[nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC: Thurs. 10/29- Eve. Grosbeak, L. Scaups, E. Bluebirds, Or.-cr. Warbler, etc.
Per Robert Lewis' post to this list: one quick note, yes at least a few (other) birders were searching early Thursday 10/29, in all the areas where the Tropical Kingbird HAD been seen in Westchester County, NY (thru Wednesday 10/28, with many many observers) but for the early-Thursday seekers, NO Kingbird was re-discovered. It is of course possible it is still in that general area, but also equally possible it had moved on (and if so, to where?!) Please send any re-sightings of the Tropical Kingbird (if found again) to this list, along with any others utilized. - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Thursday, Oct. 29th: A brilliant adult male Evening Grosbeak was in the center area of the Shakespeare Garden at around 9:15 a.m.; seen well at close range, the single (as far as I could tell) grosbeak was initially seen with many Am. Robins, in various trees, & then in part (?) due to Blue Jay alarm-calls, a vast number of birds (the grosbeak, 80+++ robins, and many sparrows & some Pine Siskins) all scattered away in multiple directions. My impression was that the grosbeak might not have flown far, but in another hour or so, with rain increasing somewhat, I was unable to re-find the grosbeak. I stayed mostly in the area of that garden, as well as re-walking the Belvedere Castle & south side of Turtle Pond paths, and then up along the w. outer perimeter of the Great Lawn, all areas with many many birds, including fruit-gobbling robins. I did not give any concerted attempts seeking a Nelson’s Sparrow which had been at the Pinetum area last 2 days (i.e. not seen by me on Thursday), & there were hordes of Common Grackles there, & also many of the latter (over 1,500) scattered through a lot of other parts of Central Park. Sadly not even a quick grab-pic of the grosbeak, & not clear where it ended up; it was silent in the short time I observed it. This species has occured in other years & have often ‘stuck’; in the case of one in Riverside Park (in Manhattan), staying for months in one general area there! P.S. at the time I passed by them (same morning), all of the bird-feeders in the C.P. Ramble were completely emptied & nearly silent. On the Central Park reservoir, in slightly more steady rain, I scanned (again) & found at least 9 Lesser Scaup (& these unlike for the Eve. Grosbeak, were photographed - in a hurry, in the rain & wind) which have been an uncommon species in N.Y. County in recent years. The Scaup, which included 3 drakes (males in bright plumage) were in the central area of the reservoir & associating with a smaller number of Ruddy Ducks when I viewed & photo’d. them. Also present on the reservoir were an increased number of Buffleheads, lingering Hooded Mergansers and Pied-billed Grebe as well as 2 Am. Coots seen briefly together by the N. ‘pumphouse’ structures, & also the usual many N. Shovelers, other additional Ruddy Ducks, & some Gadwall & at least one drake Wood Duck, plus a good number of gulls including at least one non-breeding Laughing Gull and the usual and expected 3 spp. of gulls there (Ring-billed, American Herring, & Great Black-backed Gulls), plus some Double-crested Cormorants in varying states of plumage. (Ducks & other waterfowl / waterbirds, like many gulls at the Central Park reservoir, may come & go readily & in weather such as is occuring now, this factor may be that much more so.) At least 4 Eastern Bluebirds were seen calling from at least 3 locations in the morning - east edge (path with fruit trees) of the reservoir: 2 birds, male & female; at the east side of the Great Lawn a bit south of the prominent statue of Alexander Hamilton (male), and one more at the lawn area east of Falconer Hill, which is a bit south of the 72nd Street internal cross-Drive of the park. There were thousands of birds scattered on almost all larger, & many smaller lawn areas & some parts of sports-fields, plus many in the Ramble, N. Woods, etc. including far more than 1,000 White-throated Sparrows, a high number of Slate-colored Juncos, and an assortment of many other related species with Song & Chipping Sparrows easily in the hundreds, altogether. In the rain, hard to see into many trees, but on the ground were a modest number of Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warblers, & after at least 75 minutes of looking, an Orange-crowned Warbler popping into view at The Dene wildflower slope, which is immediately east of the E. Drive at about E. 65-66th Streets - from the drive itself, there is an entry with a large sign for The Dene, on which is a photo of a brightly-plumaged male dickcissel, along with Monarch butterfly. The Dene area often requires patience to reveal its’ birds as the flowers & native grasses there are quite dense. Palm Warblers were seen in a few locations, and again, with so many bird utilising lawn areas for feeding, the chances of other passerine species on those is fairly good. Many other birds were seen,
[nysbirds-l] Central Park, NYC: Thurs. 10/29- Eve. Grosbeak, L. Scaups, E. Bluebirds, Or.-cr. Warbler, etc.
Per Robert Lewis' post to this list: one quick note, yes at least a few (other) birders were searching early Thursday 10/29, in all the areas where the Tropical Kingbird HAD been seen in Westchester County, NY (thru Wednesday 10/28, with many many observers) but for the early-Thursday seekers, NO Kingbird was re-discovered. It is of course possible it is still in that general area, but also equally possible it had moved on (and if so, to where?!) Please send any re-sightings of the Tropical Kingbird (if found again) to this list, along with any others utilized. - Central Park, Manhattan, N.Y. City - Thursday, Oct. 29th: A brilliant adult male Evening Grosbeak was in the center area of the Shakespeare Garden at around 9:15 a.m.; seen well at close range, the single (as far as I could tell) grosbeak was initially seen with many Am. Robins, in various trees, & then in part (?) due to Blue Jay alarm-calls, a vast number of birds (the grosbeak, 80+++ robins, and many sparrows & some Pine Siskins) all scattered away in multiple directions. My impression was that the grosbeak might not have flown far, but in another hour or so, with rain increasing somewhat, I was unable to re-find the grosbeak. I stayed mostly in the area of that garden, as well as re-walking the Belvedere Castle & south side of Turtle Pond paths, and then up along the w. outer perimeter of the Great Lawn, all areas with many many birds, including fruit-gobbling robins. I did not give any concerted attempts seeking a Nelson’s Sparrow which had been at the Pinetum area last 2 days (i.e. not seen by me on Thursday), & there were hordes of Common Grackles there, & also many of the latter (over 1,500) scattered through a lot of other parts of Central Park. Sadly not even a quick grab-pic of the grosbeak, & not clear where it ended up; it was silent in the short time I observed it. This species has occured in other years & have often ‘stuck’; in the case of one in Riverside Park (in Manhattan), staying for months in one general area there! P.S. at the time I passed by them (same morning), all of the bird-feeders in the C.P. Ramble were completely emptied & nearly silent. On the Central Park reservoir, in slightly more steady rain, I scanned (again) & found at least 9 Lesser Scaup (& these unlike for the Eve. Grosbeak, were photographed - in a hurry, in the rain & wind) which have been an uncommon species in N.Y. County in recent years. The Scaup, which included 3 drakes (males in bright plumage) were in the central area of the reservoir & associating with a smaller number of Ruddy Ducks when I viewed & photo’d. them. Also present on the reservoir were an increased number of Buffleheads, lingering Hooded Mergansers and Pied-billed Grebe as well as 2 Am. Coots seen briefly together by the N. ‘pumphouse’ structures, & also the usual many N. Shovelers, other additional Ruddy Ducks, & some Gadwall & at least one drake Wood Duck, plus a good number of gulls including at least one non-breeding Laughing Gull and the usual and expected 3 spp. of gulls there (Ring-billed, American Herring, & Great Black-backed Gulls), plus some Double-crested Cormorants in varying states of plumage. (Ducks & other waterfowl / waterbirds, like many gulls at the Central Park reservoir, may come & go readily & in weather such as is occuring now, this factor may be that much more so.) At least 4 Eastern Bluebirds were seen calling from at least 3 locations in the morning - east edge (path with fruit trees) of the reservoir: 2 birds, male & female; at the east side of the Great Lawn a bit south of the prominent statue of Alexander Hamilton (male), and one more at the lawn area east of Falconer Hill, which is a bit south of the 72nd Street internal cross-Drive of the park. There were thousands of birds scattered on almost all larger, & many smaller lawn areas & some parts of sports-fields, plus many in the Ramble, N. Woods, etc. including far more than 1,000 White-throated Sparrows, a high number of Slate-colored Juncos, and an assortment of many other related species with Song & Chipping Sparrows easily in the hundreds, altogether. In the rain, hard to see into many trees, but on the ground were a modest number of Yellow-rumped [Myrtle] Warblers, & after at least 75 minutes of looking, an Orange-crowned Warbler popping into view at The Dene wildflower slope, which is immediately east of the E. Drive at about E. 65-66th Streets - from the drive itself, there is an entry with a large sign for The Dene, on which is a photo of a brightly-plumaged male dickcissel, along with Monarch butterfly. The Dene area often requires patience to reveal its’ birds as the flowers & native grasses there are quite dense. Palm Warblers were seen in a few locations, and again, with so many bird utilising lawn areas for feeding, the chances of other passerine species on those is fairly good. Many other birds were seen,
