Date: 10/16/25 7:02 pm From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC - Wed. & Thurs., 10/15-16 - W.-w. Scoters, other waterfowl + many add’l. migrants
Manhattan, N.Y. City - Wednesday-Thursday, October 15th-16th -
A Yellow-breasted Chat was ongoing at Number Three Bryant Park, the narrow plaza a bit west of Sixth Ave and thus also west of the actual Bryant Park, the plaza between 42nd and 41st Streets. Also continuing at this plaza, a Virginia Rail now present for many many days as has the Chat. Both of these birds present thru Thursday.
On Thursday, 10-16, at least 14 warbler species were found in Manhattan and all of those species were seen at Central Park on the day, and many of those species were additionally seen in a wide variety of sites around Manhattan. Of warblers passing thru by Thursday, esp. in early hours, many many hundreds were Yellow-rumped Warblers on the move…. However, those numbers paled before the onslaught of sparrows, which arrived by the multi-thousands, led by White-throated Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco, those 2 sparrow species alone accounting for far more than 10,000 birds passing thru, and of which many many hundreds were seen on the ground or treed, at times, just for Central Park, Thursday morning. The ten-thousand-plus number applies to all of Manhattan. Also quite numerous but not unusually so, a fine arrival and onward push of kinglets, of which the great majority were Ruby-crowned, and more-modest numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglets.
An E. Bluebird was a nice addition to the more than 85 species of birds collectively seen at Central Park for Thursday alone. A quite-late Mourning Warbler was reported from the Hudson River Park at Chelsea just north of W. 23rd St. along the Hudson River greenway, on Wed., not a latest record for this county for that warbler, but very scarce here and regionally this far into autumn. A N. Waterthrush was apparently lingering around The Pool at Central Parks n-w quadrant, to Thursday, 10-16, although whether there is one lingered-on bird of that species at that site, or new arrivals of warblers happened to include a slightly-late N. Waterthrush going to a good swatch of habitat there is an open question. Purple Finches were moving thru Manhattan as they have been for many weeks by now, and by Thursday their numbers had just-topped triple-digits for the day, possibly achieving that in Central Park alone, where some parts of the park had up to thirty, forty, or more in a given area.
It appears that a Connecticut Warbler at lower Manhattans Trinity Church yard might have moved on by Thursday, with last sightings by large numbers of observers - or any observers? - of that individual at that site on Wednesday.
Six White-winged Scoters were seen during a sky and river watch on Oct. 15th done from near the western terminus of Dyckman St., in northern Manhattan, known as a good location to hold active-migration-watch efforts. Two Surf Scoters were noted by some of the observers present at various times on the following day, Thursday, Oct. 16th, with a lighter flow overall of waterfowl, but still some numbers of Brant and so forth, while passerine migration appeared to increase there on Thursday. Also seen especially in the Wednesday watch-effort by the Hudson River were large numbers of Brant, presumed all of the Atlantic form, totaling more than 1,600 of that species over two days, with far more passing thru on Wednesday than on Thursday. Three Snow Geese were noted migrating past the eastern edge of Manhattan on Wednesday. The same keen observer also found a late-ish Yellow-billed Cuckoo passing thru on Wed.
On Wednesday, a Lesser Black-backed Gull -R. Zucker- was also among the species seen passing by the pier area off the western end of Dyckman Street. Over the 2 days of this report, at least a dozen observers came along for watch efforts at that location, some staying for some time, others for varying amounts of time. Wednesdays watch also featured a N. Pintail, and there were good numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds among the various passerines going that day. American Pipit also was noted, a species thats been showing up in a number of locations in this county this month, all so far in small numbers or as singles until Thursday 10-16, when three pipits were detected in morning flight over Central Park, and up to 7 were noted for Randalls Island, part of N.Y. County.
At Fort Tryon Park in n. Manhattan, a Broad-winged Hawk was photographed -M. Waldron- as it passed on Thursday, not an extreme date at all, but October here. Fort Tryon Park has also had at least one Ruby-throated Hummingbird this week, and it is very much now the time of year to scrutinize any hummingbirds more closely, as we enter a prime period for the coming weeks for possible-potential vagrant species of hummingbirds. Chimney Swifts were still around and on the move with at least some dozens seen for some areas at one time on Thursday.
A large influx and passage of sparrows took place especially by Thursday, and for Manhattan, White-throated Sparrows led the sparrow hordes, with thousands of that one species arriving. In Central Park alone, far more than 2,000 White-throated Sparrows were noted in all areas collectively, and many locations in all of Manhattan found that that species had increased or arrived in sites that had nearly none in recent prior days. This last comment applies merely to birds seen in-situ, rather than the far far greater numbers in and over all of Manhattan on active passage mainly in morning hours. A minimum of 8 sparrow species were noted Thursday at Central Park alone.
Raptors had fairly good passages over Manhattan on Wed. and Thursday, with at least twelve species found - some are mainly-or-partly resident in Manhattan, such as Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon and some of the local American Kestrels. N. Harriers and late-ish Ospreys were among the less common raptors of these two days, while the late-now Broad-winged Hawk for mid-October or later is decidedly uncommon for date.
Good movements of Turkey Vultures, into the several-hundreds, were seen in this latest wave of mid-October movement, and from n. Manhattan a small number of Black Vultures were noted, that area of this county often best for sightings of the less-common vulture - the Black Vultures seen may or may not have been migrating, while virtually all Turkey Vultures seen very recently from and over Manhattan were. A female Wild Turkey was ongoing at Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan, that bird fairly regular in the vicinity of a small carousel.
Ruddy Ducks in double-digits, Wood Ducks, Green-winged Teals, Gadwalls, N. Shovelers, and other duckage plus Pied-billed Grebe and a small number of Laughing Gulls were among additional species still being seen at Central Park thru Thursday, 10-16.
More than 120 species of native wild birds were found in or over Manhattan for the two days of this report, thru Thursday October 16th.
Thanks to hundreds of keen, quiet, patient observers and photographers including many walking with or leading guided not-for-profit bird walks, as well as many independent observers, for vast numbers of sightings and reports, all via non-x bird-alerts and as always, via eBird with the Macaulay Library for media, both visual and auditory.
Good birding,
Tom Fiore
manhattan
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