Date: 3/14/25 5:41 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] NY County, NYC - week of 3/9 to 3/14- Canvasbacks and other waterfowl, winter-finches, etc.
New York County, in N.Y. City -which includes Manhattan, Randalls, Roosevelt, and Governors Islands as well as adjacent waters and skies-above -
to Friday, March 14th -
A pair of Canvasbacks - hen and drake - were found Thursday, 3-13, off the n. side of Harlem Piers park on the Hudson River, well-north of W. 125th St., a location which has hosted this species at times in past winters, this duo found and eBirded early in the day by L. Pistolesi, and later by K. Fung, and by multiple other observers. A scarce duck now for N.Y. County in comparison with years pre-1990 when that as well as the 2 regular scaup species had been common and regular every winter in select parts of county-waters. At this present Harlem Piers-north location, some scanning and patience can be necessary as there are bulkheads and fencing in the area that can sometimes inhibit viewing slightly. An option is that views, albeit from high-above, -may- be attempted from the free-for-entry Riverbank State Parks southern side and looking far-down, but that also may be problematic as not all good viewing-angles are available there. Entry to Riverbank S.P. is mainly via Riverside Drive by most visitors. The Harlem Piers park is a part of and along the Hudson River greenway path that spans almost all of western Manhattan for many miles on the Hudson River shore. Parts of these piers may be walked out on for additional potential river-views. In addition, a scope can provide viewing from here, as for all other Manhattan-side Hudson River-viewing, for birds that may actually be across into New Jersey waters on the opposite western side of the river.
At least 3 Lesser Scaup showed well at the Central Park reservoir on Thursday, 3-13 with modest nos. of observers, and photographers. No Greater Scaup were present at the C.P. reservoir on any recent days. Some Ruddy Ducks increased a bit on parts of the East River as well as mid-Harlem River off of Manhattan’s eastern shorelines, not that uncommon for Ruddys, but the numbers were up a bit by 3-13. Other sites with some ongoing scaup have included Randall’s-offshore and the N.Y. Harbor in the vicinity of Governors Island, these latter 2 sites also still holding some Common Goldeneye, albeit fewer than winters maxima. Buffleheads were holding strong in many county waters, and Red-breasted Mergansers were still to be seen in many of same salty waters.
Two Common Mergansers, and multiple Hooded Mergansers were ongoing at Central Park thru at least 3-13. Wood Ducks also remained in a few sites, at least 6 being present in Central Park alone in various locations there. Some Red-throated and fewer Common Loons were ongoing in waters of N.Y. County. Few Great Cormorants are still present, in their few regular areas, and Double-crested Cormorants are also around, in slowly-increasing numbers this month. American Coots continue on at Central Park.
Rusty Blackbirds were ongoing at Central Park, the more-often seen at the n. end of that park. Many of recent Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles have passed in their large diurnal migrations north, but some of each of those have also continued, at a variety of locations, most-obviously in Central Park, with some Red-winged singing in a number of county locations recently. Even the song of the thrasher was heard, if only quietly on one day at a known wintering location - Brown Thrasher, of course. The multiple overwintering Gray Catbirds of the county -including few at Central Park- have been quieter on even the few very-mild April-temperature days of this month, so far. As for the third of our Mimid species, N. Mockingbirds have in some locations been in good voice at times, including a very few singing a little at nocturnal or twilight hours. Many other songbirds have been starting to sing, in varying degree and often according to the mild-or-not-mild ambient temperatures of early mornings here.
Some Purple Finches, and a very scant number of Pine Siskins were among the additions to the species found in the week starting on Sunday, March 9th and onwards. Some of both have been at Central Park, and in northern Manhattan, P. Finches at Fort Tryon Park, as well as Inwood Hill Parks high ridge. There were further county fly-outs of some waterfowl, with some of the geese in particular either flying-out of the county totally, or re-grouping and staging a bit. A modestly-spectacular display of the latter type was finding a huge group of all-Atlantic Brant which had been in and around the Randalls Island sector of the county, making a sudden move to the south, into some portions of the East River and westernmost-adjacent L.I. Sound, the reason for that low-southern-pointing movement not clear to this observer, that in the later day part of Thursday.
It was not a full fly-off of any Brant, which is a species typically moving out of the area much later on in spring. Not easily spotted by this observer, an Orange-crowned Warbler was still present, as was a friendlier Ruby-crowned Kinglet on the n. part of Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan to at least Thursday, while Randalls Island still had the overwintered N. HOUSE Wren, still likely the most-notable smaller bird to have wintered in this county this year, and also seen again at Randalls thru Thursday were the ongoing-wintering Pine Warblers - two were present on 3-13, and an Orange-crowned Warbler as well. Additional birds lingering at Randalls included a couple of American Woodcocks and Killdeer, as well as Chipping, Savannah, Field, and Red Fox plus other Sparrow species, and Dark-eyed Juncos in a few flocks. The gull activity at and around Randalls on Thurs. mid-morn was a bit subdued.
Tree Swallows were present at both Randalls Island and the n-e. part of Central Park, to Thursday. There well could be Tree Swallows starting to show at Governors Island, a location they readily find nesting boxes to their liking. At least 3 sites in the county were continuing to host some Killdeer and more of that species is likely to be passing thru and perhaps stopping in some county locations soon.
American Woodcock is a continuing presence at Bryant Park in mid-Manhattan where many many observers have been able to view, and there also were still some of the woodcocks at Central Park, or perhaps some modest passage of additional individuals there, with not-many observers. Multiple observers of some of above birds continue for Friday, March 14 in addition to many observations all this week.
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On a somewhat non-birding note, the partial-eclipse for N.Y. City of the moon over Thursday night and mostly very-early this Friday morning was seen thru partial cloud-cover, and also seen were a small number of migrating birds passing thru at Manhattan, as the lunar spectacle was seen. A majority of the -identified- passing birds were American Robins.
Many more species were being seen throughout N.Y. County, and more reports will be made following some new passages of migrants. Thanks to many quiet, courteous, and keen observers and photographers for sightings and reports all thru non-x bird alert systems, and as-always via eBird with the Macaulay Library for audio and video-or-photo parchives.
Good birding to all in the final days of this winter,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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