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Updated on Sunday, May 11 at 03:46 PM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.
Greater Prairie Chicken,©Julie Zickefoose

11 May Fort Washington Park and Van Cortlandt Park [Peregrina Garcia ]
11 May Dickcissel YES, Sunday Central Park, NYC 5/11 [Tom Fiore ]
11 May Central Park, NYC, 5/!0 [Tom Fiore ]
10 May (Metro Birding Briefs) Forest Park Queens - Summer tanager and others [David Klauber ]
10 May Forest Park Queens - Summer tanager and others [David Klauber ]
10 May Red-necked Phalarope at JBWR ["Steve Walter" ]
10 May Dickcissel, Central Park, NYC 5/10 [Tom Fiore ]
10 May Re: Yaphank-Central Suffolk County [m cooper ]
10 May Birds Saturday at various Suffolk Co. parks [John Gluth ]
9 May NYC Area RBA: 9 May 2008 [Karen Fung ]
9 May Central Park, NYC 5/9 [incl. Bicknell's Thrush] [Tom Fiore ]
9 May female PAINTED BUNTING, Cedarhurst 5/6/08 [Cindy ]
09 May Fw: Saturday's Prospect Park Birdathon which Benefits the Calverton Grasslands [Carl Starace ]
9 May (p.s.- Sandy Hook is in New Jersey) [Tom Fiore ]
9 May Swallow-tailed Kite likely to w. Long Island, 5/8 [Tom Fiore ]
9 May Central Park, NYC 5/8 [Tom Fiore ]
8 May NYC: Madison Square Park, Thu. 8-May-2008 incl. Ovenbird [Ben Cacace ]
08 May Dune Road (Suffolk Co.). & JBWR (Kings/Queens Co.) [Ken Feustel ]
08 May Connetquot River S.P. Prothonotary Warbler: YES []
8 May Linnaean Society Meeting May 13 ["John Cairns" ]
8 May Central Park, NYC 5/7 [Tom Fiore ]
7 May two OTHER STATES' rarities, 5/7 [Tom Fiore ]
7 May Central Park, Tue. 6-May-2008 incl. Common Loon [Ben Cacace ]
7 May Forest Park, Queens [Robert Lewis ]
7 May SW Suffolk Birds ["Robert Grover" ]
7 May Summer Tanager/Prospect Park/Brooklyn [Shane Blodgett ]
7 May Lawrence's Warbler etc. Prospect Park, NYC 5/6 [fwd. from Rudy Badia] [Tom Fiore ]
6 May NYC: De Witt Clinton Park, Tue. 6-May-2008 incl. 3 warbler spp. [Ben Cacace ]
6 May Fwd: Central Park trip [Andrew Block ]
6 May Prothonotary Warbler at Connetquot River St. Pk. [Nicholas Laviola ]
6 May Inwood Hill Park 5/6- I'm still here! ["KENNETH ALLAIRE" ]
6 May Central Park Red-headed Woodpecker []
6 May Syracuse RBA [Joseph Brin ]
6 May Chat, etc. Central Park, NYC 5/6 [Tom Fiore ]
6 May Jamaica Bay - Orange-crowned and Worm-eating warblers [David Klauber ]
06 May Birds today at Gardiner County Park (Suffolk Co.)) []
6 May Prospect Park & Central Park, NYC 5/5 [including Brooklyn "Lawrence's" Warbler] [Tom Fiore ]
5 May Mine Rd., Highland Falls, Orange County [Curt McDermott ]
05 May Vesper Sparrow at Greenwood Cemetery ["Michael S. Zablocky" ]
5 May RFI: Meadowlands Birding [Ann Marie Pozzini ]
5 May Manhattan parks reports, NYC 5/4 [Tom Fiore ]
04 May Black Scoter at Bayard Cutting Arboretum (Suffolk Co.) [John Gluth ]
04 May Marine Nature Stuy Area, Oceansidde [Sy Schiff ]
04 May Re: North Shore Birds - May 4, 2008 [Susan Herbst ]
04 May Millbrook, Dutchess County [John Askildsen ]
4 May Rose-breasted grosbeaks []
4 May Sullivan Sandhill [Renee Davis ]
04 May North Shore Birds - May 4, 2008 [Susan Herbst ]
4 May Re:George Washington Bridge Area [Peregrina Garcia ]
4 May George Washington Bridge Area [Peregrina Garcia ]
04 May Prospect Park May 4th []
04 May Hooded Warbler at Target Rock [Jim Osterlund ]

Subject: Fort Washington Park and Van Cortlandt Park
From: Peregrina Garcia <peregrina_g AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 13:46:10 -0700 (PDT)
Yesterday,(saturday) the most notable sighting at Fort Washington Park(south of 
the George Washington Bridge was a CAPE MAY WARBLER,which are not always easy 
birds to encounter. There was also a Veery and numbers of Northern Parulas 
,Black Throated Greens and Yellow Warblers,Common Yellowthroat,Ovenbird and 
Myrtle Warblers,in addition to numerous Grey Catbirds. 

Today,(sunday) at Van Cortlandt Park areas covered were the Tibbett's 
Wetland,the Marsh,Vault Hill,and parts of the Northwest Woods. 

There were Wood Ducks,Great Crested Flycatchers,Eastern Phoebes,a LEAST 
FLTCATCHER, Eastern Kingbirds,and Eastern Wood Pewees. 

 There were Chimney Swifts and Tree Swallows over the waters of the Marsh.
We heard Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers from the trees that ring the marsh waters.
Also Red Eyed Vireos and Warbling Vireos were seen close down but not singing. 
In the N.W. Woods,various Wood Thrushes were heard and seen. 

The Warblers:Black and White,Nashville,Northern Parulas,Yellows,Magnolia,Black 
Throated Greens, Black Throated Blues,Yellow Rumped,Chestnut 
Sided,Blackpolls,Prairie,Ovenbirds,Northern Waterthrush,Common 
Yellowthroats,American Redstart. 

Also seen and heard singing in the Northwest Woods were Scarlet Tanagers,Rose 
Breasted Grosbeaks and Rufous Sided Towhees. Mourning Doves were also heard. 


Good Birds,
Yolanda Garcia


 
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Subject: Dickcissel YES, Sunday Central Park, NYC 5/11
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 07:04:58 -0400
Sunday, 11 May, 2008 (yes, it is Mother's Day) -

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City

The adult male DICKCISSEL continues!  same location within Central  
Park, at the Falconer's Hill, which is located immediately south of  
the east-west 72nd Street cross-drive roadway.  Closest park entrance  
is at West 72 Street, coming down the hill thru Strawberry Fields (or  
along the park entry road if safe to do so) & across the West Drive,  
walking roughly southeast, passing the tall "Falconer" statue if you  
stayed on the 72 Street cross-drive but the better way to reach the  
lawn is perhaps to continue up a path that will intersect the north  
edge of Sheep Meadow & the "Mineral Springs" food-court pavillion  
which is housed in a low red-brick structure on the southern edge of  
the Falconer Hill area.  From there go into the lower east lawn if  
possible, staying a distance from the shrubbery on the east side of  
rocks at Falconer Hill because that's where the Dickcissel was almost  
all day Saturday & again at 6:30 a.m. this Sunday.

I saw the bird quickly after arriving thanks to Ethan Goodman, a  
Manhattan birder already on-site & on the bird. As I was leaving to  
post this message more keen birders were arriving at Falconer's Hill  
to seek the Dickcissel.  Good luck, do go if you haven't yet seen it,  
this time or at all ... if anyone hears this bird vocalize please  
offer a report.  I got some bad photos this morning but real  
photographers will & do have beautiful photos on some of the  
galleries in their names or on photo-sharing websites.

PLENTY of other birds are all around Central Park, with many singing  
male songbirds in the first 1/2-hour of sunlight.

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: Central Park, NYC, 5/!0
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 05:55:12 -0400
Saturday, 10 May, 2008 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

While the bright adult male Dickcissel at Falconer's Hill all day was  
the standout rarity so far reported, there were many migrants seen in  
the park on Saturday, and literally hundreds of birders out & about.   
At least a few reports may filter in from the fields in delayed  
fashion as the NYC Audubon bird-a-thon results are compiled & passed  
along to the public.

Another newly-reported species (although expected each spring) was  
Acadian Flycatcher, heard singing in the Ramble near the "oven" or  
just north of there by at least several observers.  Other Empidonax  
detected included Least, Willow, & Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, and on  
the flycatcher theme the Eastern Wood-Pewee has been present in the  
park again for a day or more, with some reports from the Ramble &  
also the north woods. Other flycatchers continuing are Great Crested,  
& Eastern Kingbird. (I've heard no definitive reports of an Olive- 
sided, although this is "their time".)  Getting really late now is  
the Hooded Merganser lingering at the reservoir, it's possible it's  
not in perfect health, though it certainly has been feeding.  An  
adult Bald Eagle overflew the central part of the park later in the  
day, going east to west across Manhattan, it most likely had passed  
over Queens & perhaps another county on Long Island but also could  
have wandered down from either the mainland of NY in Westchester  
county &/or Connecticut. The Florida & other southern-breeding  
populations are the eagles that are moving now, I believe, as they've  
finished up their seasons.

I suspect there will be some additions to the list below. If anyone  
is "sitting" on any new/rare birds it would be nice to hear about  
them before the end of spring.

The list to my knowledge -
Saturday, 10th May, 2008:

Double-crested Cormorant
Common Loon (fly-overs, a.m.)
Great Blue Heron (n.-bound fly-over, a.m.)
Great Egret (multiple fly-overs, north end)
Snowy Egret (multiple fly-overs, n. end)
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture (fly-over, p.m.)
Canada Goose
Gadwall (pair, reservoir)
Mallard
Hooded Merganser (reservoir, very late for this)
Bald Eagle (adult, fly-over going east to west, ~ 3:45 p.m.)
Red-tailed Hawk (south, north, & central fly-bys)
American Kestrel (several fly-bys)
Peregrine Falcon (fly-over seen from 2 locations)
Solitary Sandpiper (several locations)
Spotted Sandpiper (multiple locations)
Laughing Gull (reservoir, around 3:30)
Ring-billed Gull (mainly on reservoir)
Herring Gull (mainly on reservoir)
Great Black-backed Gull (mainly on reservoir)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Monk Parakeet (heard, from Great Hill)
Black-billed Cuckoo (Blockhouse area)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (2 in north end, p.m.)
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (several)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern [Yellow-shafted] Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee (several heard &/or seen)
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (several heard &/or seen)
Acadian Flycatcher (singing in Ramble's south side)
Willow Flycatcher (one heard, near Meer, late a.m.)
Least Flycatcher (more than a few)
Great Crested Flycatcher (several)
Eastern Kingbird (multiple)
White-eyed Vireo (Great Hill)
Blue-headed Vireo (just 2 detected by me)
Yellow-throated Vireo (several)
Warbling Vireo (multiple)
Red-eyed Vireo (many)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (common)
Barn Swallow (very common)
Black-capped Chickadee (2)
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch (at least several)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren (several locations)
House Wren (many)
Marsh Wren (Meer, e. edge)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery (many)
Gray-cheeked Thrush (several, also including possible Bicknell's Thrush)
Swainson's Thrush (many)
Hermit Thrush (still around)
Wood Thrush (multiple)
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (more coming)
Blue-winged Warbler (still more than a few, some silent & thus likely  
females)
Tennessee Warbler (2 singing, Summit Rock/early a.m., & Great Hill  
later on)
Nashville Warbler (multiple)
Northern Parula (still rather common)
Yellow Warbler (multiple)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (multiple)
Magnolia Warbler (nearly common)
Cape May Warbler (several locations)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (common)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (not as common)
Black-throated Green Warbler (multiple, more females)
Blackburnian Warbler (at least several in the park)
Prairie Warbler (at least several locations)
Palm Warbler (I found just 3 in 3 different locations)
Bay-breasted Warbler (several- & nicely at Summit Rock)
Blackpoll Warbler (multiple males, & a couple of females)
Black-and-white Warbler (common)
American Redstart (a bit more common now but still "low")
Worm-eating Warbler (at least several locations)
Ovenbird (many)
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler (at least 3 males, & several females)
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler

Scarlet Tanager (multiple males, & now more females)
Eastern Towhee (few)
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow (few noted)
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow (more than several locations)
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow (still in numbers)
White-crowned Sparrow (multiple including 3 at Falconer's Hill)
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (almost common)
Indigo Bunting (multiple)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole (in at least several locations)
Baltimore Oriole (many)
Purple Finch (still seen & heard in north end)
House Finch
American Goldfinch (common)
House Sparrow

Time to go birding again!  Good luck,

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: (Metro Birding Briefs) Forest Park Queens - Summer tanager and others
From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com>
Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 22:26:39 -0400
A male Summer Tanager was found by Arie Gilbert at the waterhole at Forest Park 
around 3 PM. Other birds in Forest Park, not all seen by me, included a 
Kentucky at the gully (found in the morning and seen by us around 2 PM behind 
the wood chip pile opposite the gully), Cape May, Bay-breasted, Tennessee, and 
Worm-eating among over 20 species of warblers 

_________________________________________________________________
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Subject: Forest Park Queens - Summer tanager and others
From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com>
Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 22:26:39 -0400
A male Summer Tanager was found by Arie Gilbert at the waterhole at Forest Park 
around 3 PM. Other birds in Forest Park, not all seen by me, included a 
Kentucky at the gully (found in the morning and seen by us around 2 PM behind 
the wood chip pile opposite the gully), Cape May, Bay-breasted, Tennessee, and 
Worm-eating among over 20 species of warblers 

_________________________________________________________________
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Subject: Red-necked Phalarope at JBWR
From: "Steve Walter" <SWalter AT nyc.rr.com>
Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 22:03:02 -0400
Since none of the hundreds of people that saw it have posted it here, I'll 
mention that a female Red-necked Phalarope (in breeding plumage) was present 
on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay today, ranging from around bench 5 to 8.

Steve Walter
Bayside, NY
Subject: Dickcissel, Central Park, NYC 5/10
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 20:46:24 -0400
Saturday, 10 May, 2008 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City
adult-plumaged DICKCISSEL at "Falconer's Hill", part of CP:

Though the news is late to reach this list, it was posted here:
http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MTRO.html#1210434222
My personal thanks to Lloyd & Sandy Spitalnik of Manhattan
for the news the really old-fashioned way, in person while in
Central Park.  Thanks also to long-time park birders - Leslie
Beebe, and birder-naturalist Mike Bonifanti. I'm sure the 100
plus additional, subsequent observers thank them as well...

Many other birds were seen in Central Park, reports on them
may come much later. [p.s. the Dickcissel stayed on thru eve.]

Good birding,

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: Re: Yaphank-Central Suffolk County
From: m cooper <mikec02 AT optonline.net>
Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 20:26:38 -0400
This morning I spent about 3 hours birding aorund Yaphank in central Suffolk 
County- Cathedral Pines County Park, Warbler Woods and Lower Lake.

Best was Lower Lake, with Yellow-throated, Warbling, White-eyed and 
Red-eyeds Vireo singing conspicuously near the road, and Rough-winged and 
Bank Swallows, along with Barns and Trees, over the lake.  Otherwise, it was 
mostlythe usual suspects- Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Blue-wing, 
Parula, BLack and White etc.

Mike Cooper
Subject: Birds Saturday at various Suffolk Co. parks
From: John Gluth <jgluth AT optonline.net>
Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 19:20:47 -0400
This morning, after hearing/seeing the most migrant activity in my yard thus
far this Spring, I had my hopes up for a good day in the field as well. And
it was good, though not as much as expected. Nevertheless, between 7:15am
and 3:15pm I managed to find 72 species combined at the following locations:
Heckscher State Park(1), Caleb Smith S.P.(2), Blydenburgh County Park(3),
and Lakeland C.P.(4). Included in that number were 13 species of warblers,
with N. Parula, Ovenbird and Black-throated Blue by far the most numerous,
with multiples being seen at most locations. Other highlights below with
location notations.

Wood Duck (2)
Pied-billed Grebe (4)
Merlin (4)
Spotted Sandpiper (3)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (3)
E. Phoebe (2,4)
Great-crested Flycatcher (1,2,3)
Warbling Vireo (2)
Red-eyed Vireo (1,2,3)
Purple Martin (4)
N. Rough-winged Swallow (2,4)
Bank Swallow (2,3)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)
House Wren (1,2,3)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2)
Veery (1)
Wood Thrush (2)
Brown Thrasher (1)
Blue-winged Warbler (2,3)
Nashville Warbler (1)
N. Parula (1,2,3)
Yellow Warbler (1,2,3)
Magnolia Warbler (3)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (1,2,3)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (1,2)
Black-throated Green Warbler (1)
Pine Warbler (1,2,4)
B&W Warbler (1,2,3)
Redstart (1,3,4)
Ovenbird (1,2,3,4)
Common Yellowthroat (1,4)
Scarlet Tanager (3)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (3)
Baltimore Oriole (1,2,3,4)
Subject: NYC Area RBA: 9 May 2008
From: Karen Fung <imageviewer AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 20:50:37 -0700 (PDT)
- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* May 9, 2008
* NYNY0805.09

-	Birds Mentioned:

SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER+

Common Loon
Least Bittern
Common Moorhen
SANDHILL CRANE [Extralimital: Sullivan County]
Semipalmated Plover
Red Knot
Semipalmated Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Black Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Chuck-will's-widow
Whip-poor-will
Red-headed Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Cliff Swallow
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Golden-winged Warbler [north of NYC]
Lawrence's Warbler (hybrid)
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Pine Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Mourning Warbler [Extralimital: Sullivan County]
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Lark Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin


If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your
report electronically and use the NYSARC online
submission form found at
http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via
email to nysarc1 AT nybirds.org .

If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy
reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy
documentation should be mailed to:

        Jeanne Skelly - Secretary
        NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
        420 Chili-Scottsville Rd.
        Churchville, NY  14428


Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert 
Weekly Recording: (212) 979-3070 (currently
disconnected **)

** NOTE:  Due to the move by the NYC Audubon to a new
location, the NYC Area RBA is temporarily without
phone service.  This is being worked on and hopefully
will be remedied soon. **

To report sightings call:
Tom Burke (212) 297-4804 (weekdays)
Tony Lauro (631) 734-4126 (Long Island) 

Compilers: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester
County
Transcriber: Karen Fung

[~ Transcript ~]

Greetings.  This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for
Friday, May 9th, at 9:00 p.m.  The highlights of
today's tape are SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER, SANDHILL
CRANE, and such spring migrants as RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLER, KENTUCKY WARBLER, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT,
SUMMER TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK, and LARK SPARROW.

An adult SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was spotted and
photographed at Pelham Bay Park on Monday, during its
few hour stay along the path to Hunter Island.  It has
not been relocated there since. 

A SANDHILL CRANE was seen again at Bashakill, Sullivan
County, last Sunday evening, flying around Haven Road
looking for a landing site in the high water
conditions.  Among the many interesting birds in that
area this week was an early MOURNING WARBLER on
Saturday, and it should be noted that CERULEAN WARBLER
is on territory at several locations north of the
city.

It was a good week in the city parks, with a nice
variety of migrants.  Prospect Park seemed to produce
many of the more unusual passerines for the week. 
These included a male SUMMER TANAGER Wednesday at the
Vale of Cashmere, a male BLUE GROSBEAK on the
Peninsula Wednesday, and a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Wednesday, joined by a second, on Thursday, at the
Lullwater.  Also in Prospect were a KENTUCKY WARBLER
Sunday at the Vale, and another Thursday, near
Prospect Lake; these followed Friday by one in the
Midland, and one at the Ravine, and a YELLOW-BREASTED
CHAT present near Terrace Bridge from Saturday to
Thursday.  The 20+ species of warblers in the park
have also included CAPE MAY WARBLER, WORM-EATING
WARBLER, LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, and up to four HOODED
WARBLER, plus a LAWRENCE'S WARBLER HYBRID, and other
recent arrivals of note have featured BLACK-BILLED
CUCKOO and LINCOLN'S SPARROW.  

A LARK SPARROW was reported last weekend from nearby
Green-Wood Cemetery, in the area of the catacombs on
Saturday, and at the intersection of Ocean Hill and
Ocean Avenue on Sunday.

Central Park has also enjoyed a good diversity,
including a breeding-plumaged COMMON LOON, lingering
on the Reservoir; YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO last weekend; a
WHIP-POOR-WILL last Friday; an adult RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER again near the Ramble on Tuesday; various
flycatchers and swallows, the latter including a few
CLIFF SWALLOWS; five species of vireos; and a growing
number of thrushes, now including SWAINSON'S THRUSH
and GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH.  Among the warblers, the most
unexpected may have been the CERULEAN WARBLER singing
west of the park, Sunday, along West 89th Street.  But
in the park, warblers have featured TENNESSEE WARBLER,
a good number of CAPE MAY WARBLERS, a late PINE
WARBLER or two, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER and BLACKPOLL
WARBLER on Wednesday, WORM-EATING WARBLER, one or two
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES, up to four HOODED WARBLERS,
WILSON'S WARBLER, CANADA WARBLER, and a
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT Tuesday, near the Meer, at the
north end.  Good numbers of SCARLET TANAGERS and
BALTIMORE ORIOLES, some ORCHARD ORIOLES, ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAKS, and INDIGO BUNTINGS, plus a decent number
of lingering PURPLE FINCHES, are all adding a nice
element of color.  Sparrows have included some
LINCOLN'S, and some BOBOLINKS stopped by the north end
on Saturday.  

The water drip at Riverside Park in northern Manhattan
over the weekend attracted at least 19 species of
warblers, including a PROTHONOTARY last Friday
evening, and WORM-EATING.  Other species in the park
have included GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH and HOODED WARBLER.

At Forest Park, Queens, warblers included a CERULEAN
on Sunday.  Hopefully this rain will fill up the dry
waterhole.  

At Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge there were
ORANGE-CROWNED and WORM-EATING WARBLERS in the South
Garden Tuesday, and on Wednesday a GULL-BILLED TERN
was around the West Pond, with two HOODEDS in the
Gardens.  

At Connetquot River State Park a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
was singing near the fish hatchery Tuesday and
Thursday, and twelve PINE SISKINS were still visiting
the feeders there on Thursday.  

Birds recently at Jones Beach West End have included
BLACK TERN, COMMON TERN, and two GULL-BILLED TERNS
last Sunday, a GULL-BILLED still around there
Wednesday, and various shorebirds are beginning to
gather there, including RED KNOT, SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHER, and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS.

Another BLACK TERN was at PIKE'S BEACH in Westhampton
Dunes on Thursday.

CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOWS have returned to appropriate
eastern Long Island sites, and two RED CROSSBILLS were
noted Tuesday and Wednesday at the Sarnoff Preserve,
near Maple Swamp, in Flanders. 

Mecox Inlet produced WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 15 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS,
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, and two CASPIAN TERNS last
Sunday.  Other highlights Sunday from East End ponds
included 15 PURPLE SANDPIPERS on the westernmost jetty
at Georgica Pond, and two CASPIAN TERNS and three
FORSTER'S TERNS at Sag Pond.

Other recent arrivals have included LEAST BITTERN,
COMMON MOORHEN, LEAST TERN, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, EASTERN
WOOD-PEWEE, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER north of the city,
and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED
SPARROW.
 
To phone in reports on Long Island call Tony Lauro at
(631) 734-4126, or weekdays call Tom Burke at (212)
297-4804.  This service is sponsored by the Linnaean
Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. 

[~ End Transcript ~]



 
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Subject: Central Park, NYC 5/9 [incl. Bicknell's Thrush]
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 22:40:11 -0400
Friday, 9 May, 2008  -  Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

Although mainly a wash-out for being out long, I did venture forth in  
the morning & enjoyed a couple of hours of mainly rain-free birding.   
It seemed that a lot of Thursday's birds may have lingered to Friday,  
& there were still Cape May & other warbler species in trees on  
Summit Rock, a Bay-breasted & other warblers along the east side  
reservoir path trees, & good activity including a CALLING BICKNELL'S  
THRUSH in the north woods of the park (the Bicknell's gave it's  
typical somewhat down-slurred calls as it dueled a bit with a  
Swainson's Thrush, for reasons unknown), plus numerous thrushes of  
the more regular spp. including Veery. Hermit, Wood, & the latter  
already noted thrushes.  A bit late was the still-lingering Hooded  
Merganser on the reservoir. Also present around & over the reservoir  
were many swallows including at least 2 Cliff (possibly more) & more  
common Barn, N. Rough-winged, & several Bank Swallows. White-crowned  
Sparrow was singing on the Great Hill.

...p.s., thanks to many hikes in June thru August in the Catskills,  
Adirondacks, northern New England mountains & a few places in Quebec,  
I've heard/seen Bicknell's on territory dozens of times now.

[Environment Canada has a nice website with this on Bicknell's:   
http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/bicknells_thrush/e/ 
species_is_born.html  and you can look in the left bar for "sounds"  
to hear them]

Good birding,

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: female PAINTED BUNTING, Cedarhurst 5/6/08
From: Cindy <catbirder1 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 15:59:56 -0700 (PDT)
Hi all,
   
 Sorry for the late post but I had a female PAINTED BUNTING at my feeders this 
past Tuesday, May 6, seen just after noon and again at around 2 pm. I delayed 
posting as I was hoping the bird would be seen again the next day, but two very 
brief visits was all I got before it disappeared. (I'm not complaining, 
however!) I did manage to get some photos, but unfortunately I won't be able to 
get them up until next Wednesday (I'm off to Point Pelee till Tuesday night!). 
I'll let you know when the pics are available. 

   
 Sorry I wasn't able to share the bird with everyone... I think I had a grand 
total of maybe five minutes with it, if that. 

   
  enjoy the season
  Cindy Wodinsky
  Cedarhurst, LI

       
---------------------------------
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Subject: Fw: Saturday's Prospect Park Birdathon which Benefits the Calverton Grasslands
From: Carl Starace <castarace AT optonline.net>
Date: Fri, 09 May 2008 14:55:23 -0400
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Carl Starace 
To: NYSbirds-L AT cornell.edu
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 9:57 AM
Subject: Saturday's Prospect Park Birdathon which Benefits the Calverton 
Grasslands 



Hello All, On the eve of the Brooklyn Bird Club's Saturday Birdathon at 
Prospect Park,[ 6am at Park Entrance in front of the Grand Army Plaza, Paul 
Keim,Leader], I want to remind everyone that all pledged proceeds will go to 
further the cause in preserving Calverton Grasslands at EpCal in eastern 
Suffolk County,Long Island.What is possibly the LARGEST SLATED MEGA- 
DEVELOPMENT ON THE ENTIRE EAST COAST does not belong on top of the LARGEST 
REMAINING GRASSLAND HABITAT IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA.Many of you have visited 
the Grassland these last several month's and seen what a magnificent habitat it 
truly is. I urge all birders to give pledges to this extremely important 
Preservation Effort.THE GROUP FOR THE EAST END [Google it] is spearheading the 
Preservation Effort.Thank you Peter and all your ace team for your efforts in 
this regard.My partner Sally Swain and I are adding our pledge.We would have 
joined you all but I am leading a Bird Hike for the National Park tomorrow at 
Fire Island.Have a Great one! Carl Starace, Eastern L.I. Audubon
Subject: (p.s.- Sandy Hook is in New Jersey)
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 05:52:24 -0400
re: the previous post, apologies for not adding -
Sandy Hook is on New Jersey's northern shore, curling north towards  
New York City.

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: Swallow-tailed Kite likely to w. Long Island, 5/8
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 05:39:11 -0400
Thursday, 8 May, 2008 -

SWALLOW-TAILED KITE likely to western Long Island (Kings, Queens  
counties, NY)

This message from the current hawk-counter at Sandy Hook's hawk/ 
migration watch. Sandy Hook is across the lower NY harbor from Kings  
(Brooklyn) & Queens counties of New York's Long Island.  John van  
Dort is a highly experienced hawk-watcher & a fine all-round birder.   
When he lived in Brooklyn he would also visit the Central Park  
(Manhattan) hawk-watch and identify birds on the wing beyond visual  
limits that many of us mortals have!

NB: there is a real possibility that this kite is still in a Long  
Island locality, from Brooklyn or Queens to somewhere east... or  
elsewhere in NY... please report a.s.a.p. if found!

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
  -   -   -   -
-->
On May 8, 2008, at 10:49 PM, John van Dort wrote:
> Hi Tom,
>
> Saw your post on the New York Birding list, and remembered your  
> post last week about the Swallow-tailed Kite at Sandy Hook. I am  
> the hawk counter there and today I had another Swallow-tailed Kite  
> - and unlike last week's bird, this bird went straight to Coney  
> Island! I photographed it at the hawk watch at 11:30, and it must  
> have made landfall at Coney Island (or Breezy Point) maybe 10  
> minutes later.
>
> I also had three Mississippi Kites (all three adults) which for all  
> I know might still be on the Hook. I first saw two birds at 2:10 PM  
> and a single bird at 3:25 PM. Then at 4:45 PM I saw all three birds  
> at the same time, though still not together (2+1).
>
> Also at Sandy Hook today - and seen several times from the hawk  
> watch platform throughout the day - was a White-winged Dove. ...
> Cheers,
> John
<--
________
Subject: Central Park, NYC 5/8
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 05:10:03 -0400
Although no one on this list is likely to jet off to look for this, a  
Greater Golden-Plover occurred on Newfoundland, a pretty rare species  
in North America;  just a bit "likely" in that part of Canada... see  
http://www.refugenet.org/birding/junSBC06.html#TOC01 for a brief  
history on it, although the reference is not to the one currently  
being seen there. (closer to NY, Curlew Sandpipers in N.J.)
  - - -
Thursday, 8 May 2008 - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

The light rain beginning just about the time of sunrise brought down  
a great many migrating songbirds into the park early on.  A search of  
Ramble areas where a certain warbler was reported on Wed. revealed  
none of the genus Oporornis to me on Thursday.  At Summit Rock, the  
park's highest natural elevation above sea-level near W. 83 Street,  
species included 3 Cape May Warblers, 2 males enjoyed by 4 of us  
(Chris Cooper, Junko Suzuki, Betsy Barlow-Rogers, & I) plus a female  
Cape May that J.S. & I noticed in the same tree with the 2 males. As  
we all ogled those & other migrants, I also was aware of many  
songbirds, many of them likely warblers, vireos & other smaller spp.,  
moving overhead & some or perhaps many "falling out" of the low, gray  
& showery cloud cover.  In general the trend of that movement was  
northward but there was some flight in many directions at varying  
elevations from nearly tree-top to at least several hundred feet  
above ground.  I later was to find 3 additional Cape May Warblers in  
the northern half of the park - one in oaks north of the reservoir,  
another at the oaks just south of the 96 St. Transverse Rd. & yet  
another in trees on the slope north of the Loch, all males. I also  
learned of at least 3 additional Cape Mays reported just south & east  
of the Ramble. As many as 9 reported altogether? Anyhow, clearly a  
very good day to see them here. Incidentally all of these Cape May  
were additionally seen by other birders later in the day, & roughly  
in the same places.  In all, at least 25 warbler species were noted  
in a lot of trees looked at, & a few showers endured.  Other typical  
early May migrants besides warblers abounded, but this time, a list  
of ...

just warblers, May 8th:

Blue-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler (north)
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler (north)
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler

Good birding,

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: NYC: Madison Square Park, Thu. 8-May-2008 incl. Ovenbird
From: Ben Cacace <msmythii AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 20:45:47 -0700 (PDT)
DATE: Thursday, 8 May 2008 (12:35p-1:20p)
LOCATION: Manhattan - Madison Square Park
REPORTED BY: Ben Cacace

There was little activity in the trees. Most sightings were on the ground in 
the planted borders. 


• Location: between 23rd - 26th St. & Madison Ave. - 5th Ave.
• Size: Approx. 5.6 acres.
• Trees I could ID: Ginkos, oaks, American Elms, London Planes & Japanese 
Crabapples. 

• Wikimapia: http://tinyurl.com/5hfhpp

** Total species - 8 **

'Fairly Common' usually seen; 3-12 per day in habitat [3 spp]: 
- Ovenbird - 2 in separate fenced in areas
- Common Yellowthroat - 3 incl. 2 adult males & 1 female
- Swamp Sparrow - 1

'Common' seen easily; more than 12 per day in habitat [5 spp]: 
- Rock Pigeon - 36+
- American Robin - 1
- Gray Catbird - 1
- European Starling - 15+
- House Sparrow - 6+

Abundance categories from 'The New York City Audubon Society Guide to Finding 
Birds in the Metropolitan Area' published 2001. Abundance season is 'Spring', 
March - May, and applies to all of New York City. 



 
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Subject: Dune Road (Suffolk Co.). & JBWR (Kings/Queens Co.)
From: Ken Feustel <feustel AT optonline.net>
Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 18:52:10 -0500
After searching unsuccessfully in the rain early this morning
(7:30AM-8:30AM) for the Prothonotary Warbler at Connetquot River State Park
(CRSP) fish hatchery we briefly stopped at the CRSP feeders where approx.
twelve Pine Siskins are still present. We then proceeded out east to Dune
Road. At Pike's Beach there was a Black Tern among thirty Common Terns.
There were good shorebird numbers at Pike's but little variety, with the
shorebird species dominated by Dunlin and Sanderling. Further east along
Dune Road we had a nice look at a pair of Clapper Rails and our first of the
season Least Terns. A flyby Tricolored Heron was notable. We observed twelve
species of shorebirds but nothing unusual. 

 

At JBWR on Wednesday there were seventeen species of warblers including two
(possibly three) Hooded Warblers in the North and South Gardens. A
Gull-billed Tern flew over the West Pond and only my second of the year
Indigo Bunting was at the photo blind. Birds at Hempstead Lake State Park
were mostly the same as JBWR, with the only addition being Solitary
Sandpiper. West End was quiet with the exception of a single Gull-billed
Tern hawking insects over the parkway median.  

 

Ken Feustel
Subject: Connetquot River S.P. Prothonotary Warbler: YES
From: jgluth AT optonline.net
Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 18:31:13 +0000 (GMT)
I finally found the Prothonotary Warbler seen by Nick Laviola Tuesday, but only 
after nearly an hour of carefully looking and listening all around the fish 
hatchery and vicinity. I first heard it's song carrying over the sound of 
rushing water, then got a couple of somewhat distant glimpses of it within the 
hatchery proper, as it moved threw the shrubs growing on a narrow, bulkheaded 
arm of land near where some camouflage netting covers the holding ponds. I 
later got another poor look at it as it sang from the upper branches of a Swamp 
Maple just beyond the southeast corner of the hatchery. In between it sang 
sporadically and moved around a lot, making it difficult to track down.Other 
migrants were in relatively short supply, with only 6 other warbler species 
seen or heard: N. Parula,Ovenbird, Black-throated Green, Yellow, Common 
Yellowthroat and Pine. Also present were a 2-3 Great-Crested Flycatchers, a 
Gnatcatcher, N. Rough-winged, Tree, and Barn swallows, and 
multipleBlack-crowned Night-herons and Great Egrets looking for an easy meal of 
trout. A very vocal Green Heron calmly preened in a tree near the footbridge 
that crosses the river just north of the hatchery.
Subject: Linnaean Society Meeting May 13
From: "John Cairns" <jcairns AT nyc.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 11:13:42 -0400
THE LINNAEAN SOCIETY OF NEW YORK SPEAKERS PROGRAM

Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 7:30 PM

The American Museum of Natural History, Linder Auditorium

Speaker:  Mark Stoekle, Rockefeller University

Subject:  DNA Barcording for Identification of World Birds 

 Mark Stoekle is an organizer of the All Birds Barcoding Initiative, which aims 
to collect DNA barcodes for all of our approximately 10,000 avian species. Dr. 
Stoekle will explain this process and its potential for advancing our 
understanding of birds. 


The meeting is open to the public, without charge. Please join us. Enter the 
Museum at West 77th Street. If you would like to meet Dr. Stoekle prior to the 
talk, join us at Pappardella's Restaurant, 75th Street and Columbus Avenue, at 
6 PM. The reservation will be in the name of John. 


John Cairns, Vice President
Subject: Central Park, NYC 5/7
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 05:00:37 -0400
Prefacing with a note on my report of a "possible" Bicknell's Thrush  
in Central Park yesterday... on mathematical odds alone it may have  
been far more likely a Gray-cheeked Thrush, perhaps of the  
Newfoundland race.  In any case the best way to identify a Bicknell's  
Thrush on migration here (without capturing it!) is to have it sing  
or at least call clearly & to know those sounds very well.
  -    -    -
Also, in Prospect Park Brooklyn, birders might want to check at  
Binnen Bridge area for a prototypically water-loving warbler species  
that may have been around there on Wednesday morning. OK, that's the  
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER seen at 8 a.m. at that location by Rudy Badia &  
Gabriel Willow, as reported at: http://journals.aol.com/prosbird/ 
peters-prospect-bird-sightings/  which also includes the report from  
Alex Wilson of Brooklyn of a male BLUE GROSBEAK seen on Prospect  
Park's "peninsula" (which is along Prospect Lake's west shore, &  
accessed from Wellhouse Drive or the west Lullwater path etc.) - A.W.  
mentions the sighting at the "brushy base" of the peninsula & the  
time: in afternoon. Add in the already-reported Summer Tanager at  
Prospect; that park gets the nod for May 7th, '08 as some rarity- 
attractor!

In Central Park, a few observers got either fleeting or less-than- 
ideal views of what those few reported to be a non-vocal Kentucky  
Warbler... a species for which rumors can also fly far & fast in May  
migration here. That said, I know where I'll be searching at sunrise  
or so this Thursday a.m.- the Ramble's eastern parts, particularly  
the Point,  adjacent "oven" area & on through "Evodia field" & points  
a bit north. Other rare-in-NY species were rumored, but any details  
didn't get reported.
  -    -    -
Wednesday, 7 May, 2008  -  Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

Good variety & fairly high numbers of some migrants, with Ovenbird  
and Scarlet Tanager just 2 examples of good #'s.  Kristine Wallstrom  
joined me for much of the morning's birding mainly in the park's  
north end- I'd begun at 5:30 a.m., & much later went thru the Ramble  
& other "southern-half" of Central Park areas . Many areas of the  
park held a good variety; we found it best in the north end mainly  
due to an early start there... also noted (both Wed. & Tues.) was a  
significant early morning flight, with a very high number of migrants  
(visibly) continuing to fly north well after sunrise.

Partial list of migrants May 7:

Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo (2)
Yellow-throated Vireo (several)
Warbling Vireo (multiple)
Red-eyed Vireo (20+++)
Blue Jay (migrants moving lately)
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch (several)
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (multiple)
Veery (fairly common)
Gray-cheeked Thrush (1, North Woods)
Swainson's Thrush (more have arrived)
Hermit Thrush (far fewer than a week ago)
Wood Thrush (fair numbers continuing)
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing

Blue-winged Warbler (multiple)
Tennessee Warbler (singing a bit at 102 St. east-west drive)
Nashville Warbler (several)
Northern Parula (common)
Yellow Warbler (multiple)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (multiple)
Magnolia Warbler (multiple, but not quite very common yet)
Cape May Warbler (1 male, Great Hill, early a.m.- others reported in  
other areas)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (males common; a few females)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (multiple but fewer than a week ago)
Black-throated Green Warbler (fairly common, more females)
Blackburnian Warbler (2 or 3 males - others reported in other areas)
Prairie Warbler (male, North Woods)
Palm Warbler (1)
Bay-breasted Warbler (singing male, Great Hill, early a.m.- &  
reported elsewhere)
Blackpoll Warbler (2 or 3)
Black-and-white Warbler (common, both sexes)
American Redstart (not hard to find but not yet really common)
Worm-eating Warbler (2, Blockhouse & Loch - & reported elsewhere)
Ovenbird (almost abundant)
Northern Waterthrush (many in all areas, some far from water)
Common Yellowthroat (yes... common)
Hooded Warbler (singing male, Loch, early a.m.)
Wilson's Warbler (Loch - & reported elsewhere)
Canada Warbler (several)

Scarlet Tanager (20+ males through the park, very conservatively!  
Fewer females.)
Eastern Towhee (few)
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow (several, N. end)
Lincoln's Sparrow (just 1, seen well- but some more reported)
Swamp Sparrow (multiple)
White-throated Sparrow (plenty still going through)
White-crowned Sparrow (2)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (multiple)
Indigo Bunting (multiple, with some males singing)
Purple Finch (adult male on ground, Loch, 10 a.m.)
American Goldfinch (very common)

Good birding,

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: two OTHER STATES' rarities, 5/7
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 20:47:19 -0400
A photographed WOOD SANDPIPER from nearby Delaware:
http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/DEBD.html#1210200366

2 Mississippi Kites were reported from Massachusetts today:
http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MASS.html#1210186010

& also in Massachusetts was a "lingering" Purple Gallinule:
http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MASS.html#1210192667
  - - -
[some more normally-expected species to be reported from
Central Park, especially once wild rumors can be quelled...]

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: Central Park, Tue. 6-May-2008 incl. Common Loon
From: Ben Cacace <msmythii AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 17:45:58 -0700 (PDT)
DATE: Tuesday, 6 May 2008 (6:00p-7:45p)
LOCATION: Central Park - reservoir
REPORTED BY: Ben Cacace

The highlight was watching a pair of Barn Swallows tending a nest.

** Total species - 23 **

'Uncommon' seen in small numbers; 1-3 per day in habitat [1 spp]: 
- Common Loon - 1 on the reservoir

'Fairly Common' usually seen; 3-12 per day in habitat [5 spp]: 
- Gadwall - Pair (m/f) at the N edge of the reservoir
- Downy Woodpecker - 1 male around the reservoir
- Common Yellowthroat - 1 adult male just N of the reservoir
- Eastern Towhee - 1 adult male just N of the reservoir
- Baltimore Oriole - 1 adult male singing just N of the reservoir

'Common' seen easily; more than 12 per day in habitat [17 spp]: 
- Canada Goose - 3 at the reservoir
- Mallard - 6+ on the reservoir
- Double-crested Cormorant - 17+ at the reservoir
- Black-crowned Night-Heron - 1 adult flyover at the reservoir
- Ring-billed Gull
- Herring Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Rock Pigeon - 12+
- Mourning Dove - 1
- Barn Swallow - 2 nest building near the S end of the reservoir
- American Robin - 6+
- European Starling - 6+
- Yellow-rumped Warbler - 2+
- American Redstart - 1 adult male just N of the reservoir
- White-throated Sparrow - 1 singing
- Common Grackle - 12+
- House Sparrow - 12+

Abundance categories from 'The New York City Audubon Society Guide to Finding 
Birds in the Metropolitan Area' published 2001. Abundance season is 'Spring', 
March - May, and applies to all of New York City. 



 
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Subject: Forest Park, Queens
From: Robert Lewis <rfermat AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 17:25:19 -0700 (PDT)
There was good birding this morning at Forest Park Queens, though not 
spectacular. I was there from about 10:00 - 11:30 and enjoyed: 


Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Blue Jay
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Wood Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (many)
Black-and-white Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler 
Black-throated Green Warbler 
Ovenbird (many)
Common Yellowthroat
Nashville Warbler (male and female)
Yellow Warbler
American Redstart
Scarlet Tanager
White-throated Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Northern Cardinal
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow

and the most unexpected bird,

Red-breasted Nuthatch

It was nice to see a fair number of female warblers.

Bob Lewis
Sleepy Hollow NY


 
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Subject: SW Suffolk Birds
From: "Robert Grover" <rgrover AT gpinet.com>
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 08:20:18 -0400
Finally, SW Suffolk gets a piece of the action, albeit a modest piece.  This
morning at the Southards Pond trail in Babylon there was a decent array of
birds.  The nine warbler species included Magnolia, Common Yellowthroat,
Parula, and Wilsons.  Also present were Spotted Sandpiper and Chimney Swift.
Bob Grover
Subject: Summer Tanager/Prospect Park/Brooklyn
From: Shane Blodgett <shaneblodgett AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 05:01:05 -0700 (PDT)
At 6:40 this morning I found an adult male Summer
Tanager in Prospect
Park,Brooklyn, Kings County. It was between the Vale
of Cashmere and the zoo. He was vocalizing the
"tuck" part of his "tickitytuck" call. As I was
leaving the area I
heard his full song one time.

I've pasted a link to a Google map here:


http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=40.667358,-73.964767&spn=0\ 


.011491,0.028625&t=h&z=16&msid=109542609397740317766.00044ca28bedf39728190&iwloc\ 

=00044ca28f8e84e94dbad
Subject: Lawrence's Warbler etc. Prospect Park, NYC 5/6 [fwd. from Rudy Badia]
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 04:30:38 -0400
All below from Rudy Badia:
-->
Tuesday, 6 May, 2008 - Prospect Park, Brooklyn NYC -

LAWRENCE'S WARBLER continuing at Binnen Bridge. (Lawrence's Warbler  
is a hybrid resulting from Blue-winged x Golden-winged Warblers  
interbreeding.)

Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe (Nethermead), Least  
Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher (Ravine).

& among the other warblers:  Blackpoll Warbler (3 birds, two opposite  
Audubon Center, one singing at Ravine), Pine Warbler, Blue-winged  
Warbler (5), Worm-eating Warbler (Ravine), Nashville Warbler (Midwood  
trail), Hooded Warbler (Ravine), Blackburnian Warbler (3 birds:  
Binnen Bridge, Ravine & Midwood trail).

Rudy Badia
<--
       -           -            -
[submitted to nysbirds by
Tom Fiore of Manhattan]
__________________
Subject: NYC: De Witt Clinton Park, Tue. 6-May-2008 incl. 3 warbler spp.
From: Ben Cacace <msmythii AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 21:46:34 -0700 (PDT)
DATE: Tuesday, 6 May 2008 (12:20p-1:00p)
LOCATION: Manhattan - De Witt Clinton Park, Hell's Kitchen
REPORTED BY: Ben Cacace

Definitely the toughest sounding neighborhood I've birded.

For a birds eye view of De Witt Clinton Park (mouseover center square):
http://tinyurl.com/5rc9ah

Location: between 52nd - 54th St. and 11th - 12th Ave.
From De Witt Clinton Park Conservancy:
http://dewittpark.org/about.html

** Total species - 12 **

'Uncommon' seen in small numbers; 1-3 per day in habitat [2 spp]: 
- Blue-headed Vireo - 1 in oaks
- Magnolia Warbler - 1 adult male in oaks

'Fairly Common' usually seen; 3-12 per day in habitat [2 spp]: 
- Northern Parula - 1 adult male in oaks
- Black-and-white Warbler - 1 adult male in oaks

'Common' seen easily; more than 12 per day in habitat [8 spp]: 
- Double-crested Cormorant - 1 flyover heading NNE
- Rock Pigeon - 24+
- Barn Swallow - 2 circling above un-sodded ball fields
- American Robin - 3+
- Gray Catbird - 1
- European Starling - 3+
- White-throated Sparrow - 2
- House Sparrow - 6+

Abundance categories from 'The New York City Audubon Society Guide to Finding 
Birds in the Metropolitan Area' published 2001. Abundance season is 'Spring', 
March - May, and applies to all of New York City. 



 
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Subject: Fwd: Central Park trip
From: Andrew Block <troubleinshangrila1 AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 19:18:31 -0700 (PDT)

Note: forwarded message attached.

  Andrew v. F. Block 
  Wildlife Biologist 
37 Tanglewylde Avenue 
Bronxville, Westchester County, New York 10708-3131 
Phone: (914) 337-1229; Cell: (914) 886-5124; Fax: (914) 771-8036
  
"When the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another 
heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again..." - William 
Beebe, first NYZS Curator of Birds 

   
  "Crikey! Have a look at that!" - Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter
  
"Just like the white winged dove sings a song, sounds like she's singing whoo, 
baby...whoo...said whoo" - Stephanie L. Nicks 



       
---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.5/4/08 - Central Park, NYC, NY
   
  10 Double-crested Cormorants
  4 Canada Geese
  6 Mallards
  1 Cooper's Hawk
  4 Herring Gulls
  5 Mourning Doves
  several Rock Pigeons
  3 Chimney Swifts
  4 Red-bellied Woodpeckers
  1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  1 Downy Woodpecker
  7 Northern Flickers
  2 Great Crested Flycatchers
  1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  several Blue Jays
  1 White-breasted Nuthatch
  3 House Wrens
  many Ruby-crowned Kinglets
  2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
  5 Veery
  2+ Gray-checked Thrushes
  4+ Hermit Thrushes
  6+ Wood Thrushes
  many Gray Catbirds
  2 Brown Thrashers
  several Cedar Waxwings
  1 Philadelphia Vireo
  3 Blue-winged Warblers
  several Northern Parulas
  3 Yellow Warblers
  2 Chestnut-sided Warblers
  2 Magnolia Warblers
  1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
  7 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  4 Black-throated Green Warblers
  2 Prairie Warblers
  3 Palm Warblers
  5 Black-and-white Warblers
  2 American Redstarts
  1 Worm-eating Warbler
  10+ Ovenbirds
  2 Northern Waterthrushes
  4 Common Yellowthroats
  many Northern Cardinals
  7+ Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
  2 Indigo Buntings
  many Eastern Towhees
  50+ Chipping Sparrows
  3 Swamp Sparrows
  many White-throated Sparrows
  2 Red-winged Blackbirds
  1 Rusty Blackbird
  several Common Grackles
  1 Brown-headed Cowbird
  2 Orchard Orioles
  many Baltimore Orioles
  many American Goldfinches
  several House Sparrows
   
  Also had 6 Red-eared Sliders.
   
  Andrew


  Andrew v. F. Block 
  Wildlife Biologist 
37 Tanglewylde Avenue 
Bronxville, Westchester County, New York 10708-3131 
Phone: (914) 337-1229; Cell: (914) 886-5124; Fax: (914) 771-8036
  
"When the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another 
heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again..." - William 
Beebe, first NYZS Curator of Birds 

   
  "Crikey! Have a look at that!" - Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter
  
"Just like the white winged dove sings a song, sounds like she's singing whoo, 
baby...whoo...said whoo" - Stephanie L. Nicks 



       
---------------------------------
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Subject: Prothonotary Warbler at Connetquot River St. Pk.
From: Nicholas Laviola <nicholaslaviola AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 17:33:10 -0700 (PDT)
There was a Prothonotary Warbler caroling his sweet
southern song, this afternoon, in the blueberries and
huckleberries on the edge of Deep Water Pond. A couple
slippery Muskrats were swimming under him. This nook
is just north of the hatchery. 

-Nicholas







 
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Subject: Inwood Hill Park 5/6- I'm still here!
From: "KENNETH ALLAIRE" <kenallaire AT earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 17:02:29 -0400
Fellow Birders; 
 How nice of Tom Fiore to notice that I haven't posted in a while! Of late I 
have been concentrating heavily on the study of Panama's birds (see 
www.canopyreport.com for some of the fruits of my labors), which unfortunately 
means that I work like a dog while here in NYC, to pay for extended stays in 
Panama. I got home from work this morning, after a 20-hour day, at about 4:30 
a.m., and, seeing Rudy Badia's report, was shamed into heading directly to 
Inwood Hill Park (at the northern tip of Manhattan). I arrived before dawn, and 
did indeed enjoy a rather lovely dawn chorus, not to mention a stunning sunrise 
in this heavily-wooded park. I only managed to stay out for a couple of hours 
before the demand for sleep became too great, but I managed to spot a 
respectable 15 species of warblers and a number of expected migrants of other 
sorts. My list was somewhat similar to (although shorter than) Rudy's with the 
notable exceptions of a male Cape May Warbler seen near the mea! 

 dow and a male Hooded Warbler near the south end of the park. Had my senses 
not been somewhat dulled I would likely have found more, although I also 
suspect that I missed a good push of migrants last weekend. Inwood Hill Park is 
a notoriously slow starter in spring migration, and with the dry April this 
year trees have been slow to bud, and only a week ago there was almost nothing 
in the park besides Yellow-rumpeds. In the last decade or so the second week of 
May has yielded the highest species counts, so if you're thinking of taking the 
trip uptown this should be a good time. I routinely tally 20+ species of 
warblers working alone, and if more folks like Rudy join me I suspect the 
numbers would be higher (between us we had 21 warblers in the last 3 days). 
More long work days are ahead for me, but I have cleared out a bit of birding 
time, so I hope to see a few birders out in the wilds of upstate Manhattan! 

Peace,

Ken Allaire
New York, NY
kenallaire AT earthlink.net
www.kenallaire.com
Subject: Central Park Red-headed Woodpecker
From: JGIUNTA746 AT aol.com
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 16:28:10 EDT
Date: May 6, 2008
Place: Central Park
Reported By: Joe Giunta
 
An adult Red-headed Woodpecker flew over the Bow Bridge and went into  the 
area where the construction is being done.



**************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family 
favorites at AOL Food.      
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Subject: Syracuse RBA
From: Joseph Brin <brinjoseph AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 13:24:01 -0700 (PDT)
RBA

*  New York
*  Syracuse
*   May 6, 2008
*  NYSY 08.04.28

Hotline: Syracuse Rare bird Alert
Dates(s):Apri28, 2008-May 6, 2008
to report by e-mail: brinjoseph AT yahoo.com
covering upstate NY counties: Cayuga, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
and MontezumaWetlands Complex (MWC) (just outside Cayuga County),
Onondaga, Oswego, Lewis, Jefferson, Oneida, Herkimer,  Madison & Cortland
compiled:May 6, 5:00 p.m.. (EST)
compiler: Joseph Brin
Onondaga Audubon Homepage: www.onondagaaudubon.org


#102 -Tuesday May 6, 2008


Greetings! This is the Syracuse Area Rare Bird Alert for the week of April 28, 
2008 


Highlights:  

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER (Extralimital) 

 At least 3 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS were reported on a beach in between 
Southwick Beach and El Dorado State Park on Lake Ontario on 5/4. The birds were 
not relocated. 



 Not much in the way of rarities this week but migration is now the big story. 
New arrivals this week include: 


BRANT
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER
BLACK TERN
RED-EYED VIREO
BANK SWALLOW
CLIFF SWALLOW
VEERY
SWAINSON¢S THRUSH
WOOD THRUSH
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER
NORTHERN PARULA
MAGNOLIA WARBLER
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
CERULEAN WARBLER
AMERICAN REDSTART
OVERBIRD
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
LINCOLN¢S SPARROW
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
BALTIMORE ORIOLE


--end transcript

--
Joseph Brin
Region 5
Baldwinsville, N.Y. 13027 USA


 
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Subject: Chat, etc. Central Park, NYC 5/6
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 16:16:35 -0400
Tuesday, 6 May, 2008  -  Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City

A Yellow-breasted Chat was seen well, and heard singing, by 20+  
observers at the south side of the Meer, the chat moving a bit  
further south up-slope (towards either the Wildflower Meadow or  
perhaps the "A.H. Green white marble bench" hill just east of that  
meadow).  Also in the north end of Central Park this morning were 20+  
additional species of warblers including Bay-breasted (1 or 2),  
Hooded (female), Worm-eating, Canada, etc. - & numerous other migrant  
species (although I thought overall migrant numbers were at least a  
bit less than in the most recent several days past...) For what it's  
worth there was a "gray-cheeked"-type thrush in the north woods near  
the Blockhouse with a somewhat rufous tail, not heard vocalizing at  
all & just skulking enough to avoid having me closely observe other  
characters that might have suggested Bicknell's (which I'd guess it  
was anyhow, & not a nominate Gray-cheeked... it was very definitely  
not any other species than one of the 2).

Good birding,

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: Jamaica Bay - Orange-crowned and Worm-eating warblers
From: David Klauber <davehawkowl AT msn.com>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 14:50:15 -0400
We birded Alley Pond Park in Queens from about 7 to 10, and it was not very 
eventful, except for a Blackburnian Warbler. 

Upon arriving at Jamaica Bay around 11 AM Bobby Rosetti and I had singing 
Worm-eating and Orange-crowned Warblers by the entrance to the South Garden a 
bit north of the visitor center. They were not present at 1:30 when we left. 
Otherwise there were singing warblers of the commoner species - Parula, BT 
Blue, Nashville, with a silent Wilson's Warbler seen at the North Garden. Some 
waterfowl are still present at the West Pond - 2 Snow Geese, Scaup, a 
Canvasback, and Shoveler along with the Ruddy Ducks and a couple of Gadwall. 

_________________________________________________________________
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Subject: Birds today at Gardiner County Park (Suffolk Co.))
From: jgluth AT optonline.net
Date: Tue, 06 May 2008 18:38:03 +0000 (GMT)
There was a lot of bird activity late this morning (10:00-11:30) at 
Gardiner C.P., despite the fact thatneotropical passerines still on their way 
north were virtually absent.In the marshes along the Great South Bay I saw two 
counter-singing Seaside Sparrows as well as a few Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed 
Sparrows (both personal FOYs). Other marsh/beach highlights included Least 
Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover (FOY), Willet, Marsh Wren, Savannah Sparrow and 
Forster's Tern.The woods and fields to the north were overrun with territorial 
Yellow Warblers and Catbirds, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were much in evidence 
as well. The only other warblers seen or heard were a few Yellow-rumps and 2 N. 
Parulas. Wood Thrushes, White-eyed Vireos and a Baltimore Oriole were present 
but heard only. 42 species total, pretty good for only 1-1/2 hours.
Subject: Prospect Park & Central Park, NYC 5/5 [including Brooklyn "Lawrence's" Warbler]
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 06:30:10 -0400
Monday, 5 May, 2008 - Prospect Park, Brooklyn; & Central Park, Manhattan
(both in New York City)

In addition to my own sightings from Central Park in Manhattan (some  
with Mike Freeman in early a.m.),

I offer a report from Rudy Badia who birded in Prospect Park,  
Brooklyn on Monday morning:  a singing male LAWRENCE's (type) hybrid  
WARBLER was noted at the Binnen Bridge near the Music Pagoda (as  
described by RB), & a nice variety of more expected migrants was also  
reported by Rudy including a Blackpoll Warbler (no specific location  
in Prospect for that).

Rudy also visited Central Park later in the day, & with his reports  
combined with my own sightings & a few other birders, it's clear that  
Central Park had good variety as well, with at least 20 warbler  
species including male Hooded Warblers in at least 2 locations, and a  
wide variety of other [mainly expected] migrant species...

Good birding,

Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
Subject: Mine Rd., Highland Falls, Orange County
From: Curt McDermott <tele-tek AT hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 22:16:11 -0400
Hi All,
 
While passing through Mine Rd. this morning:Blue-winged WarblerYellow 
WarblerCommon YellowthroatWorm Eating WarblerBlack & White WarblerHooded 
WarblerRedstartCerulean WarblerGOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERBREWSTER'S WARBLERWHITE 
EYED VIREOAs a caution: No Blue-winged Warbler on Mine Rd. should be Id'd by 
song alone, as it is a place of great hybridization. Today Blue-winged, 
Golden-winged and Brewster's all were singing the typical Blue-winged song. 
Those who saw the Lawrence's Warbler the past two years will also recall that 
it too sang the Blue-winged (typical) song.Good Birding,Curt 

Curt
 
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Subject: Vesper Sparrow at Greenwood Cemetery
From: "Michael S. Zablocky" <mszablocky AT verizon.net>
Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 15:04:32 -0400
There was a Vesper Sparrow at the far end of Dell Water at 10 o'clock this
morning. The individual was a worn adult, very gray and washed out. Come to
think of it, I don't recall ever seeing a Vesper in fresh plumage. Anyway,
the Vesper was a consolation prize for having been unable to locate the Lark
Sparrow.


Michael S. Zablocky
Brooklyn, NY
Subject: RFI: Meadowlands Birding
From: Ann Marie Pozzini <li_birder AT yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 08:04:26 -0700 (PDT)
I'm hoping someone in the NYC or NYS area may have some info on where I can go 
birding in the Meadowlands area. A friend is graduating from Fairleigh 
Dickinson on Tuesday, May 20 & the ceremony is at the Meadowland Arena. Rather 
than arriving in time for the 10 a.m. start, I'd rather go to NJ early and get 
some birding in before the ceremony. 

   
 I'm in the search of warblers but would appreciate any & all suggestions. (If 
all else fails, I'll head out to Great Swamp.) 

   
  Please respond off-list to me at li_birder AT yahoo.com.
   
  Thanks.
  Ann Marie Pozzini
  Wantagh

       
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Subject: Manhattan parks reports, NYC 5/4
From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2 AT earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 05:18:25 -0400
Sunday, 4 May, 2008 - Manhattan parks
Central Park,
Riverside Park,
Inwood Hill Park [report from Rudy Badia]

Central Park had a very good variety of migrants again, although (I  
thought) the numbers were down just a bit from the frenzy of Friday- 
Saturday.  Mike Freeman & I birded in the n. end of Central Park in  
the first ~2 hours of the morning & among species seen & heard were  
White-eyed Vireo, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Worm- 
eating Warbler and many others.  A few trees in the north woods held  
(what I counted) at least a dozen Purple Finch, feeding & singing a  
bit.  Separately, I and others noted a Common Loon in breeding  
plumage again on the reservoir.
- - -
Between 4 p.m.-6 p.m. I visited part of Riverside Park [near the  
Hudson River on Manhattan's upper west side], specifically the area  
of "the drip" where a small flow of fresh water attracts migrants for  
a drink &/or a bath.  A number of other birders were there and  
notably, Jeff Nulle was among them so that we were well-informed as  
to the status of all species in Riverside Park, particularly in the  
sanctuary area of the park (north of W. 115 Street) & "the drip",  
which is just south of the tennis courts that are near 120th Street  
inside Riverside. I personally saw 15 warbler species visit the drip  
in those 2 hours, & others saw several other species as well.  A  
singing Hooded Warbler could not be visually located by me, about 80  
yards southeast of the drip after 4 p.m., while I did later spot a  
singing Blackburnian Warbler that seemed to stay up in the canopy  
closer to the drive & was not seen at "the drip" itself.  Also great  
to see up close at "the drip" were a gaudy pair of Scarlet Tanagers,  
& (at one point, 3) male Indigo Buntings trying to out-do the other  
birds for "oooh" comments from the birders. A good variety of other  
birds also visited the water-source or were nearby.
- - -
Lacking migration reports from Ken Allaire, who so regularly &  
thoroughly offered them in recent years past for this city park at  
the northern tip of Manhattan, N.Y. City, I'm forwarding a fine  
report from Rudy Badia (a New Yorker recently back from ongoing field  
studies of wintering Kirtland's Warblers & other species in the  
Bahamas) - who also knows Inwood Hill Park and how productive it can  
be. His report is for Sunday, May 4th, 2008:

from Rudy Badia:
--->>
Today birded Inwood Hill Park and was not disappointed. On the first  
hour of been there i had 14 species of warblers all singing. The  
forest was loaded with bird activity and the song of birds filled  
every corner of the park. At one point, worm-eating, blue-winged,  
yellow, blackburnian, n. parula & prairie warbler and ovenbird  
countersinging to others of their species.

some of the birds seen -

Great crested  Flycatcher
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Wood Thrush
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Swainson's Thrush

Blue-winged Warbler (~8 birds, singing non-stop)
Northern Parula
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler (many)
Magnolia Warbler (~8 birds)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler  (one bird)
Blackburnian  Warbler (4 birds)
Pine Warbler (3 birds)
Prairie Warbler (many singing)
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart (two males)
Worm-eating Warbler (4 birds)
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Waterthrush
Ovenbird (many)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (~12 birds)
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Baltimore Oriole (35+ birds)
Orchard Oriole (~13 birds)
Scarlet Tanager (~12 birds)
Brown-headed Cowbird
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
<<
Subject: Black Scoter at Bayard Cutting Arboretum (Suffolk Co.)
From: John Gluth <jgluth AT optonline.net>
Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 22:12:32 -0400
While birding this afternoon at Bayard Cutting Arboretum (Great River) I
found a female Black Scoter in a small cove off the Connetquot River. This
is the same location where I found a female Barrow's Goldeneye in late
December 2006. The location is atypical for both species, being a mile or so
upstream from the Great South Bay and a couple more miles from the Atlantic
Ocean. When I first spotted it, it was coming in for a landing, apparently
after a short flight from somewhere else within the cove. I watched it for
a while, and it did not seem injured or ill, but I couldn't be sure. What is
it about this location that draws off-course female seaducks? Other notable
birds seen during my visit included several Osprey, 2 Solitary Sandpiper
a pair of E. Kingbirds, Blue-headed Vireo, N. Rough-winged Swallow, House
Wren, Brown Thrasher, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat.
Subject: Marine Nature Stuy Area, Oceansidde
From: Sy Schiff <icterus AT optonline.net>
Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 21:36:05 -0400
May 4; Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside

Spent some time on a bright sunny afternoon, after an overcast morning.

New arrivals have been Clapper Rails and Seaside Sparrows, both singing in the 
marsh today. Also singing was a Boat-tailed Grackle on the edge shrubbery. 

 
Both Night-Herons have also arrived. Shorebirds included Willets, both 
Yellowlegs, both Semipamates and Least Sandpiper. 


Sy Schiff
Subject: Re: North Shore Birds - May 4, 2008
From: Susan Herbst <susieq60 AT optonline.net>
Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 21:17:21 -0400
OOPs, forgot the ovenbird, minutes after the GCFlycatcher.

On May 4, 2008, at 7:31 PM, Susan Herbst wrote:

> Tiffany Creek Preserve, Oyster Bay
> Black and White Warblers (quite a number)
> Cardinal (M&F)
> Blue Jays (3+)
> Grackles
> Catbirds
> Robins
> Red Bellied Woodpecker (at least 2)
> Blue Headed Vireo (but - it was way in the top of the trees and  
> couldn't get any closer - I'm pretty sure.)
> Tufted Titmouse
> Yellow-Rumped Warblers (I only saw males)
> Great Crested Flycatcher (Pretty sure this is a life bird for me.  
> He gave me great views as he caught and ate a butterfly, then spent  
> a great deal of time grooming and fluffing in a dogwood tree. He  
> was in pretty much the same spot for more than 20 minutes.)
> Heard a hawk of some kind - never saw him. Heard crows as well.
>
> Uplands Farm, Cold Spring Harbor
> Eastern Bluebirds (one landed nearly at my feet.)
> Loads of Red-winged Blackbirds
> Loads of Grackles (Does it seem like there is an unusual amount  
> this year?)
> Song Sparrows
> Red Bellied Woodpeckers
> Flicker
> Robins
> Catbirds
> Tree Swallows
> Barn Swallows
> Morning Dove
> White Throated Sparrows
> Chickadees
> Baltimore Oriole (Chickadees and Oriole were in the apple trees(?))
> 2 Mockingbirds - both very accomplished mimickers - I easily  
> recognized Cardinal, hawk (not specific), starling, grackles, red- 
> winged blackbirds, and robins.
> Loads of big rabbits and baby squirrels.
> I didn't see my usual Red-Tailed Hawk - who is usually sitting in  
> the trees along the driveway.
>
>
> Susan Herbst
> graphic design/illustration/photography
> 516-633-7730
> susieq60 AT optonline.net
>
>
>

Susan Herbst
graphic design/illustration/photography
516-633-7730
susieq60 AT optonline.net
Subject: Millbrook, Dutchess County
From: John Askildsen <askildsen AT verizon.net>
Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 20:04:04 -0500 (CDT)
This morning there were two Cape May Warblers, one so close you could have 
almost reached out to touch it, singing away, in our yard, plus an Orchard 
Oriole and an adult White-crowned Sparrow, among others. Bobolinks have now 
joined the meadowlarks in the farm fields of the Millbrook area. 


We have already discovered a chipping sparrow nest complete with 5 eggs in our 
neighbor's field today. They surely do not waste time, do they! 


Regards,

John Askildsen and Kirsten Lewis 



John Askildsen
Millbrook, New York
Subject: Rose-breasted grosbeaks
From: prelich AT aecom.yu.edu
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 20:48:59 -0400 (EDT)
Have others been seeing abnormally high numbers of rose-breasted
grosbeaks?  I have only seen a single male at my feeders prior to this
year, but had four at the feeder today.

Greg Prelich
New Rochelle
http://steelhead.aecom.yu.edu/birdwebphotos/birds/index.html
Subject: Sullivan Sandhill
From: Renee Davis <renee4 AT peoplepc.com>
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 20:05:16 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
 This evening (unable to pull ourselves away), Marge Gorton and I stopped at 
the Pine Boat Launch at the Bashakill and found a Sandhill Crane attempting to 
land. I feel it was the same one Joe Cullen found on April 26 because it tried 
to land in the same area where he found it last week. The water level is higher 
now due to the rain we've had in the last few days and I feel the crane felt it 
was too deep to land. I called John Haas and he was able to come and see the 
crane too. We watched it for almost an hour, it soared from one end of the 
Bashakill to the other, I think it was looking for a landing spot. We finally 
left with the crane still soaring overhead. 

 While visiting all the hot spots I was able to count a few migrating Blue 
Jays----to be exact I counted 718! Imagine how many I missed as I only casually 
counted them when I could see them. 

What a great day it was at the "Bash".
Renee Davis

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Subject: North Shore Birds - May 4, 2008
From: Susan Herbst <susieq60 AT optonline.net>
Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 19:31:09 -0400
Tiffany Creek Preserve, Oyster Bay
Black and White Warblers (quite a number)
Cardinal (M&F)
Blue Jays (3+)
Grackles
Catbirds
Robins
Red Bellied Woodpecker (at least 2)
Blue Headed Vireo (but - it was way in the top of the trees and  
couldn't get any closer - I'm pretty sure.)
Tufted Titmouse
Yellow-Rumped Warblers (I only saw males)
Great Crested Flycatcher (Pretty sure this is a life bird for me. He  
gave me great views as he caught and ate a butterfly, then spent a  
great deal of time grooming and fluffing in a dogwood tree. He was in  
pretty much the same spot for more than 20 minutes.)
Heard a hawk of some kind - never saw him. Heard crows as well.

Uplands Farm, Cold Spring Harbor
Eastern Bluebirds (one landed nearly at my feet.)
Loads of Red-winged Blackbirds
Loads of Grackles (Does it seem like there is an unusual amount this  
year?)
Song Sparrows
Red Bellied Woodpeckers
Flicker
Robins
Catbirds
Tree Swallows
Barn Swallows
Morning Dove
White Throated Sparrows
Chickadees
Baltimore Oriole (Chickadees and Oriole were in the apple trees(?))
2 Mockingbirds - both very accomplished mimickers - I easily  
recognized Cardinal, hawk (not specific), starling, grackles, red- 
winged blackbirds, and robins.
Loads of big rabbits and baby squirrels.
I didn't see my usual Red-Tailed Hawk - who is usually sitting in the  
trees along the driveway.


Susan Herbst
graphic design/illustration/photography
516-633-7730
susieq60 AT optonline.net
Subject: Re:George Washington Bridge Area
From: Peregrina Garcia <peregrina_g AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 16:16:23 -0700 (PDT)
Pardon me, make that the EAST tower of the George,on the manhattan side, is 
what I was referring to. 


Yolanda Garcia


 
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Subject: George Washington Bridge Area
From: Peregrina Garcia <peregrina_g AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 16:07:32 -0700 (PDT)
It is not certain if this area,just south of the west tower of the George is 
part of Fort Washington Park,although it most certainly is adjacent to it. 

This trail has trees that have leafed out prodigiously in the past week,and a 
well developed understory,unlike parts of the park proper,which are more 
"manicured" It was walking here this evening(this entire area has evolved into 
a much safer place to walk) that i found a singing male HOODED WARBLER up in 
the trees. I would say it was the early evening but in terms of the light it 
could be characterized as late afternoon as well. 

This week the birds in the general area,including the riverbanks, and the local 
cemetery and woods which parallel the medical center have incuded Prairie 
Warblers, Baltimore Orioles,Black and Whites,Yellows, Black Throated Greens, 
Northern Parulas,Ovenbirds as well as small rafts of Brant Geese on the river 
itself. 

At Inwood Hill Park last saturday (April 26th) I saw a Veery and a female Rose 
Breasted Grosbeak. 

There seems to be an extended passage of migrants taking place along the 
eastern seaboard this week. 


Good Birding,
Yolanda Garcia



 
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Subject: Prospect Park May 4th
From: tompr AT optonline.net
Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 22:14:53 +0000 (GMT)
A great day at Prospect Park Sunday
 
Highlights included:
Kentucky Warbler: South of Rose Garden. One was reported Friday in the Brooklyn 
Botanical Garden, just across the road 

Yellow-breasted Chat: in the same spot as yesterday, below the Terrace Bridge 
on the Breeze Hill side 

Cape May Warbler: Maryland monument and Vale
Lincoln's Sparrow: very nicely marked bird South of Rose Garden
White-crowned Sparrow: in the meadow by the peninsula, with many Chippies
Worm-eating Warbler: Boulder Bridge - found by Tom Stevenson. Another was 
reported from Lookout Hill 

Hooded Warbler: 1 or (probably) 2 near Rose Garden, 1 Lookout. Others reported 
elsewhere 

 
80 species for me, including 20 warblers, 5 vireos, 7 sparrows 
(+towhee&cardinal) 

 
- Tom Preston
Subject: Hooded Warbler at Target Rock
From: Jim Osterlund <jamesost AT optonline.net>
Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 17:43:33 -0400
At the risk of seeming obsessed with a species, — but I guess I am;  I  
don't get them very often — I'd like to report another Hooded Warbler,  
this one at the Target Rock Preserve, Lloyd Neck, Nassau County.  Two  
trails emanate from the parking lot, which is here;

40.927132, -73.438397

one of them runs due south, steeply downhill;  this bird, a Blue- 
headed- and a Yellow-throated Vireo were foraging the same general  
spot along this trail.  All three vocalized a little as they foraged.