Tom's report today [4/7/16]

Louisiana Waterthrush - photo by David Speiser 4/13/13

Thursday, 7 April 2016
Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

A Louisiana Waterthrush was still in the area of The Pond & Hallett Sanctuary within the park's southeastern sector. At about 7:15 a.m. the waterthrush was seen singing (an abbreviated bit of song) & moving near the n.e. part of the sanctuary, a bit south of the stone-arch bridge (which is over the northeastern-most arm of the Pond).  It was working the edges of the water, not far from where the most phragmites remain.  Also noted at the Pond & immediate vicinity - multiple Hermit Thrush - an influx of that species last night, as there were over 50 seen in the park this morning (from C.P. South to 110 St. in the north end), and at least one of them was also singing softly, 'under' the louder song of a Brown Thrasher which is lately lingering still at the Hallett Sanctuary's w. edges...

Other species in the park today include a modest additional influx of sparrows & kin, with a few E. Towhees in spots that they'd not been until today, & a couple of females joining the males, as well as a slight uptick in Field, Chipping, & Song Sparrows, & ongoing hundreds of White-throated, plus what seemed a small jump in Swamp Sparrow no's. as well as ongoing Dark-eyed Junco.   A breeding-plumaged Rusty Blackbird continues it's shy but regular routes at the Gill-Azalea Pond, & lake edge in the Ramble... where there were a few newly-arrived migrants.... (more later, once the quiet returns...)  Oh, and a good signal of migration having occurred, the numbers of Yellow-shafted Flicker crashing & banging thru the woods & some of the open areas all around the place...  plus a bit of additional E. Phoebe waggery.

Reservoir of C.P., still most of the same as last few days, & gull no's. perhaps picking up & thus worth another look for potential uncommon spp., as gulls are still lingering as well as moving just now & can be into next month... & the Meer, not a whole lot as of mid-morning, but worth checking anytime.

The n. end did not receive as much scrutiny from me this a.m. but a variety of the early-arrival migrants were thinly distributed and some spp. were singing a little, as was also noted elsewhere, in the damp but much milder air of this morning - it almost seems to be April.

good birding & quiet observing...

Tom Fiore
Manhattan