Date: 4/27/25 3:09 pm From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] N.Y. County, NYC - Thurs. to Sun. 4/24-25-26-27 - Kentucky W., Pileated WP, Willet, increases in many migrant species
N.Y. County - in N.Y. City - including Manhattan, Governors, Randalls, and Roosevelt Islands and the adjacent waters and skies above -
Thru Sunday, April 27th -
Further migrations we're taking place each night and day over recent dates here, with some new species showing in the county for the year. A photographed-again on Sunday male Kentucky Warbler continued at Central Park thru this weekend, with some of many observers lucky or patient to obtain clear views at times, some also hearing the warbler vocalize.
Notable from Thursday, 4-24 was the Pileated Woodpecker that K. Youngdahl found at Riverside Parks north sector near about West 119th St, seen later that same day by many - a rare but not unprecedented species for the county, and with rare prior records from that same park and very-slightly more records from n. Manhattan over past decades. This is a typical period in the year when some of that species may be wandering, possibly representing younger birds having been ousted from territories where a pair or pairs of Pileateds are attempting breeding, or had done so in the past - and for this county, that most-likely represents Pileateds which came in via or from the Bronx or from adjacent Westchester County.
A Willet which showed at Governors Island on Sat., 4-26 and was photographed by B. Bonkamp as it flew in and landed is a rarity for this county despite that the species is a breeding bird of parts of N.Y. City where coastal habitat allows in other counties, or boroughs of the city as New York City also refers to its 5 counties. Also noted by this observer, one of the regular observers for Governors Island in recent years, were Greater Yellowlegs and Wilsons Snipe as well as the usual Killdeer often seen here and at a few other county sites where the last species may also be nesting, and among other nice arriving species noted on Saturday from Governors I. were Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and Bank Swallow, each of the latter 2 species ones which ought be checked for at other locations in this county for the remainder of spring into summer.
At Central Park, the Kentucky Warbler first found in the not-for-profit guided bird walk led by P. Sweet for the American Museum of Natural History spring walk series, was continuing on the west edge of the Lake near about W. 77th St., from Friday into Saturday, and still being re-found by some as of Sunday, before which time scores of observers had seen this warbler, after the first group had enjoyed their views. That Kentucky has also been seen on the western side of the park roadway closer to Central Park West, and it may well continue in the general area covering something of a circuit which would be rather typical of this species when any of them linger at all in this park or in general. A new report came in for a Kentucky at Washington Square Park in the west village part of lower Manhattan, on Sunday, a report needing some confirmation by reviewers even if textually documented well. An Eastern Meadowlark was noted from the Great Lawn in Central Park on Sunday, in a spring which has been fairly good for finds of that species here in N.Y. County.
Over all of the county, 25 species of American warblers have been found recently and all 25 of the species have also occurred in Central Park, with recent or new arrivals that included Blackburnian Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Wilsons Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, and yes, Blackpoll Warbler, the Bay-breasted and Blackpoll slightly early for here, and many other species of warbler also ongoing and with recent increases for some, such as the multiple Cape May warblers around the county, including more than a half-dozen in Central Park alone. The peak flights of some of these warbler species may come one to two weeks or more later than the first arrivals have, here. In the past two decades or so we have had Blackpoll first-arrivals well documented in late April, however the main arrival period of that latter warbler is still usually in mid to late May and on into early June in some recent years, especially for female birds of that species.
Flycatchers have reached slightly more diversity with Least Flycatcher now added to recent arrivals and with some of the latter heard singing or calling, along with slightly more of Eastern Kingbirds, Great Crested Flycatchers and still E. Phoebes passing thru. Additional Indigo Buntings have come along, while the very first Bobolinks passed in low numbers so far, in the past several mornings.
Thrush diversity has also come up a bit with more definitive reports of Swainsons Thrush as well as Veery, each in low numbers so far, and ongoing sightings of Wood Thrush as well as many Hermit Thrush continuing to pass thru here. All of these thrush and flycatcher species have been found within Central Patk in recent days and some in multiple other locations in the county. Scarlet Tanager came in as well and the county sightings include from Inwood Hill Park in n. Manhattan.
Migrants again are showing on all 4 of the main islands of the county, with as is typical Central Park having so many guided not-for-profit bird walks offered through the peak weeks of songbird migration in particular, and having many independent observers also coming in daily such that species-lists collectively can be very impressive from there in mid-spring. A Wild Turkey which is presumed the same individual that had wintered on Roosevelt Island just east of Manhattan island has been in Central Park and was more recently seen out on the east side a short way from Central, perhaps considering a re-re-location to Roosevelt Island again... time will tell.
Far more than 130 species of wild birds have occurred in the county in the past 4 days, and for some early-migrating species, one example being Red Fox Sparrow, their numbers have dropped off to nearly-none. However thus far in this month there have been notably early arrivals of some migrants while at the same time we are finding many of the early-to-depart annual migrants still around in fair to low numbers to this weekend, with the exceptions of many waterfowl which have moved on.
Thanks to many keen, quiet, courteous observers and photographers for reports all via non-x bird alert apps and as always via eBird with the Macaulay Library for media, for so many sightings, and those many reports. Many not-for-profit bird walks were being held in the county with as is typical, a multitude of those guided walks for nonprofit organizations and institutions being in Central Park, and continuing thru May as well.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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