of the 4 larger islands of N.Y. County, in the past week - on Roosevelt Island, Governors Island, and Randalls Island and of course throughout Manhattan island as well. For a look at some of those many many sites with a guided group walk, led for a -nonprofit- organization that works for conservation and the interest of science, try looking into walks with, among others, the NYC Bird Alliance, the Linnaean Society of New York, and the series-walks offered thru the American Museum of Natural History. Multiple other -nonprofit- groups also meet up for guided walks, some with special interests and-or needs in mind. Such guided walks will be numerous over the coming weeks on into later in the fall season - some, or perhaps most walks may require a registration so to take part, contact the appropriate organization and look for what is on offer. Guided bird and nature walks are to be offered all around N.Y. City in addition to those in N.Y. County, and some, if not most, will be possible via public transit. More on the sightings all over the county in coming days. Thanks to many keen, courteous observers out and about, some also photographing quietly, for sightings of recent days in N.Y. County. Good birding to all, Tom Fiore manhattan -- (copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".") NYSbirds-L List Info: NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsWELCOME_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsRULES_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave_DOT_htm ARCHIVES: 1) mail-archive_DOT_com/nysbirds-l@cornell_DOT_edu/maillist_DOT_html 2) surfbirds_DOT_com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) birding_DOT_aba_DOT_org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: ebird_DOT_org/content/ebird/ --
