Date: 8/6/26 2:01 pm From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - to Aug. 6 - Royal & other Terns, P. Martins, other migrants
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Manhattan, Randalls, Governors, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies - into August 6th -
There were some good flights of southbound migrants again by Monday night into Tues. morning, 8-4, and however as can often be so, many of the migrants simply sailed past N.Y. City or more-specific to this report, many migrants did not stop in at N.Y. County in the nocturnal or early-morning passage of various species. We regularly see this, especially on fair-weather nights and mornings, and so for example there can be much the same, ongoing set of migrant species lingering a while in the typically more relaxed period of summer to early autumn migrations here, while at the same time, occasionally strong to very strong migrations take place which includes large nocturnal overflights. This can lead some observers on the ground to mistakenly assume that little or no migration has occurred, while in actuality by now, early August, it is normal to find larger and larger numbers and diversity of some species-groups, migratory warblers among them, moving in good to very good numbers, densities, and species-diversity. Weather obviously plays a role, and on some midsummer nights, even with a good to excellent nocturnal migration, there may be relatively little in new drop-ins at various locations.
A sighting of 8 migrant Purple Martins was fortuitous on the rainstorm passage in midday of Mon., 8-3, at Randalls Island, where also noted in that day and passage of the storm were some peep, sandpipers of the genus Calidris, one a Least Sandpiper and others of another species, left as peep sp, and in that sense only, perhaps the rare-in-county sightings that got away too rapidly. Or, perhaps the non-rare peep, Semipalmated Sandpiper, of which that and Least also have appeared already in some prior southbound shorebird movements this summer. The hope for further shorebird sightings, both in numbers and hopes of greater diversity, continue on as does summer and its intensifying migrations. This month so far has featured just Solitary, many Spotted, and for peep, ie Calidris-genus, just Least Sandpipers in any numbers. Killdeer were very modestly increased at a few sites, where that species also may have bred. An American Woodcock recently at one county location might represent a breeding effort.
A Royal Tern was sighted and photographed flying along the Hudson River on 8-1, near upper Manhattan. Forsters Tern has been noted in the singular along with the regular and expected-breeding Common Terns at and around Governors Island, to Aug. 4th. Some Forsters Terns have been along the Hudson as well, with more of the documented sightings a bit north of N.Y. City on that river, but likely some have moved along Manhattan shores or just-across by New Jersey, visibly for some Manhattan-side observers recently. Common Tern is also fairly regular partway up the Hudson along lower Manhattan, and sometimes elsewhere on the county waters. All terns should be checked closely especially if away from the few regular sites for Common Tern in N.Y. County, as tern movements and migrations are underway, generally.
There has been very little detection of definite southbound migrants from Governors Island thus far this month, but that May pick up in the coming week. Some typical midsummer movements of icterids including Bobolink, Orchard Oriole, Brown-headed Cowbird, and greater numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds had already been passing by since later in July. These icterid flights are not unusual for these dates, are region-wide, and noted annually. The numbers of such species as Red-winged Blackbirds of course increase greatly in calendar-fall, at a much later phase in overall soubound migrations than the more-restricted movement of the last species in calendar-summer.
At Randalls Island there also has been limited detection of migrants, especially of passerines, but that might pick up somewhat in the coming week or so. Yellow-crowned Night-Herons and Cliff Swallows, the latter a breeding species, are ongoing at Randalls, as are some dozens of other typical summer birds, some others of which also manage to breed here. A very few Brant have been summering.
The county overall has been seeing an uptick in numbers of species and of migrants, with for example, a good movement of, among other migrants, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and American Redstart, as well as the Red-winged Blackbirds migrating, as noted above for this time of the year. Eastern Kingbird, and various hirundines also are among migrants beginning to show in numbers sufficient to start being noticed, including for these and various other species, being noted on their diurnal migrations.
Yellow-billed Cuckoos continued to be seen, and mainly fully-expected warblers of up to twelve or more species in these first days of August, with the more-common warblers lately getting a bit more numerous and a bit more widespread. A modest number of Scarlet Tanagers were showing up recently.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds continue to be on the move. A Wild Turkey has continued on essentially resident at Battery Park in lower Manhattan. The movements of migrant ducks have barely registered so far, but among early-movers are some Wood Ducks at least wandering, seen in multiple county locations besides the usuals of Central
Park, and a single Ruddy Duck was noted at Governors Island to kick off this month. Monk Parakeets, a breeding species in N.Y. City, were seen again in n. Manhattan.
Cerulean Warbler was reported on Wed., Aug. 5th at Central Park, after multiple days of no sightings there after the 4 late-July days with very high numbers of observers and photographers. In N.Y. County, some of the other warblers showing, and in numbers include Northern Waterthrush, the latter turning up even in multiple sites with no water to speak of in the specific site, as happens on migration with this species, while for the lower numbers of Louisiana Waterthrushes passing thru, it is rather rare to find that species much away from water, and often by flowing water. Other fairly numerous warblers by now include Black-and-white, and especially Northern Yellow Warblers, with American Redstarts also showing in many locations. At least 6 additional warbler spp. are turning up in multiple locations this week in the county, including multiple-but-not-many N. Parulas, and others, but the majority of flights in overnight migrations were of passage birds, rather than migrants dropping in to stay a while. Central Park alone had at least 11 warbler species present by Aug. 6.
Central Park had over 75 species found thus far this month, with nearly 70 species present on Aug. 6th, spread across all of the park. A greater diversity of species ought to be possible by next week.
Thanks to many observers and reporters for sightings, alerts in part in the Discord app, and many reports in eBird with the Macaulay Library for media, as well as reports via good old word-of-mouth.
