Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Tom's overview of Central Park migration

Cape May Warbler -- Central Park - 9/28/06
Photo by Cal Vornberger http://www.calvorn.com



Tom Fiore writes in NYS-Birds:

Sunday, 25 September, 2011 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

Add at least one more Warbler species to the good variety for Sunday's sightings, a Cape May noted by J. Suzuki around the reservoir outer path, not far from the W. 90 Street park entrance, bringing a total tally to at least 24 wood-warbler species seen collectively in the park, that active day.
- - - - -
Monday, 26 September - there was additional flight - new arrivals, and also some apparent departure and dispersal from the bigger apparent (observed) flight (from Sat. overnight to) Sunday. Cuckoos were still evident with a number of sightings noted, by far more seen being Yellow-billed than Black-billed. A further reinforcement of Indigo Buntings, and also at least some further movement of flycatchers with Eastern Phoebe trying (but not yet succeeding) to out-number Eastern Wood-Pewees. A few Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are a small sign of the season to come, even if it is already here on our calendars.

A fairly good diurnal movement of Blue Jay continued Monday - and a very good ongoing Cedar Waxwing movement, easily nearing the 4-digit numbers overall, many as flyover flocks through much of the day.

Also coming along are sparrows with the more interesting reports actually seeming to be from the city's southernmost borough (Richmond County) - Vesper and Clay-colored both reported there, Monday. These birds were at Snug Harbor, and Clove Lakes Park respectively and they, along with Connecticut Warbler at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, are located in the northern parts of the island. (Richmond County = Staten Island, NYC). the SINaturaList had the reports, that's in the big Yahoo-group bird-list "family".

The very mild, summer-like local weather certainly belies the big movement of many neotropical wintering species. It will be interesting to see just what is reported after any good "old-fashioned" cold front clears the NYC - Long Island region (Region 10, in the "Kingbird" designation) which appears to be in the works for the weekend, if not just before...

Good birding,

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan