Date: 8/1/25 3:10 pm From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - 7/31 W.-r. Sandpiper flyby-flock, other migrators this week, to 8/1
New York County, including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors and Roosevelt Islands and all of the adjacent waters and skies-above -
into Friday, August 1st -
A moving flock of 15 White-rumped Sandpipers was noted - and photod-in-flight -T. Healy- on Thursday, July 31st - a very rare species for N.Y. County so far as our knowledge and experience has allowed. These birds may have been in N.Y. County airspace for a relatively-brief time before moving on. Clearly there was some other shorebird movement on that day, with sightings of multiple Least Sandpipers in a few locations, and at least one report of Semipalmated Sandpipers - of which at least one was photod -M. Waldron- at Sherman Creek Park mudflat on Friday, 8-1 , along with ongoing more-regular Spotted and at least a few Solitary Sandpipers. In the past week, there also had been some Killdeer shifting, perhaps a bit of wider movements of those as well. Vastly more shorebird migration is ongoing for the N.Y. City region, in multiple counties and states, while in N.Y. County, it is still tougher-going to locate diversity in shorebirds, and many are at-best noticed as fly-overs. For at least 4 observers including a tres-amigos group who have regularly watched at Randalls, there were no peep-type shorebirds identified to species on the following, Friday 8-1 morning. More peeps will be on the move daily for weeks ahead.
A nice find for the first of August was a Bank Swallow photod -R. Zucker, et al- as it came across Randalls Island. The same individual Bank Swallow also reported later on Friday from the northern parts of Randalls. That species, and essentially any hirundine that might move thru in the region, ought be watched for at any places for the remainder of the year, albeit with far-fewer individual hirundines likely to fly by in the last month or so of any year - think far-southern-regions-vagrants at that point, in addition to any late-flying more-typical migrants in the tribes of swallows and martins. At any time or location when-if hirundines are massing or passing in numbers, it may be worth a good scan and-or a rapid flurry of photos for later examination. Of course, for those with the reflexes and some of the equipment, all such visual media can make for interesting study materials. We are starting to see Chimney Swifts massing, in fair numbers in some places and some also may be starting to move at least in the region.
An essentially-alternate plumage Common Loon was -re-found up on the Sputen Duyvil creek of the northern end of Manhattan islands encircling waterways, on Monday, 28th, which was surely the same individual from not far away the day-before, seen on the Harlem river a short way southeast, last Sunday. An uncommon sight for so early in summer in this county. A presumptive Lincolns Sparrow in moderately scruffy or wet condition was photod at Sherman Creek Park at upper Manhattan, next to the Harlem River on Friday, and a rather early-moving bird if a migrant from the north. Manhattan did have at least one definitely-lingering and totally NON-breeding Lincolns Sparrow in midtown at Bryant Park, which was there into July.
Least Tern out in N.Y. Harbor, an uncommonly-reported but moderately-regular species for that area in mid and later summer, was noted from the ferry ride or island of the Statue of Liberty on 7-30. There are a few reports of Forsters Terns, and as always in summer, the common tern of this county is Common Tern, breeding in one known location and found at times in a number of sites, with the N.Y. Harbor, and on and near Governors Island, one of the more-reliable sites for that latter species. Other tern species might start to be watched-for as their movements pick up this month.
Empidonax-genus flycatchers, along with a few more E. Phoebes, and the first of many E. Kingbirds were all showing this past week as southbound migrators. Among the Empidonax may be some Acadian Flycatchers and of those, it is plausible that a few were lingering locally, despite a paucity of summer season reports. We do have likely-breeding Willow Flycatcher, but in very minimally-known sites. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds continue to show in some select locations, and some of the hummers were in migration-mode in July. This is still a good stretch in which to remain aware that rarer-vagrant species of hummingbirds can and do show in the northeastern region thru the summer, as well as far into the end of any year.
A first-of-the southbound-warblers this season for small Canal Park -A. Evans- in lower-west Manhattan was a Northern Waterthrush last Tuesday - that small park has no water features and shows, as seen often enough, that on migration stops, this waterthrush species will come into almost any sort of habitat, even if both waterthrush species are most-drawn to water on migration stops - the Louisiana Watertrush much-more so seeking some water, and often flowing waters. Nice finds for Inwood Hill Park west-wetland area, aka Muscota Marsh, was Marsh Wren x2, the duo of wrens having been seen interacting a bit - D. Karlson, and the two birding-spouses.
It was still possible to find Yellow-crowned Night-Herons at Randalls Island, the best or most-reliable location for that species in this county, thru July and on to now-August. In general, recent attention by more observers overall had been to Governors Island, of the off-Manhattan island sites that are a part of N.Y. County - and as is typical, the fewest observers to any large landmass in the county was from Roosevelt Island, which is in the East river estuary not far east of mid-Manhattan. All of the rest of local visitant egrets and herons are also ongoing in various sites in this county - Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron which includes local-breeders, and Black-crowned Night-Herons. Some sites have had Belted Kingfisher in low numbers, so far. Our waterfowl is rather limited as is typical in midsummer in this county, but at least half-a-dozen species are regular including Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Black Duck, and as-seen from locations in the county, ongoing few pair of Mute Swans along with the far-more common Mallard-multitudes and not-in-Canada Geese.
Warblers found this week, including those seen on Friday, August 1st - at least one-dozen warbler spp. were seen Friday - and easily the 2-most-common migrators of this week in warblers have been N. Waterthrushes and Yellow Warblers. A small push of Black-and-white Warblers has come in for recent days, not at all early for these to show in modest numbers here, now.
Ovenbird - at least a few of these have spent summer as non-breeding lingerers.
Worm-eating Warbler - some passages quite early, but more will be coming along.
Louisiana Waterthrush - much passage earlier in July, and still sure to be more.
Northern Waterthrush - already the more-regular one of the 2 waterthrush species moving south.
Black-and-white Warbler - now occurring in many locations, and for some, in the multiple per-day.
Common Yellowthroat - in addition to multiple birds that were here all summer, some more lately.
Hooded Warbler - probably first-of-southbound season, at Central Park on Friday Aug. 1st.
American Redstart - starting to build, and far more so than the few that may have been lingering.
Northern Parula - several recent sightings, including nearly-ongoing for Central Park, in 2 places.
Magnolia Warbler - quite unusual so early, in this county in July.
Yellow Warbler - great numbers are and have been passing, these in addition to local breeders.
Chestnut-sided Warbler - few - and on the early side when in July.
Pine Warbler - still minimal, a few have come back.
Prairie Warbler - very scant.
Canada Warbler - minimal as of the 1st day of Aug.
More than fifty observers added to the sightings of just August 1st in New York County, NYC. Thanks to all - for finds, reports all via non-x-alerting and as always, via eBird with the Macaulay Library for media.
Updates on some of the migrations after this weekend or as-warranted by further discoveries.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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