Wed. & Thursday. 16 - 17 January, 2019 It may be noted to this list that the Varied Thrush on Staten Island was [re]-found on Wednesday, January 16th, 2019 (again, for the 2nd time in less than 2 months) by Catherine Barron, a long-reliable and regular Staten Island (Richmond County, NYC) birder. Her 1/16 eBird report was filed, and also her 1/16-Wed. report given to the longstanding local alert, “SINaturaList”. See: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51741862 <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51741862>
Incidentally, this Varied Thrush may well be spending parts of its time in that area in private yards, near where seen in Clove Lakes Park (which is a NYC public park). Also of some note had been a Yellow-breasted Chat seen at Clove Lakes Park but in a different section, to at least Wed., Jan. 16th, & that bird could certainly still be present as well; the location of the Chat was near the larger Clove Lake, a bit east of where the Varied Thrush has been reported. It seems that the Varied Thrush moved away from the public park and perhaps up towards a church and also private homes by mid-day or so, on Thursday. This follows a sort of situation that also was seen with the early December appearances of this bird, when it was not seen for long periods by multiple seekers, and not seen in a very long interval of the dates from early December to now mid-January... I might emphasize, it is very possible that this Varied Thrush is 'making a living' in private properties, as much as in publicly-viewable places, & if so, obviously any who come seeking views should respect the privacy of local home-owners. The area where the Varied Thrush has appeared is not at all far from streets with a lot of single-family homes, private yards, and - a fair amount of possible / potential feeding, roosting, “hiding” places for a bird of this kind. Thanks to I. Grant for the update to this list, and to any others who may update on this rarity! Additionally, there’s been a very late-lingering Esatern Phoebe in the same park, but in a yet-different location, near Martling’s Pond as reliably reported from 1/16 (& there was also a reliable sighting of E. Phoebe at a nearby location, Snug Harbor also on the n. end of Staten Island, from 1/14 as well), not necessarily the same individual in this winter of multiple E. Phoebes in the region (& even of all 3 of the 3 Phoebe species - in a modestly wider, just barely 2-state, region!) - - - - The long-lingering male Evening Grosbeak is continuing in Manhattan, NYC at Riverside Park - this bird was found on the Manhattan portion of the Lower Hudson Christmas Bird Count (that’s the count that covers ALL of Manhattan, including Central, and Riverside, and Inwood Hill, & multiple other parks on the day) back on December 16, 2018, this now a month-plus stay for a species that’s not at all too regular in NYC; the Eve. Grosbeak has ranged about, but is somewhat regularly encountered by birders using the leaf-covered trail in the “Forever Wild” - white signs - of the Ladies Grove Sanctuary, which has entrances in that park near about W. 116-117th Streets & also a bit to the north near about W. 119-120th Streets, with some forays by the grosbeak to as far as across Riverside Drive, & n. of Riverside Church in smaller Sakura Park, and more often, in Riverside Park’s wooded area, a bit north of the noted area which is the best area to work, seeking this lingerer. It’s also occasionally seen from Riverside Drive and simply looking into the park over a long, low stone wall. Thanks to all who orginally found this bird back on Dec. 16th, & also to K. Fung for a number of more recent sightings and reports. - - - Extra-limitally but just barely to NY’s east, an adult ‘Kamchatka’ Mew Gull has been contiuning in Stamford, Fairfield Co. in Connecticut as noted by some on this list, & regularly updated on the CT Birds list-serve as well as in eBird & etc. - thanks to Patrick Dugan in particular for many sightings & updates on that bird in CT. VERY extra-limitally, congrat’s are due to Linda Grant for discovering & reporting the first-ever White-throated Thrush in Arizona, a recent find there, & now having been seen by many seekers; it is believed the only United States occurence of that mainly Mexican-Central American species of ‘Turdus’ [genus] thrush outside of southern Texas, where it’s considered rare. The Arizona & N.M. birds-list are giving updates along with eBird, etc., and this rarity is being sought at Madera Canyon in the southern part of that state, with visitors arriving to look from many many places. good birding - & safe travel to all during upcoming weather, Tom Fiore manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
