ML612607081
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Observation details
***Very rare. Only the third Westchester record, with the two prior being 1) Larchmont on Nov. 11, 1970 and 2) Rockefeller’s Rockwood Hall from Dec. 18, 2021 to Jan. 1, 2022. A species prone to wandering in fall/winter, with numerous annual records along the LI coastline each year, but exceedingly difficult and uncommon inland. Yet 2023 has been a major year for ATFL in the NE, with unprecedentedly high numbers of this southwest denizen in surrounding states this fall. The greater LI + NYC region has had ~16 documented birds (including two in the Bronx on the last week), and Mass, NH, PA, NJ, and more have all multiple records, while VT got its state first! All this goes to say that fall 2023 has been the season of the ATFL, making the arrival of one in Westchester seem inevitable. This, fate struck for us on Dec. 13, when Daniel Martínez, a visiting Costa Rican birder staying in Mt. Vernon, spotted this ATFL out his window! Since then, the bird has been reported four more times, including yesterday on the Bronx-Westchester CBC, where it represented a first for the historic count! When I found out about the bird, I was amidst finals and prayed it would stick until I returned. Due to travels and CBCs, I shamefully missed the Rockwood bird by one day and, considering that was the first record in 51 years for the county, I wasn’t sure I’d get a shot at another in a very long time. So, after many days where I wanted to chase and couldn’t, I crossed my fingers and took a shot this morning. Arriving in a developed urban environment with few trees, I wasn’t too sure where to look or where this bird could be, but after scouring around the pin location, I began to wander. I eventually ended up in a pitch pine fringed parking lot opposite the pin, and started scanning the trees. A few minutes in, while looking at a small bird hidden in the dense pines (probably a GCKI), a medium-size, long-tailed bird flew in and landed a few branches away, and I knew luck was on my side today. This was a typical Myarichus, with a small beak, rear-peaked head, upright position, and long tail. The bird was gray on its face with a darker, lightly brownish cap; its throat and upper chest were a cold gray and they merged into a very pale stomach and vent with a light yellow tinge; the wings and back were a dingy grayish-brown, but the primaries had a bold rufous coloration across them and there was some pale edging to the secondaries as well; finally, the tail was of similar color to primaries with a dark tip seen in good light. The bird soon flew across the street to a median of trees between the Old 7th Ave Playground and a second parking lot. After rushing to get my camera, I watched the bird here, where it feasted on some berries, moved between the trees, had a quick skirmish with a NOMO, and almost disappeared thrice. After a good 20 minutes with the bird, it flew into the gated courtyard of an “apartment” complex, and I left it there to peacefully forage. The bird was quite vocal at times and gave rich “pip” calls, as well as a few elaborate staccato versions with many notes. Not afraid of people at all, and willing to feed low and close to the road. A truly magnificent and quirky site to see this epic rarity on the nature-devoid streets of Mt. Vernon! The best early Christmas present I could, especially because it’s arguably two years late ;) Photos and audio to come
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