Date: 10/5/26 12:11 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - Sun., 10/4 - Blue Grosbeaks, Red-headed WP’s, more migrants
New York County -in N.Y. City- including Governors, Randalls, Roosevelt and Manhattan islands, and the adjacent waters and skies -
Sunday, October 4th -
At least two Blue Grosbeaks were seen on Sunday, one in a new-to-this-fall location at Riverside Park - K. Fung - in the pollinator meadow alongside the West Side Highway now-closed off ramp going to W. 125th St, and just north of the north tennis courts of Riverside, so around approx. 120-121 Steeets in latitude, this site being a bit isolated even though not very far from a main path to and next to the adjacent tennis courts - please be aware whenever visiting this site, which has native plants and many quite tall, with some non-native plants and brush all around as well. One access to this meadow is from west of the small brick tennis building, then head north along the west edge of the fenced tennis court, to reach the pollinator meadow area. It may also be approached from paths on the east edges of the tennis courts. Another Blue Grosbeak was ongoing at Randalls Island, and might be a bird lingering for some time. Neither of these Blue Grosbeaks are adult males - the typical occurrences of the species in fall season are in more subdued plumages.
Red-headed Woodpeckers continued as well on Sunday in at least 2 locations, at Governors Island, and in Central Park. We shall see if some of the recent arrivals of this species stick around, as in past years this has sometimes been an overwintering species in the county, mainly from Manhattan. Learning the calls of this species well can be helpful in locating, although some individuals may be quiet much of the time in fall or winter, especially if just one of this often somewhat colonial and gregarious species is in a set cold-weather territory.
Randalls Island added American Pipit to the fall bird list for that location on Sunday, and it can be added that Wilsons Snipe was one of the many species found on Saturday at Randalls, where Yellow-crowned Night Heron was still present thru the weekend. There were still fairly good numbers and diversity of migrants for all of the islands of N.Y. County on Sunday, but also some departure overnight on Saturday.
At least 22 species of migratory warblers were found in Central Park on Sunday, and at least 23 species were noted for N.Y. County on the day. Still in good numbers overall were such species as Blackpoll, American Redstart, and others of course including Myrtle form Yellow-rumped, and Palm Warblers of 2 forms typical for fall. Some of the warblers were among a bit of morning flight that was evident to early-birders in some locations on Sunday, although the morning flight was low by comparison with Saturday, with that mornings flight events that even went on into afternoon in multiple locations.
Sundays tally of native birds for the county was more than 120 species, with more than 100 species for Central Park, which includes various flyovers such as diurnal raptors and swallows, in this instance, Tree Swallows. As always, the tallies of species for the county, or for just one site such as Central Park, here represent many hundreds -to thousands- of observer-hours, not just from one small area or from a very limited amount of time on part of a given morning. Some observers begin watching at first light, or even in the wee-hours, and some may still be watching at dusk or later on.
Within the family Icteridae, a smattering of Bobolinks were still being found in the county, while Baltimore Orioles were again seen in modest numbers. Rusty Blackbirds were noted again Sunday, including several at Central Park. Common Grackles have increased with some flocks into the several-hundreds or more, while other Blackbird species have yet to push thru in the anticipated numbers here, likely as fall continues.
The further arrivals of sparrows, as well as some departure of some earlier-season migrants was noted in many locations in the county by Sunday, including at Central Park. The Ramble sector of Central Park alone had at least 8 species of native sparrow on Sunday, none rare, but ongoing species such as White-crowned, Field, Lincolns, etc. were seen by multiple observers and photographers, with plenty of fresh sparrow arrival in the entirety of Central Park, as well as numerous other sites in the county. Very common migrants such as Chipping and White-throated Sparrow each increased from Saturday - as noted in Central Park, these were sightings from all of the park and by large numbers of observers and photographers in all sectors of that park at most hours up to when late day rains came in, some observers birding on thru the showers as well.
Savannah Sparrows, most typically in their best numbers off Manhattan at the other large islands with habitat, were numerous Sunday, and also were present in many Manhattan locations, including Central Park. Some or even many of these could be ongoing individuals, along with fresh arrivals.
Purple Finches again showed at Central Park on Sunday, some photographed. Another aspect of arrivals were the increase of Wood Ducks, although just slightly to nearly ten of that species on Sunday at Central Park, a typically good site to find them. Around the county, American Black Duck increased, and there were some Common Loons on the move, but not very many.
Thanks to many hundreds of observers and photographers for sightings, alerts, reports, and tips in the field.
