One block north of Bryant Park at 6th Ave and 43rd is Grace Plaza. Once noted as the worst public space in Manhattan, it was renovated this last winter with new plantings, seats, benches, and food concession to attract passers-by, and come they have in droves. About a month ago I bumped into someone I knew from grade school. Around the same time the plaza's trees attracted a male Common Yellow-throat, who cheered me up with his song every morning and evening as I came and went. Despite his phenomenally loud song, the females just a block away in Bryant probably never heard him and left weeks ago, scared by the summer outdoor yoga classes and night time movies. Ironically, at the top floor of the HBO building that separated them I got a preview screening of "Birders: The Central Park Effect". Fall migration has already begun. IncreduIously, I asked Joe Giunta why so soon and he replied "nesting failures." Sadly, last week the little warbler fell silent and left. It's all attraction and chance encounters.
Happy (and Sad) Birding, Alan Drogin -- 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/ --
