Monday, 5 December, 2016 - City Hall Park, lower Manhattan, New York City A Western Tanager continued at above park, this Monday. It might be added that some who are coming to see this bird have not seen it before, and a fair number of those who have come to see - including today, 12/5 - have noted that it was a new or "life" bird for them.
The tanager seems fond of the trees (may be high in taller trees much of time!) in the part of the park that's between the 2 biggest buildings with-IN the park, or just to the east of that area, seen from main east-west path IN the park. The bird can be vocal - calling, not singing! A cross-street just to the west off of Broadway is Warren Street - this street is across from the aforementioned "tanager" path- to-east. Subway service is easy to get to & from here, many of the subway lines are very nearby this modest park. At least 4 Warbler species are lingering at City Hall Park - most uncommon at this date, a Black-throated Blue (male, seen with & near the tanager today), and (at least one remaining) Yellow-breasted Chat, Ovenbird, as well as male Common Yellowthroat[s]. Sparrows of at least 5 species (& excluding 'introduced' House) were present at City Hall park, as of Sunday. City Hall Park is located south of Chambers Street, lower Manhattan - to the east of Broadway - it is also at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, & a few yards from the main pedestrian path to that bridge. The area the Tanager seems to be favoring is between the 2 major buildings IN the park, on / near an east-west path, be looking-up and listen for the distinctive calls from the tanager. There were still a few Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in the park, but fewer than had been, 10 days prior. (If the tanager gets to a point where it is fully-reliant on sapsucker-flows, it may be in dire shape, based on a previous Manhattan December-tanager outcome which I am very familiar with.) - - - - - A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher I found at Randall's Island (Manhattan, in East River) one week ago on Monday 11/28 & reported here, which I photographed at the time, was seen again in the same patch of vegetation on Sunday 12/4 by Jason Gregg - this is an increasingly- late date for this species, but has been documented in December in NY before, albeit rather rarely. (An eBird report of the 11/28 sighting by David Barrett, who joined me in the initial observation, has his as well as my photo[s] of this bird.) Thanks to all who give updates on current status of these & other uncommon or rare species - even when many may have seen them initially ahead of their now-ain't-then 'sell-by' date. - - - - - - - - A citizen’s basic responsibility is to be aware of the consequences of his or her acts. "They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds." - DeRay Mckesson, American activist & writer. - - - - - - - - - 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/[email protected]/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/ --
