Date: 3/2/26 12:02 am From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to March 1st - Swansightings, Snow Geese, etc.
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
thru Sunday, March 1st -
On Saturday, Feb. 28th, a swan-alert -thanks to Caroline Quinn- went out locally, a report of Trumpeter Swan, associating with a Mute Swan on the East River - the latter a regular species in N.Y. County, while the former species appears to be a first-ever confirmed sighting for this county. The rarer swan with its non-rare associate swan were actually seen from Kings Co. -Brooklyn- NY as much as from Manhattan shores, but a fair number of observers on Sun. tried both approaches, and for county-list purposes the end of some piers in Brooklyn are considered to be in N.Y. County, as is the adjacent water of the East River thereabouts. Some movement by this odd-couple of swans was seen esp. on March 1st, and some observers were able to view from a variety of shore-side positions. Most viewers were, if on the Manhattan side, watching from E. 23rd St. or farther south. There might be some questions as to the origins of this Trumpeter, but no very-obvious indicators of a kept bird were seen, nor noted. Far more than 100 observers made it to the East River, one side or another, to view the rarer swan, along with its companion.
March 1st also brought sightings of 7 Snow Geese moving past northern Manhattan, along the Hudson River in the sunset-hour, with several observers present at Inwood Hill Park.
Various other waterfowl and waterbirds were ongoing in some locations where recently-regular, including some Long-tailed Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, Lesser and Greater Scaup, and in the county-entire, some of each species of merganser, with Common Merganser the least-commonly found, but ongoing at Central Park, while Hooded Mergansers continued in several county locations, and Red-breasted Mergansers were the most widespread as is typical for winter here. Sightings of American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, N. Pintail, Green-winged Teal, and some other duckage were ongoing to end of February. There were at least so-far unconfirmed reports of Iceland Gull, which should be watched for all thru this month, along with all other uncommon to rarer gull species.
American Woodcock were most-visible at a typical stranding-location, Bryant Park in mid-Manhattan, but others were also present to March 1st, including at Central Park. Small increases of Killdeer have been noted at some locations. The rest of migratory movement looked to be rather small locally, but American Robins are at least shuttling or shuffling around, and some songs at times are being heard, as well as from a relative paucity of Red-winged Blackbirds, some of which had been present already, as well as greater numbers of Common Grackles, also in the area from last month, while other species seen lately had been known overwinters, such as some Field Sparrows, including very sparse sightings of the latter from Central Park. American Tree Sparrows were also present for the winter in multiple locations to the end of Feb., and other regular sparrows included a modest no. of Red Fox, as well as a few Swamp, more Song, and great numbers of White-throated Sparrows, the latter typical in high numbers in almost any winter here, even through big snows. As all the piles and drifts of snow here recede, some further birds that lurked thru this fairly-cold-to-frigid-at-times winter may reveal themselves, among the survivors of the winter. At the same time we will likely be seeing more early-moving birds coming up and along, with the changes in weather ongoing for some time ahead.
A Wild Turkey was again in-position from its long-standing location in Battery Park, at the south end of Manhattan. A number of the birds of prey seen in this county were ongoing, which included both diurnally and nocturnally active species. Bald Eagles were still to be seen, but fewer and fewer with the ice floes on the Hudson River, as those floes were diminishing quickly by late-day on Sunday, March 1st - tidal and spring-flow currents can still wash ice down-stream from points north of Manhattan, however. The appearances of a very few-more Turkey Vultures were not unexpected, and many more of those are likely to be moving through this month, as will some of the raptors which migrate thru the county. A very few Red-shouldered Hawks were still in the county to the end of February, and sightings of Merlin have been scant but seen-regular, while American Kestrels which breed in the county, along with Peregrine Falcons, have been more often seen. Red-tailed Hawks and notably more Coopers Hawks have been seen overwintering, the former buteo species a very-common sight and breeding species in this county.
