Date: 8/24/25 12:04 pm From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan incl. Central Park, NYC - Sat.-Sunday, 8-23 and 8-24 - 24 Warbler spp, O-s. Flycatchers, many more migrants
Manhattan, N.Y. City - Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd-24th -
We are in Common Nighthawk season again, with some birds passing on Saturday eve. over the Hudson River off the Manhattan-side and perhaps others showing by now… worth a look to the sky and esp for those observers out and about at very early and later hours. Also on the move and expected to increase are Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and Chimney Swifts in fair to occasionally higher numbers. Hummingbirds also may be lingering in a number of locations with nice flowers that attract them and it is continuously worth a second look in case of a -chance- for any vagrant hummingbird species, plausible from now to end of year.
Unlike last Thursday night, Friday and Saturday nights saw nocturnal and early-next-mornings migration which locally was -relatively- reduced for many species, as birds continued moving well in the broader region, especially inland, farther from the coast. There was also some exodus of migrants which had been around here from earlier last week into perhaps Friday, but moved on by Friday. In the broader region, millions of migrants have been moving on, the norm for this month especially as we enter this last week of August.
Olive-sided Flycatcher was again in Central Park, in the Ramble area as well as northern part of the park at least into Saturday, and in a few other larger parks. A very few migrant Catharus-genus thrushes have been arriving and passing in addition to Veery and in addition to the one species that breeds in Manhattan, Wood Thrush, with the only definite sightings so far of Swainsons Thrushes, a bit early but hardly an unusual first-of-southbound season arrival, for a species that like many others may be starting to show in larger numbers in a week or two. Other thrush species have been reported with a relative paucity of, or with no details.
At least 24 migratory American warbler species -all of these species being seen in Central Park- included male plumaged Hooded at the north end of the park Sat, in addition to the several other Hoodeds elsewhere that day in Central. First-of-season Bay-breasted Warbler was a new or very recent arrival by Sunday, Aug. 24th. Some warbler species showed modest increases for Sunday, such as Prairie, Pine, and Common Yellowthroat.
Many migrants are showing up in smaller parks and green spaces, while the park with 100-times more observers -that is Central- had as could be expected, an advantage in more birds being found by the hundreds of watchers out at all hours from dawn to dusk and some after that hour. Inwood Hill Park among some other of the larger parks has been receiving good diversity of migrants and with a smaller number of observers, has objectively been faring as well as any location on the island of Manhattan for migration recently. Inwood Hill Park was again the area of a continuing Greater Yellowlegs, while some other shorebirds were moving on, however the same set of species was still around in select locations into this weekend, such as Solitary, Spotted, and Least Sandpipers.
A good passage of E. Kingbirds for Saturday, with more than 80 going by at some locations over a period of 6-plus hours, and evidence that they were moving thru in other parts of the city and this county, as well. Also moving, but far more lightly were some orioles, including both Orchard and Baltimore Orioles on morning flight. A lighter flight by Sunday but there were still some of these species on the move, esp. noticed from Manhattan. More species starting to show light increases have included Indigo Bunting and Scarlet Tanager, each being found in all of the larger parks of Manhattan in recent days, and for some, into this weekend.
Thus far there were no additional, newer reports of Golden-winged Warbler after the sightings in the Central Park Ramble of Friday, 8-22. It was learned that some Cape May Warblers were already on the move in this region, near Manhattan, as early as Aug. 18th, and those sightings that came in later days were not exceptionally-early - these are for limited numbers, not the peak-flights of the southbound-season which, presumably, are yet to be noted in this area.
The extraordinary - for the location - numbers of Laughing Gulls continued to show in Central Park at the reservoir for this summer, with again high counts of 50 or more at one time there, although at some times of day, far fewer may be noticed - all gulls come and go regularly thru each day at that location.
Warbler species seen -in the multiple- are listed below, all having been sighted in Central Park thru the weekend, and many species also elsewhere.
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Thanks to the many birders and photographers both birding independently and on walks led by and for not-for-profit organizations which support sound science, conservation, and advocacy for natural diversity in this city and also beyond - and who have offered sightings and alerts via non-x apps such as Discord, and as-always via eBird with the Macaulay Library for media-archiving, both visual and auditory, and also as-ever, to good old in-person word on various sightings and photo-sharing.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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