Central Park NYC - Thursday Feb. 18, 2016 Photos of Iceland Gull & Branta Goose OBS: Deborah Allen
Thursday I saw the First-winter/first-cycle Iceland Gull that's been appearing at the Reservoir off and on since January 30th. The gull was standing on the Reservoir's retaining wall very close to the pumphouse at the north end with about thirty Ring-billed Gulls and a first-winter Great Black-backed Gull. Just after I tweeted the bird at 1:05 Annabella Cannarella happened by, and I was able to point out the gull. The gulls flew off and returned several times. Fifteen minutes later the Iceland Gull had apparently had enough of the human traffic (joggers, etc.) and flew off. I'm not sure if it came back later. Iceland Gull photos from Feb. 18th: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18189941 http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18189942 http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18189943 The Iceland Gull had disappeared by the time Fritz Mueller and Sharron Crocker arrived. I had seen the odd Branta goose, first reported by Peter Post on Feb. 12th, as I walked up the west side of the Reservoir earlier and decided to retrace my steps to look for it. I was called back by Sharron within minutes. Fritz had spotted the goose very close to where the Iceland Gull had been. Branta goose on the Reservoir Feb. 18th: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18189940 I would like to propose a new name for this troublesome goose - Branta desgraciada. A Red-breasted Merganser was at the south end of the Reservoir: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18189944 Other birds at the Reservoir: Great Black-backed Gull (4), Ring-billed Gull (fewer than 300), Herring Gull (not many), American Black Duck (female), Mallard, Northern Shoveler (around 50), Hooded Merganser (at least 7), Bufflehead (at least 8), Ruddy Duck (around 20), Double-crested Cormorant (9 or 10), Pied-billed Grebe. I regret I wasn't able to get a photo of a distant Turkey Vulture flying over the NE corner of the Reservoir. It arrived before I had the lens on the camera. The Wood Duck continued at the 59th Street Pond, but I was unable to locate the Great Blue Heron there, and looked for, but didn't find the Great Horned Owl. Deb Allen -- 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/ --
