Central Park NYC Saturday December 19, 2020 OBS: Robert DeCandido, PhD, Deborah Allen, m.ob.
Highlights: Although the Conservatory Garden was closed due to icy conditions, it was a beautiful mostly sunny and calm winter morning featuring a Peregrine Falcon and American Kestrel. We saw the usual winter ducks plus flyover Common Mergansers. The highlight among the passerines was a lone American Tree Sparrow. Canada Goose - 245 including several flyover flocks, none heading south Northern Shoveler - 152 Mallard - 75 Hooded Merganser - 7 Common Merganser - 3 flying west together over the Reservoir (Deb) Ruddy Duck - 17 Mourning Dove - 3 American Coot - 1 Reservoir Ring-billed and Herring Gulls - around 100 Great Black-backed Gull - 3 Cooper's Hawk - immature male at the Loch Red-tailed Hawk - 3 Red-headed Woodpecker - 4 Downy Woodpecker - 4 American Kestrel - male over Madison Ave. & 104th Street (Bob - early) Peregrine - adult female Reservoir (David Barrett) Blue Jay - 5 Black-capped Chickadee - 4 to 6 Tufted Titmouse - 15-20 White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 (Green Bench & Compost area) Carolina Wren - heard at the Loch American Robin - 3 Northern Mockingbird - 1 east drive below Green Bench American Goldfinch - Loch American Tree Sparrow - Green Bench flew to Compost area Song Sparrow - 6 or 7 White-throated Sparrow - 50-60 Dark-eyed Junco - 4 Red-winged Blackbird - flyover flock of 15 Northern Cardinal - 4 -- On twitter: Adam Cunningham @abclooksatbirds reported an Ovenbird at Gapstow Bridge, and a Rusty Blackbird at Turtle Pond. Ryan Serio reported the continuing Baltimore Oriole at Carl Schurz Park, but alas, no Western Tanager. However, the other Manhattan Western Tanager continued in Chelsea (W. 22nd & 10th Ave.), and both Barred Owls continued today in NY County. For these and other NY County bird reports see the Manhattan Bird Alert @BirdCentralPark maintained by David Barrett. Happy Holidays, Deb Allen Follow us on twitter @BirdingBobNYC & @DAllenNYC -- 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/ --
