Date: 7/5/26 5:17 pm From: Thomas Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to 7/5 - C. Loons, R-thr. Hummers, Least SP and other shorebirds, etc.
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
to Sunday, July 5th -
A Least Sandpiper reported from Randalls Island may well be among the first of shorebirds starting to head south that are being found in this county, seen on July 5th. There are still some reports for American Oystercatchers also coming from observers on Randalls Island and scoping northward mostly towards N. Brother Island.
A number of sightings of Common Loon have occurred in or from the county, including an earlier July 1st find of a breeding-plumaged C. Loon off Stuyvesant Cove, southeast of E. 23rd Street and by the East River edges of Manhattan, that loon nicely-photographed by the observer. There are several sightings from farther north in and around the East River, also Common Loons in alternate -or breeding- plumage, to July 5th, and it is unclear so far whether more than 1 individual loon is involved. The species is rare at this time of year here, but the species is hardly unprecedented in the region in and even thru a summer, some loons appearing in adult-plumage may still be relatively young and possibly will not be ready to breed, at ages when older loons are.
Ruby-throated Hummigbirds have nestled in several sites in Manhattan this summer, including in Central Park, and it is plausible that some young birds may be appearing along with ongoing sightings at several parks and greenspaces of Manhattan of adult-breeding males, as well as adult females of this species. On July 5, at least 3 individual Runs-throateds were seen in Central Park, possibly even up to 4 of these birds on the day. Sightings have come mainly from the n. sector of that park but also elsewhere, and there are ongoing sightings of Ruby-throated Hummers in Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan, and also in some other locations. This species has nested previously in Manhattan and including in Central Park, and including into the modern era, so these are not at all unprecedented nesting - but, they are not at all commonplace here, as breeders. The nests and some feeding of young birds was seen and photo-documented this year, in a few locations, on a quiet basis, rather than put out over social-media and so forth.
A few ongoing sightings of Yellow-billed Cuckoos in a few locations, including in Central Park thru July 5 and on earlier days, might make some eyebrows rise but, with cuckoos of either of our two expected species, very late-moving birds or simply wandering birds may persist into the weeks of summer. There are some records for Yellow-billed Cuckoo nesting in N.Y. County, including on Manhattan island, in the past century and a few records pertain to more-recent times, not just long-ago. However, as the cuckoos are known to have odd and slightly unpredictable warm-season movements whether local or more-widely, the multiple sightings of recent will need to be updated and any further sightings given additional scrutiny, especially with any duos of the same species.
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, and a couple of Cliff Swallows that are breeding are among ongoing birds being seen at Randalls Island itself, scopes not required for these. The Common Terns are ongoing at a colony and around waters of Governors Island as well as some seen from elsewhere in the waters and shore-edge areas of N.Y. County, including off lower Manhattan. At Central Park, more than 1 Wood Duck has been summering, a typical few that do so each year there.
Absolutely-definitely not a breeding bird either historically or now, in this county - a couple of very-late or simply-summering Blackpoll Warblers remain in a few sites, including in the last several days or as-likely even a longer time, at Central Park, these most-recent finds of Blackpoll being of males. Not at all a time when -that- species of warbler is expected to move south out of breeding areas, although for other warbler species such as Louisiana Waterthrush and a number of other warblers, it is perfectly normal that some will be moving south away from breeding areas or wandering a bit ahead of a longer-distance protracted movement south.
A modest number of warbler species are ongoing in the county including the 2 regular breeders of the area - Common Yellowthroat the less-common of these, and Northern Yellow Warbler the most regular of the breeding warblers. Also present into this month are American Redstart, and some additional species to be made note of in a later report.
75 or more species of wild, free-flying birds have been noted in the county thus far in July, with some additional reports of uncommon or unlikely species needing much more documentation and subsequent confirmations if reviewed and accepted as such unlikely occurrences. Up to about fifty species of wild birds are being found regularly in Central Park alone and, also a park with a good diversity of species this summer, Inwood Hill Park, has the potentially richest breeding-bird numbers of any one park in Manhattan, with other parks in northern Manhattan as well as the lengthy linear park known as Riverside, also having potential for a lot of breeding species including various songbirds and associates of wooded areas. We have had relatively few sightings so far this summer from Roosevelt Island, one of the 4 larger islands in this county, which is just east of Manhattan and entirely surrounded by the East River estuary waters.
Good birding, and thanks to many observers and photographers who were out and about even in the hottest days and some at night in recent very-warm weather, for sightings, alerts via the Discord app, and many reports including those via eBird with the Macaulay Library for media, and as-always also tips and reports via good-old word of mouth.
