Manhattan, N.Y. City - Tuesday, Dec. 15th: There are at least two Western Tanagers in Manhattan simultaneously; one’s been seen & reported regularly (for at least ten straight days) at West 22nd Street, east of Tenth Ave., in the Chelsea neighborhood - and that tanager continues there in Chelsea. A 2nd and different W. Tanager is in Carl Schurz Park, which is east of East End Ave. near the eastern edge of Manhattan, in the upper east side neighborhood - that park is where Gracie mansion, the NYC mayoral residence, is located (the park itself is all public access, the area immediately around the mansion is not) - this Upper-East Side Western Tanager appears to be a first-fall female, with no hint of red feathering at all (in the face). It is bright yellow, and has pale wing-bars on blackish wings. The bill color & shape also is a match for Western (& not for Scarlet). P.S.- as noted, there are (at least) 2 orioles as well in the same park, so some care should be taken in distinguishing, although good views of any should bring the proper species ID into focus. The tanager there is more yellow (overall) than either of the 2 orioles I watched. It took a while for me to locate these birds - and all 3 may be wandering about that park, which is not all that large, but neither is it just a “pocket” sized park. All of the park is immediately east of East End Ave. and there are several entry points, centered on E. 86th St. as the main crosstown thoroughfare.
This tanager was also seen in company with 2 Baltimore Orioles (also first-winter birds), and the tanager -in particular- was seen on this afternoon, at one tall deciduous tree with many small leaves still on the tree (an elm. I believe), which is located immediately west of the “Catbird Playground”, & that tree also closest to East 85th Street, but near (& outside of) the playground’s outer fence. Even more specifically, that leafy tree is just 3 or 4 yards south of the sign (large - name as above) near the west / NW edge of that fenced playground area, & the tanager (as well as the 2 oriole when they were present) was most interested a slight, subtle flow of sap, running down the west-facing edge of said tree, visible from the paved path if facing the very large referenced sign & looking up & very slightly to the right (if one is facing due-east). There are some other similar trees (also tall & still leafy) where the 2 orioles and at least briefly, also the tanager, went; those other trees both a short way north & also a bit east of the tree in which the tanager spent the most time. N.B., there have been some reports from this park, indicating the presence of these birds, but not all have suggested or stated the W. Tanager was also present, in addition to 2 (or more?) orioles. Just to be explicit, the Carl Schurz Park Western Tanager is *not* the bird from West 22nd Street, and neither of these 2 Manhattan Western Tanagers are the bird that had been for some while at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn (Kings County, NYC) not long ago. That Brooklyn W. Tanager showed some red in the facial area, well-seen in some of the photos of that individual. There have been other Baltimore Orioles seen elsewhere in Manhattan, within the past week, and some of those may still be present… I tried searching around in Carl Schurz Park for a bit, with the thought that where 3 normally-neotropical-wintering birds are lingering, might be others. However I did not come up with any other such species, and in general, found the park somewhat quiet for most birds beyond typical, feral “city” species of Rock Pigeon, House Sparrow, & Euro. Starling (although I am aware some additional native birds are seen there, some of those likely also lingering, but much-more expected species (for Manhattan) - such as White-throated Sparrow, etc. The winter storm expected in the region on Wed. eve. into Thursday may obviously affect these tanagers, orioles, some warblers that have been lingering this month. A bird that is perfectly winter-hardy (native to areas in southern S. America where there are cold winters), a Monk Parakeet (which is an established & breeding species in the N.Y. City region, & beyond in various states) was seen again (T. Olson) along the lower Hudson river, this last at the vicinity of Chambers Street, lower Manhattan, & a bit east of the Hudson; the report including a photo of this individual. A *possible* place where Monk Parakeet could become established in N.Y. County might be in part at Governors Island. Perhaps some other N.Y. County sightings at another time… Good birding to all - and thanks to the many who also keep the birds’ best interests at heart, when out in the field - and limit any possible disturbances to the birds’ requirements for food, shelter, & safety, and quiet, including for birds trying to roost undisturbed. 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
