Getting late in migration

stock Fall warbler photo

Monday in Maintenance meadow (Central Park), I saw my first Yellow-Rumped Warblers of the Fall. To me, that means it's getting late in the migration season.

Carolina Wrens seem to be back in the Park in numbers. I saw a few last week who might have been passing through, but Monday morning I heard a singing battle rage at the east end of Turtle Pond, their songs ringing out through the crisp autumnal air.

remembrance of wrens past

If there are males working out territory boundaries that close--the two birds were probably ten yards apart at most--there must be a lot of them around staking out claims. They'll be staying the winter in that case--Carolinas stay on territory year-round and don't migrate seasonally--and I hope it's a mild one. The reason there's territory open for this new bunch to stake out is that this past winter was harsh enough to kill all the resident males in the area.  It's not an easy life, being a bird.

In Manhattan birding news, there was a White-Rumped Sandpiper at Muscota Marsh in Inwood Hill Park on Friday afternoon. It appears to be the first recorded in New York County, though they show up every couple of years somewhere in the region. This one hasn't been seen since Friday, but there's been a Semipalmated Plover returning at intervals, so who knows--this shorebird might come back.

Also, on Friday, a Nelson's Sparrow was seen in the saltmarsh at the northern tip of Randall's Island (right behind ballfield 42); another one was spotted at the Loch in the north end of Central Park on Sunday, and then three (!) more at the Randall's Island saltmarsh on Monday. That's a really good bird for New York (and a rather pretty orangy sparrow, too).

Rumors of...

In case anyone actually checks this blog for bird reports: the Eurasian Collared-Dove (First reported by David Ringer on 6/22) was refound today (Thursday 7/3). Patrick Baglee found it early in the morning "on the Astro Turf pitch at 23rd and 11th Avenue", and David Barrett had it in the early afternoon "walking on the grass just south of the fenced-in soccer field and viewed it clearly from twenty feet away. This location is west of the intersection of 11th Avenue and 23rd Street and inside Chelsea Waterside Park."

The original report was along the river about 24th Street. So the bird is likely findable if you comb the area. I'll try again for it early next week. Also, the family of Common Ravens is still in that vicinity, so if you go for the dove, you likely can tick the Raven as well.

Further uptown, a steady trickle of reports of Monk Parakeets continues along the Hudson River Greenway from the 130s to the 150s. The most recent report was from Nadir Souirgi on Tuesday afternoon, of a bird entering a nest under the Henry Hudson Parkway around 156th Street. Monk Parakeets have long-established breeding colonies in Brooklyn, but reports from Manhattan are becoming more frequent.

Otherwise, there's the usual residents. Here's a very happy Cormorant on the Central Park Reservoir the other day.

summer picnic

Migration update

We visited the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Sunday. We weren't birding, but did hear a Chipping Sparrow singing near the Eastern Parkway entrance and saw our first-of-year Eastern Kingbird perched in a cherry tree at the Japanese Garden, hawking insects just above the pond surface. We didn't have a chance to chase the Prothonotary Warbler reported in Prospect Park on Saturday.

Meanwhile in Central Park, the expected migrants are moving in. A pair of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds was seen at Maintenance in the Ramble; an Eastern Kingbird was around the ridge in the North Woods, and a Yellow-Throated Vireo was photographed at the High Meadow and seen in other locations there. Warbling Vireos were spotted in the Ramble, to go with the White-Eyed and Blue-Headed Vireos already present. The season's first Black-Throated Green Warblers, several of them, appeared in the Ramble. Less expected was a Broad-Winged Hawk seen soaring on thermals with the resident Red-Tailed Hawks on the west side.

I'm off to the Bronx to visit my aunts tomorrow, but I hope to bird the Ramble before going up, and to look in at Van Cortlandt Park on the way home.

Incoming

Just a quick note--lots of Palm Warblers at Tupelo Meadow in the Ramble; they seem to have arrived in numbers. Also a few Pine and Yellow-Rumped Warblers around. Friday evening I saw my first Black-and-White warbler of the year, at Willow Rock in the Ramble.

The B&W is a bit early, as are the Blue-Headed Vireos reported by Paul Sweet of the Museum of Natural History (whose morning birding group saw one at the Upper Lobe) and by a pair of young birders from South Carolina (who saw one at the Gill Overlook).

The Snipe was alleged to have been seen again at the eastern side of the Point this morning (that is, Friday morning). A Green Heron was seen in the North Woods.

Lots of Kinglets around, mostly Ruby-Crowned but a few Golden-Crowned as well. Many Flickers and Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers. There's still at least one Louisisna Waterthrush, around the Point.

Since my last counting update, I've had eight more species, for a total of 98 in New York County: Field Sparrows (which are being seen sporadically in Central Park), Ruby-Crowned Kinglet; Savannah Sparrow, Tree Swallow, and Barn Swallow, all in the northeast part of Randall's Island--Barn Swallows and Northern Rough-Winged Swallows have been seen on Harlem Meer in Central Park as well; the Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher from my Snipe hunt yesterday; and the Palm and Black-and-White warblers from today.

Lots of birds coming in already, and even more coming soon.

Counting

I'm not a "competitive birder". I do keep track of how many birds I've seen each year in Manhattan (well, in New York County, anyway); as you may have noticed, I usually note each new species on this blog. At the moment, I'm a few days behind on the count, so I'm going to catch up now. Don't worry--at least there'll be some photos, so it won't be all OCD.

April Fool's Day, there were three Mute Swans on the Central Park Reservoir. They were hanging out pretty far from shore, so the photos were not brilliant:



I had thought the bills of the young birds turned from pink to black by the start of winter, and then to orange in the spring. Apparently not. Now I'm even more convinced that the swan I saw on the Hudson last month was a Tundra (Whistling) Swan, not a Mute. Anyway, Mute Swan was species number 84 in New York County

Wednesday, my first Great Egret of the year was at Turtle Pond.



Isn't that a fine looking bird? It helpfully flew from the middle of the south shore to the east end just as I arrived.

Thursday, my first Golden-Crowned Kinglets of the season, at Tupelo Meadow and Azalea Pond. I got a much better photo on Friday, which is in my previous post, along with mentions of my three new species for the year from Friday: Louisiana Waterthrush, Merlin, and Winter Wren (none of which provided usable photos).

Finally, today (Saturday) there were Chipping Sparrows at the feeders in Evodia.



That's species number 90 of the year. Last year I was at 74 on this date, and got my 90th on April 20. I'll shut up about my list now, and instead give you a few

Rumors of Warblers (and other birds)

There were reports of a bright Palm Warbler yesterday, on the rocks just outside the Conservancy Garden near Harlem Meer and later at Compost Hill nearby.  Several people told me there were Yellow-Rumped Warblers in the Ramble today, but they escaped me, as did the Louisiana Waterthrush reported in the cut on the west side of the Point and later in the Oven.  Megan Gavin reported a Northern Waterthrush--way early!--at the Upper Lobe;  I missed that one, too.  That's all the Warblers I know about.

My best bird today was actually a drake Ring-Necked Duck on the Upper Lobe of the Lake.  One spent a good portion of the winter on the Reservoir, but a Ring-Necked is still a good bird for the Park.

Nobody has seen the Virginia Rail again.  Tom Fiore reported on the MYSBirds mailing list that it was actually a bird released by a wildlife rehabilitator.  Hopefully it did better than another release, a common Loon seen on the Lake on Thursday which--rumor has it--died.

I've heard varying reports about whether the Red-Necked Grebe is still on the Reservoir.  Farther afield, Joseph DiCostanzo reports that White-Winged Scoter are still at Inwood Hill Park, and Ben Cacace reported two American Oystercatchers (!!) on the Lawrence Point Ledge Light, which is visible from the northeast shore of Randall's Island,.  By "visible", I mean it's about halfway to Rikers Island, so you'll need a 'scope.  Assuming the birds are still there, of course.  Well, I guess you'd need a 'scope to tell for sure that they're not there, too.

Rumors of... well, not warblers, yet.

Friday I saw my first Great Blue Heron of the year, a wonderful breeding-plumage bird, low in the willow at the end of The Point in Central Park Lake. A Black-crowned Night heron with breeding plume was in the same tree. Spring!

The GBH is my 83rd NY County species this year.

I see online that people have seen Winter Wrens at the Upper Lobe (and maybe elsewhere in the Ramble), a Field Sparrow at the Pin Oak swamp (the meadow in front of the Rustic Shelter), and there was a lingering Woodcock there and another northeast of Azalea Pond. Stephen Chang had a Golden-Crowned Kinglet in the Ravine/Loch area, and a Great Egret in Morningside Park, and Tom Fiore reported Chipping and Savannah Sparrows at the Great Hill (and a Savannah at the Sheep Meadow).

They're coming...