Date: 12/7/25 2:29 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC - Sat., 12/6 - Dickcissel, & other Manhattan birds
Manhattan, N.Y. City - Saturday, Dec. 6th -
A non-adult-plumaged Dickcissel was found and photographed -A. Quammie- near W. 96th St. in Central Park on Saturday. A photo is archived in the Macaulay Library. Central Park also still held - at least, among warblers running late - Palm, Nashville, and Orange-crowned Warblers, with a slim chance a few additional warbler species could be found, still lingering there.
At Morningside Park just a bit to the NW of Central, a Nashville and an Orange-crowned Warbler were noted in the more n-w quadrant of that park, a bit south of the parks northern end, on Saturday, with multiple observers. This park has upper and lower levels of paths, be careful if wandering all of the various narrower upper paths.
And at Carl Schurz Park on the eastern edge of Manhattan - off East End Ave and running from E. 84th to a bit north of E. 90th Streets, a Yelllow-throated Warbler as well as Nashville, Orange-crowned, and Myrtle-form Yellow-rumped Warbler all were ongoing and seen again by multiple observers thru Saturday. It might be added - again - that the Yellow-throated Warbler in particular is prone to fly across East End Ave. and use a few trees next to the building with netting over the entire buildings east-face, just n. of East 85th St., and that and other birds may possibly also be using parts of a courtyard, or high to very-high rooftop terrace garden areas, all essentially unviewable from any public spaces, at times as these warblers in particular stay in the area. Patience may be needed at times in seeking these, including the Yellow-throated Warbler. The area favored in that park by the Yellowthroated has often been just n. of the corner park entrance at E. 84th St., and more so near the entrance of the Catbird Playground, and above or adjacent to a bird feeder nearer to E. 85-86 Sts. just inside the park from East End Ave. - also worth checking around all of the elm trees and adjacent areas in the park - particularly check elm trees right by the playground as well as out on East End Ave., both sides of that avenue.
At Sherman Creek park just north of Swindler Cove Park, both near the eastern terminus of Dyckman Street and running along the Harlem River estuary, have been Nashville and Orange-crowned Warblers as well as Myrtle-form Yellow-rumped Warblers at times, including thru Saturday. This set of smaller river-edge parks lie just below, and n-e of Highbridge Parks n.-e. lower edge and deserve scrutiny for a slim chance that a rare vagrant Townsends Warbler might be lingering, as a very-hardy species of warbler, in the vicinity since it was last reported from Highbridge Parks south sector about 2 weeks earlier. Some readers may be aware that a Townsends Warbler was just found at a park rather far to the northeast - a bit east of New Haven, Connecticut, and it could be interesting to look closely at any photos of that newly-discovered Townsends in CT, to see if there are similarities to the Townsends of upper Manhattan which was seen by hundreds from Nov. 20 to 24, only in and next to Highbridge Park at those dates.
Nashville Warbler, in particular, is a species having a late-fall, now start of winter season in this county, like no such late-season previously documented in the countys birding-history. There are more than 40 separate locations where late Nashville Warblers have appeared in the past 6 weeks within this county, including the other 3 main islands of the county away from Manhattan, where of course many observations of Nashvilles have occurred. It seems that Nashville Warbler may also be showing in some other counties and areas in the region of late, in higher-than-usual numbers, although this is a warbler species known to show annually, over many decades, as late in the year as during CBC dates, and we also have older records including older specimen records of this species during winter, very-rarely even far into winter in this region. We are also seeing fairly good numbers of Orange-crowned Warbler around this county so far this season, however that is part of a trend for that species, and some of all of these later-date recent records may be partly thanks to vastly more active observers and photographers than have been active in prior decades, in the present era of birding.
Additional to the reports out of Central Park have been some incoming duckage, including Common Mergansers and lingering Red-breasted Merganser at the reservoir in that park, as well as generally such species as Green-winged Teal, N. Pintail, many Hooded Mergansers, multiple Wood Ducks, and numbers of Ruddy Ducks, N. Shovelers and Buffleheads, plus for other waterbirds, Pied-billed Grebe and American Coot, etc. Gullage had increased a bit on some days, with many hundreds to over 1000 Ring-billed Gulls at times just on the Central Park reservoir, with a chance of a scarcer gull species showing at any time in coming days, weeks, and months.
In Manhattan more-generally have been American Woodcock turning up, also in other locations of the county and some especially in mid to lower Manhattan have been in precarious places for the species, some of those, as sadly happens annually in Manhattan, injured by collisions with window glass and due to other urban mishaps. Multiple other areas in Manhattan also have had late-running warblers including Nashville - as noted above - and Orange-crowned Warblers, as well as Ovenbirds and Common Yellowthroats.
There are also at least several Baltimore Orioles lingering to this weekend, and this is a species that occasionally attempts to, or succeeds at, overwintering here. Nearly 90 species of native free-flying birds have been observed, many also photographed, so far this month in the county, and more species are also set to be noted as the month goes along. Some of the scarcer sightings recently have included a Dec. 1st Blue-headed Vireo, and more recent sightings of Snow Goose, and Snow Bunting, all seen in or over Manhattan.
Good birding - and thanks to all finders, re-finders, reporters and many photographers who have offered alerts, and reports including with media placed in the Macaulay Library for still and video images and auditory material.
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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