This week I checked the birding action of Bryant Park for signs of scavenging among the food vendors in Bryant Park this winter. Unfortunately, the increase in booths, expanded ice rink deck eating area, and view-blocking two-story lounges, along with the larger crowds, have walled in/off many of the garden areas. That and the recent clearing of underbrush have rendered these areas nearly dead zones compared to years past where the birds had easy egress to hide after raiding the fallen crumbs left behind by hungry shoppers. Except for pigeons and fearless House Sparrows, most of the bird action has moved to the peripheral areas. There was a Hermit Thrush on the southern border and the typical Catbirds, although fewer in number at the northwest corner along with a Swamp Sparrow being bullied by the larger Common Whitethroats. A surprise was a Lincoln Sparrow skulking in the southwest corner, could be the same I’d seen in that area for a few weeks about a month ago.
Happy 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/ --
