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
--
(copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".")
NYSbirds-L List Info:
NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsWELCOME_DOT_htm
NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsRULES_DOT_htm
NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave_DOT_htm
