Date: 2/4/25 5:23 pm From: <marciaaabrahams...> <marciaaabrahams...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] The next Queens County Bird Club meeting will be on Wednesday, February 19th via Zoom at 7:30 PM and feature Donna Schulman "Birding Across Kenya"
The next Queens County Bird Club meeting will be via Zoom on Wednesday, February 19th at 7:30 PM. Donna Schulman will present "Birding Across Kenya".
Thanks to diverse habitats and numerous protected areas, Kenya ranks high on lists of best countries to bird (over 1100 species!). Donna traveled through Kenya for two weeks in October 2023. She saw charismatic birds like Vulturine Guineafowl, Gray-crowned Crane and Hartlaub’s Turaco, tiny birds like Blue-headed Bee-eater and Purple Grenadier, and all manner of birdsin-between, including endemics like Papyrus Gonolek and Sokoke Scops-Owl. Traveling safari style through Tsavo East, Tsavo West, and the renown Maasai Mara, the group also encountered lions, cheetahs, African buffalo, giraffes, zebras, and many species of antelope and monkeys. It was a magical trip and Donna’s presentation will focus on the highs along with a few eco-travel lessons learned along the way.Donna learned how to bird with QCBC and has branched out to Central & South America, Africa, SE Asia, Europe, and Australia. A former academic labor educator and library director, she reviews books for 10,000 Birds and Birding magazine and discusses best birding books with the members of the Birding Book Club on the American Birding Association podcast. Donna’s photographs have been featured in Birding and Birdwatching Magazine, the publications and social media of N.J. Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the educational signage of Negri-Nepote Grasslands in N.J. and of a tern colony somewhere in Germany. She is a past editor of QCBC’s News and Notes.
Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/87209924872...Meeting ID: 872 0992 4872
Passcode: 777033
Marcia AbrahamsVP/Programs CoordinatorQueens County Bird Clubhttps://qcbirdclub.org/Email:Â <MarciaAAbrahams...>Â
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Date: 2/2/25 7:20 pm From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC - thru Sunday, Feb. 2 - Pine Warbler still overwintering
The overwintering Pine Warbler is continuing in the Central Park - in Manhattan, N.Y. City - Ramble to Sunday, February 2nd, now a definitively overwintering bird in that same area for many many weeks.
Over the past 1 week, more than 65 species of wild birds have been found in Central Park. By May, a bit more mention might be made of the multiple owls of various species that were - thus far - being seen in these colder months in Central Park, and more-generally thruout New York County since the early autumn. A majority of the owls seen have not been publicly reported for alerts of any kind or made known via eBird, with a -chosen by many observers- delay in the reports made.
Thanks to many keen observers and photographers who are regularly reporting via the discord and other non-x alert systems and thru eBird with the Macaulay Library for media, for many sightings of the past week.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Date: 2/2/25 1:04 pm From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC, Sun. Feb. 2, 2025: Waterfowl and Raptors
Central Park, NYC
Sunday February 2, 2025
OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob.
Highlights: Waterfowl and Raptors - Snow Goose, Hooded and Common Mergansers, Long-eared Owl, and a belated report of Barn Owl*. This morning angry Blue Jays led me to a Long-eared Owl. There had been four Long-eared Owls earlier in the week together in a group of conifers. Today's Long-eared Owl may be a new arrival in the park or one of the four other Long-ears, which have dispersed from their original location. Prior to that, on January 23rd, a Barn Owl was photographed at night near the Delacorte Theater. (The Delacorte Theater, including the restrooms, and much of Shakespeare Garden are currently fenced off because of construction). The Barn Owl has not been relocated.
Snow Goose - 1 adult Reservoir
Canada Goose - 600-800
Northern Shoveler - 20-30
Mallard - 50-65
American Black Duck - 4 plus a few Mallard x American Black Duck hybrids
Bufflehead - 3
Hooded Merganser -6
Common Merganser - 2
Mourning Dove - 22
American Coot - 4
Ring-billed and Herring Gulls - only around 200
Great Black-backed Gull - 2 Reservoir
Red-tailed Hawk - 1 Evodia Field
Long-eared Owl - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 male Locust Grove
Downy Woodpecker - 2 (male and female) Evodia Field feeders
Blue Jay - 15-20
American Crow - 2 Reservoir
Black-capped Chickadee - 10-15
Tufted Titmouse - 20-30
White-breasted Nuthatch - 5-10
Carolina Wren - 1 or 2 in the Ramble
Hermit Thrush - 1
House Finch - 3
American Goldfinch - 2 Evodia Field feeders
Fox Sparrow - 2 Evodia Field
White-throated Sparrow - 60-80
Northern Cardinal - 5
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*Barn Owl reported on @mbalerter maintained by David Barrett on X (Twitter).
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Deb Allen
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The Ninth Annual Northport Bird Count took place on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Twenty-two observers participated. The count area stretches from Lloyd Neck and Huntington in the west to Fort Salonga in the east, and to Melville and Commack in the south, covering the areas between the North Nassau, Smithtown, and Captree Christmas Bird Count circles.
Conditions were challenging, with north winds gusting over 30 knots. The Long Island Sound, usually a source of a significant count of water birds, was so foamy that observation was near impossible at times. Despite this, observers managed a good total of *99 species*. Highlights included:
- *Pink-footed Goose (Crab Meadow Beach)* - *Greater White-fronted Goose (two, Tung Ting Pond)* - *Barrow's Goldeneye (Crab Meadow Beach)* - Lesser Black-backed Gull (Crab Meadow Beach) - American Woodcock (Centerport) - American Kestrel (Centerport) - *Red-headed Woodpecker (Asharoken; not accessible)* - Eastern Bluebird (Lloyd Neck and the former Northport Landfill) - American Pipit (Lloyd Neck) - Eastern Meadowlark (eight, Lloyd Neck)
Remarkable for the area were three highly localized species that often associate with one another, yet turned up independently in unusual locations: a Pied-billed Grebe in Huntington Harbor, an American Coot at Tung Ting Pond, and 16 Ruddy Ducks at Hobart Beach (with one more in the more typical location of Huntington Harbor). This is likely attributable to the large amount of ice that has been present in recent weeks.
Unusually high counts were recorded for several half-hardy species despite cold weather over the last two months, including 3 Wood Duck, 11 Killdeer, 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 12 Rusty Blackbird, 18 Eastern Towhee, 3 Hermit Thrush, and 4 Gray Catbird. The only surprising miss was Red-throated Loon, which, like the aforementioned species, tends to vacate the area after the onset of freezing temperatures.
Thanks to all who participated, and to my parents, Diane and Brent W. Bomkamp, for preparing a delicious dinner and hosting everyone at their home to compile numbers.
Best,
Brent Bomkamp Taylor Sturm
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Date: 2/1/25 12:16 pm From: zach schwartz-weinstein <zachsw...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Fwd: [hmbirds] Just re—found TABG RENSSSLAER county
See below - the Taiga Bean-goose has been relocated, in its third county in
as many months.
Zach Schwartz-Weinstein
203 500 7774
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: adir46er via groups.io <rita.reed2819...>
Date: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Subject: [hmbirds] Just re—found TABG RENSSSLAER county
To: HMBirds <hmbirds...>
Taiga Bean Goose just re-located 31 North St, Valley Falls, in middle of
Hoosic River with 250 CANG etc
You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44 (at)nybirds{dot}org.
If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:
Gary Chapin - Secretary NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) 125 Pine Springs Drive Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert Number: (212) 979-3070
Compiler: Tom Burke Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Ben Cacace
BEGIN TAPE
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for *Friday, January 31st 2025* at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are NORTHERN LAPWING, PAINTED BUNTING, PINK-FOOTED and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, TUNDRA SWAN, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, SANDHILL CRANE, DOVEKIE, BLACK-HEADED GULL, LARK and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS, DICKCISSEL and more.
Saturday a NORTHERN LAPWING was discovered on Sagg Pond in Bridgehampton and it continued there along mostly the western edges of the pond until Wednesday morning when it apparently moved off and has remained undetected though probably still in the region. The parking area is at the end of Sagg Main Street. Other highlights around Sagg Pond featured up to 3 BLACK-HEADED GULLS on the flats and a wonderful display of some nicely viewable DOVEKIES just offshore especially on Sunday joined by a few RAZORBILLS. Early Sunday too a flight noted along mid Fire Island early in the morning did record 24 DOVEKIES and 90 RAZORBILLS where two DOVEKIES were also noted to Thursday along the coast from Montauk Point west to Shinnecock Inlet and Dune Road.
A female type PAINTED BUNTING and associating CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, but not probably searched for successfully now, were still present at least to Wednesday in Far Rockaway. Look especially in the vegetated area around the cat colony just north of the boardwalk between Beach 26th and 27th Streets.
A PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was spotted on Eastport Lake north of Route 27 from Sunday through Wednesday and two were seen again Thursday on the soccer field in Northport at 337 Eaton's Neck Road where they have previously been frequenting. Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were present today on private Tung Ting Pond in Centerport with one Wednesday on Eastport Lake while the one in Westchester has continued to visit Playland Lake in Rye most days. This lake is also hosting an immature TUNDRA SWAN identified Monday and still present through today usually around the southwest corner of the lake. The drake BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was still off Crab Meadow Beach Wednesday, a drake KING EIDER continues in the Common Eider flock around Shinnecock Inlet with a female KING still off Mount Loretto Unique Area on Staten Island today and a HARLEQUIN DUCK was off Truman's Beach in Orient Tuesday with others around Jones Inlet.
An interesting SANDHILL CRANE report from Sagg Pond in the fog and rain today involved a calling bird hopefully settling in somewhere in that area awaiting subsequent rediscovery.
A BLACK-HEADED GULL was still in the Point Lookout area today and a couple of BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES occurred off Montauk Point Sunday and Monday. A GLAUCOUS GULL visited Central Park Reservoir Sunday with 2 ICELAND GULLS there Monday. Another GLAUCOUS included one in Hunt's Point Landing in the Bronx recently through today and one at Brooklyn Bridge Park Wednesday. Among a few other ICELAND GULLS were singles in Prospect Park and Wolfe's Pond Park on Staten Island today and one at Lake Montauk inlet Tuesday.
A RED-NECKED GREBE was noted off Montauk Point Sunday and RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue in Green-wood Cemetery and at Sunken Meadow State Park.
A LARK SPARROW found Sunday in Water Mill was still present yesterday. When visiting this residential and farming area please stay along the road and park off the roadway. Watch the traffic and look especially around the grassy areas by the Corwith's Farmstand at 851 Head of Pond Road or around the lawns across from there.
The DICKCISSEL in Riverside Park was still present yesterday south of the 119th Street entrance near some scattered bird seed.
To phone in reports, call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.
This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.
- End transcript
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Date: 1/29/25 6:11 pm From: Ben Cacace <bcacace...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] eBird.org Shared Location - stakeout Lark Sparrow, Water Mill, Suffolk County (2025)
A marker was created — '*stakeout Lark Sparrow, Water Mill, Suffolk County
(2025)*' in Suffolk County. The hotspot should be available within 12 hours.
If you wish to merge your personal location with an existing hotspot here
are the steps:
— Sign into eBird.org
— Go to 'My eBird' & select 'Manage My... Locations' in the left panel
— To see all of your personal locations drop down on 'Type' and select
'Personal'
*— ... or use the Search bar to find the personal location*
*— ... or select directly from the list which can be sorted using the 'Sort
by' drop down on the upper right*
*— ... Personal locations are missing the "people" icon to the right of the
location name*
— Select the personal location and click the 'Merge' button and you'll see
all nearby hotspots as red icons with flames
*— ... Keep the checkmark for 'Delete after merging' selected*
— Click the Hotspot (red icon) where you want the green personal location
to be merged into
*— ... you'll see the hotspot location name above the merge button showing
the # of checklists to be merged*
— Click the 'Merge' button
— Answer Yes to the 'Are you sure?' query
All checklists for your personal location will be combined with the hotspot.
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Ben Cacace
Manhattan, NYC
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A marker was created for '*Riverside Park Bird Sanctuary (btwn 116th-124th
Streets)*' in New York County where the Dickcissel has been frequenting.
The hotspot is available here <https://ebird.org/hotspots?hs=L39789806>.
You can add individual checklists to the hotspot using the 'Checklist
Tools' dropdown and selecting 'Edit Location' .
If you wish to merge a personal location with an existing hotspot here are
the steps:
— Sign into eBird.org
— Go to 'My eBird' & select 'Manage My... Locations' in the left panel
— To see all of your personal locations drop down on 'Type' and select
'Personal'
*— ... or use the Search bar to find the personal location*
*— ... or select directly from the list which can be sorted using the 'Sort
by' drop down on the upper right*
*— ... Personal locations are missing the "people" icon to the right of the
location name*
— Select the personal location and click the 'Merge' button and you'll see
all nearby hotspots as red icons with flames
*— ... Keep the checkmark for 'Delete after merging' selected*
— Click the Hotspot (red icon) where you want the green personal location
to be merged into
*— ... you'll see the hotspot location name above the merge button showing
the # of checklists to be merged*
— Click the 'Merge' button
— Answer Yes to the 'Are you sure?' query
All checklists for your personal location will be combined with the hotspot.
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Manhattan, NYC
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Date: 1/26/25 1:06 pm From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC. Sun. Jan. 26, 2025: Short-billed, Lesser Black-backed, and Glaucous Gulls, Co. Merganser, E. Towhee
Central Park, NYC
Sunday, January 26, 2025
OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob.
Highlights: Short-billed, Lesser Black-backed, and Glaucous Gulls, Snow Goose, Common Merganser, Brown Creeper, Eastern Towhee.
Snow Goose - 1 adult Reservoir
Canada Goose - around 300
Wood Duck - 6
Northern Shoveler - 50-60
Mallard - 60-80
American Black Duck - 10
Hooded Merganser - 3
Common Merganser - 2 Reservoir (Dan Stevenson)
Ruddy Duck - 2 Reservoir
Mourning Dove - 30-40
American Coot - 2 Reservoir
Short-billed Gull - seen by NJ birder Andy Egan on Reservoir before 8:30am
Ring-billed Gull - 400-500
Herring Gull - 75-100
Lesser Black-backed Gull - reported at Reservoir at around 11am
Glaucous Gull - 1 on ice east of fountain at Reservoir (found by Andy Egan)
Great Black-backed Gull - 15-20
Great Blue Heron - 1 flyover Boathouse
Cooper's Hawk - 2 or 3
Red-tailed Hawk - 1 Maintenance Field
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Downy Woodpecker - 2 or 3
Blue Jay - 2 or 3
American Crow - flock of 34
Black-capped Chickadee - 8-10
Tufted Titmouse - 20-25
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 male continuing today at Azalea Pond
White-breasted Nuthatch - 8-10
Brown Creeper - 1 west of Azalea Pond (Dan Stevenson)
Carolina Wren - pair Azalea Pond
American Robin - 9-11
House Finch - 3 Maintenance Field (Andrea Hessel)
American Goldfinch - 4-6 (Paul Curtis)
White-throated Sparrow - 30-40
Eastern Towhee - 1 male west side of Shakespeare Garden (Val from Minnesota)
Northern Cardinal - 4 or 5
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Multiple observers are currently viewing from atop the small hill along parking lot, pond side. The Lapwing is across the pond on the south shoreline, wandering between the modern white, flat roofed home, and the large rocks along the shore, and the hidden duck blind.
Eileen Schwinn
East Quogue
Sent from my iPhone
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Date: 1/26/25 6:07 am From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park Reservoir NYC Glaucous and Short-billed Gulls
New Jersey birder Andy Egan found both the Short-billed and Glaucous Gull on Reservoir this morning. Bring your scopes to check those Ring-billed Gulls.
Deb Allen
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You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44 (at)nybirds{dot}org.
If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:
Gary Chapin - Secretary NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) 125 Pine Springs Drive Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert Number: (212) 979-3070
Compiler: Tom Burke Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Ben Cacace
BEGIN TAPE
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for *Friday, January 24th 2025* at 11pm. The highlights of today's tape are PINK-FOOTED and BARNACLE GEESE, plus an extralimital TAIGA BEAN-GOOSE, SHORT-BILLED GULL, PAINTED BUNTING, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, KING EIDER and BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, DOVEKIE and THICK-BILLED MURRE, BLACK-HEADED GULL, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, DICKCISSEL and more.
The 3 PINK-FOOTED GEESE formerly frequenting the Northport Soccer Park off [...] Eaton's Neck Road did visit there last Sunday after leaving Crab Meadow Beach but have since then apparently split up and changed venues. At least one PINK-FOOTED was seen Thursday and Friday in Centerport around the Mill Pond in nearby private Tung Ting Pond. One or two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE have also been present in that same area recently and another WHITE-FRONTED was spotted at the Buffalo Farm along Reeves Avenue north of Riverhead Thursday. The lower Westchester WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE has had to change roosting sites due to freezing conditions at times visiting frozen Playland Lake in Rye. Today a BARNACLE GOOSE was found in a large Canada Goose flock visiting farm fields on the north fork between Mattituck and Cutchogue. Remember, it is still hunting season in that area.
As a note, the extralimital TAIGA BEAN-GOOSE continues in Schuylerville a little north of Saratoga Lake and regional birding services have been timely in providing current information on the goose's location.
Central Park Reservoir has been drawing in a decent number of gulls recently including one photographed last Sunday and identified as a SHORT-BILLED GULL perhaps a returning individual which was apparently spotted again on the ice Wednesday afternoon. Other gulls noted on the reservoir this week have included a BLACK-HEADED on several different days, a GLAUCOUS today, a couple of different ICELANDS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED. Other BLACK-HEADED GULLS include one or two in the Jones Beach area, one at Smith Point County Park Sunday and one at Sagg Pond Saturday to Monday. GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS continue in the North Bellport area and a GLAUCOUS at the Ponquogue Bridge Saturday and ICELANDS also noted around Coney Island and the Lake Montauk inlet early in the week.
A recent PAINTED BUNTING and CLAY-COLORED SPARROW hanging together between Beach 26th and 27th Streets in Far Rockaway were last reported last Sunday but may continue around there. Another female type PAINTED BUNTING was spotted Sunday on Staten Island at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center Heritage Farm.
The drake KING EIDER was seen again around Shinnecock Inlet as recently as Wednesday. The drake BARROW'S GOLDENEYE plus 2 BARROW'S X COMMON hybrids continue off Crab Meadow Beach and HARLEQUIN DUCKS remain around Jones Inlet, Moriches Inlet and Ditch Plains.
A small coastal flight of DOVEKIES commencing last weekend produced a few sightings from Montauk Point and environs along the coast west of Hook Pond and East Hampton and Tiana Beach off Dune Road while farther west a THICK-BILLED MURRE was spotted nicely in Jones Inlet last Saturday and seen briefly again Sunday. RAZORBILLS also joined this activity.
The YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT recently staying at the Mill Pond Preserve in Wantagh was last reported on Monday and a DICKCISSEL lingering in Riverside Park in northern Manhattan was still present today but less reliable in the area south of the tennis courts below West 119th Street.
To phone in reports, call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.
This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.
- End transcript
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Date: 1/25/25 12:47 pm From: Angus Wilson <oceanwanderers...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] LI (Suffolk Co) Sagg Pond N Lapwing
I’m surprised this has not reached this Listserve yet but there is a Northern Lapwing on western shore of Sagg Pond near Bridgehampton.
I believe it was found this morning and has already seen by a number of people. The pond is drained with extensive shoreline and sand flats . As I type the bird is still on the west side just south of a house with an odd conical roof. You can walk from the Sagg Mains parking lot to the center of the pond on a sand spit from which the bird can be seen (scope advisable).
Note there’s an occupied duck blind. The owner is there and clearly a little irritated by people keeping the ducks away!
Please post updates if you go.
Angus Wilson
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Date: 1/25/25 12:28 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC -Friday, 1/24- Dickcissel, C.P. Pine Warbler, gulls, etc.
Manhattan, N.Y. City - Friday, January 24th -
A long-staying Dickcissel is continuing at Riverside Park, photographed by multiple observers again on Friday. Many or most of the sightings of this bird are from within the Forever Wild sanctuary, which from that parks entrance at West 116th St, is a short way to the northwest, an unpaved path, where scattered bird seed and a suet feeder may be noticed, and when such food is there, the flocks coming in may include the Dickcissel. Some patience and searching the vicinity may help.
Pine Warblers are still surviving the winter, one at Central Park, in the Ramble area for many many weeks, is among these, others also at Randalls Island in New York County. Among wintering Orange-crowned Warblers in the county, one is continuing on at Carl Shurz Park on Manhattans east side, often by Gracie mansion and around the area with a publicly viewable bird feeder. Note that the Orange-crowned there may at times be out of view behind walls of the Gracie mansion grounds. Other wintering warblers in New York County, including in Manhattan, include Myrtle form of Yellow-rumped Warbler.
A minimum of 2 Iceland Gulls were again seen on the Central Park reservoir on Friday, in addition to the newly found Glaucous Gull, and the returning Black-headed Gull there for a portion of the day Friday. A high majority of local birders have received news of these gulls and of most other rare or uncommon species in Central Park and beyond thru Discord and other non-x alerts, and equally via eBird RBA’s and reports. Thanks to L. Herzog among those who quickly got word out of the Glaucous Gull as a new arrival for Friday.
There was a report for a more recent sighting of the Short-billed Gull at Central Park during the week - as with any very rare species, the report is subject to some review.
Rusty Blackbird was again seen, and photographed in Central Parks north end on Friday, a wintering individual often at the Loch, and also on occasion by the Pool. Owls of a variety of species this winter in this county are most often not rapidly reported to alerts. Diversity of that group of birds has been good from autumn of last year onward and many sightings have been as hidden as are the owls themselves.
Thanks to many keen observers and photographers who have been out on even the coldest or windiest days of winter, for many sightings and ongoing reports.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Date: 1/24/25 4:01 pm From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park Reservoir, NYC, Fri. Jan. 24, 2025: Iceland, Glaucous, and Black-headed Gulls
Central Park, NYC - Reservoir
Friday, January 24, 2025
OBS: Deborah Allen, many others at various times.
Highlights: Iceland, Glaucous, and Black-headed Gulls. A patch of open water around the fountain and the ice adjacent to it held most of the birds. As is typical of the Reservoir, the gulls were best observed at lunch time, with fewer gulls present there early and late in the day.
Snow Goose - 1 adult
Canada Goose - 400-500
Wood Duck - 3 males
Northern Shoveler - 100-150
Mallard - at least 100
American Black Duck - at least 2
Ring-necked Duck - 1 male continuing
Hooded Merganser - 6
Common Merganser - 4
Ruddy Duck - 4
Mourning Dove - 1
American Coot - 4
Black-headed Gull - 1 first-winter spotted by Robert Young
Ring-billed Gull - number varied from 200-400
Herring Gull - around 100
Iceland Gull - 1 adult spotted by Mary Beth Kooper*
Glaucous Gull - 1 first-winter spotted by Robert Young
Great Black-backed Gull - 8
Cooper's Hawk - flyover
White-breasted Nuthatch - heard
Blue Jay - 1
American Crow - several (flock of 24 later Great Lawn harassing Cooper's Hawk)
Common Raven - 1
* Mary Beth also saw and photographed a second Iceland Gull, which was not an adult.
--
I looked around for last night's Barn Owl, but was unable to find it. The usual assortment of wintering birds was present in the Ramble.
--
Deb Allen
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Date: 1/24/25 4:18 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC -thru 1/23- Iceland & L.Bl-b Gull, Horned Larks, etc.
A Horned Grebe was a nice find off Inwood Hill Park in northern Manhattan, photographed on Wed., Jan. 22nd. Of New York County’s multiple wintering Orange-crowned Warblers, most recently seen by multiple birders and photographers at Carl Schurz Park near Gracie mansion, this week thru Thursday, 1-23. Although a recent report of the long-staying Riverside Park Dickcissel in the forever wild sanctuary just north of the park entrance at W. 116 Street was from Monday, 1-20, the Dickcissel is fairly likely to be continuing in that vicinity, more so if feeding of birds is continuing in that area as had been done in all previous weeks this winter.
...
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - thru Thursday, January 23 -
An adult Iceland Gull was found or refound on Thursday at the Central Park reservoir. On Monday, Jan. 20, a Lesser Back-backed Gull was found at the reservoir. That last made for 7 species of gull at that reservoir in the past week.
Monday, Jan. 20th also brought a sizeable flock of Horned Larks to the park, a species rarely reported any more over or in Manhattan, however there are modern-era records as well as older records of this species including within Central Park. Some historical records may not be archived in eBird.
The long lingering Snow Goose continues to show in Central Park, where a majority of the sightings come from the reservoir - however, that goose is mobile and may show up in almost any part of the park, but particularly in the northern part, if not seen at the reservoir. Other waterfowl were still hanging in thru the deep-freeze as well, one example being a pair of very-long-lingering Green-winged Teal at the Pool in the parks n-w sector. Far more species of birds were around this week over all of the park, but one rarity, a Short-billed Gull from last Sunday on the Central Park reservoir, seen by many, was not re-found since then, so far. Close scrutiny of gulls might potentially reveal that or other rare gulls to still be visiting this park as winter rolls on.
Thanks to many keen and hardy birders and photographers for sightings and reports, via non-x alerts and via eBird, with the Macaulay library for multi media.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Date: 1/23/25 5:52 pm From: Alan Drogin <drogin...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Riverside Ravens and Ducks
My first inclination when I sighted what looked like more than two Common Ravens was to think, no they don’t commonly congregate around here, must be crows chasing not more than a pair. And certainly I’ve seen just that in early December - dozens of crows chasing a pair across the skies of Central Park.
While leading a 2024 CBC in Riverside, a group of 4 or 5 black corvids flew north past the Sailors and Soldiers monument and over our heads like wispy Dementors in Harry Potter, a couple of them croaking. Could there be more than two? A couple of weeks later by the Harlem Meer, I did distinctly see four Common Ravens, flying around 110th street, mostly in pairs, but following each other. Today while birding Riverside Park, once again I heard the croaks and saw more than two Common Ravens fly briefly across the canyon of pre-war high-rises of West End Avenue. I took chase until they alighted just down the corner of the street from me - two pairs, each pair staking out a window ledge, scaffolding or water tower together, following each other in flight. Possibly the parents and the two young they raised behind the Cathedral of St. John the Divine?
So yes, we’re seeing more than a pair of Common Ravens around here!
We’ve had a good month for waterfowl and gulls at the Central Park Reservoir. Nevertheless, the counts of waterfowl over by the 79th Street Boat Basic have been abysmal the past few winters - possibly due to the construction of the old rotunda started in 2021. Back before 2021 I'd see large flocks of Mallards, Canada Geese, and even a Northern Pintail and Muscovy. i ventured out Wednesday with temperatures in the teens to see the ice floes of the Hudson River from the boardwalk. I was happy to see over 50 Mallards curling up on the docks against the frigid cold. Among them a male and female Wood Duck - first for the basin.
With temperatures more comfortably in the twenties today, I found over 100 Mallards having a lively party, quacking away, mating up among the slowly breaking ice, just like winters ago. There on the edge of an ice floe was a lone sleeping male Ring-Necked Duck, black back and peaked head, white spur. Perhaps the one seen earlier this week at the Central Park Reservoir - and according to eBird, the first seen on the eastern side of the Hudson below the George Washington Bridge.
Happy birding and stay warm,
Alan Drogin
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Date: 1/20/25 4:44 pm From: NSAudubon Publicity <northshoreaudubonsoc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Fwd: "Unlocking the Mysteries of the Long Island White Shark Nursery" via Zoom - Jan. 28 at 7pm
North Shore Audubon Society is pleased to present *Unlocking the Mysteries
of the Long Island White Shark*, via Zoom on Tuesday, January 28 at 7pm
*Frank Quevedo* will present this informative discussion about the South
Fork Natural History Museum's Shark Research and Education Program’s
efforts to study sharks off Long island’s South Shore and throughout the NY
Bight. Our local waters include the only known nursery area for White
Sharks in the Atlantic, and this area is the focus of their scientific
efforts. This discussion will inform viewers about the history of their
shark research program, update on the white shark nursery, and future for
the shark research program to continue the efforts for a sustainable and
healthy marine environment.
*Frank Quevedo* has been the Executive Director of the South Fork Natural
History Museum (SOFO) located in Bridgehampton since 2010. He is a graduate
of Long Island University, Southampton with a degree in Marine Biology and
a degree in Business Administration from Iona College. Prior to his current
position as the Director of the Museum, Frank worked for the Town of East
Hampton for 12 years as a Bay Management Specialist restoring and enhancing
shell-fish populations on the east end of Long Island. He is also a
Co-founder and board member of the South Fork Sea Farmer’s Organization.
Frank resides in Sag Harbor, New York.
Jonathan Herman
Publicity volunteer, North Shore Audubon Society
PO Box 763, Port Washington, NY 11050
www.northshoreaudubon.org
<northshoreaudubonsoc...>
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Date: 1/20/25 11:45 am From: Steve M. Chorvas <schorvas...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] NYS January Waterfowl Count Results – Ulster County
The John Burroughs Natural History Society UlsterCounty segment of the annual NYSOA New York State January Waterfowl Count wasconducted on January 18, 2025, with one field party surveying on January 19th. Eighteen participants in nine field partiesencountered 7,499 waterfowl representing20 species, plus one hybrid. Â
Diversity was well-above our ten-year averageof 15 species, just one species shy of our all-time record high count in 2020, andonly the second time we have encountered twenty or more species of waterfowl onthis census. Abundance was 764individuals above our ten-year average, a number that is greatly influenced eachyear by large overwintering flocks of Canada Geese and Mallards. Most species of ducks were found in aboveaverage numbers, with the exception of Mallards (806 total, average 1,010).  Canada Geese accounted for 5,701 individuals (76%), 602 birdsabove our ten-year average.
Count day conditions were more winter-like compared tothe past two years, with an overabundance of ice. Still water was largely frozen, concentratingwaterfowl in small openings or in moving creeks and rivers with more open water. Fields and pastures were free of snow andice, attracting large flocks of geese.  Airtemperatures ranged from 30-38° F with relatively calm winds and mostly cloudyskies, followed by afternoon snow and rain showers. Large moving chunks of ice crowded the HudsonRiver, obstructing some views, but there was no early morning fog or brightsunshine, resulting in relatively good visibility on most large bodies ofwater.
Two Barrow’s Goldeneyes (one drake, onehen) were observed in the Hudson River off River Road in the Town of Esopus,part of a group of two hens and one drake that have persisted in the same areafor several weeks. An additional three Commonx Barrow's Goldeneye hybrids (one drake, two hens) were also seen associatingwith the same large raft of Common Goldeneyes. A Cackling Goose and two SnowGeese, including a juvenile blue-morph, were seen grazing in a field on BlueChip Farm.
Two hen Northern Pintails and a Green-wingedTeal continue on Stone Ridge Pond, where there was atypically small numbers of waterfowl. Two additional Green-wingedTeal were observed in the Esopus Creek at Fording Place, four Canvasbacks were loafing inthe Hudson River off Glasco, where a single Long-tailed Duck and a LesserScaup were also identified. A second LesserScaup was seen in the Hudson River off Kingston Point, associating with two GreaterScaup, representing only our third occurrence of Lesser, and fourth occurrenceof Greater Scaup on this count over the past twenty years.
One Wood Duck and one MuteSwan were found in the southern reach of the Wallkill River, our only swan forthis year’s count, following a mysterious disappearance of most of our residentswans last autumn. HoodedMergansers (84 total, average 32) and Common Mergansers (435, average 210)were encountered in new record-high numbers.Â
Additionalwater-dependent birds observed during the waterfowl count included 33 Bald Eagles (18 adults, 15sub-adults, adjusted down from 43 for likely duplications), one Great Blue Heron in aPhragmites bed on the shore of the Hudson River in Saugerties, and five Belted Kingfishers (Beaver Kill, Stone Ridge Pond, Post Park,Esopus Creek at Leggs Mill bridge, and Sawkill Creek). Five Graylag Geese were noted in the WallkillRiver, off Libertyville/Albany Post Road west of the fairgrounds.
Appended below is the specieslist with number of individuals.  A complete report with a tablesummarizing the 2025 Ulster County effort by area will be published by the JohnBurroughs Natural History Society at a later date.  Thanks to AlanBeebe, Jackie Bogardus, Allan Bowdery, Lynn Bowdery, Jessica Cukrovany, Patrick Dechon, Mark DeDea, David Hayes, LorenQuinby, Robert Miller, Diane Nowicki, KevinNye, Dixon Onderdonk, Benjamin Osborn, PeterSchoenberger, Dan Spencer, and Wendy Tocci for providing extensive coverage ofthe county.  Next year’s Ulster County segment of the NYSOA NYSJanuary Waterfowl Count is scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Steve M. Chorvas – compilerSaugerties, NY
Date: 1/20/25 5:03 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC Sunday, 1/19 - Short-billed, Black-headed, and Iceland Gulls + waterfowl
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Sunday, January 19 -
A SHORT-BILLED GULL was found and photographed - A. Vinson - on the Central Park reservoir, on Sunday afternoon, which led to many independent observers going to observe and to further photograph this rarity, which is believed to possibly or probably be a returning individual after a very long absence.
Yet more observers were able to view and photograph the lingering for several days Black-headed Gull, again on Sunday, and of very many who saw Iceland Gull also on the Central Park reservoir, some observers photographed both the adult and a younger Iceland on the day. There is a possibility that more than just 2 individual Iceland Gulls have come to visit the Central Park reservoir this winter. Six species of gull at one time on this water body in Manhattan is quite exceptional, and yet other gull species might be watched for if the gullapalooza goes on for any time at this location. The regular 3 winter season gulls of this location are Ring-billed, American Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls.
In addition to the fairly long-staying Snow Goose which can be highly mobile and has been on Randalls Island as well as -mostly- seen in Central Park, additional recent duckage for Central Park included Lesser Scaup, which was noted previously but by Sunday was seen by a greater number of observers. This was additional to Ring-necked Duck which had been present for some days also on the Central Park reservoir.
Thanks to the dozens of hardy and keen observers and photographers for many excellent sightings and photos of all of the above-noted birds, with reports via the discord alerts and other non-x alerts as well as thru eBird including the Macaulay library for media.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Date: 1/19/25 11:03 am From: Andrew Block <ablock22168...> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] [hmbirds] Goose update
Yes, kudos for Zach for keeping those of us updated who don't use other sites for reports of rarities. I was able to find to goose last weekend via his reports. Much appreciated.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
On Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 01:39:17 PM EST, Trachlar <trachlar...> wrote:
Thank you for these posts. Not that I will personally chase a bird up by Saratoga Springs but I believe many of us for many reasons choose not to join the Discord.Â
L. Trachtenberg Ossining, NYÂ
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 19, 2025, at 12:44 PM, zach schwartz-weinstein <zachsw...> wrote:
Per discord, the bean-goose is now back at Fort Miller.
Zach Schwartz-Weinstein
203 500 7774
On Sun, Jan 19, 2025 at 10:44 AM zach schwartz-weinstein via groups.io <zachsw...> wrote:
The TABG reportedly flew off to the north-northwest about an hour ago and has not been relocated yet.
Zach Schwartz-Weinstein
203 500 7774
On Sun, Jan 19, 2025 at 10:43 AM gregg recer <gregg.recer...> wrote:
thanks zach for continuing these updates on hmbirds
just for general awareness, that location on the west side of stonebridge road, north of calahan, is a challenging place for cars to stop -- narrow road shoulders and steep drop-offs on both sides, and stonebridge is a relatively heavily-trafficked through route up there. It is a frequent spot for geese to gather, but not good as a viewing locale.
On Sun, Jan 19, 2025 at 6:29 AM zach schwartz-weinstein via groups.io <zachsw...> wrote:
Hi,Â
The goose has been relocated by Ant Taboada’s group  at the following coordinates in the Northumberland grasslands areaÂ
43.1654454, -73.6145075)
Zach Schwartz-Weinstein
203 500 7774
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Gregg Recer
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Date: 1/18/25 2:35 pm From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC -to 1/18-Black-headed & Iceland Gulls, Snow Goose, etc.
A Dickcissel is continuing at Riverside Park in Manhattan, often near a suet-feeder as well as in the general vicinity, a bit northwest of the park entrance located at W. 116 St. and Riverside Drive. Some patience and-or a little searching may give best chances with the Dickcissel.
...
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City -
On the Central Park reservoir, a BLACK-HEADED Gull was found and photographed Fri. and Sat., Jan. 17 and 18. An Iceland Gull was present there again on Thurs., Jan. 16, and has been continuing as well. Common Loon is another presence along with the lingering and wandering single Snow Goose mainly appearing in Central Park. Double-crested Cormorants also have been appearing in Central Park.
Ducks of at least a dozen species were still in Central Park thru Saturday, featuring among others Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Wood Ducks, and all 3 merganser species with very good numbers of Hooded Merganser for this park.
Rusty Blackbird is still another ongoing species at Central Park, along with Brown-headed Cowbird, some Red-winged Blackbirds, and numbers of Common Grackles.
Also still being seen at Central Park -
American Coots
Mourning Doves - still in high numbers.
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture - flyovers.
Bald Eagle - flyovers.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Coopers Hawks, and Red-shouldered Hawks
Merlin, American Kestrel, and Peregrine Falcons - some as flyovers.
Yellow-shafted Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy, Downy, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers
Common Ravens, American Crows, Blue Jays
Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice - many of each.
Winter and Carolina Wrens
Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches - both in the multiple.
Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets in the multiple.
Brown Thrashe, Gray Catbird, and N. Mockingbirds
Hermit Thrushes and many American Robins
Cedar Waxwings, Purple and House Finches, American Goldfinches
Red Fox, Swamp, Chipping, Song, and many White-throated Sparrows
and Dark-eyed Juncos, as well as Eastern Towhee.
and various additional species of wild, native birds.
...
At least 6 Killdeer gathered on the Sherman Creek mudflats area northeast of the eastern end of Dyckman Street in northern Manhattan on Sat., 1-18, and Myrtle form of Yellow-rumped Warbler was also present there Saturday.
Thanks to many keen observers and photographers for sightings and reports via non-x alerts and the eBird network including the Macaulay Library for media.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Date: 1/18/25 2:55 am From: Ben Cacace <bcacace...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] eBird.org Shared Location - Northport Soccer Park
Hello all,
A marker was created in Suffolk County called '*Northport Soccer Park'* where
the *Pink-footed Goose* has been reported since 2023. The hotspot is
currently available for merging if you have created a personal location.
Here are the steps:
— Sign into eBird.org
— Go to 'My eBird' & select 'Manage My... Locations' in the left panel
— To see all of your personal locations drop down on 'Type' and select
'Personal'
— *... or use the Search bar to find the personal location*
— *... or select directly from the list which can be sorted using the 'Sort
by' drop down on the upper right*
— ... *Note: Personal locations are missing the "people" icon to the right
of the location name*
— Select the personal location and click the 'Merge' button and you'll see
all nearby hotspots as red icons with flames
— *... Keep the checkmark for 'Delete after merging' selected*
— Click the Hotspot (red icon) where you want your personal location to be
merged into
— *... you'll see the hotspot location name above the merge button showing
the # of checklists to be merged*
— Click the 'Merge' button
— Answer Yes to the 'Are you sure?' query
All checklists for your personal location will be combined with the hotspot.
--
Ben Cacace
Manhattan, NYC
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You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44<at>nybirds<dot>org
If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:
Gary Chapin - Secretary NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) 125 Pine Springs Drive Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert Number: (212) 979-3070
Compiler: Tom Burke Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Gail Benson
[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]
Greetings! This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, January 17, 2025 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today's tape are PINK-FOOTED GOOSE and extralimital TAIGA BEAN-GOOSE, PAINTED BUNTING, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, KING EIDER and HARLEQUIN DUCK, BLACK-HEADED and GLAUCOUS GULLS, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, DICKCISSEL and more.
Up to three PINK-FOOTED GEESE were still present in the Northport area at least to Monday, but the only report of three came Saturday with the trio seen at Crab Meadow Beach early in the morning. Otherwise only single birds were reported to Monday, all in the same general area. One was on the initial soccer field off 337 Eaton's Neck Road Sunday and in the adjacent inlet by the stacks Monday, and singles were seen Sunday at Asharoken Beach Park as well as at Crab Meadow Beach. They may still continue in that area. And for those not yet aware, a potential first New York State record TAIGA BEAN-GOOSE (pending NYSARC approval) has been present for a short while now up just north of Saratoga Springs, today along Route 40 Wall Street in Northumberland. Check birding services such as eBird, Discord, or the Albany Bird Alert for current info.
The female-plumaged PAINTED BUNTING and accompanying CLAY-COLORED SPARROW were still present yesterday in Far Rockaway, recently around the plantings along the beach boardwalk between Beach 26th and 27th Streets.|
The lower Westchester GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE has been roosting recently during the day on Playland Lake in Rye while the Bowman Avenue pond remains frozen. Two were also seen at Northport High School Saturday afternoon, with likely the same two off Laurel Hill Road in Greenlawn the same day.
A female KING EIDER was present off the Mount Loretto Unique Area Saturday to Monday, and HARLEQUIN DUCKS, besides around Jones inlet, featured seven at Ditch Plains Saturday, two yesterday, and one today off Southhold Town Beach.
Besides one or more BLACK-HEADED GULLS continuing around Jones Beach State Park, ranging from Point Lookout and Jones Beach inlet east to the West End Coast Guard Station and Field 10, singles were reported today visiting the Reservoir in Central Park and out at Sagg Pond in Bridgehampton.
A GLAUCOUS GULL continues out in the Bellport Bay area, with another at Veterans Memorial Pier in Brooklyn Sunday. An ICELAND GULL also continues in Bellport, another visited Central Park Reservoir Monday, and in Brooklyn sightings included one at Brooklyn Bridge Park Monday and one at Old Pier 1 on Thursday.
Two BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES moved by Montauk Point last Saturday, other visitors there featuring over 1,600 RAZORBILLS and a RED-NECKED GREBE.
A late PIPING PLOVER was photographed today at the Point Lookout Fireman's Park, and three LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were last Saturday at Terrell River County Park in Central Moriches.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue at Green-Wood Cemetery and Caumsett State Park, with one also at Indian Island County Park in Riverhead to today.
A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT continues at Mill Pond Preserve in Wantagh. The DICKCISSEL in Riverside Park, reported to Wednesday, may have had its routine altered since the suet feeder just below the tennis courts around West 119th Street was moved south a few blocks. Several ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS continue regionally
To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.
This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.
- End transcript
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Date: 1/17/25 2:49 pm From: Andrew Block <ablock22168...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] eagles galore in Verplank
Looks to be a good winter for eagles on the Hudson betweem Croton and Bear Mtn. As always Verplank is the best place to view them with at least 14 there today, but also saw others in Peekskill. Most were on the ice so no good photo ops. Had a total of at least 31 between the two places.
AndrewÂ
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
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December 27, 2024 marked the 70th Central Suffolk Christmas Bird Count.
Extending from Smith Point County Park and Cupsogue County Park north to
Calverton, and from Gabreski Airport in Westhampton east to Yaphank, this
count includes ocean, bay, marshland, pond, farm field, wooded area, and a
massive residential habitat.
The clear morning dawned with below freezing temperatures but luckily
little more than a breeze. The sun eventually warmed up most of the 45
participants in 11 field teams. Lakes and ponds stayed frozen during the
day. 5 feeder watchers throughout the circle enjoyed their birds from
inside watching a Baltimore Oriole in Mastic and a long-visiting Rufous
Hummingbird and Orange-crowned Warbler in Eastport. The number of species
for the day totaled 117 with 21,019 individuals counted. Full details and
statistics will be available on the National Audubon Christmas Bird Count
website.
Some notable highlights of the day in the field included Snowy Egret,
Wilson’s Snipe, Long-billed Dowitcher, Seaside Sparrow, and Palm Warbler.
Our compilation dinner was held in Eastport and hosted with many thanks to
the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society who has sponsored the count since
1967.
Thank you so much to all of our participants that made this year a success.
Next year’s count will take place on Saturday, December 27, 2025 and we
hope you can join us!
A special thank you goes out to Eileen Schwinn for her tremendous work
compiling this count for 15 years. After retiring as compiler, she helped
out whenever needed, making the transition very smooth and seamless.
Good Birding and Happy New Year,
Katie Kleinpeter
Central Suffolk CBC Compiler
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Date: 1/16/25 5:49 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to Wed.. 1/15 - Dickcissel, 18+ waterfowl spp., warblers & other birds
New York County - in N.Y. City - including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
Thru Wed., January 15th -
The many-weeks-lingering Dickcissel is continuing at Riverside Park, with by far the recent sightings coming from the vicinity of a suet-feeder, lately being found along the path in the Forever Wild sanctuary area, about one city-block north and also west of W. 116 St., from Riverside Drive - a park entrance is right there. If not seen along that unpaved path, try the alternative area just down slope a bit via a paved path to just-south of the south end of the tennis courts. As previously, the presence of a flock is a positive indicator that the Dickcissel may be nearby and observers should be watchful and, at times, patient in the search. The suet-feeder itself may or may not produce this bird, but an active mixed flock in the area very-often will, eventually. Fifteen or more other species of birds may be in that nearby area on any given day.
Duck-diversity was modestly-improved at Central Park in particular by Tuesday-Wednesday, with at least 15 species of wild, native waterfowl seen in several waterbodies there, much of the observable activity in the C.P. reservoir. None of the ducks were new for the season, just a bit of concentration with a lot of ice ongoing on some of the shallower waterbodies of Central Park. Species for the reservoir alone included Ring-necked Duck, N. Pintail, all 3 Merganser spp., Wood Ducks, American Black Duck, Bufflehead, many N. Shovelers, Ruddy Ducks, and also an ongoing Snow Goose there, along with Canada Geese and Mallards. Green-winged Teal also were ongoing at Central Park.
Killdeer were showing up in Manhattan at as many as 3 sites north of 125th Street, as well as on the other-islands where fairly regular for annual sightings. Common Goldeneyes in low numbers are now showing regularly in a couple of the known-county observation areas, including off Randalls in particular, and also off Governors Island as well. Both of those areas offer the chance as well of sightings of possible Long-tailed Ducks and of Scaup, and certainly of other waterfowl and waterbirds such as the 2 Loon species, and at times, Great Cormorant or perhaps Double-crested Cormorant, in these winter months. Red-shouldered Hawks are clearly attempting to overwinter in the county, a possibly-increasing trend by that species in the N.Y. City region, and a number of documented sightings of this raptor came in the past week for N.Y. County. Some of the recent sightings are from Central Park but as many are from other locations. Roving Bald Eagles also have continued in the area, as have many Coopers Hawks, and some Sharp-shinned Hawks as well as Turkey Vultures.
Multiple warbler species have continued in the county with in-particular, a number of Orange-crowneds ongoing, several on Randalls Island alone, where there are also at least 2, possibly 3 lingering Pine Warblers, those in addition to ongoing Pine Warbler at Central Park. More Orange-crowned Warbler sightings also in Central, and at Madison Square Park this week, plus another Orange-crowned Warbler sighting, from lower Manhattan, at a location roughly 500 feet northwest of Corlears Hook Park, on Tues., Jan. 14. It is fairly likely there may be yet a few more of this species in the county still.
Ovenbird, and Common Yellowthroat also were ongoing in Manhattan. The other species is less-surprising for a winter sighting, yet is usually uncommon overall in this county in winter, Myrtle-form of Yellow-rumped Warbler, ongoing at both Randalls and Governors Islands thru this week. There was one report for a warbler that had not been reported in nearly 4 weeks, of a possible N. Parula at Inwood Hill Park, which if definitely re-re-found ought be photo-or-video documented as that would be a fairly exceptional midwinter occurrence for that species.
Rusty Blackbird has continued on at Central Park, and in Manhattan overall, there are still some Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, and plenty of Hermit Thrushes as well as Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers continuing into mid-January. Other ongoing species are Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets in small numbers, Brown Creepers, and among Sparrows, Red Fox, Swamp, at least 1 Lincolns, a few Chipping and Field overwintering, American Tree in few-select locations, and the usual hordes of White-throated and many Song Sparrows through all of the county, in appropriate habitats. E. Towhees also persist in some locations including at Central Park, and many American Robins were ongoing and lately, some new-arrivals of Cedar Waxwings showing well.
There are also a few Pine Siskin and Purple Finch around and the fairly modest numbers of American Goldfinches were still in those lower numbers, relative to boom-winters. The time for unusual-in-this-area finches can be from now on into the spring, so have eyes and ears out for such possibilities. Common Grackles were ongoing in at-least Central Park by the many-hundreds, even tourists now stopping some birders to ask, what ARE ALL THOSE many black-birds??? The answer being, the Grackles that have been around for over 2 weeks into this month. There also are very small numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds in the county.
Thanks to many keen observers and photographers for sightings and reports, via non-x alerts and as-always via eBird with the Macaulay Library for visual and audio multi-media.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Date: 1/15/25 5:48 am From: Patrice Domeischel <fourharborsheron...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Tomorrow Evening - Four Harbors Audubon Society Winter Presentation: Birding to Change the World
Tomorrow evening: Thursday, January 16 at 7 p.m.
Four Harbors Audubon Society presents:
Birding to Change the World with guest speaker Trish O'Kane.
A professor and activist, Trish O’Kane shares what birds can teach us about life, social change, and protecting the environ- ment.
In her nearly two decades writing about justice as an investigative journalist, she'd never paid attention to nature. But then Hurricane Katrina destroyed her New Orleans home, sending her into an emotional tailspin.
O'Kane will detail the astonishing science of bird life, from migration and parenting to the territorial defense strategies that influenced her own activism. She’ll share how she was inspired and cheered by nearby feathered characters and lead on a new path to Madison, Wisconsin where she became a full-on bird obsessive—logging hours in a stunningly biodiverse urban park, filling field notebooks with bird doings and dramas, and teaching ornithology to college students. We’ll hear about Warner Park—her daily birdwatching haven. When the park was threatened with development, O’Kane and her neighbors mustered a mighty murmuration of nature lovers, young and old, to save the birds' homes. Through their efforts, she learned that once you get outside and look around, you're likely to fall in love with a furred or feathered creature—and find a flock of your own.
Following the presentation, there will be an interactive Q & A followed by a brief segment where the audience will have the opportunity to share their own stories about birds and birding.
Trish O’Kane, the author of Birding to Change the World, a Memoir, is a writer and a senior lecturer in environ- mental justice at the University of Vermont, where avians are her teaching assistants. A former human rights journalist in Central America and the Deep South, she has written for the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. She lives in Burlington, Vermont, with her writer-husband, their dog, and three chickens.
Date: 1/14/25 3:03 pm From: <marciaaabrahams...> <marciaaabrahams...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Don't miss tomorrow evening's Queens County Bird Club meeting featuring Karlo Mirth "The Wonderful, Unusual Fauna of Tasmania"
The next Queens County Bird Club meeting will be tomorrow, January 15, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the Alley Pond Environmental Center, 229-10 Northern Blvd, Douglaston, NY 11362.
Karlo Mirth will present "The Wonderful, Unusual Fauna of Tasmania"
In November 2023, Alison and Karlo Mirth spent two weeks driving around Tasmania, the beautiful island off the southeast coast of Australia. Their main goal was to see as many of Australia's unique fauna, including the two fascinating egg-laying mammals, the Platypus and the Echidna. Other animals on their wish list were kangaroos, koala, wombat, wallabies, and, with a little luck, Tasmanian Devil. Many bird species were seen as well. The trip also included a short visit to Adelaide and the mostly undeveloped Kangaroo Island.Â
Please be prompt and ring the bell to be let in since there will not be coverage at the front desk.
Marcia AbrahamsVP/Programs CoordinatorQueens County Bird Clubhttps://qcbirdclub.org/Email: <MarciaAAbrahams...>Â
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Date: 1/13/25 4:23 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - thru 1/12 - Dickcissel, Snow Goose, Warblers, many more wintering birds, etc.
New York County, N.Y. City - including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt islands and the waters adjacent as well as skies above -
thru Sunday, January 12th -
More than 85 species of wild birds were found in N.Y. county on Sunday alone, January 12th. The 3 not-quite-wild, but free-swimming domestic-Muscovy ducks continue at The Pond in Central Parks s-e sector, a site that has regularly seen exotic, non-native ducks appear there at times over many, many years.
A Dickcissel in Riverside Park has continued on, and there is a bit of --NEW location-info to share -- for 5 or more weeks, this bird was seen mainly where suet and seed had been proffered regularly for all birds to come feast on, and that location was just south of tennis courts, nearest the latitude of West 119th Street. Now, and in the last few days, the suet-feeder and scattered bird-seed has been re-located most often to a dirt and woodchips pathway thru the Forever Wild sanctuary, formerly and historically known as the Ladies Grove, and the -recent- area of the suet-feeder with bird-seed scattered about is on that path, and near the latitude of West 117th Street, still down-slope and west inside Riverside Park from Riverside Drive, but now a lot closer to the entrance to said park at West 116th and Riverside. From that entry point, one would walk downhill to the north-northwest a short way on the zig-zaggy paved path, to where the s. entry to the dirt path thru the sanctuary begins, and projects north - a short way up that path, has been the most-recent area of bird-feeding. It appears that as many as 95 percent of all hyperlocal-area birds have followed the suet and seed feeding up to this latter area. It is still possible that the suet and seed-feeding may also be done just south of those nearby tennis courts again, and if birds - flocks are not noticed in the sanctuary, it may be wise to head out and farther down to the lower-paved path to the area just south of those tennis courts. The Dickcissel is FAR more likely to be with the crowds of other local birds than not. And wherever a flock is found in these areas some patience may also produce the sought bird.
A lingering and lightly-wandering Snow Goose had spent parts of Saturday on the N. Meadow ballfields of Central Park -with Canada geese- and was seen in-flight as well, and later on the same day was back to the C.P. reservoir. It has by-now visited many lawns and water-bodies of that park along with the small flock of Canada Geese it seems to travel around with. By mid-day or so of Sunday 1-12, if not earlier, this one-and-only Snow Goose of New York County had moved out of the C.P. reservoir, where it may go with the small group of Canadas that it flocks with in seeking safe-roosting at that reservoir, and then often moves around with its Canadian friends - thus this Snow was back at the Harlem Meer of Central Park by afternoon, where again viewed by multiple observers - and no-longer seen at the CP reservoir for that day at least in mid-afternoon! This one Snow Goose also has been to Randalls Island multiple times since first appearing in this county, and could certainly show up there again.
Ongoing other ducks and waterbirds at Central Park still included Pied-billed Grebe and American Coots, Green-winged Teal, Wood Ducks in several waterbodies, all 3 Merganser species with Common -of which there were at least 5 seen by many observers on Sunday- and Red-breasted at the reservoir, and Hooded Merganser in several places at times, a female-plumaged N. Pintail lately-lurking in the reservoir, along with the usual Ruddy Ducks, N. Shovelers, Buffleheads, etc.
In many locations on the rivers-estuaries and harbor area of the county, American Black Ducks, Gadwall, and some Red-breasted Mergansers are being found, as well as Atlantic Brant. A small number of Ruddy Ducks are usually present along stretches of the East River, possibly near piers. Both of the expected Loon species are around in county waters, in just low to fair numbers lately.
At least 3 warbler species were revealed to be lingering, some for a good many many weeks, at least, on Randalls Island, with sightings of ongoing Orange-crowned, at least two ongoing Pine -A. Cunningham as-of 1-11-, and ongoing Myrtle-form of Yellow-rumped Warbler all there as-of Saturday, 1-11. Also ongoing, as expected, were Common Goldeneye far off the shore on that islands n-e corner, and also lingering were Chipping Sparrow and some other sparrow species. A more-unexpected report in winter was that of House Wren at the Little HellGate marsh at Randalls on Sunday, and this is a species that has been recorded previously in January in this county -and in the region- but would be even-rarer if found surviving into February or in March before the equinox. It may also be that some of these go undetected in these colder months and when no one is actually expecting to see these here.
It is nice to see some Cedar Waxwings come in thru this past week, a species that can sometimes be scarce in winter here, but also is possible at any time, in any month of the year, and in winter months of course to be sought where dried berries or wild fruits may still be. Often but not always, Cedars in winter months may associate loosely with American Robins, of which there have been a good many all around here, so far this winter.
Among various regionally-expected waterfowl, one Greater Scaup in-close afforded a nice view of the species at closer range than is typical in this county in the modern era. From Governors Island, just south of Manhattan, at least 2 Greater Scaup were noted on Sat., 1-11. In long-ago times in this county and also in much of the local area and wider region, Scaup of both typical species were far more regular and sometimes very numerous in winter, in multiple locations, that included Central Parks reservoir among other locations. There also were years when Tufted Duck would appear, also in Central Parks reservoir as well as that duck moving to the East and Hudson rivers, in some of those long-ago winters. Long-ago for the younger birder means, well into the 1980s. A number of birders could state -not all that long ago- in the big historic picture of NY birding.
A couple of Killdeer continued on at Randalls Island, and also seen from Sherman Creek park in northern Manhattan, 2 of the typical sites for that species. A hen Wild Turkey was ongoing on Roosevelt Island, east of Manhattan island.
Various other species of wild birds ranging thru the county up to mid-January included Mute Swan, Mallard, Mourning Dove, Ring-billed Gull, American Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Great Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Black Vulture -seen from county locations-, Turkey Vulture, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Coopers Hawk in many locations, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, owls, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in very-many locations, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker in limited numbers of locations, Yellow-shafted Flicker, American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Blue Jay, Common Raven in various locations, American Crow, very-scarce Fish Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, multiple Red-breasted Nuthatches, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher , Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, many American Robins, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow at very-few sites, Field Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Red Fox Sparrows in modest numbers, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow in good numbers and many locations, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow - -possibly still-lingering- -, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, ongoing-at-Central Park Rusty Blackbird, plenty of Common Grackles, and among warblers not noted above in highlights, Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroat, with the slight chance that another warbler species or two are holding-on in some locations of the county. Likely there are at least a few additional species not in the listing here for this past week, as well as the usual-abundant feral Rock Pigeons, European Starlings, and House Sparrows.
Thanks to many keen observers and photographers for sightings and reports, to non-x alerts and of course, in eBird with the Macaulay Library for media-archiving.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Just got back from looking for the Ft. Miller Taiga Bean-Goose with success. Saw it yesterday on Wall St. in Northumberland before I even got to my first location where it had last been reported on the river. I was driving east on King St. and saw a mob of birders looking at something in a field on the left and there it was. Great views with a scope but not good for photos, unfortunately. A much easier bird to find than the Tundra Bean-Goose years previously:-) I think it was just luck though running into the mob of birders. What a great bird to find as was the Tundra Bean-Goose when it showed up. Since I didn't get any photos yesterday of it I wanted to try and find it again, but like with the Tundra Bean I was at a loss after trying the N. River Rd. spot and several other places that had geese. Like last time a few other species of geese were found in the flocks of Canadas but not Taiga Bean. We had seven Snow Geese and a hybrid Ross's Goose at the N. River Rd. spot, but no others except the Canadas. Was hoping to maybe pull out another Pink-footed or White-fronted, but not to be:-)
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
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Date: 1/11/25 4:34 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC - thru Fri., 1/10
Manhattan, N.Y. City - thru Friday, Jan. 10th -
The lingering Snow Goose chose the Harlem Meer in Central Park for most of Friday to spend some time on, thru Friday, 1-10. An Orange-crowned Warbler showed on Friday 1-10, for a group led by G. Willow at the C.P. Reservoir shore, also seen there later in the day.
As noted in the weekly NYC area RBA, a Dickcissel continued on towards passing six straight weeks at the same location in Riverside Park north, just south of tennis courts nearest to W. 119th St., and often but not always in the area of a small suet-feeder. Some patience can be needed at times for that bird.
Many other of the recent birds noted for Manhattan also have lingered.
- -
In New York County, a Long-tailed Duck was again reported off Governors Island, on Friday, 1-10.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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You can also send reports and digital image files via email to
nysarc44<at>nybirds<dot>org
If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos
or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:
Gary Chapin - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
125 Pine Springs Drive
Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Number: (212) 979-3070
Compiler: Tom Burke
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Gail Benson
[~BEGIN RBA TAPE~]
Greetings! This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, January
10, 2025 at 11:00 pm.
The highlights of today’s tape are PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, WHITE-WINGED
DOVE, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, PAINTED BUNTING, TUNDRA SWAN, GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK,
DOVEKIE, BLACK-HEADED GULL, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, YELLOW-BREASTED
CHAT, DICKCISSEL and more.
The three PINK-FOOTED GEESE in Northport since December 28 were still
visiting the same soccer field as of Thursday, with at least 2 showing
up Friday – the address for this site is 337 Eatons Neck Road, which
leads to a parking lot next to the soccer field. If the Canada Goose
flock is present, look through the locked chain-link fence for the
PINK-FOOTS but do not enter the field.
A surprise visitor last Saturday to an Oakwood Beach yard on Staten
Island was a WHITE-WINGED DOVE visiting a feeder with some MOURNING
DOVES, where it was photographed before disappearing towards nearby
marshes.
The RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD visiting feeders at a home in Eastport since
November 2nd was last seen there this past Monday, and we thank the
very gracious homeowners for their hospitality in permitting so many
birders to enjoy this exciting visitor – well done!
The female-plumaged PAINTED BUNTING and the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
continue to share habitat together in Far Rockaway, still present
today in the plantings along the beach boardwalk, currently between
Beach 26th and 27th Streets.|
Two TUNDRA SWANS paid a surprise visit Tuesday to the cove by the
Jones Beach West End Coast Guard Station but were gone by the
following day.
The lower Westchester GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE has been alternating
roosting sites between Playland Lake in Rye and the Bowman Avenue
pond, depending on ice conditions, and another has been out in
Riverhead recently on fields by the Reeves Avenue buffalo farm or
nearby Doctor’s Path.
A EURASIAN WIGEON was seen again Monday from Cordwood Park in St.
James, with another reported again Saturday on the West Pond at
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
A drake KING EIDER was noted through Thursday with COMMON EIDER in the
vicinity of the Ponquogue Bridge at Shinnecock, and a HARLEQUIN DUCK
was off Oakland Beach at Gilgo today, with others still in Jones
Inlet.
Out at Montauk Point last Saturday 3 DOVEKIES were reported along with
300 RAZORBILLS, and 18 RAZORBILLS were seen off Riis Park the next
day, but note that the Southern Nassau Christmas Count Saturday
recorded over 2,000 RAZOBILLS from Tobay west to beyond Jones Inlet in
a large early morning flight.
The Southern Nassau Count also recorded 5 BLACK-HEADED GULLS, these
recently hanging out mostly around the Jones Beach West End bar and
over to the Field 10 marshes.
During the week single GLAUCOUS GULLS were reported from the Brooklyn
Army Terminal Pier 4, Miller Field on Staten Island Saturday, in the
Bellport area and at Shinnecock Thursday and Friday, and ICELAND
GULLS have also been seen around Bellport, including at the Yacht
Club, and on Staten Island last weekend.
Two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were at Smith Pond in Rockville Centre last
Saturday, another at Cedar Beach Wednesday.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn and
at Sunken Meadow State Park.
A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT has been at Mill Pond Preserve in Wantagh since
last Saturday, and a DICKCISSEL continues in Riverside Park near the
suet feeder south of the tennis courts at about West 119th Street.
The Southern Nassau Christmas Count Saturday recorded 134 species,
including 12 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, 5 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 1 SNOWY and 3
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 2 EASTERN PHOEBES, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, NELSON’S
SPARROW, and 7 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS.
To phone in reports call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.
This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the
National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.
- End transcript
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Date: 1/10/25 4:43 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] 1/9 Bean-Goose at Washington Co., NY and Manhattan, NYC - B.-t. Grackle, Dickcissel, Snow Goose, etc.
Whether the suspected identification is correct to precise species, or somehow is not, this sighting and report deserve a bit of attention, state-wide and region-wide, a great bean-goose find from Washington County, NY, on Thursday - https://ebird.org/checklist/S208670543
. . . .
Manhattan, N.Y. City - Thursday, Jan. 9 -
A Dickcissel was ongoing in Riverside Park-north, at and around a small suet-feeder and vicinity, with the tennis courts nearest W. 119th St. just to the north, this area inside that park west of Riverside Drive. The Dickcissel may require patience to see, or to see well.
A Snow Goose was ongoing in Manhattan, for Thursday again taking in the Central Park reservoir with all the many other waterfowl and waterbirds, which have included Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, the many Canada Geese also roaming at times as with the one Snow Goose of this county, and for the CP reservoir, many gulls, sometimes many hundreds to sort thru.
Still ongoing are also Wood Ducks, all 3 Merganser species with Hooded the most-numerous, and a couple of Green-winged Teal at The Pool in the parks n-w sector, as well as most of the commoner regular ducks of the area, American Black, Ruddy, and N. Shovelers, Buffleheads, Gadwall, etc.
Anyone missing seeing grackles might not have been in Manhattan, or in particular, not birding much in Central Park here in the past week, with ongoing flocks of grackle occasionally getting notice when they briefly darkened pieces of sky over some areas. And then we had the different bird, as one BOAT-TAILED Grackle was found and photographed -P. Soriano- see https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/628821507 - in the vicinity of one of the good-sized flocks of Common Grackles in the north end of that park, on Thursday, 1-9. Rusty Blackbird also has continued in that park.
Other birds ongoing in Manhattan include some of both species of Kinglets, Gray Catbirds, E. Towhees, a fair number of hardy Hermit Thrushes, shy Brown Thrashers, ongoing Red-breasted Nuthatches, and sparrows which number far into the 100s for White-throated, while Red Fox Sparrow is much less common and still thinly distributed in a number of parks and green-spaces. American Robins have continued in fairly high numbers at some locations in Manhattan.
Thanks to many keen observers and photographers for a lot of great finds, and reports, in the chilled weather and winds of late.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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The *62th Captree Christmas Bird Count* was conducted on Sunday, December 15th, 2024. The Count had an impressive showing of almost 50 participants who diligently covered their respective areas. The Captree CBC circle, which encompasses a portion of southwestern Suffolk County, extends from Amityville in the west, to Sayville in the east, and from Robert Moses State Park in the south to Commack in the north.
The day began with relatively calm weather, though quite cold (within the pre-Christmas chill that befell most of our area), which ended up becoming somewhat warmer (though cloudier) as the day progressed. Fortunately, the rainy weather that had been forecast held off until the night, allowing for a mostly dry day of birding.
In total, a nice sum of *127 species *were observed of *34,926 individual birds*. The species count for 2024 was slightly above our 10-year average, but not by a statistically significant amount.
Of our regularly occurring species, some were either missed entirely, or found to be in relatively low numbers. This included some freshwater ducks such as lesser scaup (4), northern pintail (6), and ring-necked duck (7), which can be scarce throughout our count circle. In stark contrast to the Southern Nassau CBC which recorded a new maximum for razorbill (over 2,000), our count (which looks at the very same ocean, though three weeks earlier) only had one (1)! In a similar vein, the Captree Count completely missed Bonaparte's Gull, which has become something of a boom-or-bust species in recent years. The cold snap leading up to the count may have also played a part in missing American woodcock and Wilson's snipe; two birds which are never reliable, but are often found in small numbers when there is a milder run-up to count day.
While some counts were below-average, there were some species which were found in impressive numbers. A list of our seven new high counts are: black-crowned night heron (58!), great egret (25!), Cooper's hawk (19), common raven (21), golden-crowned kinglet (110), white-breasted nuthatch (93), & brown thrasher (10). Some of these species, such as great egret (formerly much rarer into December) are no doubt attributed to more mild autumns and winters.
Generally scarce birds- those which are counted frequently enough to be expected, but rare enough to be exciting- were also well represented. These included species such as American pipit (3), American kestrel (1), chipping sparrow (1), American tree sparrow (18), palm warbler (3), pine warbler (6), among others.
While the cumulative species total for this count sits somewhere around 233, we are still slowly adding new species to that list. This year, we were fortunate enough to add SAGE THRASHER to the checklist of birds seen on the Captree Count, which had the good consideration to continue at Field 5 of Robert Moses State Park since November. A TOWNSEND'S WARBLER which had been found just prior to the count at Bayard Cutting Arboretum, was not as considerate (but it will nevertheless be immortalized on the checklist as a "count week" bird). While sage thrasher was certainly the "rarest" bird on the count, it was a Short-eared Owl in the Heckscher territory that won its finder the illustrious prize for "Best Bird of the Count."
A list of *some* of the Count's highlights (roughly in taxonomic order) are as follows, along with the territory they were found in:
Cackling Goose (2) - Gardiner Wild turkey (9) - Connetquot Black-bellied Plover (3) - Jones Virginia Rail (3) - Seatuck & East Lesser Black-backed Gull (3) - Jones Red-necked Grebe (1) - Fire American Bittern (1) - Fire Red-shouldered Hawk (1) - Seatuck Snowy Owl (2) - Fire & Jones Short-eared Owl (1) - Heckscher Northern Saw-whet Owl (3) - Fire, North(!), & East Northern House Wren (1) - Fire Sage Thrasher (1) - Fire Eastern Bluebird (1) - Connetquot Eastern Meadowlark (1) - Gardiner Common Yellowthroat (1) - Fire Saltmarsh Sparrow (1) - Gardiner
As in past years, a festive compilation dinner took place at Seatuck Environmental Association's Scully Estate. As always, we want to extend our gratitude to Seatuck for hosting us. The catered dinner was also subsidized largely in part by Great South Bay Audubon, for whom we are also extremely grateful.
We would also like to extend our gratitude to the New York State Parks Department, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Town of Babylon. Our relationship with these agencies permit count participants to access various parks, wildlife refuges, etc. which may be typically restricted to the public.
The results of this count will be shared with the Audubon Society, USFWS, Great South Bay Audubon, and anyone else who requests a more official summary.
Thank you very much to all the counters who joined! Do not hesitate to reach out if you're interested in joining this Christmas Bird Count for next year which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, December 14, 2025.
Good birding, Taylor Sturm Brent Bomkamp Compilers
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Date: 1/9/25 3:57 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan, N.Y. City - thru 1/8 - Dickcissel, Snow Goose, Am. Woodcock, Pine Warbler, Rusty Blackbird, etc.
Manhattan, N.Y. City - thru Wed., Jan. 8th -
A long-staying Dickcissel in Riverside Park will have stayed over 40 days around one location there, just south of tennis courts nearest to West 119th St., just west of Riverside Drive and a bit down-slope from that Drive - it was seen and photod again on Wed., and has been irregular to nearly-regular in the vicinity of a small feeder with suet, and around that to an occasional distance of 50 yards or more, usually seen at or near the feeder, however when it is noticed. A fair variety of other birds are also regulars in that area, and sometimes that includes a Coopers Hawk. Others seen regularly there include Red Fox Sparrow, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Hermit Thrush as well as up to 1-dozen or more additional wild bird species.
A single Snow Goose has remained mainly in Central Park very recently, with change of location within that park being rather regular, lately from The Lake back up to the Harlem Meer and lawns right by that waterbody - as on Wed. 1-8, with stops in the C.P. reservoir also quite regular thru the past week. Other ducks also mainly remained in-place in Central including Green-winged Teals at The Pool, and Wood Ducks and all 3 Merganser species in the reservoir, as well as other ongoing regular duck species there and some in the other partly-frozen waterbodies.
American Woodcock turned up in several locations over the week so far, including at Union Square Park. These are likely still birds working their way out of more-frozen sites or localities. A few Red-shouldered Hawks have stayed in Manhattan thru the recent freezes, and showed in several locations to as recently as Wednesday. Coopers Hawks are being seen in many locations in Manhattan, easily well into double-digits over the length of this one island.
A Pine Warbler was ongoing at Central Park, lately moving about the southern parts of The Ramble and which at-last was at least briefly seen coming to nab a bite of suet in the Ramble feeder-array, Wed. morning. At the parks n. end, a Rusty Blackbird has lingered on. Over the first 8 days of this month, at Central Park, numbers of Common Grackles have continued, an influx that seemed to swell at or just-before the new year mark. There are some single flocks of multi-hundreds, still seen into Wed., 1-8 and some flocks were also far-larger as well as some quite a bit smaller, these flocks showing all around Central with a lot of roaming, all days with multiple to many observers. There also were very scant numbers of Brown-headed Cowbird and Red-winged Blackbird, and a few still around now.
. . .
The hen Wild Turkey some birders call -Astoria- was ongoing at Roosevelt Island, just east of Manhattan and part of the same New York County this week.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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Please join the Linnaean Society of New York on Tuesday, January 14th, at 7 pm ET. The evening includes a short general membership meeting, a 45-60 minute lecture, and a Q&A session.
Dr. Liz Derryberry: Non-Parallel Behavioral Responses to Soundscape Perturbations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Our lectures are free, open to the public, and designed to be accessible to all. This month’s lecture will be hosted on Zoom so that you can participate from anywhere.
Non-Parallel Behavioral Responses to Soundscape Perturbations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented environmental perturbations—sometimes referred to collectively as the Anthropause—that have progressed rapidly and over broad spatial extents, affording novel quasi-experimental opportunities to measure outcomes of human-environment interactions. Here she evaluates the resilience of a common songbird to noise pollution by comparing soundscapes and songs across the San Francisco Bay Area prior to, during, and after the Spring 2020 statewide shutdown. Restrictions on human movement during the shutdown reduced noise pollution, relaxing auditory pressures on animals that communicate via sound. Birds quickly responded by producing wider bandwidth songs at lower amplitudes, effectively increasing signal efficacy and salience. In contrast, behavioral responses have lagged behind increasing noise levels as restrictions on human movement have loosened over time. Although song amplitude eventually returned to pre-pandemic levels, paralleling noise levels, birds have continued to produce wide bandwidth songs, with consequences for signal masking in noise. These findings illustrate that behavioral traits are slower to change in response to newly adverse conditions, indicating non-parallel responses to noise pollution removal and re-introduction.
Liz Derryberry graduated in 2000 from the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology department at Princeton University. In 2007, she completed her doctoral dissertation work at Duke University on the cultural evolution of songs in white-crowned sparrows. She then joined the Museum of Natural Science at Louisiana State University to study speciation processes in Neotropical ovenbirds and woodcreepers. After five years as faculty at Tulane University, she joined the EEB faculty at the University of Knoxville, TN in 2017.
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Date: 1/6/25 4:11 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC - to 1/5 - Dickcissel, Snow Goose, over waterfowl, etc.
Manhattan, N.Y. City - to Sunday, January 5th -
The long-staying Dickcissel of Riverside Park was still coming in to and near the suet-feeder at The Drip area in Riverside, just south of tennis courts near the latitude of W. 118-119 Sts. - also around and even ON the feeder was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a Hermit Thrush made one exceedingly brief try at a little suet-nibble, but more-so the latter bird went for crumbs of suet fallen to the ground beneath the feeder there. As on many recent days, the Dickcissel had periods of being in-view at and near the feeder, as well as long long stretches when it was not in view at some hours. All the birds in this area may go-quiet at times, and this can be due to a Coopers Hawk being nearby. On Sat. 1-4, for example, some seekers found the Dickcissel in the morning, whereas multiple attempts by multiple seekers in the mid-later afternoon hours were unrewarded by the bird hoped-for.
The lingering, ongoing and mobile Snow Goose of New York County which travels around with a smallish flock of Canada Geese, came down to try out The Lake -sometimes known in warmer seasons as the Boating or Rowboat Lake- at Central Park for much-of if not all-of Sat., 1-4, and ongoing at The Lake thru Sunday 1-5 when it went into the southern cove of the lake later on. This not the first time that individual Snow Goose had visited that waterbody, but this time seen by more observers there. This goose has gone at least as far south in that park as the Sheep Meadow, again with some Canada geese, in its stay in the county. There is just the one current Snow Goose -so far- and it has appeared by now in as many as 8 distinct locations, albeit mainly within Central Park since first being seen in the county -in late 2024- at Randalls Island, a short way east of Manhattan, where that goose has also returned at least a few times, before coming-back again in to Central locations.
Other waterfowl have continued much as previously, with Central Park having many of the ducks, including Green-winged Teal, Wood, Ruddy, and American Black Ducks, Hooded, Common, and Red-breasted Merganser, Buffleheads, N. Shovelers, Gadwall, and of course Mallards. Also still present there have been American Coots, and many gulls not always thoroughly sorted-thru for possibilities beyond the typical 3 wintering species of gull here - Ring-billed, American Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls. N.B., one additional observer with 2 others for the Central Park reservoir adult Iceland Gull photographed on Jan. 2, R. Gaylord. That gull species has not been reported again since, unfortunately - but could be somewhere in the county,
Rusty Blackbird has been ongoing at Central Park, the most-regular sightings of late being at the north end of the park, either around The Pool or often around The Loch. Others of the species may also still be lingering in appropriate habitat in Manhattan, and particularly in Central Park. A Pine Warbler was reported from Central Parks Ramble on Jan. 4th, days after the Jan. 1st sighting of that species at that park. At the bird feeding area of the Ramble in Central Park, recent sighings included Red-breasted Nuthatch and Ruby-crowned Kinglet picking at suet on occasion, and in past years when Pine Warbler has been a rare winter-visitor here they may also visit a suet-feeder when in the area of active feeders - which may be possible of recent Pine Warbler occurring in this year as well. Many other birds are coming in to any actively-maintained bird-feeding areas recently, also including the area of Riverside Park north at The Drip where up to twenty or more species of birds have been sighted from that location, not all necessarily coming to one small block of suet, but seen from the same site, Both species of Kinglet have continued on at several sites on Manhattan island, including Central Park. Not too unusual for here, large to very-large flocks of Common Grackles have been noted from several parks and areas in Manhattan in this month.
…...
And, from New York County, a single Long-tailed Duck was found -L Beausoleil- and then photographed -J. Suzuki- off Governors Island on the morning of Sat., Jan. 4th. Later-moving and arriving sea and bay ducks might yet show in various corners of the county, and clearly there has been some nice movement of waterfowl around the area in just the last week or so, as well as since the winter-solstice.
Thanks to many observers and photographers for a lot of finds and reports.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
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Date: 1/5/25 2:40 pm From: Paul R Sweet <sweet...> Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC, Sun. Jan. 5, 2025: Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Hairy Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Fox Sparrow
Regarding the assertion that Common Grackles are recently absent from Central Park, I and other observers (see eBird) can confirm there is a large flock, in the 100s, roaming the park.
Paul Sweet | Collection Manager | Department of Ornithology | American Museum of Natural History | 200 Central Park West | NY 10024 | Tel 212 769 5780 | Mob 718 757 5941
> On Jan 5, 2025, at 5:14 pm, Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> wrote:
>
> EXTERNAL SENDER
>
>
> Central Park NYC
> Sunday, January 5, 2025
> OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob.
>
> Highlights: Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Hairy Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Fox Sparrow Sunday. Red-breasted Nuthatch and Pine SIskin Saturday.
>
> Snow Goose - continuing lone adult on the Lake today
> Canada Goose - 400-500
> Wood Duck - 1 male southeast Reservoir
> Northern Shoveler - around 40
> Gadwall - 4
> Mallard - 50+
> American Black Duck - 5
> Bufflehead - 12
> Hooded Merganser - 8
> Ruddy Duck - Reservoir
> Mourning Dove - 40-50
> American Coot - 2 Reservoir
> Ring-billed and Herring Gulls (mostly Ring-billed) - 350-400
> Great Black-backed Gull - 5
> Cooper's Hawk - 3
> Red-tailed Hawk - 5
> Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
> Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 male Evodia Field
> Downy Woodpecker - 2 or 3
> Hairy Woodpecker - 1 male top of the Oven (Chez Armando)
> Blue Jay - 4-6
> American Crow - 8-10
> Black-capped Chickadee - 6-8
> Tufted Titmouse - 20-30
> Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Evodia Field Saturday (Karen Evans)
> White-breasted Nuthatch - 5 or 6
> Brown Creeper - 1 top of the Point (Chez Armando)
> American Robin - 15-20
> Pine Siskin - 1 Evodia Field on Saturday (Karen Evans)
> Fox Sparrow - 1 photographed in Ramble (David Barrett)
> White-throated Sparrow - 20-30
> Northern Cardinal - 10-12
> --
> There has recently been a noteworthy absence of Cedar Waxwings, American Goldfinches, and Common Grackles in Manhattan and the Bronx.
>
> Great Horned Owls in the Bronx have paired up and will be nesting soon.
> --
>
> Deb Allen
>
> --
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> ARCHIVES:
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> Please submit your observations to eBird:
> ebird_DOT_org/content/ebird/
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Date: 1/5/25 2:14 pm From: Deborah Allen <dallenyc...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park NYC, Sun. Jan. 5, 2025: Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Hairy Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Fox Sparrow
Central Park NYC
Sunday, January 5, 2025
OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob.
Highlights: Snow Goose, Wood Duck, Hairy Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, Fox Sparrow Sunday. Red-breasted Nuthatch and Pine SIskin Saturday.
Snow Goose - continuing lone adult on the Lake today
Canada Goose - 400-500
Wood Duck - 1 male southeast Reservoir
Northern Shoveler - around 40
Gadwall - 4
Mallard - 50+
American Black Duck - 5
Bufflehead - 12
Hooded Merganser - 8
Ruddy Duck - Reservoir
Mourning Dove - 40-50
American Coot - 2 Reservoir
Ring-billed and Herring Gulls (mostly Ring-billed) - 350-400
Great Black-backed Gull - 5
Cooper's Hawk - 3
Red-tailed Hawk - 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1 male Evodia Field
Downy Woodpecker - 2 or 3
Hairy Woodpecker - 1 male top of the Oven (Chez Armando)
Blue Jay - 4-6
American Crow - 8-10
Black-capped Chickadee - 6-8
Tufted Titmouse - 20-30
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Evodia Field Saturday (Karen Evans)
White-breasted Nuthatch - 5 or 6
Brown Creeper - 1 top of the Point (Chez Armando)
American Robin - 15-20
Pine Siskin - 1 Evodia Field on Saturday (Karen Evans)
Fox Sparrow - 1 photographed in Ramble (David Barrett)
White-throated Sparrow - 20-30
Northern Cardinal - 10-12
--
There has recently been a noteworthy absence of Cedar Waxwings, American Goldfinches, and Common Grackles in Manhattan and the Bronx.
Great Horned Owls in the Bronx have paired up and will be nesting soon.
--
Deb Allen
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Yesterday (Saturday 4 January, 2025) presented challenging conditions for the 85th Southern Nassau County CBC. At 30-36 F, temperatures were somewhat colder than has been usual in recent years, but even shallow still water was open and had been so for more than a week. The problem was the west-northwest wind, which averaged about 25 mph during daylight, with gusts above 40 mph. In exposed areas it was often difficult to observe any birds that might have been present. Even so, our 94 participants showed great fortitude and ingenuity in working their territories as best they could, and the preliminary species total of 134 was just slightly below the average of the past ten counts.
The effects of the wind were evident in many lower than expected counts of common passerine birds; for example, totals for Carolina Wren and Song Sparrow were about 60% of recent norms, despite ample (uncomfortable!) party-hours and -miles on foot. Ten-year minima for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird, House Sparrow, Ipswich Sparrow, and Song Sparrow were likely wind-related, at least in part, as were misses of Cedar Waxwing (first since 2012-13) and Field Sparrow (first since 1939-40). The last, however, has been trending steadily downward for many years, along with the ecologically similar American Tree Sparrow. Tree Sparrow is unique on this long-running count as a common songbird that has never been scarcer than it is at present. One of relatively few species never missed on 85 tries, it was found in ample numbers even during the earliest years of the count, when coverage and effort were vastly lower than norms over the past half century or more. Besides Cedar Waxwing and Field Sparrow, just three other expected species eluded us this year: Common Merganser, Great Cormorant, and Tree Swallow. Of these, the first two have been trending downward on the count for years, and the last is notably volatile from year to year.
In general, we had better luck with larger aquatic birds, recording all-time maxima for Canada Goose (10,465), Razorbill (2029), and Bald Eagle (10), as well as ten-year maxima for Northern Pintail (178), Redhead (25), Ruddy Duck (794), Killdeer (23), and Northern Gannet (1180), and a stupendous but narrowly sub-maximal count of 1373 Hooded Mergansers. An all-time high of 1191 American Robins, though probably unrelated to the factors influencing the other high counts, is also notable.
Broadly, the themes just described among the more numerous species were also evident among the scarcer species. The second part of our compilation is devoted to these less expected species, and the list of saves—and also spoiled saves, turned up by more than one team—was exceptional, especially given the windy conditions. As suggested above, these novelties were heavily weighted toward birds favoring open or aquatic habitats: Two Snow Goose, Cackling Goose, Laughing Gull, five (!) Black-headed Gull, American Bittern, eleven Great Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Virginia and Clapper Rail, five (!) Semipalmated Plover, three Wilson’s Snipe, three American Woodcock, two Long-billed Dowitcher, Snowy Owl, two Marsh Wren, Lapland Longspur, and Nelson’s Sparrow contributed to the robust species total. Although the woods and thickets yielded fewer surprises, a Red-shouldered Hawk and three Northern Saw-whet Owls were excellent finds; two Eastern Phoebe were unexpected, given the windy conditions, as were a Yellow-breasted Chat and robust showings by Orange-crowned (7), Pine (3), and Palm (3) Warblers. Not to be overlooked among the day’s many highlights were the many regularly occurring species that tested observers’ stamina and skill. Species such as Brown Creeper (Massapequa), American Pipit (two teams), Rusty Blackbird (Hempstead Lake), and Common Grackle (Atlantic) were among the many that easily could have been missed but were instead found and added to our record books. As one of the last counts conducted each year, this longstanding and well-attended CBC inevitably involves many people who have already worked hard in ensuring the success of other counts, earlier in the season. This year was no exception, with participants from this year’s Brooklyn, Montauk, Captree, Queens, Central Suffolk, Smithtown, Northern Nassau, Bronx-Westchester, and Drake Passage CBCs joining together yesterday for one more challenge.
Finally, after several years in which our compilation was affected adversely, by the pandemic and by the unavailability of Otto’s Sea Grill in Freeport, this year we resumed our tradition of a festive, full-scale compilation. At the suggestion of Sharon and Marc Brody, Patricia organized a delightful dinner at Fabio’s on the Water in Merrick, enjoyed by about 50 of us last night. We extend thanks for permits and assistance with access from the New York State Parks, Town of Hempstead, and Town of Oyster Bay, and we express our gratitude and admiration to all of the participants who contributed to the legacy of this venerable exercise in citizen science.
Patricia Lindsay & ShaiMitra
Bay Shore, NY
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