Fall Migration begins in Midsummer

A Yellow Warbler in the Fall:
Photo by LLOYD SPITALNIK - Central Park 9/20/07

Yesterday [7/30/11] on eBirds, regular birder JEANETTE HOLMES
reported two warbler sightings in the Ramble: a Yellow Warbler and a Northern Waterthrush. [Check out her blog at:
http://jeanettesanimals.blogspot.com/2011/07/northern-waterthrush-and-yellow-warbler.html ]

So the Fall Migration is off and running.

I went back to my old Ramble records and found reports for first "fall" sightings of the Yellow Warbler on July 14, 1997, July 20, 2000, July 24, 1996, July 26, 1993, July 28, 1998, Aug 1, 1994, 1995;.

As for the Northern Waterthrush, first fall sightings were July 21, 1977; July 22, 1996;July 29, 2002. In fact, the Louisiana Waterthrush usually comes before the Northern, arriving as early as July 17 [2000]. I haven't heard of a sighting in Central Park yet...


By the end of the first week of August many more species of avian migrants will start to appear in Central Park. The next migrants to keep an eye out for: Black&White Warbler, American Redstart; Palm Warbler; Pine Warbler.

Here's the Northern Waterthrush:
Photo by LLOYD SPITALNIK
Central Park - 9/2/05