Date: 7/3/26 5:33 pm From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC -into July- Royal Tern, L. Blue Heron, etc.
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands, and the adjacent waters and skies
thru Friday, July 3rd -
A Royal Tern photographed passing Randalls Island just east of Manhattan on Wed., July 1st was a bit of a surprise for the date, in this county. Laughing Gull is a species that has increased over some decades in this county, and is seen fairly-regularly in more parts of the county than in previous decades, with recent sightings over or adjacent to all of the main islands of the county. Some are seen at Central Park, especially around that parks reservoir, nearly-daily at this season, and in increased numbers from most other past years there.
There were ongoing observations of an adult Little Blue Heron from Randalls Islands northeast shore, ---scoping--- to N. Brother Island - this, and also South Brother Island have long and storied histories of colorful kinds in the urban legends and true stories or mysteries categories, too-many too detail here, each island is now considered to be in Bronx County and had been for some years, although perhaps not historically. These islands are monitored by the NYC Bird Alliance, among other public groups including non-profit and the NYC government and there had been various discussions as to possibly making environmental parks of either, with thus far no plans to attempt that. The islands have a lot of rampant poison ivy in luxuriant growth and other unchecked plant-growth and also N. Brother has dilapidated buildings of long-gone times, and lots of local-historical interest, spawning TV programs, videos, magazine articles, etc., on various subjects including somewhat-famed people, over the years. The islands have had a variety of breeding birds, including some heronries as well as being a roost site for a number of bird species. These islands are not open to the public.
Back on Randalls Island itself, the most reliable site in the county to observe Yellow-crowned Night Heron, that latter species have been seen in numbers up to 4 or 5 individuals, although a more-regular number seen there may be in the singular. Also present on Randalls are Cliff Swallows which have been breeding and are otherwise fairly-rare for the county. Spotted Sandpiper was seen on July 3, at Randalls.
Governors Island has had some of the same breeding and visitant birds of late June, ongoing into July, including numbers of Common Tern at and around their most-prolific breeding site of the county, which is modest in size compared with some colonies of other counties that contain breeding tern sites. Some Common Terns are also found along at least the lower Hudson River near and at shores of Manhattan, and more-widely in the N.Y. Harbor including in this countys waters.
Female and male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have persisted in several locations in the county, these include July sightings at Central, Fort Tryon, and at least two other parks of Manhattan. Monk Parakeets -a breeding species long-known in N.Y. City- have been reported in a few N.Y. County locations recently, including at Inwood Hill Park in n. Manhattan. Of course many more species of birds are showing in the county, in addition to these few noted.
Many breeding birds are now raising young, or may have nestlings or even eggs, depending on the species nest-timings all around the county. Fledgelings and all birds are dealing with the excessive heat and lowered-average air quality just as all of life around this city is lately.
Good summer birding, thanks to many observers and photographers for sightings, alerts, and reports.
