Tom Fiore's Report for Sunday & Monday

Mourning Warbler --  photo by DAVID SPEISER [http://www.lilibirds.com]

Sunday & Monday, 24 & 25 May, 2015

Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City -

Winding-down, with peak migration here certainly past, yet still a fair variety; Sunday highlights included at least 4, perhaps more, Mourning Warblers in the park, mainly heard singing, but also a few glimpses at times... 1 was well-ensconsed in the Hallett Sanctuary near the park's SE corner, and at least 1 around the Ramble area, while at least 2 were in widely-separate areas in the n. end. On Monday, there were some more sightings, including at least 1 female of the species - & apparently sightings well away from a large park, as well. Other migrants Sunday were still Olive-sided & some Empidonax [genus] flycatchers, as well as some thrushes, mostly Swainson's but also some Gray-cheeked or its close & similar-looking relative (Bicknell's); a lot of these as well as other migrants seemed to go onwards over Sun. night with the favorable winds & weather. It will be harder & harder to amass a long list of migrants in the park, yet at least for a week or more there is sure to be further influx, & after that, stragglers will continue along with the odd lingering birds that do not nest, but simply stay on & put in a part of the early-summer season in the city... as an example there are regularly a few White-throated Sparrows that stay in some of the city parks for part, or even all, of a summer.

good birding,

Tom Fiore
Manhattan