Manhattan, N.Y. County (in N.Y. City)
The (winter adult) Black-headed Gull which Peter Post found & first reported at Central Park to this list later on Tuesday 2/23 was also seen flying off, with a great many of the other usual gulls, as a Red-tailed Hawk approached their roosting site on the ice at the western edge of the reservoir; it has not been seen again since, with some effort applied at the site the day after. There is a reasonable chance this gull is still in the vicinity & possibly lingering in N.Y. County.
The ‘original’ (found & reported publicly earlier than the other) Western Tanager continues in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. I visited there for some time mid-day Tues., 2/23 and found the Tanager back in the playground-park it had visited in the past as when first seen more regularly, on the s.e. corner of Tenth Ave. at West 22nd St., rather high in trees at the back of the play area. On Wed., 2/24, that tanager was seen by its’ original finder/reporter (M. Raimondi) at West 23rd St., just east of Tenth Ave. on the s. side of the street, & he also commented that he had been seeing this bird at times in these same 2 streets. It has survived to now, as has the 2nd Manhattan tanagerso both have a reasonable chance of making it to spring, so long as no raptor takes either, and presuming enough food continuing to be available. It could be that the ‘Chelsea’ W. Tanager has some rooftop or other non-public-access areas that it spends part of its time, perhaps including a good sheltering or roost site. This tanager has also remained in what looks like female plumage.
The female Western Tanager has continued at Carl Schurz Park, but at times had been quite elusive. Even though some have placed food at a feeding area which the tanager & many other birds were using, local squirrels have made off with the most-used bit of that food (a suet-nut log) and in a short time. When that food is available, the tanager may be seen somewhat reliably around the feeders & vicinity. The tanager has also been seen more briefly on the shrubs & in trees both at the west edges of the park as well as on East End Ave. & from about E. 85th to E. 87th Streets.
On Tues. 2/23, I made the trip to see the ‘odd’ male towhee which has been hanging around Bella Abzug Park, in the Hudson Yards development west of Tenth Ave., & south of W. 40th Street - that towhee shows some characters that suggest possibly having genes of a Spotted, but is also pretty clearly in the main, of Eastern Towhee genetic material, by appearance. I was hoping the towhee might vocalize a bit more, but all I heard from it were a few calls. In addition a standard-looking female E. Towhee is there as well & was also heard calling. The male, as first noted by Alan Drogin at that location, has some small white spots in a few areas, but also has the large white slash widening at its base on the primaries & so is most consistent in that regard with an Eastern, not a Spotted. Nevertheless an interesting bird. Other native non-feral passerine birds also noted in the same small park were a Gray Catbird, at least 1 Swamp Sparrow, & more than 2 dozen White-throated Sparrows as well as Song Sparrow. That latter & a good number of other Song Sparrows have been singing lately, some in quite full voice at times.
A total of 9 Ring-necked Ducks, all of them drakes, appeared on the Central Park reservoir on Wed., 2/24 - in groups of five, & four, seen separated from each other, but simultaneously at various hours, & by multiple observers. A Mute Swan that had been regular there for a number of days this month had moved on as of Tuesday, while a drake Wood Duck made a return, perhaps coming the short distance from The Pool, where one had been off & on for much of late winter.
At least 2 American Woodcock appeared in Central Park in areas where they rather regularly turn up there, and more might be anticipated. Also appearing over Manhattan were a modest number of Turkey Vultures and what may have been a few migrant Red-tailed Hawks on their way north. A small signal of some of the movement occurring with the milder weather and change in wind direction; we should see some more of this as we edge into a new month. There was a Pine Siskin in Washington Square Park on 2/24, as reported by L. Beausoleil & G. Silvera Seamans who work with the wonderful Washington Square Park Eco-Projects.
A Lincoln’s Sparrow has continued wintering in Central Park at the compost area in the park’s n. end, seen as recently as We’d., 2/24, and occasionally photographed in the past week; also ongoing in several parks are wintering Chipping Sparrows, and more widely-seen American Tree Sparrows, the latter perhaps first to move on once spring comes.
There has however been ongoing SNOW in Central Park, even as the temperature topped well over 50 degrees [F.] on Wednesday, & some winter birds may still linger for a bit longer.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore,
manhattan
The (winter adult) Black-headed Gull which Peter Post found & first reported at Central Park to this list later on Tuesday 2/23 was also seen flying off, with a great many of the other usual gulls, as a Red-tailed Hawk approached their roosting site on the ice at the western edge of the reservoir; it has not been seen again since, with some effort applied at the site the day after. There is a reasonable chance this gull is still in the vicinity & possibly lingering in N.Y. County.
The ‘original’ (found & reported publicly earlier than the other) Western Tanager continues in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. I visited there for some time mid-day Tues., 2/23 and found the Tanager back in the playground-park it had visited in the past as when first seen more regularly, on the s.e. corner of Tenth Ave. at West 22nd St., rather high in trees at the back of the play area. On Wed., 2/24, that tanager was seen by its’ original finder/reporter (M. Raimondi) at West 23rd St., just east of Tenth Ave. on the s. side of the street, & he also commented that he had been seeing this bird at times in these same 2 streets. It has survived to now, as has the 2nd Manhattan tanagerso both have a reasonable chance of making it to spring, so long as no raptor takes either, and presuming enough food continuing to be available. It could be that the ‘Chelsea’ W. Tanager has some rooftop or other non-public-access areas that it spends part of its time, perhaps including a good sheltering or roost site. This tanager has also remained in what looks like female plumage.
The female Western Tanager has continued at Carl Schurz Park, but at times had been quite elusive. Even though some have placed food at a feeding area which the tanager & many other birds were using, local squirrels have made off with the most-used bit of that food (a suet-nut log) and in a short time. When that food is available, the tanager may be seen somewhat reliably around the feeders & vicinity. The tanager has also been seen more briefly on the shrubs & in trees both at the west edges of the park as well as on East End Ave. & from about E. 85th to E. 87th Streets.
On Tues. 2/23, I made the trip to see the ‘odd’ male towhee which has been hanging around Bella Abzug Park, in the Hudson Yards development west of Tenth Ave., & south of W. 40th Street - that towhee shows some characters that suggest possibly having genes of a Spotted, but is also pretty clearly in the main, of Eastern Towhee genetic material, by appearance. I was hoping the towhee might vocalize a bit more, but all I heard from it were a few calls. In addition a standard-looking female E. Towhee is there as well & was also heard calling. The male, as first noted by Alan Drogin at that location, has some small white spots in a few areas, but also has the large white slash widening at its base on the primaries & so is most consistent in that regard with an Eastern, not a Spotted. Nevertheless an interesting bird. Other native non-feral passerine birds also noted in the same small park were a Gray Catbird, at least 1 Swamp Sparrow, & more than 2 dozen White-throated Sparrows as well as Song Sparrow. That latter & a good number of other Song Sparrows have been singing lately, some in quite full voice at times.
A total of 9 Ring-necked Ducks, all of them drakes, appeared on the Central Park reservoir on Wed., 2/24 - in groups of five, & four, seen separated from each other, but simultaneously at various hours, & by multiple observers. A Mute Swan that had been regular there for a number of days this month had moved on as of Tuesday, while a drake Wood Duck made a return, perhaps coming the short distance from The Pool, where one had been off & on for much of late winter.
At least 2 American Woodcock appeared in Central Park in areas where they rather regularly turn up there, and more might be anticipated. Also appearing over Manhattan were a modest number of Turkey Vultures and what may have been a few migrant Red-tailed Hawks on their way north. A small signal of some of the movement occurring with the milder weather and change in wind direction; we should see some more of this as we edge into a new month. There was a Pine Siskin in Washington Square Park on 2/24, as reported by L. Beausoleil & G. Silvera Seamans who work with the wonderful Washington Square Park Eco-Projects.
A Lincoln’s Sparrow has continued wintering in Central Park at the compost area in the park’s n. end, seen as recently as We’d., 2/24, and occasionally photographed in the past week; also ongoing in several parks are wintering Chipping Sparrows, and more widely-seen American Tree Sparrows, the latter perhaps first to move on once spring comes.
There has however been ongoing SNOW in Central Park, even as the temperature topped well over 50 degrees [F.] on Wednesday, & some winter birds may still linger for a bit longer.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore,
manhattan
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