Re: [nysbirds-l] Bryant Park Chuck-will's-widow--YES
Thanks for your thoughtful analysis Angus. I have been birding in Bryant Park for years, and am myself at a loss for why birds often remain there for so long. I think it makes sense that it's a migrant trap in the first place given the dearth of other appropriate habitat nearby. I suspect other similar-sized parks like Washington Square, Tompkins, and Madison Square have more migrant activity than generally reported as well. But perhaps less concentrated than Bryant Park, due to the more widespread backyard gardens and street trees in those neighborhoods. I also subscribe to the theory that birds get confused and "trapped" by the canyon effect and bright lights. Notably, when viewing from the observation deck on the Empire State Building, Bryant Park is quite visible and shines green in the flood lights. I imagine birds, exhausted from circling the ESB lights, might drop into the park to rest. Some seem to thrive and survive (Ovenbirds have overwintered there) and others don't make it (one of the two Yellow-breasted Chats there a couple of winters ago was found dead). I wanted to add that NYC Audubon has trained the maintenance staff of Bryant Park as part of our Project Safe Flight initiative, which tracks the impact of buildings and lights on migratory birds (http://www.nycaudubon.org/project-safe-flight), and they report any dead birds they find. They patrol and clean the park constantly, and I'm sure they'd find the body of the Chuck-will's-widow, were it to expire, before any scavengers did. But let's hope it finds some snacks and moves on soon, before it comes to that. If anyone finds any dead birds around the city, please report them directly via NYC Audubon's D-Bird database: http://d-bird.org/ Cheers, Gabriel WillowNYC Audubon On Thursday, April 16, 2015 12:53 PM, Angus Wilson wrote: I wonder if any late night visitors to Bryant Park (New York Co.) have seen the bird feeding or at least taking flight from its daytime roost? Evidently it has moved its roost site each day but on Monday the bird remained in situ well after sunset which was surprising. For those who haven't visited at night, the park is brightly illuminated at night, including a set of very bright floodlights positioned on skyscraper over looking the park. This is due west of the roosting sites being used by the Chuck. Indeed, I actually found it easier to see details on the bird AFTER the sky had gone dark because of these very bright lights shining down from above. The park for those who don't know it is quite tiny and developed, yet in past few years of close observation has retained many unusual birds (warblers to woodcocks) from days or even months and there has been much speculation among local observers as to why this is. The enclosed canyon effect of the tall, glass-covered buildings all around and the nighttime illumination might be a key factor. Presumably the bird would need to range beyond the park to feed but returnthere to roost. I have no idea how many suitable insects are flying at this time with so little leaf activity on the trees. On Monday, I noticed someone showing the chuck to one of the grounds staff. If birds linger until they expire the ground staff might come across the carcasses, although I am sure rats and mice will make short work of any protein source that falls from the heavens. Angus Wilson New York City, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Bryant Park Chuck-will's-widow--YES
I wonder if any late night visitors to Bryant Park (New York Co.) have seen the bird feeding or at least taking flight from its daytime roost? Evidently it has moved its roost site each day but on Monday the bird remained in situ well after sunset which was surprising. For those who haven't visited at night, the park is brightly illuminated at night, including a set of very bright floodlights positioned on skyscraper over looking the park. This is due west of the roosting sites being used by the Chuck. Indeed, I actually found it easier to see details on the bird AFTER the sky had gone dark because of these very bright lights shining down from above. The park for those who don't know it is quite tiny and developed, yet in past few years of close observation has retained many unusual birds (warblers to woodcocks) from days or even months and there has been much speculation among local observers as to why this is. The enclosed canyon effect of the tall, glass-covered buildings all around and the nighttime illumination might be a key factor. Presumably the bird would need to range beyond the park to feed but return there to roost. I have no idea how many suitable insects are flying at this time with so little leaf activity on the trees. On Monday, I noticed someone showing the chuck to one of the grounds staff. If birds linger until they expire the ground staff might come across the carcasses, although I am sure rats and mice will make short work of any protein source that falls from the heavens. Angus Wilson New York City, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Bryant Park Chuck-will's-widow--YES
I saw the Bryant Park Chuck-will's-widow yesterday and today (4/15 & 4/16), still roosting in sycamores near the NE corner of the lawn behind the Public Library. One can't help but wonder if the nocturnal insect population in the park is currently sufficient to sustain it. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Bryant Park Chuck-will's-widow--YES
I wonder if any late night visitors to Bryant Park (New York Co.) have seen the bird feeding or at least taking flight from its daytime roost? Evidently it has moved its roost site each day but on Monday the bird remained in situ well after sunset which was surprising. For those who haven't visited at night, the park is brightly illuminated at night, including a set of very bright floodlights positioned on skyscraper over looking the park. This is due west of the roosting sites being used by the Chuck. Indeed, I actually found it easier to see details on the bird AFTER the sky had gone dark because of these very bright lights shining down from above. The park for those who don't know it is quite tiny and developed, yet in past few years of close observation has retained many unusual birds (warblers to woodcocks) from days or even months and there has been much speculation among local observers as to why this is. The enclosed canyon effect of the tall, glass-covered buildings all around and the nighttime illumination might be a key factor. Presumably the bird would need to range beyond the park to feed but return there to roost. I have no idea how many suitable insects are flying at this time with so little leaf activity on the trees. On Monday, I noticed someone showing the chuck to one of the grounds staff. If birds linger until they expire the ground staff might come across the carcasses, although I am sure rats and mice will make short work of any protein source that falls from the heavens. Angus Wilson New York City, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Bryant Park Chuck-will's-widow--YES
I saw the Bryant Park Chuck-will's-widow yesterday and today (4/15 4/16), still roosting in sycamores near the NE corner of the lawn behind the Public Library. One can't help but wonder if the nocturnal insect population in the park is currently sufficient to sustain it. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Bryant Park Chuck-will's-widow--YES
Thanks for your thoughtful analysis Angus. I have been birding in Bryant Park for years, and am myself at a loss for why birds often remain there for so long. I think it makes sense that it's a migrant trap in the first place given the dearth of other appropriate habitat nearby. I suspect other similar-sized parks like Washington Square, Tompkins, and Madison Square have more migrant activity than generally reported as well. But perhaps less concentrated than Bryant Park, due to the more widespread backyard gardens and street trees in those neighborhoods. I also subscribe to the theory that birds get confused and trapped by the canyon effect and bright lights. Notably, when viewing from the observation deck on the Empire State Building, Bryant Park is quite visible and shines green in the flood lights. I imagine birds, exhausted from circling the ESB lights, might drop into the park to rest. Some seem to thrive and survive (Ovenbirds have overwintered there) and others don't make it (one of the two Yellow-breasted Chats there a couple of winters ago was found dead). I wanted to add that NYC Audubon has trained the maintenance staff of Bryant Park as part of our Project Safe Flight initiative, which tracks the impact of buildings and lights on migratory birds (http://www.nycaudubon.org/project-safe-flight), and they report any dead birds they find. They patrol and clean the park constantly, and I'm sure they'd find the body of the Chuck-will's-widow, were it to expire, before any scavengers did. But let's hope it finds some snacks and moves on soon, before it comes to that. If anyone finds any dead birds around the city, please report them directly via NYC Audubon's D-Bird database: http://d-bird.org/ Cheers, Gabriel WillowNYC Audubon On Thursday, April 16, 2015 12:53 PM, Angus Wilson oceanwander...@gmail.com wrote: I wonder if any late night visitors to Bryant Park (New York Co.) have seen the bird feeding or at least taking flight from its daytime roost? Evidently it has moved its roost site each day but on Monday the bird remained in situ well after sunset which was surprising. For those who haven't visited at night, the park is brightly illuminated at night, including a set of very bright floodlights positioned on skyscraper over looking the park. This is due west of the roosting sites being used by the Chuck. Indeed, I actually found it easier to see details on the bird AFTER the sky had gone dark because of these very bright lights shining down from above. The park for those who don't know it is quite tiny and developed, yet in past few years of close observation has retained many unusual birds (warblers to woodcocks) from days or even months and there has been much speculation among local observers as to why this is. The enclosed canyon effect of the tall, glass-covered buildings all around and the nighttime illumination might be a key factor. Presumably the bird would need to range beyond the park to feed but returnthere to roost. I have no idea how many suitable insects are flying at this time with so little leaf activity on the trees. On Monday, I noticed someone showing the chuck to one of the grounds staff. If birds linger until they expire the ground staff might come across the carcasses, although I am sure rats and mice will make short work of any protein source that falls from the heavens. Angus Wilson New York City, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
