Migrants migrants everywhere -- Murray and Tom report

MURRAY HEAD sends a photo of his Bird of the Day:

Magnolia Warbler - 5/10/14- photo by MURRAY HEAD

And here's TOM FIORE'S report from yesterday--pretty exciting!

Friday, 9 May, 2014 - Manhattan, N.Y. City

Birds. Many many birds. Migrants multiplied munificently.
More may be moving... are moving, tonight.

Seriously, when veteran observers, with thousands & ten-thousands of field-hours under their binocular-straps, state that this may have been the best they've seen of sheer volume of certain species....whew.

Migrants were observed in just about any & every cranny & corner if there was someone looking for them today - far more than is just another fine day in mid-May...
Can this continue? Maybe!

super-peak-week-end birds-ing to all

tom fiore
manhattan


and Tom provides more details from the day before, Thursday, May 8.

Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

Today was the most bird-filled day of the year thus far in Central. More than 120 species were recorded, among them at least 28 warbler species. On Wednesday, perhaps the first Bay-breasted Warbler of the season was found at the n. end of the park, and this species was also seen this day.

Other warblers present included (late) Pine, Palm, & (late) Louisiana Waterthrush, as well as Orange-crowned (Maintenance Meadow, yet again), Cape May, Blackpoll, Wilson's (in the multiple) and Canada... and for some of the more-common & typical warblers of May, some species were being seen in as high as triple-digit numbers.

The numbers of Yellow-rumped Warbler that moved through in the first 3 or so hours of daylight may have reached well into the 5-figures range. White-throated Sparrow numbers actually in the park all day may easily have exceeded 5,000. Other sparrows noted included some Lincoln's, White-crowned, Field, Swamp, and many hundreds of Chipping (as well as Song Sparrows). Indigo Buntings are now in fair numbers and Scarlet Tanagers also have increased... a somewhat less-expected species, Purple Finch, was seen & heard in a few locations. A rather "late" (for this date in NYC) Rusty Blackbird was at the Loch area in the early a.m. - a male in full glossy breeding plumage. A few duck species are now getting a bit late: N. Shovelers, Bufflehead, & Ruddy Duck - each species in 2's.  Along with the usual Great & Snowy Egrets and Black-crowned Night-Herons that fly east or west along a "flyway" over & north of the n. end of the park, a rare-in-Manhattan Little Blue Heron was noticed yesterday, and today, a Glossy Ibis.  Swallows seem generally still in short supply, and more are definitely expected to pass through.

A Common Nighthawk was found perched in the n. end near the end of the day, this about the 3rd day now that this species had been sighted in the park. A very modest number of shorebirds were found - at least several Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers.    At least one Dark-eyed Junco was still lingering.   As various other thrush species come through in greater & greater numbers, the relative number of Hermit Thrush remains high (for the date). Many Veery seemed to have arrived, as well as Wood Thrush and still-modest no's. of Swainson's Thrush, with a relative few Gray-cheeked types.

There are good prospects for the weekend's birding so long as stormy weather does not really get in the way.

8 days of May, & quite the start...

Tom Fiore
Manhattan