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

Tom Fiore's Report for the Week

Swainson's Thrush -Photo by LLOYD SPITALNIK - 10/3/06


Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City  -  Mon. to Sat., 18 to 23 May, 2015

Migration continued at fair pace all through the week, and this Saturday, things picked up just a bit more, particularly noticeable for migrant thrush numbers, as well as a modest increase in a couple of warbler spp. such as Blackpoll.  The week also has featured a few sightings simultaneous with hearing at least calls, and a few times also softly-sung songs, from Bicknell's Thrushes, while of course Gray-cheeked have been moving in greater numbers than the former; by far though the common thrush now being seen & often heard, are Swainson's, with numbers of Veery dropping off a bit, & most Wood & certainly Hermit Thrush also passed thru at this point.  In all, at least 22 warbler spp. were seen thru the period since Mon., and still this Sat. as many as 18 spp. were available.  Also still moving are Empidonax flycatchers, with at least 4 spp. represented this week (Least either all, or mainly, moved thru), & Olive-sided Flycatchers continue to show, with a couple also giving some song, as well as (more usual) calls.  The eve. hours have featured at least a few Common Nighthawks. A Summer Tanager was still around into today, Sat. and there have been a few Lincoln's Sparrows.

Riverside Park, on the upper west side of Manhattan also has had a lot of these same spp., & at times, the "drip" area has been moderately active. Much of the overall activity in that park has been in that vicinity, or more generally north of 110th St.

good last week of May birding,

Tom Fiore
Manhattan