Date: 6/1/26 12:36 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC - Sunday, 5/31 - Bicknells Thrushes, 16+ Warbler spp., etc.
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Sunday, May 31 -
Some of the species heard and then seen by observers -not- involved in any for-profit enterprises while seeking birds, at the Central Park Ramble on Sunday morning and as early as first-daylight before other bird seekers had arrived, including singing and calling Bicknells Thrush, with Gray-cheeked Thrush also in the area, singing a bit and calling as well. Also and similarly at first-daylight, male Mourning Warbler was heard, then seen in the Ramble area by those coming in ahead of other bird seekers.
Later in the day, multiple others walking independently were able to find, hear, and observe both of the above noted thrush species, and to also see Mourning Warbler. These species also occurred again elsewhere in the park, far from the Ramble, on Sunday, 5-31, with other observers noting those in places outside the Ramble area of the park. Additional migrant thrushes included Swainsons Thrushes, and a very few late Veery. The Wood Thrushes still present at Central Park might all, or mostly, by now be attempting to nest here, and with luck may fledge some young later. Please do nothing whatsoever to disturb any nesting birds -anywhere- or young fledglings.
At least 16 species of migratory American warblers were found in Central Park on Sunday, by many observers thru the day and in all sections of the park. None of the warblers seen were species running really late, and multiples of both Black-throated Green and Black-throated Blue Warblers were found. As noted in a recent report, we have many female warblers still passing thru and some of these get less noticed, in part due to more-subtle plumage than spring males, in part for not giving bursts of song, and also for many birds on migration or breeding locally now, the cover of very thick foliage and other vegetation all around this area by now. A few warbler species were still moderately numerous, park-wide, thru Sunday, including Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat, the last of these a species that often attempts nesting here in minimal numbers each year.
Flycatchers of Sunday in Central Park still included at least 3, and possibly up to five, of the regular annual Empidonax-genus Flycatchers, with multiples of Yellow-bellied and Acadian, and other flycatchers such as E. Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher and E. Kingbirds, these 3 all nesting species of Central, in numbers, plus a couple of slightly-late moving Olive-sided Flycatchers. A report of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in the last day of May was intriguing as this is a species that rather rarely had nested in this park, and might nest in Manhattan somewhat scantly.
The total number of all wild, free-flying birds in and over Central Park was nearly 90 species, on Sunday 5-31 alone, as found by hundreds of observers and photographers over the 15-plus hours of total daylight available, and with fine spring weather all day.
