Quick links to information pages, including for the NYSbirds list- serv, may be found at: http://www.northeastbirding.com/ Reading all of that info may answer (some of) questions or comments being placed here today. (& we all have a fast way of dealing with any posts we may not find of interest: the "delete" key - I know I can't ever see too many reports with a heading that includes "Ash-throated" mentioned. And I enjoy seeing bird reports that are from any-every part of this very large and diverse state!)
__________ Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City Monday, 21 November, 2016 - I did a circuit of much of the park, from the Meer area & zig-zagging south to the Pond (SE corner of the park), with some time in the Ramble, & visiting every water-body (yes, including the model-boat pond) & a few less-birded areas as well as more effort around the inner-perimeter zones on all 4 sides of the park (which at least once- in-a-while, may hold unexpected species, especially in these colder months. Drake Wood Ducks were seen at - Meer, Pool, Lake (2, one of those in the "Upper / NW Lobe"), & Pond (for me, seen in the shaded south side of sanctuary vegetation along that shore, with many resting mallards) & 3 hen Wood Ducks, at Pool, Lake, & Pond - for a total minimum of 8 "Woodies" - while Hooded Mergansers were on at least 4 water-bodies, with a minimum of 14 - five on the reservoir, 4 on the Lake, 3 on Turtle Pond, & 2 on Meer (these all still in place on a 2nd-pass by the four areas; American Coots numbered ten on the reservoir, all ten could be viewed at one time with 12x optics, from the SE area of the reservoir - some by the SW & west shore & more near the SE "corner"; an eleventh Coot is ongoing at the Pond, where a Great Blue Heron was again. "Red" Fox Sparrows were found in a number of areas but for me, the best area was not far from the Boathouse cafe & north, with 2 within ten yards of the Boathouse north side, and 3 more just up-slope, and another one by the balanced-boulder in the ramble not far from these. A few more in the north woods, & at locations I don't check on too often right near Fifth Ave. & below East 72 Street; I found & photographed a Chipping Sparrow in the new meadow area a bit south of 'Balto's' bronze statue (of the famous dog, the area is just north of the 65 St. Transverse, or a bit more north of the CP Children's Zoo entrance - that meadow has potential, with many dozens of native sparrows (and House, also) & some juncos there today. Total numbers of White-throated Sparrows are still very good, & sifting thru flocks of them (or any good-sized flocks) can sometimes pull out an unexpected or "late" species; Junco numbers are also good for now, with more than 200 seen today park-wide (a few flocks having 25-30+); Swamp Sparrows were found in a couple of places, including shorelines of: Pond, Lake, reservoir, & Meer. - - On Saturday, 11/19, at Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan, 3 observers saw a Baltimore Oriole which I also was able to photograph; this was at the "Heather Gardens" which incidentally still had good variety in blooms - as has Central Park, in some parts (Fort Tryon Park was the site of NY State's first Calliope Hummingbirds: 2 birds at same time, 15 years ago). Much more incidentally, the 3 of us finding that oriole were observing 30+ species of insects in Fort Tryon Park on that very warm Saturday afternoon - & rather different by just 12 hours later! - - - - - - - - - - - - "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." - Aug 3, 1857: Frederick Douglass, great American thinker, writer, orator, abolitionist [1817-1895] Good birding, Tom Fiore Manhattan -- 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/ --
