Date: 1/6/25 4:11 am From: Tom Fiore <tomfi2...> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Manhattan, NYC - to 1/5 - Dickcissel, Snow Goose, over waterfowl, etc.
Manhattan, N.Y. City - to Sunday, January 5th -
The long-staying Dickcissel of Riverside Park was still coming in to and near the suet-feeder at The Drip area in Riverside, just south of tennis courts near the latitude of W. 118-119 Sts. - also around and even ON the feeder was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a Hermit Thrush made one exceedingly brief try at a little suet-nibble, but more-so the latter bird went for crumbs of suet fallen to the ground beneath the feeder there. As on many recent days, the Dickcissel had periods of being in-view at and near the feeder, as well as long long stretches when it was not in view at some hours. All the birds in this area may go-quiet at times, and this can be due to a Coopers Hawk being nearby. On Sat. 1-4, for example, some seekers found the Dickcissel in the morning, whereas multiple attempts by multiple seekers in the mid-later afternoon hours were unrewarded by the bird hoped-for.
The lingering, ongoing and mobile Snow Goose of New York County which travels around with a smallish flock of Canada Geese, came down to try out The Lake -sometimes known in warmer seasons as the Boating or Rowboat Lake- at Central Park for much-of if not all-of Sat., 1-4, and ongoing at The Lake thru Sunday 1-5 when it went into the southern cove of the lake later on. This not the first time that individual Snow Goose had visited that waterbody, but this time seen by more observers there. This goose has gone at least as far south in that park as the Sheep Meadow, again with some Canada geese, in its stay in the county. There is just the one current Snow Goose -so far- and it has appeared by now in as many as 8 distinct locations, albeit mainly within Central Park since first being seen in the county -in late 2024- at Randalls Island, a short way east of Manhattan, where that goose has also returned at least a few times, before coming-back again in to Central locations.
Other waterfowl have continued much as previously, with Central Park having many of the ducks, including Green-winged Teal, Wood, Ruddy, and American Black Ducks, Hooded, Common, and Red-breasted Merganser, Buffleheads, N. Shovelers, Gadwall, and of course Mallards. Also still present there have been American Coots, and many gulls not always thoroughly sorted-thru for possibilities beyond the typical 3 wintering species of gull here - Ring-billed, American Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls. N.B., one additional observer with 2 others for the Central Park reservoir adult Iceland Gull photographed on Jan. 2, R. Gaylord. That gull species has not been reported again since, unfortunately - but could be somewhere in the county,
Rusty Blackbird has been ongoing at Central Park, the most-regular sightings of late being at the north end of the park, either around The Pool or often around The Loch. Others of the species may also still be lingering in appropriate habitat in Manhattan, and particularly in Central Park. A Pine Warbler was reported from Central Parks Ramble on Jan. 4th, days after the Jan. 1st sighting of that species at that park. At the bird feeding area of the Ramble in Central Park, recent sighings included Red-breasted Nuthatch and Ruby-crowned Kinglet picking at suet on occasion, and in past years when Pine Warbler has been a rare winter-visitor here they may also visit a suet-feeder when in the area of active feeders - which may be possible of recent Pine Warbler occurring in this year as well. Many other birds are coming in to any actively-maintained bird-feeding areas recently, also including the area of Riverside Park north at The Drip where up to twenty or more species of birds have been sighted from that location, not all necessarily coming to one small block of suet, but seen from the same site, Both species of Kinglet have continued on at several sites on Manhattan island, including Central Park. Not too unusual for here, large to very-large flocks of Common Grackles have been noted from several parks and areas in Manhattan in this month.
…...
And, from New York County, a single Long-tailed Duck was found -L Beausoleil- and then photographed -J. Suzuki- off Governors Island on the morning of Sat., Jan. 4th. Later-moving and arriving sea and bay ducks might yet show in various corners of the county, and clearly there has been some nice movement of waterfowl around the area in just the last week or so, as well as since the winter-solstice.
Thanks to many observers and photographers for a lot of finds and reports.
Good birding to all,
Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
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