Date: 7/7/25 3:38 am From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to July 6th - Royal Terns, other migrants and visiting birds
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Governors, Randalls, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
thru Sunday, July 6th -
2 Royal Terns seen and photographed on July 6th, at Pier 32 off Manhattans lower-west shore, and accessed via the linear Hudson River Park along the Hudson River, were first found by A. Evans who alerted quickly in eBird and this got many more observers to see these birds, which are fairly rare for New York County. This area is just south of the western end of Canal Street. Thanks to Andrea and all others who later on also put alerts out for these uncommon visitors! Also present - and much more regular in that area - have been Common Tern, and for gulls around there, typical for summer are Laughing Gulls, which last are also appearing over much of the county, in a lot of locations, with other gulls including the usual-three for the region, Ring-billed, American Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls.
Least Sandpipers were among the first -few- potential southbound returnees among migrants seen in the county, starting by July 4th, and in an interesting location on Governors Island, several American Woodcocks showed on July 5th, an island where it could be slightly-plausible for that latter species to attempt breeding, although few of the potential sites there might be quiet and undisturbed any longer, with the increasing developments on much of that island. Of course, far more shorebird species and more individuals among those are on the move in many locations of the wider region by now. Some swallow movements have included among other species, some Bank Swallows returning thru N.Y. City, and swallows moving in N.Y. County might also be checked for that species presence.
A very very late or simply-wandering Black-billed Cuckoo was reported from lower Manhattan on July 4th - the cuckoos which pass thru each year in spring and early fall can also turn up at unexpected times and places, this certainly qualifies as one of the latter. On the 4th of July, however, there were already some warblers migrating south, and leaving the United States as they did so, such as some Louisiana Waterthrushes passing south off the Gulf Coast over the night of the 4th. And by July 5th in N.Y. County, at least 6 warbler species were noted, although several are long-lingdering and at least 2 species are also breeding in low to modest numbers in the county. Chestnut-sided Warbler was perhaps the least-expected of those early-returning birds, although that, like some other birds that show in early summer and do not breed in the county, might be individuals that did not breed anywhere in the same year. There were also a few further reports of N. Parula on more than one of the islands of this county in the first week of July, and while all may only be lingering or summering birds, that latter species has -rarely!- bred within N.Y. City in the modern era.
Black Skimmers were seen moving past Manhattan on July 3rd, not all that surprising for the summer and for any observers who may be watching at very early or late hours, especially by the river-estuaries, or also possible at the waterbodies in Central Park, where this species sometimes shows to feed a while overnights in summer. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were ongoing in a few locations, with no notes documenting breeding, but which is very-possible and has taken place in some other years in this county, including at Central Park where a lot of the most-recent sightings have been. Of much larger but still-passerine -indeed, the largest of passerines- we have breeding Common Ravens in a number of locations in this county, with a modern number of fledges seen.
In N.Y. County, Willow Flycatchers continued in a few locations, especially noted again from Governors Island, where a breeding attempt, and hopefully some successes, were being monitored. Lingering at Bryant Park in midtown was still a Lincolns Sparrow, likely there for well over a month, and other sparrows also included Swamp, as well as more-usual-there lingering-summering White-throated Sparrows. At Central Park, a minimum of 3 Wood Ducks continued this past week, and a Hooded Merganser came to Inwood Hill Park’s waters for at least a couple of days. Yellow-crowned Night Heron sightings were ongoing for Randalls Island, while Black-crowned Night Herons are common in dusk, overnight, and earliest hours of the day, for many locations in this county. Green Herons continue, some with young by now, and Great Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets all continue to visit and feed in the county, the latter often seen as flyovers in some areas.
Many more birds are also moving about, and some of that movement may be migratory, while many birds are simply moving locally around the county and local region.
Good July birding to all,
Tom Fiore
Manhattan
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