Date: 9/29/26 3:25 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - 9/27-28 - 2 Storm Petrel spp., shorebirds, other storm birds and migrants, etc.
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Randalls, Manhattan, Roosevelt, and usually Governors Island, plus all adjacent waters and sky -
Mainly for Sunday and Monday, September 27 and 28 -
Wilsons Storm Petrel is exceedingly rare in this county, and at least one was noted by multiple observers from Randalls Island to Monday in the storm-winds that have brought many other birds farther west than usual or to be seen from land, in this county, with up to 4 of the Wilsons seen by some on storm watch on Sunday. The storm-petrel-shows seemed to be disappearing by later in the day Monday, as the storm pulled away.
Already noted, but with up to 6 Leachs Storm Petrels from Randalls Island as of Sunday, this latter species possibly staying unseen for Monday, while Wilsons Storm Petrel occurred from Randalls in up to at least 4 individuals tallied. It is certainly possible that more than these numbers of each of these Storm Petrel species were occurring in the various periods during the storm when being noted. Some quite good photos were obtained from some observing these 2 Storm Petrel species, each of course very rare for this county.
Up to twelve Pectoral Sandpipers were recorded from the storm passage watches, these all from Randalls Island, on Monday, and on Sunday, a sighting of 3 Dunlin have been confirmed also from Randalls Island. Black-bellied Plover was also a result of storm birding efforts, seen more briefly as a calling flyover, and still a rarity for this county.
Wilsons Snipe have just occurred in multiple locations in the county - this last is an annually occurring regular migrant here but is in some years fairly scarce. More than a dozen species of shorebirds have now been reported from this county this month, some earlier in the month as expected migrants, and some still being seen, also expected for now, such as Least, Solitary, and Spotted Sandpipers as well as Killdeer. At least one Yellowlegs was reported for Monday, needing to be confirmed.
Royal Terns sightings occurred in up to three seen at once, with a trio over the Hudson River on Sunday, and further sightings also from Manhattan, then by Monday, at least singly from Randalls Island. Other terns noted to species included multiple Forsters, rather few Common, and one documented Caspian Tern, most of these associated with the noreaster type storm passage, which was pulling away by later Monday Some other Tern spp. were hinted at in text in some reports but not actually reported and no others seeming to be documented in this county out of any recent days. Black Skimmer had shown again but not in anything like the numbers at the lower East River from Saturday.
Rusty Blackbird was again found and photographed in Manhattan and this time, Sunday, not in Central Park as happened a week ago, but at Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan. More of this species are reasonably likely to show in the coming month.
A Clay-colored Sparrow was reported from the Central Park Ramble on Monday, not the first day this species was suggested in the same area, this latest also awaiting confirmation after review thru eBird. Once a rare species, with the increased breeding range of this sparrow in the greater northeast, it is not as rare by any means as was before 2000. Generally still found more often in the later months of the year in this county as well as the local region.
White-crowned Sparrows have been found on all four of the larger islands of this county, some in groups rather than all just singletons, with the latest sightings including photos taken on Governors Island later on Monday, when the storm had moved off east. Also noted to Monday at Governors were Lincolns and other expected migrant sparrows, Bobolink, and on Monday, Black Skimmer, which was also seen by greater numbers of observers who arrived to Randalls Island thru the day Monday. As to White-crowned Sparrow observations at least five separate individuals, possibly more, were in Central Park alone on Monday, in widely separated areas with multiples being photographed, and others in a variety of other locations in Manhattan and the rest of this county. All of the annual and expected migrant sparrow species in this county are yet to show in the numbers likely to be found in the coming two months or so here.
A Connecticut Warbler seen on Sept. 25 at Washington Square Park in the Greenwich village section of Manhattan has been confirmed, and same for a Mourning Warbler running very slightly late, at Riverside Park in Manhattan on Sept. 28. Many warblers were lingering thru the stormy weather and some may yet be around before they choose to head south, out of this county. Almost all areas of the county continued to hold at least some migrant warblers, as well as many other types of migrant birds. At least 20 species of warblers were still present in the county thru Monday, 9-28.
Over 125 species of birds were noted for the county even on Monday alone, and numbers of total species might grow slightly if some rarer species are still to be ascertained or confirmed to species. The above likely omits some birds and sightings, as well as details on so many interesting finds or re-finds in this county in recent days.
Thanks to many hardy N.Y. County observers all thru the storm weather as well as those taking advantage of the less wet or windy periods recently, for many many hundreds of sightings, reports, many alerts and all sorts of good bird discussion and knowledge.
