Since my office moved back across Bryant Park in December I've been keeping an eye on this winter's impressive list of birds at this small midtown oasis. Others may have had better luck, but since the holiday gift shops left and the first snow of 2012 I've seen no signs of Chats, Lincoln Sparrows, Ovenbirds, or Common Yellowthroats. My guess is they finally got the message to leave when the tasty arepa crumbs disappeared and cold white stuff started falling from the sky instead.
As for the "half-hardies", there is at least one catbird still hanging out near the northwest corner, but sadly, I found what appears to be the remains of one of the hermit thrushes I've seen along 6th Avenue, dead just west of the ice rink main entrance. Possibly related note - a rat was out in the open near 6th Avenue in the likely throws of poisoning. Other not-rare sightings uptown: A pair of Gadwalls has been hanging out close to the Riverside South Park shore between 66th and 68th streets for the past month. I've not seen the supposed Cackling among the Canada Geese at the nearby lawns, but there is an interesting leucistic specimen with white feathers over the entire neck. In Central Park for past week, a Hermit Thrush and Brown Thrasher near crosswalk into Strawberry Fields, Eastern Towhee near Swedish Cottage. Also nice to see abundant return of Chickadees in Van Cortlandt Park. Alan Drogin NYC -- 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/ --
